Urban Report

The Danger Of Down Low

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: Yvonne Lewis (Host), Raymond King

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Series Code: UBR

Program Code: UBR000009


00:01 There is an underground culture that is sweeping through
00:03 American Society... and don't think that it doesn't
00:06 affect the Body of Christ... it's called the "Down Low"
00:09 and it's more prevalent than you may think...
00:12 Stay tuned to find out more about it
00:14 and other relevant issues...
00:16 My name is Yvonne Lewis and you're watching
00:18 Urban Report...
00:41 Hello and welcome to Urban Report...
00:44 my guest today is Raymond King
00:46 Author and Co-Founder of Securing Hope Ministry...
00:50 Welcome Brother Raymond...
00:51 Thank you for having me on today...
00:54 Oh it's great for you to be with us...
00:56 we're so happy that you're here...
01:00 This phenomenon of the "Down Low"
01:04 what exactly is it?
01:05 The Down Low is a term that we have
01:08 in the African American Community
01:11 and it really references individuals
01:14 male and female who pretend to be heterosexual
01:18 but they're really involved with same-gender sexual activity
01:24 I tell people... it's the
01:27 ultimate
01:28 form of betrayal because... in many instances,
01:32 let's take a husband who is married...
01:35 has a family... he portrays himself
01:39 as being a man of God... heterosexual, loving, caring
01:44 protective of his family...
01:45 but yet... he's secretly rendezvousing with other males
01:51 for sexual gratification... I must say selfish, ungodly,
01:56 sexual gratification... and it is such an issue
02:00 because according to statistics African American females
02:04 have the highest rate of HIV infection...
02:08 and they say that one of the reasons
02:10 that this is the reality is because
02:13 they are involved with men again...
02:15 who are on the Down Low
02:17 but what we have found out contrary to popular belief,
02:21 that it's not only men who are on the Down Low,
02:24 again... in the Body of Christ, but the females
02:27 who also are on the Down Low, these are mothers,
02:30 these are significant others who portray themselves
02:33 to be heterosexual... but yet...
02:35 they are secretly again... involved with
02:38 same-gender relationships
02:40 as well... so, you're telling us...
02:44 that... this is, first of all, not just specifically
02:47 a male phenomenon... this is now...
02:49 involving more and more women as well...
02:52 and Number Two... you're telling us that
02:55 and this is an issue of grave concern...
02:57 that there are so many African American Women...
03:00 that are dying from HIV... and this is often
03:05 brought into the relationship via a Down Low relationship
03:10 that's going on with the husband...
03:12 is that correct? Exactly... exactly...
03:15 it's real devious... it's really serious...
03:19 because they call it Down Low for a reason...
03:22 these individuals are so secretive...
03:26 in their personal sexual activity
03:29 that it's hard... for anyone to pick up on it...
03:33 Hmmm... it is a phenomenon that
03:37 is adversely affecting both genders...
03:41 but specifically... or should I say in general...
03:44 it's also adversely affecting the Body of Christ...
03:47 Now, why should we...
03:49 as the body of Christ...
03:51 be concerned about this... I mean... really...
03:53 is this something that
03:55 has anything to do with us as Christians?
03:58 Why should we care about this?
03:59 Well, I believe that obviously all sin originates
04:05 from the enemy... and when you start
04:08 looking at the Down-Low culture, I've written a book
04:14 that deals with this... you understand that
04:17 the more deviant... or the more
04:19 deceptive it is... the more I believe
04:21 it is being used by Satan as a tool...
04:24 and so the reason the Body of Christ
04:26 needs to be aware of this is because
04:28 God did not want His people to be ignorant
04:30 as a matter of fact... God states in His Word
04:33 "My people are destroyed for the lack of knowledge... "
04:36 Hmmm... yes... so, I ask people...
04:39 if God is warning us... He is saying to us...
04:42 "Don't be ignorant... " Hmmm... hmmm...
04:44 "gain knowledge... gain wisdom... "
04:46 what would happen if we know what's going on
04:49 if we know how Satan is attacking...
