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“Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover up for evil, but living as servants of God.”
2 Peter. 2:16
2 Peter. 2:16
Before I start this article I would like to say this, the following is not suitable for children. Having said that I believe that the guidance of a parent or responsible adult is beneficial to adolescents who wish to learn about this important topic. Sadly, many youngsters are exposed to p0rnography and with the birth of the internet and smartphones this is now a topic that more teenagers are experiencing in school, college and among their peers.
It is unrealistic – The first reason why p0rnography is wrong is because the body images and the portrayal of sexual activity are not real. Women and men are not like the ones you see on the screen in real life. The images that stimulate the brain are nothing more than fantasy. When you view pornographic content you are training your brain and emotions to react to something fake. It has been reported that the movies and clips are filmed in such a way that makes the viewer think something is happening that is not. Also, the scenarios are vastly exaggerated.
Depression, self-hatred and guilt. – We read in Scripture that when Judas betrayed Christ he had a strong feeling of guilt and self-hate. Instead of coming to terms with the reality of the events that had just taken place Judas went and hung himself.
It is common to have a feeling of guilt and a desire to punish ourselves when we have done something wrong. It is a good and healthy feeling. However, trying to deal with guilt by self-hatred is not the way to go about it. Guilt is dealt with at the cross. The conscience is wiped clean in Christ. 1 John 1:9-10 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” We must understand that forgiveness and cleansing cannot be imparted to sinners outside of Christ.
The mental well-being is just as important as our spiritual health. Mental health is not a topic that is talked about a lot in the Christian community. I wonder if you can cast your mind back to a time when you heard a sermon on the topic of mental health.
I am no expert regarding the medical side of mental health, but I have had personal experience with mental health issues in the past. I believe that a good conscience before God is crucial to our mental health. Nothing can be more mentally and spiritually crippling than a burden of guilt or shame weighing down on the mind. It is not surprising that suicide rates are high among p0rnography users. One of the best examples in Scripture of a man pleading before God for grace after committing sexual sin is David. Read carefully the words of David and take note of the language he uses. David is pouring out his heart before God in deep distress, he understands the depths of his sin and what it means.
In Psalm 51 David beseeches God to, “blot out my transgressions”. He implores God to “wash me clean” in verses 2 and 7. David asked God more than once to wash him clean. Simply blotting out his sin was not enough for David, he wanted to be cleansed from the defiled state his body was in. God is the one and only source of true healing and cleansing. David wanted to be purged of sexual immorality meaning that he wanted rid of this unwanted feeling and condition. Creating in me a clean heart was David’s heart’s desire. He wanted his heart clean from the corruption and filth of sin. If you are ever tempted to wallow in the guilt of sin do not remain in your current state, flee to the Saviour for the cleansing you crave.
It objectifies both men and women. – p0rnography portrays men and women as mere objects of sexual desire and passion. Men and women are not merely sexual objects. We are created beings in the image of God with value, worth and meaning. A person’s worth is not based on how we look, but rather on the fact we are created by God. It is sad that in most areas of Western culture women are portrayed as only worth something if they look a certain way. This is not just a shameful fact, but an abhorrent reality. As I have said both men and women are viewed and presented as sexual objects in all p0rnography movies and images. However, I feel that women are used and viewed more as objects of sexual desire in these movies as most viewers are men.
Many adverts on TV and billboards have images of half-dressed women in an attempt to sell their products. Men who view p0rnography train their brains to look at women as a lion views a piece of meat. This is harmful, dangerous and detrimental to the health of mind, body and soul. People who view such material regularly ought to consider the effects. There is nothing wrong with admiring a person for their beauty, but when that turns into lustfulness that is when you are in the danger zone. Healthy relationships are based on love, commitment and mutual respect, not on lust and animal-like instincts. A real mature man maintains and exercises self-control and discipline.
