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Pornography is a sickness that has spread throughout our
society and infiltrated numerous aspects of our
lives—intentionally and non-intentionally. Whether it’s
soft-porn in a women’s catalog, or hard core porn over the
internet and on adult TV channels, pornography is everywhere
and seeping into the view of suspecting and unsuspecting
Christians, destroying families, ruining lives, and creating
addictions that rival that of illegal drugs.
Perhaps not as volatile or damaging as pornography, is the
continued onslaught of music, movies, and other media that is
contrary to core Christian values, even degrading and damaging
to the human body and soul. The effect of negative media is
much like that of pornography, allowing sinful thoughts to
enter into the minds of the participating individuals that
lead to serious sin and enormous consequences.
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Pornography and its Addictive Nature
Pornography is any material (movies, television, magazines,
books, and increasingly the Internet) that displays or
describes sexual behavior, or the human body, in such a way as
to arouse sexual feelings. Pornography is every bit as
addictive and harmful to the spirit and the lives it destroys,
as substances such as alcohol, tobacco, and drugs are to the
body. Those who engage in the use of pornographic materials
are in direct violation of the Lord’s commandment from D&C
59:6 which states: "Thou shalt not . . . commit adultery . . .
nor do anything like unto it." Christians are admonished to
avoid all forms of pornography and to oppose the production,
distribution, and/or use of pornography.
The addiction of pornography is powerful and carries with it
tragic consequences. Studies have shown the pornography can
lead to a desire for more potent stimulations with the results
being a degradation of heart, mind, spirit, and self-respect.
Marriages have been destroyed, families have been torn apart,
and individuals brought into the bondage of addiction through
even the most casual experimentation of pornography.
Christian Churches Must Take a Proactive Role
Christian churches are quickly recognizing the breath-taking
proliferation of pornography and must train and educate
ecclesiastical leaders on how to counsel those caught in its
trap. In all cases the focus needs to be on the Atonement of
Jesus Christ as a means of gaining strength and help against
this powerful tool of Satan.
Consider the following excerpt from an article published by a
Christian Church sponsored magazine in 1974—over three decades
ago—on the dangers of pornography: “Pornographic or erotic
stories and pictures are worse than filthy or polluted food.
The body has defenses to rid itself of unwholesome food. With
a few fatal exceptions, bad food will only make you sick but
do no permanent harm. In contrast, a person who feasts upon
filthy stories or pornographic or erotic pictures and
literature records them in this marvelous retrieval system we
call a brain. The brain won’t vomit back filth. Once recorded,
it will always remain subject to recall, flashing its
perverted images across your mind and drawing you away from
the wholesome things in life. (Challenges for the Year Ahead
(pamphlet, 1974), 4–5; reprinted in “Things They’re Saying,”
New Era, Feb. 1974, 18.)
Twenty years after this remarkable article the prophet Gordon
B. Hinckley urged all people to avoid pornography like the
plague: “That is the way pornography is. This sleazy filth is
like corrosive salt. It will eat through your armor if you
expose yourselves to it. I cannot emphasize this too strongly.
The makers and marketers of this slimy stuff grow wealthy
while the character of their customers decays. Stay away from
it. Stand above it. It becomes addictive. It will destroy
those who become its slaves… The Lord has said, “Let virtue
garnish thy thoughts unceasingly” (D&C 121:45). (Gordon B.
Hinckley, “True to the Faith”; Ensign, June 1996)
Much of today’s Media is a Threat to Spirituality
While pornography is a major issue in today’s society, the
general media is not terribly far behind. Because there is
both “good” and “bad” in the general media, there is an
opportunity to stumble on something that is inappropriate, or
get into “gray areas” where something appears OK but is one
step closer to something worse. It is up to each of us to
choose wisely the media we expose ourselves to, while being
extremely careful in guiding our children in what they expose
themselves to including music, published content, movies, and
television. In some cases the media may be “soft porn,” and/or
lead to pornography in a search to quench a thirst for more
aggressive levels of explicit sexual content.
M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has
taught: “If we do not make good choices, the media can
devastate our families and pull our children away from the
narrow gospel path. In the virtual reality and the perceived
reality of large and small screens, family-destructive
viewpoints and behavior are regularly portrayed as
pleasurable, as stylish, as exciting, and as normal. Often
media's most devastating attacks on family are not direct or
frontal or openly immoral. Intelligent evil is too cunning for
that, knowing that most people still profess belief in family
and in traditional values. Rather the attacks are subtle and
amoral—issues of right and wrong don't even come up.
Immorality and sexual innuendo are everywhere, causing some to
believe that because everyone is doing it, it must be all
right. This pernicious evil is not out in the street
somewhere; it is coming right into our homes, right into the
heart of our families" ("Let Our Voices Be Heard," Ensign,
Nov. 2003, 16–17).
Christian Churches Need to Wake Up to the Dangers
While pornography and other forms of degrading and destructive
media are actively evangelized against by God fearing
Christians everywhere, it is still amazing to find some
individuals and churches that don’t see this onslaught as a
major problem facing God’s children.
For instance, in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints there doesn’t seem to be a conference or fireside that
goes by that misses addressing the issue of pornography and
media vigorously, with very specific and explicit language.
General Authorities of the Church have been actively
discussing the issue of pornography consistently for decades.
Consider the following from an article published in a Church
magazine in 1971 regarding pornography: “The Effects Panel’s
conclusions on the effects of pornography sound much like the
tobacco industry’s now shopworn defense of smoking. Applied to
pornography, it goes like this: Research has not demonstrated
undeniably that there is a link between the increased
availability of erotic materials and increases in sex crimes.
Therefore, pornography cannot be labeled harmful, and it
should be up to each individual whether he chooses to steep
himself in erotica” (Don L. Searle, Jr. “The Obscenity Flood:
Can It Be Stopped,” Ensign, October 1971).
Another noteworthy article comes from the apostle Thomas S.
Monson who offered specific steps on how to avoid the snare of
pornography. Elder Monson used the famous scripture from
Joshua to urge members to take a stand saying: “Let us join in
the fervent declaration of Joshua: ‘Choose you this day whom
ye will serve … but as for me and my house, we will serve the
Lord’ (Josh. 24:15). Let our hearts be pure. Let our lives be
clean. Let our voices be heard. Let our actions be felt”
(Thomas S. Monson, “Pornography – the Deadly Carrier” Ensign,
November 1979)
Conclusion
To find Church leaders many decades ago writing such energetic
admonitions to Christians about the evils of pornography is
extremely inspiring. Today pornography is spiraling out of
control including hard core porn (Hustler, etc.) as well as
soft porn (Maxim, Cosmopolitan, selected clothing catalogs,
etc.), with Adult Bookstores popping up in communities across
America. While the law appears powerless to protect our
society from the evils of pornography, we need Christian
Churches who will warn members against the insidious effects
of such garbage, offer counseling and help to those who have
been stricken with pornography addiction.
Pornography assistance support groups have been established in
local communities to help those inflicted. Lastly, for those
who have fallen deep into the snare and require a more robust
repentance process there should be (and are in some churches)
disciplinary policies that balance consequences with healing
to help the afflicted find forgiveness and reconciliation.
Doctrinal
Study: Social
Issues: Pornography and Media
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Sword Series™ essay on Pornography and Media |