04:52 then I believe that we could not only confront him...
04:57 but... it is... a lot of individuals
05:00 in this culture... are in it...
05:03 because of childhood trauma in the form of
05:06 childhood sexual molestation, and a lot of individuals
05:11 really want freedom from this hellish bondage
05:14 or this hellish addiction, and the Church is the only one
05:17 that can provide that type of freedom
05:20 or deliverance... and so... you ask,
05:22 "Why is it so important to the Church?"
05:25 It's important on two different areas...
05:28 Number One... we must provide a means
05:30 of warning and educating our people
05:33 so they know what to stand against...
05:35 Hmmm... at the same time
05:36 we also must make ourselves
05:38 the instrument of restoration
05:40 and deliverance that God has already
05:42 enabled and requires...
05:44 Yes, and I think that that is so important...
05:46 for our viewers to know and particularly
05:50 our viewers that are caught up in that bondage
05:53 because indeed it is that... it is bondage...
05:55 any sin... that has you driven
05:58 that you are controlled by, well, sin period...
06:02 is bondage... Yes...
06:04 and so... we as a Church, have to be a place
06:08 of restoration... a place of deliverance
06:11 to show that there is deliverance
06:13 from that bondage... Yes...
06:15 and so... I think it's critical
06:17 for us.. to not put
06:18 our heads in the sand
06:19 and act as though these things don't exist
06:21 in the Church... because they do...
06:23 and that's why we have you here...
06:25 It is Satan's desire
06:28 that we ignore this reality
06:31 because... by doing so...
06:33 we give him free rein
06:35 to continue to kill, steal and to destroy...
06:38 Hmmm... I tell individuals...
06:42 any form of sin... if allowed to maintain itself
06:46 in the Body of Christ is malignant...
06:50 You know... the Scriptures... Paul said in Corinthians to
06:55 that Church... "that a little leaven
06:58 would leaven the entire lump... "
06:59 Yes... hmmm... hmmm... hmmm...
07:01 that's pretty significant because...
07:03 know when he says... "a little leaven"
07:05 not a whole bunch... he said
07:07 it would leaven the entire lump...
07:09 Hmmm... hmmm...
07:10 and so, I tell people, we can't afford...
07:14 to allow any form of sin... to maintain itself
07:18 to take root within the Body of Christ
07:21 because... if we all... and it has...
07:24 and it is... adversely affecting us all...
07:27 and I'll give an example...
07:30 one of the main problems
07:32 in the Body of Christ is sexual immorality period...
07:35 it's not just homosexual... it's not just Down Low...
07:37 it's just embracing...
07:39 what I call it... a counterfeit sexuality
07:42 let's say you have individuals
07:45 who are sexually active... male and female...
07:48 but individuals who are on the Down Low...
07:50 may present themselves
07:53 again as being heterosexually inclined
07:57 Hmmm... hmmm... and so, they are
07:59 committing fornication with females and males
08:02 however, the females who are
08:06 "straight"
08:07 but they're still committing fornication...
08:10 are now... spreading the disease
08:15 both physically and spiritually to the other men...
08:19 that they are fornicating with...
08:21 and so... the Down-Low Brother would not only
08:24 adversely affect the female... the Down-Low Brother
08:26 would also the other male that she may be fornicating with
08:32 and as I said before it's not just the males...
08:35 I think people will be surprised
08:38 how many females are involved
08:41 in secretive sexual liaisons with other females...
08:46 but present themselves to be heterosexual
08:48 within the Body of Christ...
08:49 and one reason
08:53 this is so prevalent
08:55 on the female side of the equation
08:57 is because... a lot of females now
09:00 don't trust males... Hmmm...
09:02 there are... a number of books
09:05 that have been written about females who are married
09:09 or who are involved with a male who they found out
09:12 to be on the Down Low... females who have contracted
09:16 HIV... females who died from that...
09:19 and so... they look at...
09:22 a lot of females look at males
09:24 suspect because they don't have any idea
09:28 if the male they are being attracted to...
09:31 is on the Down Low... Hmmm...
