There was a time when porn was propagated in the form of a
magazine wrapped
Pornography readily becomes an addiction. Dr. Patrick Carnes states that it is “a
pathological relationship in which sexual obsession replaces people.” Dr. Ted Roberts says that at its spiritual
core, “it is about idolatry – about where we are going to find life and
fulfillment.” It is real, enslaves and
results in bondage, shame, and powerlessness.
It promotes a false, ephemeral sense of intimacy, comfort, power, and
excitement. Sexual addiction starts out
as an entertaining exercise in fantasy, becomes a ritual, is often acted out in
behavioral engagements (strip clubs, soliciting prostitutes, multiple affairs,
voyeurism and other “false intimacies”), and ultimately leads to despair,
hopelessness and helplessness. Professor
of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Mary Ann Laden, writes
“Pornography is contaminating all of our relationships between men and
women. The marriage relationship is
traumatically damaged and decreased in terms of the emotional intimacy, which
is actually the cornerstone of the marriage.”
What many do not realize is that pornography drives the mega-million
dollar industry of sexual human trafficking enslaving men, women, boys and
girls around the world. The connection
between the two are direct and real.
Rampant porn consumption fuels demand for the exploitation of women and
children with as many as 300,000 youths trafficked into prostitution and
pornography and
thereby exploited for profit in the U.S. alone every year.
Disturbingly, addiction to pornography is not just a problem in
the public in general. Of the 1,351
pastors that Pastor Rick Warren’s website, Pastors.com, surveyed on porn use,
54% said they had viewed internet pornography within the last year and 30% of
those had visited within the last 30 days.
In the book Men’s Secret Wars, Patrick Means states
that 63% of pastors surveyed confirm that they are struggling with sexual
addiction or sexual compulsion including, but not limited to, the use of
pornography, compulsive masturbation, or other secret sexual activity. Not surprisingly, the overwhelming majority
of pastors, seventy-five percent, do not make themselves accountable to anyone
for their Internet use.
While terrorism is an external threat from without, sexual addiction to pornography is a threat from within. Like other addictions, the sin of sexual addiction and the
personal damage it does can be prevented and healed. Restoration to purity
can be a reality. But that’s a focus of
another blog.
*Much of the information in this blog was found in Recovery in a Sexualized Culture, Pure
Hope Coalition, 2013, and at http://www.expastors.com/how-many-pastors-are-addicted-to-porn-the-stats-are-surprising/
