Being an Extremist

I will admit that I was a little nervous going into last night's lesson.  Teaching on controversial topics needs to be done, but needs to be done with caution.  I was cautious making sure my references were correct, checking with my wife to make sure I was on track, and praying for guidance through the process.  You may wonder why I would go through such trouble?  Why not stick to a safer topic?  Well, the answer is very simple- we need to maintain a moral standard.  Fear is a motivator of silence.  When certain topics are made to be taboo, then fear keeps us from addressing them.  There shouldn't be a topic that we fear. 

That being said, there are those people in the world who are controversial just for the sake of notoriety.  This is wrong.  Blessed are the peacemakers.  We need more peacemakers, not more controversy. 

Now, I wonder if there will come a time when anyone maintaining a moral standard will be viewed as an extremist?   I already feel like I am viewed that way sometimes.  When I speak to teens about how it is wrong to pirate music or movies they roll their eyes at me.  I am sure it seems extreme to some to label pirating as stealing.  Dare we even discuss such simingly trivial things as using the Lord's name in vain and whether or not the text version OMG! is acceptable? 

I do not want to hen peck, or nitpick, or strain gnats, or whatever description fits best.  It is not my goal to turn legalistic.  However, it is my goal to value standards.  I do not want to compromise morals.  Certainly I don't want the next generation to not hear a message because it was unpopular or controversial.  What do you think?