09:33 and again... I tell people... you cannot tell...
09:35 that's why they call it... the Down Low...
09:37 Right... right... right... absolutely...
09:40 You know... one of the things that you said
09:43 that's so important and that is...
09:46 there's just a whole plethora...
09:49 of sexual sin... in the Church...
09:52 it's not that we are just focusing
09:54 on homosexuality
09:56 or bi-sexuality... fornication... you know...
09:59 adultery... all of these things, pedophilia...
10:02 all these things... have crept into the Church
10:05 and we're just... sometimes...
10:08 we're just burying our head in the sand
10:10 acting like this is just not important...
10:13 but yet... it's taking root in the Church...
10:17 and that's one of the things
10:18 that is of such distress to me as a Christian...
10:22 I see what's going on with this whole agenda...
10:26 as I watch television... I see...
10:29 there's this whole agenda that's pushing...
10:32 that's promoting... fornication, adultery,
10:35 homosexuality, bi-sexuality, and it's as though
10:40 we are just becoming desensitized to it...
10:43 what do you see... as the agenda
10:47 that's taking place... in our Society...
10:50 or is there an agenda?
10:52 Big time... and I tell people
10:55 the Bible declares "that we wrestle not against
10:58 flesh and blood... but against spiritual powers,
11:01 wickedness... " there's a spiritual warfare...
11:04 Yes... I tell people that the agenda
11:07 is really demonic... Yes...
11:08 and I'm going to go to the 6th Chapter of Corinthians
11:14 and I have been led to believe in reading Paul's writings
11:20 where he says... that all men have sinned...
11:23 it's done outside the body... Hmmm...
11:25 and I ask people...
11:27 when he says "all" what does that mean?
11:28 It means... without exception... Hmmm... hmmm...
11:30 but it says... it means in the exception...
11:33 fornication is done against the body...
11:36 Come on now... and so, the revelation that
11:38 I received from that is... God was working through Paul
11:42 to establish or put sin...
11:43 into two distinct categories... Hmmm... hmmm...
11:46 Non-sexual... done outside the body
11:48 and sexual... that's done against the body...
11:51 and so... whatever type of sin we commit...
11:53 it's going to be either sexual or non-sexual...
11:56 and so I ask people... if that's the case...
11:58 and if you are Satan...
12:00 you want to attack the body of Christ...
12:03 which category of sin would you focus on...
12:06 and obviously it had to be that sin
12:07 that's done... against the body and so...
12:09 in answer to your question...
12:11 I submit that... it is an agenda...
12:13 the agenda is... Satan who is mad
12:16 with the remnant of the seed of the woman...
12:18 he is launching war against the woman
12:23 but he's using sexuality... and he knows that
12:27 if he can infiltrate... if he can contaminate...
12:32 it he can leaven... the Church...
12:34 to embrace... again the counterfeit...
12:36 then what happens is... he slowly but surely destroys
12:41 the fabric or the fundamental component of the Church
12:45 and of the facade... and that's the family...
12:47 our families are in trouble... Yes... yes...
12:49 especially in the Black Community
12:51 you know better than I do that 70 percent
12:53 of all the homes in Black America...
12:55 only have one parent... Yes...
12:57 and if you really were to evaluate that...
13:02 you'll find that that most of it...
13:05 leads to sexual immorality, I submit that
13:09 that's the agenda...
13:10 Satan wants to destroy the Church...
13:12 by using sexuality... and we are assisting him...
13:17 because we fail to openly discuss... openly teach
13:21 and embrace... what I call...
13:23 Biblical sexuality...
13:24 Hmmm... and I want to get to that
13:26 in just a second
13:27 what is that concept of Biblical Sexuality...
13:30 of God's ideal for His people... but there's something...
13:34 there's a kind of theory that I have...
13:36 and I want to run it past you...
13:38 so many people think that sex is just a physical act...
13:43 but there is a physical dimension,
13:45 as well as a spiritual dimension...
13:48 and there's the whole physical thing that says that
13:52 when you sleep with someone...
