Lesson 40 Explore 3: Pornography—Harmless or Toxic? Is Pornography Harmful?
COVER SUBJECT
Pornography-Harmless or Toxic?
The world today is awash with pornography. It may be found in advertisements, fashion, movies, music, and magazines, as well as on television, video games, smartphones, mobile devices, Web sites, and now online photo-sharing services. Pornography, it seems, is a prominent feature of popular culture. More people in more places are consuming more pornography than at any other time in history.-See the box “Facts About Pornography.”
The nature of pornography is also changing. Professor Gail Dines writes: “Images today have now become so extreme that what used to be considered hard-core is now mainstream pornography.”
How do you view those trends? Is pornography a harmless pastime, a deadly poison, or something in between? Jesus said: “Every good tree produces fine fruit, but every rotten tree produces worthless fruit.”
(Matthew 7.17: Likewise, every good tree produces fine fruit, but every rotten tree produces worthless fruit.)
What fruitage does pornography produce? To find the answers, let us consider some basic questions about pornography.
How does pornography affect individuals?
WHAT EXPERTS SAY: Pornography is highly addictive, with some researchers and therapists even likening it to crack cocaine.
Brian, who was hooked on Internet pornography, relates: “Nothing would stop me. I felt like I was in some sort of trance. I would literally shake and develop pains in my head. I struggled to stop, but years later I was still addicted.”
People who indulge in pornography often cover up their habit. They are secretive and deceitful. Not surprisingly, many suffer from feelings of isolation, shame, anxiety, depression, and anger. In some cases, they even develop suicidal tendencies. “My mood became self-absorbed and desperate,” says Serge, who downloaded porn to his mobile phone almost daily. “I felt worthless, guilty, alone, and trapped. I was too embarrassed and scared to seek help.”
Even a fleeting or accidental brush with pornography can have a negative impact. Testifying before a U.S. Senate committee, Dr. Judith Reisman, a leading researcher on pornography, said: “Pornographic visual images imprint and alter the brain, triggering an instant, involuntary, but lasting, biochemical memory trail [that is] difficult or impossible to delete.” Susan, 19, who was exposed to pornographic Web sites, relates: “The images are engraved on my mind. They pop up unexpectedly. It feels like I will never completely be able to erase them.”
THE BOTTOM LINE: Pornography enslaves and wreaks havoc on its victims.-
(2 Peter 2.19: While they are promising them freedom, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for if anyone is overcome by someone, he is his slave.)
How does pornography affect families?
WHAT EXPERTS SAY: “Couples and families break up over porn.”-The Porn Trap, by Wendy and Larry Maltz.
Pornography damages marriages and families by
• Undermining marital trust, intimacy, and love.-
(Proverbs 2.12-17: To save you from the bad course, From the man speaking perverse things, From those leaving the upright paths To walk in the ways of darkness, From those who rejoice in wrongdoing, Who find joy in the perverseness of evil, Those whose paths are crooked And whose entire course is devious. It will save you from the wayward woman, From the smooth words of the immoral woman, Who abandons the close companion of her youth And forgets the covenant of her God;)
• Promoting selfishness, emotional aloofness, and dissatisfaction with one’s mate.-
(Ephesians 5.28, 29: In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. A man who loves his wife loves himself, for no man ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cherishes it, just as the Christ does the congregation,)
• Fueling unhealthy sexual fantasies and cravings.-
(2 Peter 2.14: Their eyes are full of adultery and are unable to desist from sin, and they entice unstable ones. They have a heart trained in greed. They are accursed children.)
• Tempting users to force objectionable sex practices on their mate.-
(Ephesians 5.3, 4: Let sexual immorality and every sort of uncleanness or greediness not even be mentioned among you, just as is proper for holy people; neither shameful conduct nor foolish talking nor obscene jesting—things that are not befitting—but rather the giving of thanks.)
• Promoting emotional and physical infidelity.-
(Matthew 5.28: But I say to you that everyone who keeps on looking at a woman so as to have a passion for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.)
The Bible tells marriage mates not to “deal treacherously” with each other.
(Malachi 2.16: For I hate divorce,” says Jehovah the God of Israel, “and the one who covers his garment with violence,” says Jehovah of armies. “And guard yourselves respecting your spirit, and you must not deal treacherously.)
