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Not Just Harmless Entertainment

Pornography is Widespread and Dangerous

There are few things as pervasive in today's high tech and sex-obsessed American society as Internet pornography. The world of porn is so large that accurate statistics can often vary. However, here are some recently published numbers:

Sometimes social phenomenons become so widespread that they are normalized. Decades ago, New York Senator Daniel P. Moynihan famously described this as "defining deviancy down." Moynihan based his phrase on the theory of Emile Durkheim that there is a limit to the bad behavior that a society can tolerate before it has to lower its standards. Such is the case with pornography. A casual search of articles on pornography from psychological, counseling, or medical sources will quickly reveal a dismissive or even a somewhat positive attitude toward porn use. Many liberal ideologues involved in therapy and academia even claim that pornography could improve sexual relations in marriage. “It is common for people to rationalize and justify, and to perceive themselves as personally less susceptible to any negative impacts of behaviors that provide them with immediate and powerful rewards,” Dawn Hawkins, Executive Director of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, explained. “Pornography is sex-negative. It rewires an individual’s sexuality to pixels on a screen rather than to a real person, which is inherently inconsistent with healthy, organic relationships," she said.

Almost all men and most women have been exposed to pornography. An increasing number of children are also being exposed to explicitly sexual materials.

The American Family Association of Indiana seeks to include spiritual aspects in public policy issues whenever possible. This must be the starting point for the subject of porn. There can be no plausible denial that the Bible speaks clearly against pornography and its very first consequence - lust.

Jesus spoke to this in strong terms in His most famous teaching - the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 5:28 he said, "But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Christ made the point that lust equates to sin.

In discussing misplaced sexual desire we read this warning in Proverbs: "Can a man carry fire next to his chest and his clothes not be burned?"

In 1 Corinthians we read: "Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body." There are dozens of such warnings throughout scripture.

When Biblical truths are violated in human behavior, good secular research will reveal the consequences even if such scholars do not acknowledge spiritual truths or the fallen nature of man.

Various studies have found that porn causes less sexual and relationship satisfaction.

A 2018 study by Taylor Kohut with the University of Western Ontario, showed that pornography exposure lead to decreased self-esteem and negatively impacted symptoms of anxiety and depression in teenagers, particularly girls.

A 2021 study by Elisabeth Andrie of the Department of Pediatrics, University of Athens, found an association between pornography exposure in teen males and aggressive rule-breaking behavior.

Several studies have found that pornography use can lead to physical and psychological sexual dysfunction. The rise in sexual crimes, sexual dysfunction, and family breakdown may even be linked to the increased availability and use of pornography.

The "rape myth" (belief that women cause or enjoy rape, and that rapists are normal) is widespread in habitual male users of porn.

A 2017 analysis titled, "Pornography Consumption and Satisfaction: A Meta-Analysis" of 50 studies involving 50,000 participants has found that pornography use negatively impacts men’s levels of relational and sexual satisfaction. Especially among male users, pornography was linked with significantly lower sexual and relational satisfaction. Pornography also has addictive traits.

A 2002 study from Canada found that viewing pornography is harmful to the viewer and society. Researchers found that using pornographic materials leads to several behavioral, psychological and social problems. "Our findings are very alarming," said Dr. Claudio Violato, Director of Research at the National Foundation for Family Research and Education and a professor at the University of Calgary. "There has been some debate among researchers about the degree of negative consequences of habitual use of pornography, but we feel confident in our findings that pornography is harmful. Our study involved more than 12,000 participants and very rigorous analyses. I can think of no beneficial effects of pornography whatsoever. As a society we need to move towards eradicating it."

The authors of the study concluded that exposure to pornography puts viewers at increased risk for developing sexually deviant tendencies, committing sexual offenses, experiencing difficulties in intimate relationships, and accepting of the rape myth. Their study was published in the scientific journal Mind, Medicine and Adolescence.

Far from just adult entertainment, pornography is a danger zone all adults should avoid and from which children must be protected. - 8/23

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