13:54 you're sleeping with everybody that they've slept with
13:57 for the past 7 years... so... that means...
14:00 if you are a promiscuous person...
14:03 and you're sleeping with X, Y, Z...
14:05 or even one person... that slept with
14:08 50,000 people...
14:10 you're sleeping with everybody that they've slept with
14:12 for the past 7 years...
14:13 I believe that spiritually too, there's that same deal
14:17 that you are... there's this kind of
14:19 transferring of the spiritual plane as well,
14:23 and so, that's why,
14:25 we're not to join the Body of Christ
14:27 with the "harlot" so to speak, as Paul says,
14:30 because it's not just a physical thing...
14:33 it's also a spiritual
14:35 kind of transference
14:38 and so, we have to be so concerned about
14:41 what "spirits" are we taking in, and I think that
14:44 that's why... we're supposed to look at this
14:48 not just from a physiological place
14:50 but from a spiritual place as well...
14:52 would you concur with that?
14:54 Very much so... I reference what I call
14:58 people's "Sexual Tree" Hmmm...
15:00 sexual tree is in essence what you just mentioned...
15:05 I'll submit that... it goes even farther than 7 years
15:09 it goes to infinity... until God severs it...
15:12 see... I believe that sexuality is multi-dimensional
15:16 as you've mentioned... it's physical...
15:18 it's spiritual... it's emotional...
15:20 and it's mental... it is complete joining of
15:24 husband and wife... which is what God had intended
15:27 it's a bonding mechanism between those two individuals
15:30 and it's so complete... it's the only union
15:34 that God compares... between He and the Church...
15:38 And see... Satan would want to really mess that up...
15:42 because he is actually going... attacking...
15:44 the whole concept of
15:46 us being formed in the image of God... anyway...
15:49 so he wants to come up against that whole concept
15:52 and against the Church, which is represented
15:55 in Scripture as a woman... so he wants to come up
15:58 against that anyway... so he is going to
16:01 you can see... how... he would...
16:03 really try to attack the Church and attack us through
16:08 sexuality... and it's everywhere...
16:11 it's ubiquitous... let me kind of go back to the
16:15 Down-Low phenomenon for a minute
16:17 and ask you... what are the signs
16:20 of someone being on the Down Low...
16:22 what would you look for...
16:24 That's a good question... if you could determine that...
16:29 you have the right to turn Down Low...
16:34 wow... it is... some of the signs that are
16:39 obvious... is a lack of attention...
16:42 if either party... has been giving the other party
16:48 attention... especially in the
16:51 intimacy department... and all of a sudden...
16:54 it starts to wane...
16:55 if you have one or the other partner
16:59 becoming missing... for extended periods of time...
17:04 without any reasonable explanation...
17:07 I want to say that
17:11 they are real difficult
17:17 to determine because... everything is done by the
17:21 Down-Low partner to keep it "Down Low"
17:24 but what I will say is this... it's a lot harder
17:31 to detect it... than it is to prevent it...
17:35 and I submit that what we should do
17:38 in the Body of Christ... is again...
17:40 make this an issue that we discuss...
17:43 because as I said earlier... there are individuals
17:46 who are caught in this addiction that really want freedom...
17:51 Hmmm... but how many individuals
17:54 will you say... feel so comfortable
17:57 about the environment of the Church...
18:00 that they would stand up in a Prayer Meeting...
18:03 or at any gathering of the saints
18:05 and say, "Listen, Brothers and Sisters
18:07 I'm struggling with same-gender attraction...
18:10 I need you all to help me... " Forget about it...
18:12 Forget about it...
18:14 exactly... that's just not happening
18:15 it's so swept under the rug because
18:17 it's an area of such shame and secrecy...
18:21 and I think that that's one of the draws with it
18:24 the clandestine aura that it has...
18:28 that's one of the things that Satan uses
18:32 to keep it on the Down Low... it keeps it exciting
18:36 when it's clandestine... so, I mean, it's all part of
18:40 that whole plan that he has... to deceive...
