The Heart is the Problem

Last week, Walker preached an insightful sermon about Jesus' contention that "There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him" (Mark 7:15).

The New York Times this week reported on a fascinating juxtaposition of external purity rules and internal sin:

Tehran, Iran - Tehran's police chief, who was responsible for a crackdown on immodestly dressed women for the past year, has been arrested, a spokesman for the judiciary confirmed Tuesday.

Web sites and local newspapers reported last month that the chief, Gen. Reza Zarei, had been arrested after being caught in a police raid at a brothel with six naked prostitutes.

Zarei led a crackdown that started a year ago to increase enforcement of Islamic regulations. Thousands of young women were detained for violating the Islamic dress code, usually for wearing head scarves that showed too much hair, coats that were tight enough to reveal the figure, or pants that were too short.