Infidelity is the kind of treachery that can devastate a marriage and lead to separation and divorce. Such breakups, in turn, harm the children from the marriage.
Pornography can also hurt children more directly. Brian, mentioned earlier, explains: “When I was about ten, I accidentally found my father’s pornographic magazines while playing hide-and-seek. I started looking at them secretly, not really understanding why I was attracted to such images. That started a destructive cycle that lasted way into my adult years.” Studies show that pornography can influence adolescents to become sexually active at younger ages and also to become promiscuous, sexually violent, and emotionally and psychologically unstable.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Pornography poisons loving relationships and ultimately brings heartache and pain.-
(Proverbs 6.27: Can a man rake fire to his chest and not burn his garments?)
What does the Bible say about pornography?
GOD’S WORD SAYS: “Deaden, therefore, your body members... as respects fornication, uncleanness, sexual appetite, hurtful desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.”-
(Colossians 3.5: Deaden, therefore, your body members that are on the earth as respects sexual immorality, uncleanness, uncontrolled sexual passion, hurtful desire, and greediness, which is idolatry.)
Simply put, Jehovah God hates pornography. This is not because he is prudish about sex. He created our sexual powers and purposed that marriage mates use them for the sake of pleasing one another, drawing close emotionally, and sharing the wonder of bringing children into the world.-
(James 1.17: Every good gift and every perfect present is from above, coming down from the Father of the celestial lights, who does not vary or change like the shifting shadows.)
Why, then, can we assert that Jehovah feels so strongly about pornography? Consider just a few reasons.
• He knows that pornography can wreck lives.-
(Ephesians 4.17-19: So this is what I say and bear witness to in the Lord, that you should no longer go on walking just as the nations also walk, in the futility of their minds. They are in darkness mentally and alienated from the life that belongs to God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the insensitivity of their hearts. Having gone past all moral sense, they gave themselves over to brazen conduct to practice every sort of uncleanness with greediness.)
• He loves us and wants to protect us from harm.-
(Isaiah 48.17, 18: This is what Jehovah says, your Repurchaser, the Holy One of Israel: “I, Jehovah, am your God, The One teaching you to benefit yourself, The One guiding you in the way you should walk. If only you would pay attention to my commandments! Then your peace would become just like a river And your righteousness like the waves of the sea.)
• Jehovah wants to safeguard marriages and families.-
(Matthew 19.4-6: In reply he said: “Have you not read that the one who created them from the beginning made them male and female and said: ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother and will stick to his wife, and the two will be one flesh’? So that they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has yoked together, let no man put apart.”)
• He wants us to be morally clean and to respect the rights of others.-
(1 Thessalonians 4.3-6: For this is the will of God, that you should be holy and abstain from sexual immorality. Each one of you should know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not with greedy, uncontrolled sexual passion like the nations have that do not know God. No one should go beyond proper limits and take advantage of his brother in this matter, because Jehovah exacts punishment for all these things, just as we told you previously and also strongly warned you.)
• He wants us to respect our procreative powers and use them in an honorable way.-
(Hebrews 13.4: Let marriage be honorable among all, and let the marriage bed be without defilement, for God will judge sexually immoral people and adulterers.)
• Jehovah knows that pornography reflects a warped, selfish, satanic view of sex.-
(Genesis 6.2: the sons of the true God began to notice that the daughters of men were beautiful. So they began taking as wives all whom they chose.)
Jude 6, 7.
THE BOTTOM LINE: Pornography damages a person’s friendship with God.-
(Romans 1.24: Therefore, God, in keeping with the desires of their hearts, gave them up to uncleanness, so that their bodies might be dishonored among them.)
Jehovah, however, has great compassion for those wanting to escape pornography’s grip. The Bible states: “Jehovah is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abundant in loving-kindness. For he himself well knows the formation of us, remembering that we are dust.”
(Psalm 103.8: Jehovah is merciful and compassionate, Slow to anger and abundant in loyal love.)
(Psalm 103.14: For he well knows how we are formed, Remembering that we are dust.)
He invites humble ones to turn to him to “obtain mercy and find undeserved kindness for help at the right time.”-
(Hebrews 4.16: Let us, then, approach the throne of undeserved kindness with freeness of speech, so that we may receive mercy and find undeserved kindness to help us at the right time.)
see the box “Breaking Free From Pornography.”