18:45 Well, part of it is also the demons
18:49 of shame and guilt... and I submit that we
18:54 as the Body of Christ have to get to a point where...
18:58 we are able to hear anything... deal with anything...
19:02 and address anything... Hmmm...
19:04 because... that is the only time
19:06 that we are going to be what God had called us to be...
19:09 there are individuals that I've talked with
19:14 who have come out of the homosexual culture...
19:18 and they've made mention of the fact
19:22 that... if they had been approached
19:25 if they felt like the Church was willing
19:29 to help them without a spirit of condemnation...
19:32 they would have reached out a long time ago...
19:36 Hmmm... what I'm finding out
19:37 in the Body of Christ is... especially when it comes to
19:41 sexual issues... we are deficit in our success
19:49 in offering the deliverance because...
19:53 people would not get help if they don't ask for it...
19:58 people would not ask for it if they feel like,
20:00 "I'm going to be condemned... I'm going to be talked about...
20:04 I'm going to be ostracized... "
20:06 we need to change that paradigm...
20:08 because... if we start changing, if we start becoming
20:12 the spirit of change and restoration
20:16 that God has enabled us... I submit that...
20:19 that would be the best first step
20:21 in eliminating the Down-Low Syndrome
20:24 and every other sexual misconduct problem
20:28 we have in the Body of Christ...
20:29 it's not that we can't... it's that we won't...
20:33 Yes... yes... what is your... what is your interest
20:36 in all this... why have you taken it
20:39 upon yourself... to... kind of champion
20:42 this whole issue of sexuality in the Church?
20:44 That's a good question... God works in mysterious way...
20:49 and the way He called my wife and I...
20:55 into this ministry... was on the heels of us
20:59 meeting with young adults and teens in our home
21:03 every Friday night for about two-and-a-half years,
21:06 we discussed everything from doctrinal issues
21:11 to sexuality to dating... we also fed them food
21:15 as a matter-of-fact... I had a nickname...
21:17 I called them locusts... because once they came in
21:20 and left... there was nothing left...
21:21 They cleaned you out huh?
21:25 Toward the end of that blessing, the Holy Spirit
21:30 gave me the impression of going to them
21:33 and saying to them... "Now, you have been fed
21:36 for the past two-and-a-half years
21:37 now, it's time to get to work... "
21:39 So, you're getting ready to make sure that they
21:43 they've been fed... so now it's time
21:45 for them to get out there and feed others... right?
21:50 Exactly... but what I suggested that they do is...
21:54 do an abstinence program for the youth
21:57 that were younger than them,
21:59 and so, each person had their...
22:01 who wanted to participate, had a specific subject
22:05 that they would cover and because of
22:07 my medical background... I chose to cover STD...
22:11 and that is what really brought me into this
22:14 thing because as I did my research
22:16 I did not realize that it was
22:18 as bad as it was...
22:20 and to make the long story short...
22:22 that led me into writing my first book
22:26 and the book just exploded
22:28 my interest... and I tell people,
22:31 "When God calls you to a ministry... He equips you...
22:35 He gives you such a yearning and a desire to do it... "
22:40 and so, primarily... I believe that this is
22:44 what God's purpose is for myself and my wife...
22:47 and the more we study about this...
22:50 the more angrier we become, as a matter-of-fact...
22:53 in the book that I wrote, "Dealing with the Down Low"
22:56 I talk about my brother, unfortunately...
22:59 who was a preacher and he got sucked into that culture
23:04 and I found out that...
23:06 after his death...
23:08 he committed suicide... that he actually
23:10 was a victim of childhood sexual molestation as well...
23:14 My... and so there's a lot of
23:16 a lot of things that have happened...
23:18 but I do know... based upon
23:20 what I am gaining from this, this is where God
23:24 wants us to be... Amen... amen... now...
23:28 so what would you say then I'm wrapping this up...
23:31 what would you say... is God's ideal plan for us
23:34 in terms of sexuality... besides marriage obviously
23:37 but with all that's going on in Society now
23:41 what would you say to the viewer
23:43 about God's plan for us for our sexuality...
