Is Pornography The Elephant In The Church?

Pornography more commonly referred to as porn can simply be defined as movies, pictures, magazines, etc., that show or describe naked people or sex in a very open and direct way in order to cause sexual excitement. It consists of sexually explicit material intended to sexually arouse.

Today, porn is viewable at the click of a button by anyone with an Internet connection, though also comes in the forms of literature, audio, magazines, etc. What effect has the ubiquity of porn had on us?

Taking it from the physical aspects, pornography use is “linked to lessening desire in young men to marry, dissatisfaction in marriage and infidelity.

The use of pornography is one of several kinds of addictive behavior that undermines and distorts a person’s moral and spiritual judgment. Judging from its multi-billion-dollar annual revenues, its use affects more families than we would like to admit.

The following insights present what the Bible says about the destructive lifestyle of which pornography is a symptomatic addiction.

Millions of people view pornographic magazines, DVDs, and Web sites each month. What appears to be a secular problem, however, is also prevalent among Christians. Because pornography has seduced a large number of Christians, it has impacted the church in three destructive ways:

It creates a dependency that weakens the individual;

It causes a disruption of the “one-flesh” union that weakens marriages; and

It results in a distortion in thinking that weakens the ability to relate and function.

“The light of the body is they eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Matt. 6:22-23)

The statistics on porn usage, therefore, while tragic, shouldn’t be surprising:

⦁ During the single month of January 2002, 27.5 million Internet users visited pornographic Web sites.

Every month millions of people stop what they’re doing to look at erotic images and, in most cases, pretend that they are sexually interacting with the women or men on display. It makes St. John’s description of the world — a place dominated by the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes (1 John 2:16) — chillingly relevant.

What, at first glance, appears to be a secular problem is, in fact, a problem more commonly found among Christians than any of us would care to admit.

The use of pornography is not restricted to men, either, as is often assumed. Thirty-four percent of the readers of the popular magazine Today’s Christian Woman admitted to the use of Internet pornography

Considering the prevalence of pornography use among Christians, it’s time we examine the effect it’s having on individuals and families within the church and on our Christian witness in a secular and increasingly sexualized culture.

The value of personal freedom is an ongoing biblical theme. Adam was created under God’s authority with the freedom to choose, manage, and procreate (Gen. 1:27–30); Israel’s slavery was an evil that God sent Moses to confront and dismantle (Exod. 3–15); Jesus began His public ministry by announcing He had come, among other things, to set captives free (Luke 4:18); and Paul asserted that liberty is what God has called us to, that Christian liberty should be protected, and that bondage is to be avoided (Gal. 5:1, 13). The Judeo-Christian ethic places a high premium on personal freedom and condemns anything that restricts or prohibits a person from reaching his or her God-given potential. If liberty is good, it stands to reason that addiction — a dependence on a certain behavior or experience — is bad.

The following excerpt is from an open letter Chuck Swindoll posted on his Insight for Living Website not long ago:

“The most recent studies available suggest that one out of every two people-that’s 50 percent of the people sitting in our pews, are looking at and/or could be addicted to Internet pornography… Truth be told, that statistic could be even higher…

Stop and imagine the ugly but very real possibility of some of your own elders and deacons leaving your meetings and going home to surf porn. Think about youth leaders viewing it one minute, and leading a small group with your kids thirty minutes later. It’s ruining marriages, destroying relationships, harming youth, and hurting the body of Christ. You hardly need to be reminded that fallen pastors and priests did not “suddenly” fall. More often than not, pornography played a role in their downward spiral.

My friend, it’s time to do something about it. In fact, we need to start today. Making a difference requires action… The Body of Christ is in trouble. This is no time to be idle

Is Pornography The Elephant In The Church?