Countless individuals have accepted God’s help. Is his help effective? Notice what the Bible says about some who overcame bad habits: “You have been washed clean,... you have been sanctified,... you have been declared righteous in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and with the spirit of our God.”
(1 Corinthians 6.11: And yet that is what some of you were. But you have been washed clean; you have been sanctified; you have been declared righteous in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and with the spirit of our God.)
Like the apostle Paul, such ones can declare: “For all things I have the strength by virtue of him who imparts power to me.”-
(Philippians 4.13: For all things I have the strength through the one who gives me power.)
Susan, who overcame her addiction to pornography, declares: “Jehovah is the only one who can help you get back on track. If you ask for his help and guidance, you can gain a clean standing before him. He will not let you down.”
Breaking Free From Pornography
Do you know someone who is struggling to escape pornography addiction? Consider some steps that have helped many to break free.
1. Pray to God.
“The most important step in overcoming the snare of pornography is to ask for Jehovah’s help in prayer.”-Franz.
Jehovah can give the person holy spirit, empowering him “both to will and to act.”
(Philippians 2.13: For God is the one who for the sake of his good pleasure energizes you, giving you both the desire and the power to act.)
If the person yields to its leading, it will help him to conquer wrong “passions and desires.”-
(Galatians 5.16: But I say, Keep walking by spirit and you will carry out no fleshly desire at all.)
(Galatians 5.24: Moreover, those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed to the stake the flesh together with its passions and desires.)
2. Get help from others.
“Pornography addiction is so secretive and shameful that you feel you can’t ask for help. You think you can beat it by yourself. But that is not true. You can beat it only with help. So I swallowed my pride and opened up to my wife. I also sought the help of a trusted friend. It was the hardest thing that I have ever had to do, but I got the help I needed.”-Yoshi.
Confiding in others will take courage and determination. Yet, it is a vital step toward conquering the addiction and reconnecting with loved ones. Susan, mentioned earlier, relates: “Afterward, I felt a huge gush of relief. Those moments were painful, but they resulted in feelings of peace and approval.”-
(James 5.16: Therefore, openly confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. A righteous man’s supplication has a powerful effect.)
3. Identify and avoid potential triggers.
What situations, thoughts, or emotions trigger wrong desires? Surfing the Internet? Watching late-night TV? Reading magazines? Visiting the beach? Being hungry, angry, alone, or tired? “Identify your weaknesses, and avoid them like the plague,” says Sven. Jesus said: “If, now, that right eye of yours is making you stumble, tear it out and throw it away from you.”-
(Matthew 5.29: If, now, your right eye is making you stumble, tear it out and throw it away from you. For it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be pitched into Gehenna.)
“When I’m tempted to gaze lustfully at a woman, I immediately pray to Jehovah and force my eyes to look away,” says Franz. The faithful Bible patriarch Job said: “I have made a solemn promise never to look with lust at a girl.”- Today’s English Version.
(Job 31.1: “I have made a covenant with my eyes. So how could I show improper attention to a virgin?)
4. Strengthen spirituality.
“Fill your mind with wholesome thoughts, and fill your life with spiritual activities,” adds Franz.
The Bible states: “Whatever things are true, whatever things are of serious concern, whatever things are righteous, whatever things are chaste, whatever things are lovable, whatever things are well spoken of, whatever virtue there is and whatever praiseworthy thing there is, continue considering these things..., and the God of peace will be with you.”-
(Philippians 4.8, 9: Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are of serious concern, whatever things are righteous, whatever things are chaste, whatever things are lovable, whatever things are well-spoken-of, whatever things are virtuous, and whatever things are praiseworthy, continue considering these things. The things that you learned as well as accepted and heard and saw in connection with me, practice these, and the God of peace will be with you.)
FACTS ABOUT PORNOGRAPHY
EVERY SECOND: Nearly 30,000 persons view pornographic Web sites.
EVERY MINUTE: Internet users send more than 1.7 MILLION pornographic e-mails.
EVERY HOUR: Nearly TWO hard-core pornographic videos are released in the United States.
EVERY DAY: An average of more than TWO MILLION pornographic movies are rented in the United States alone.
EVERY MONTH: Nearly 9 out of 10 young men and 3 out of 10 young women in the United States view pornography.
EVERY YEAR: The global pornography industry generates an estimated $100 BILLION (U.S.).
[End of article.]