In Galatians 5:13 Paul exhorts believers not to use their freedom in Christ to indulge in the flesh, but rather to serve one another in love. Gratifying your desires at every opportunity or whenever the desires awake is a sure sign of immaturity and animal-like behaviour. Animals can’t control themselves like humans can, they act on instincts. People can moderate their behaviour and act in accordance with what is beneficial and appropriate. Human beings contrary to what so-called educated and sophisticated scientists of great intellect tell us are not animals. We have a sense of right and wrong. We can act against our desires. When we act solely on how we think and feel we undermine the strengths of God’s creation. When we react without wisdom and self-control we are behaving like an animal who are in many ways a slave to their desires. We do have freedom to choose, we do not have to be enslaved by sinful passions.
In Galatians 5 we learn that self-control is a fruit of the spirit. The King James Version translates self-control as temperance. For more wisdom on self-control read Proverbs 25:20, Proverbs 16:32, Titus 1:8, 1 Corinthians 9:25, 1 Corinthians 10:13, 1 Thessalonians 5:6, 2 Timothy 1:7 and Philippians 4:13. Be careful and watchful the eyes are the gateway to the mind and the soul, so guard your eyes. The “quick fix” to sexual pleasure that p0rnography produces is not the long-term answer. God created sex exclusively for marriage. Sex is reserved for the husband and wife. Both men and women ought to be sensitive around the opposite sex to not provoke unclean thoughts in the heart and mind. A modest and godly appearance is one way we can love each other in a way that profits everyone by encouraging sexual purity.
Abusive and addictive – It is very clear in Scripture that sexual immorality is a grave sin. Many passages address this and express this fact such as Matthew 5:27-28, Colossians 3:5 and 1 Corinthians 6:18 among many others. Western culture has a very casual attitude about sex. Many people think that there is nothing wrong with unmarried sex or having many sexual partners before marriage. If someone wishes not to engage in sexual activity until marriage they are mostly viewed as either old-fashioned or a little odd. However, having a high view of marriage and relationships is good for society.
p0rnography breaks trust between married couples and promotes a secretive double life that is grounded in lies, lust, unfaithfulness, and mental adultery. This false sense of approval and pride that the culture judges by is crushing to all involved. This will eventually deeply damage the family unit and bond.
I would like to address the addictive side of p0rnography. When you watch p0rnography and/or view pornographic images your brain releases dopamine. This is a chemical located in the reward centre of the brain. Dopamine also increases your heart rate and blood pressure. Your brain reacts the same way to pornographic images the same as with street drugs such as cocaine.
There is a connection between p0rnography users and domestic abuse. Women have been reported to have been abused by men due to copycat behaviour from some of the material viewed. There are some cases when men have viewed violent sexual material and acted that out in real life. p0rnography normalises unnatural group sex, and unsafe sexual behaviour and increases the chances of catching sexually transmitted diseases and infections. p0rnography also takes something that God created to be good and enjoyed between a husband and wife and reduces the meaning and purpose to something that is unclean, hurtful and sinful.
In closing, p0rnography ruins lives. Scripture makes it very clear that lust is a sin. Studies have been carried out that show men who view pornographic content treat women as objects and become more sexually aggressive. They treat women the same in real-life situations as it is displayed in pornographic clips.
The sin of any kind is demoralising to your soul. Exposure and practice of sin deadens and hardens you to the effects and consequences. The final point I would like to make is this, nothing distorts sex more than p0rnography. Falling into the trap is a sure path to spiritual, moral and social suicide. Shielding yourself from this destroying sin will deepen real relationships with people and strengthen that intimacy in marriage.
I feel that I cannot conclude this article without offering some practical advice in dealing with p0rnography. Make sure that all computers and internet devices are in a room where your family are. Make sure that you do not have access to the internet or television in a private room. Get some software that blocks your access to pornographic content. Make yourself accountable for the sites you view. Talk to a trusted friend or family member about this matter. If you live alone and can’t keep to the methods that will protect you against p0rnography it might be a good idea to cut off your internet access altogether. If you are married and view sites and sinful material speak to your wife/husband about it. Confess this to your spouse and be honest with them.
Overcoming this sin and addiction is possible. Admitting you have a p0rnography addiction is the first step. Even if you are not addicted to p0rnography viewing such material is still sinful. With prayer, the help of friends, family and taking on board the advice given the battle against sexual sins can be won.