23:47 very simple... God says,
23:49 "Be ye holy... as I am holy... "
23:51 Hmmm... we should not try to
23:53 achieve anything else but holiness...
23:57 once we achieve holiness... everything...
24:00 everything that needs to be put in place...
24:03 will be put in place...
24:04 What's holiness to a person who's never...
24:07 who is unchurched? What is being holy?
24:10 What does that mean?
24:11 Being holy is... being like Christ...
24:15 the Bible says, "By beholding we become changed... "
24:17 when we learn of Christ, then, we are changed
24:22 just by the exposure to holiness...
24:25 Okay... I know that...
24:26 for the "unchurched" that may sound kind of...
24:29 strange... but the Bible says,
24:33 "Spiritual things are spirit discerned"
24:35 I'm convinced that Christ came to show us
24:38 God... through Himself... Hmmm... hmmm...
24:40 and if we can obtain the life that Christ lived
24:44 by learning of Christ... He said,
24:47 "Come unto me, all ye who are burdened and are heavy laden,
24:51 and I will give you rest... " Hmmm... hmmm...
24:53 He said, "Learn of me... " and I believe that
24:56 that's the key... if we can get more knowledge
24:58 of Jesus... and who He is, and what He is,
25:00 and what He's all about... then... everything else
25:03 that Satan has thrown at us will slowly be snuffed off...
25:08 Jesus is the answer... Jesus is the answer...
25:12 I mean... what more can we say?
25:14 Thank you... thank you so much Brother Raymond King
25:18 for being with us and letting us know
25:21 about this whole issue of the Down Low and sexuality
25:25 in the Church... and what we can do... really...
25:28 to... how we can address it...
25:31 and we can address it by being a place of restoration
25:36 and we can address it by by ourselves becoming more
25:40 like Christ so that so that we can share
25:42 Him with the world...
25:44 how can we share what we don't know?
25:45 so... we have to do that...
25:50 thank you again for being with us
25:52 Thank you for the opportunity... Absolutely...
25:55 If we would just really get into that Word...
26:01 and show love to everyone...
26:03 this Program is not about bashing the bi-sexual
26:08 or the homosexual... or the adulterer
26:11 or the fornicator... we're all sinners...
26:13 we're all sinners saved by grace and what your sin...
26:17 your sin might not be my sin...
26:19 but... whatever our sins are... we are sinners
26:25 in need of a Savior... and so... we can be thankful
26:29 that we have a Savior... we can be thankful
26:31 that we have a High Priest that we can go to
26:34 and say... "Lord, I've blown it...
26:37 I've messed up... but please forgive me
26:39 and then empower me... give me victory over this sin. "
26:42 This Program today was to show you that
26:45 victory is ours through Christ, no matter what the sin
26:49 no matter what you're dealing with...
26:51 we can have victory in Him... and so we can go to Him
26:55 because He's our High Priest... because...
26:58 there's nothing that He has not...
27:00 the Word says that we don't have a High Priest
27:05 that cannot be touched with the feeling
27:07 of our infirmities... but... we have a High Priest
27:11 that we can come to... because He'll show us grace
27:14 and mercy in time of need... so we can come to Him
27:18 and we can expect healing...
27:20 and we can expect forgiveness
27:22 "If we confess our sins... He is faithful and just
27:24 to forgive us of our sins, and to cleanse us
27:27 from all unrighteousness... " this information today
27:30 is so valuable and practical, we can't just
27:33 bury our heads in the sand... and act as if
27:35 this phenomenon doesn't exist... it does...
27:38 but the Lord would have us to be aware
27:40 of the wiles of the enemy and to know
27:42 that in Christ... there is victory...
27:45 there is nothing too great or too small
27:48 to bring to Him... He longs for intimacy with you
27:52 He longs for a relationship with you...
27:54 He longs to walk side by side with you...
27:57 so let Him and trust Him...
27:59 just give Him a try...
28:01 Thanks for watching Urban Report...
28:03 it just wouldn't be the same, without you...


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Revised 2015-04-30