Pornography is quickly becoming one of the world’s fastest growing addictions. It’s flooding the Internet like crazy. It’s available at the click of a button. And for the first time in history, pornography is now available to anyone, at any age, at any time. Here are four things I will teach my kids about pornography
“You end up getting disappointed with real sex because it’s not what you’ve seen on a video.” —Craig Gross
1. It can quickly turn into an addiction.
According to Guy Stuff Counseling, 12 percent of the websites found on the Internet are actually pornographic, and 40 million Americans consider themselves regular viewers. At any given second in time, almost 30,000 people are looking at pornographic material. Many people who have only expected to dabble in viewing such content have quickly found themselves addicted to the quick and easy high of pornography. With access being available at the click of our fingertips, it’s no wonder that it is one of our nation’s fastest growing addictions.
When the time is right, I will teach my kids that there is no such thing as the occasional viewing of porn, and that occasional viewership has the power to quickly turn into a powerful addiction. An addiction that has the strength to ruin relationships/marriages, and even the potential to affect one’s mental health.
2. It’s a false reality of God’s design for intimacy.
God’s design for sex is found within the context of marriage and is anything but what is prioritized in pornographic material. The abuse, hurt and selfishness found within pornographic material is contrary to the blueprint that God has given us within biblical text.
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.” —Ephesians 5:25-28
My children will be taught to understand that God’s desire for intimacy is found in the pursuit of honor, respect, selflessness and purity. Anything outside of these parameters is an intimacy not designed by the hands of God—it’s a sham.
3. It will ensue a prioritization of men and women as objects.
Pornography prioritizes men and women as nothing more than objects to be controlled and used for selfish gain. God’s calling for each of us is to treat one another with respect and honor, yet this type of material encourages the diminishing of women and their value in the eyes of those who view it.
My kids will be taught the importance of their worth, the worth of others and that pornography promotes a barbaric ideology of God’s design for individuals and their value.
“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” —Philippians 2:3
4. It strips away God’s plan for sexual holiness.
God designed sex to be holy, but our world has lowered it to nothing more than a social hobby. Pornography paints sex as nothing more than a pay-per-view event, momentary entertainment and means by which one can receive sexual pleasure without any type of commitment. On top of there being a vast variety of free pornographic material on the web, there are even sites that are dedicated to helping men and women have secret affairs, “or your money back” guaranteed. This is what our world has come to, and everyone acts like it’s OK. The sanctity and beauty of sex has been trampled by a stampede of lust and selfish desires.
“Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.” —1 Corinthians 6:18
Since the beginning of time, God created sex for the context of marriage with one spouse. Two are to be made one, only after a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife. Sex was designed to take place after the marital/legal unity, consummating the marriage as holy under God’s design.
We must stand against pornography for the sake of our children, God’s design for sexual intimacy and the sanctity of marriage. Porn is the enemy of true intimacy.
If you or someone you know is struggling with pornography addiction, check out XXXChurch.com
—Jarrid Wilson
