As much as I like to explore both sides of an issue, the two sides of this issue are remarkably lopsided. Pornography is a moral and social plague that brings
devastation to those who make it and those who use it. Here's the argument I will make, and which my links will support:
- It dehumanizes, objectifies, and eventually destroys the actors and actresses who make it.
- It turns those who make and produce it into callous users if not predators.
- It ruins romantic relationship emotionally, sexually and relationally.
- It ruins normal relationships as users get used to the commodification of people.
- It fuels “acting out” as many (not all) users find that simply viewing an activity is not enough.
- It fuels a culture that normalizes sexually abusive behavior (see the recent headlines about a daunting list of predatory males - then ask women around you if they have had those kinds of experiences with men in their lives)
Full disclosure: I gave ten years of my life to pornography. Fortunately, this was before I had easy access to the internet, so I was spared the easy escalation of clicking on the next link. I didn't need that to fall into an addiction. Had you asked me at the time, I would have said it was no big deal (except for the shame and depression that followed my inability to stop). It wasn't until I found freedom - which is a story for another time, and involved what I consider to be God's miraculous and crushing intervention in my life - that I realized how much it had been impacting my view of women and sex, as well as my overall judgment of what gave people value, worth and dignity.
I rant about this not because I sit astride some moral high horse; I'm pleading with you as one who was broken by this, and as one who did not realize until later that cost that all those around me would pay for all the time I spent training myself to view the world through pornified lenses. As I moved from addition to freedom, I spent a lot of time reading up on how porn impacts the brain, how it impacts relationships, and how it devastates those who make it. I also spent a lot of time refilling my mind with truth (more on that in the links at the end).
It is not a victimless crime. Someone always pays a price. Don't take my word for it; read the links. There's a lot of them, but there's probably not enough that can be said about the seriousness of this issue.
I rant about this not because I sit astride some moral high horse; I'm pleading with you as one who was broken by this, and as one who did not realize until later that cost that all those around me would pay for all the time I spent training myself to view the world through pornified lenses. As I moved from addition to freedom, I spent a lot of time reading up on how porn impacts the brain, how it impacts relationships, and how it devastates those who make it. I also spent a lot of time refilling my mind with truth (more on that in the links at the end).
It is not a victimless crime. Someone always pays a price. Don't take my word for it; read the links. There's a lot of them, but there's probably not enough that can be said about the seriousness of this issue.
* * * * *
"Stop Porn Culture: Those who watch modern porn are becoming increasingly desensitized." (The Independent)
"Pornography is more than just sexual fantasy. It’s cultural violence." (Washington Post)
"Pornography is more than just sexual fantasy. It’s cultural violence." (Washington Post)
"Our daughters are abused by a culture of porn." (The Telegraph)
"Influence of porn seen as creeping into broader culture."(Newsday)
“10 Popular Ex-Porn Stars Share The Raw Reality BehindTheir Most Popular The Scourge of Child Pornography - Working to Stop theSexual Exploitation of Children.” (FBI.gov)
“Hero? No, Hugh Hefner's legacy is utterly toxic for all women, argues SARAH VINE on behalf of those ladies who don't want to pose in a thong or inject their bodies with silicone.” (Daily Mail)
"Boys who watch porn 'think sexual harassment is acceptable.'" (The Telegraph)
"I Have Been Raped By Far Nicer Men Than You." (The Root)
"Aristotelian Rape Training: Pornography and Rape Culture." (A Philosopher's Take)
"How The Normalization Of Pornography Fuels The Rape Culture." (The Gospel Coalition)
"How Bill Cosby, Porn & Rape Culture Are All Connected." (Fight The New Drug)
"Pornography: Contributing to Rape Culture 24/7." (WGS 160 At Vanderbilt)
"The epidemic of rape culture in schools can no longer be ignored." (The Sydney Morning Herald)
"4 Ways We Unintentionally Participate In The Rape Culture." (Redeemed For More)
" Pornography And Sexual Violence." (National Resource Center On Domestic Violence)
"Harvey Weinstein and the naked truth about Hollywood."(Financial Times)
"The Case For Banning Pornography." (Chicago Tribune)
"Without Porn, The World Would Be A Better Place." (The Guardian)
"Porn Makes Sexist Men More Sexist." (Cosmopolitan)
"Men Will Be Boys: The Root of Modern Misogyny." (Athena Talks)
"Harvey Weinstein and the naked truth about Hollywood."(Financial Times)
"The Case For Banning Pornography." (Chicago Tribune)
"Without Porn, The World Would Be A Better Place." (The Guardian)
"Porn Makes Sexist Men More Sexist." (Cosmopolitan)
"Men Will Be Boys: The Root of Modern Misogyny." (Athena Talks)
SUGGESTED BOOKS
Identifying The Problem
Wired for Intimacy: How Pornography Hijacks the Male Brain. William Strutters.
Pornified: How Pornography Is Transforming Our Lives, Our Relationships, and Our Families. Pamela Paul.
The Porn Myth: Exposing the Reality Behind the Fantasy of Pornography, Matthew Fraud.
The Dirty Little Secret. Craig Gross, from XXX Church (Note: this book changed by heart for good on the pornography issue. Gross recounts a day on the life of a porn set. It was horrifying. It was also blunt, so...trigger warning).
Offering Hope
Delivered: True Stories of Men and Women who Turned from Porn to Purity. Matthew Fraud.
Your Brain on Porn: Internet Pornography and the Emerging Science of Addiction. Anthony Jack.
Sexual Detox: A Guide for Guys Who Are Sick of Porn. Tim Challies.
Every Man's Battle: Winning the War on Sexual Temptation One Victory at a Time. Stephen Arterburn.
Every Woman's Battle: Discovering God's Plan for Sexual and Emotional Fulfillment. Stephen Arterburn and Shannon Etheridge.
Pure Eyes: A Man's Guide to Sexual Integrity (XXXChurch.com Resource)
Rebuilding A Healthy View of Sex and Sexuality
Real Sex. Lauren Winner.
Thrill Of The Chaste. Dawn Eden.
Fill These Hearts: God, Sex, and the Universal Longing. Christopher West.
Sex And The Supremacy Of Christ. John Piper and Justin Taylor.
Every Woman's Battle: Discovering God's Plan for Sexual and Emotional Fulfillment. Stephen Arterburn and Shannon Etheridge.
Pure Eyes: A Man's Guide to Sexual Integrity (XXXChurch.com Resource)
Rebuilding A Healthy View of Sex and Sexuality
Real Sex. Lauren Winner.
Thrill Of The Chaste. Dawn Eden.
Fill These Hearts: God, Sex, and the Universal Longing. Christopher West.
Sex And The Supremacy Of Christ. John Piper and Justin Taylor.
DOCUMENTARIES ( I have not seen all of these. I am providing links that have been recommended).
The Porn Pandemic
Addicted To Porn
Ten Million Throwaways
Out Of The Darkness
Somebody's Daughter
The Heart Of The Matter
The Porn Pandemic
Addicted To Porn
Ten Million Throwaways
Out Of The Darkness
Somebody's Daughter
The Heart Of The Matter
This is definitely a good post Thanks!
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