Pornography-the most common drug known to man

I was at a friend’s house today and was typing in “twitter”, soon I found things pulling up in the search bar that I can’t put here. There is item after item in his history that point to one thing, pornography. Statistically there is a large percentage of woman (28%, 2003 stat) are using pornography and 70% of all men polled admitted to pornography use at least occasionally. The average age of internet exposure to pornography was 11. Why is this so rampant? I believe like no other time in history there is an underlying invitation to destroy and have contempt (hate) for God’s images. We are all image bearers of Christ whether we are saved or not. We are all ambassadors to the King, we are His pinnacle creation, we are His face.

Pornography is an assault on His creation, a using of His most prized possession for the most basic self gratification. Intimacy out the window, mutual pleasure out the window, anything we were designed to do---out the window. Not only do we not want to be known by the person in the picture, but we certainly do not want to know the person either. We don’t want to know their stories, it might be too painful, was there sexual abuse? Rape? Are they homeless or kidnapped? These stories are more true of pornography workers than you would like think. We were designed to be known and want to deeply know others, as well as God. Pornography is an extreme twisting of this design. Our bodies, other people’s bodies were designed to be valued, are worthy, were intended for intimacy and care, not lusting over and masturbation. Just because we see another person’s naked body during an act doesn’t mean we know them, it merely means that we are using them.

Sit with an adult survivor of childhood sexual abuse and ask them their story, it will take some of the allure out of pornography. The stories (which I will not go into here) contain things most don’t want to believe happens, much less with regularity. The punishment of the human body through sex, whether it is through taking pictures, videos or brutal means, IS NOT OKAY! There is one Truth here, there is no room for a post-modern view...pornography is damaging to everyone involved, whether they chose to be or were exposed accidentally as an 11 year old boy or a 5 year old girl. China’s powdered milk contamination harmed everyone involved, the manufacturers, the families, the children....HIV harms everyone involved, the patient, the healthcare system, the families...everyone. Pornography is just like any tragedy on a large scale, harm isn’t isolated to the addicted or reluctant user, it is everyone involved.

I hope that this Truth disturbs your heart, makes you wrestle with Him and even makes you angry...for the benign reaction and mundane way we talk and approach this subject is a tragedy for all involved.