The Problem of Porn
by Peter Knelson
W
hen I was a teenager, I struggled with pornography. As time went on, however, my involvement in the Church led me closer to Christ and further from pornography. But that is not everyone’s story: today pornography has permeated even into the Church where it afflicts the consciences of many Christians. That reality has profound psychological and theological consequences. But there is hope: broken souls can be led back to Christ and out of the ongoing guilt of pornography.
The damage of pornography is multi-faceted. This ranges from the negative impact it has on those in the industry (especially vulnerable women) to the dehumanizing influence it has on relationships in society more broadly (with its tendency to encourage us to see others as mere objects for our personal gratification rather than as real people) to the psychological and theological damage it inflicts on users. Numerous studies over many years have shown that those who consume pornography today are in the majority in North America. It should be no surprise as a result to find
our culture is obsessed with all things related to sex. But while it may not be surprising, it is frightening. Pornography used to be something you had to search out intentionally and purchase at a store. Now, not only is it easy to access, it is increasingly difficult to avoid; sexual imagery is everywhere on the internet. The psychological damage of pornography has been well documented over the years. Those wishing to learn more about these effects would do well to check out the 2016 article “Porn and the Threat to Virility” in Time Magazine (you can find it easily online). There are also good resources available at fightthenewdrug.org. As important as the psychological aspect of pornography is, as a pastor I am particularly interested in exploring the theological damage that pornography inflicts on users. The most obvious damage has been on the societal scale, with many people today distrustful of the Church and its teachings on sex. Christianity defines sex as a good gift to be enjoyed exclusively by a husband and wife, and they forbid any deviation from that model as sin. The world, by THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN March/April THE CANADIAN LUTHERAN May/June 2021
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