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The social costs of porn

9/26/2012

10 Comments

 
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Pornography is tearing apart the fabric of our society. You may think this is an overstatement. After reading,“The Social Costs of Pornography” by the Witherspoon Institute, I think it may be an understatement.

In 2008, the Witherspoon Institute sponsored the first multidisciplinary exploration of the social costs of pornography. Scholars from various fields including philosophy, psychology, and medicine were included in the forum. Every major shade of religious belief was represented, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, agnosticism, and atheism. And both the left and right in American politics were present. They all agreed that there is a substantial multidimensional, empirical record of the harms pornography brings to society. Obviously, such agreement is rare.

Today’s pornography is different from any in the past in three ways. (1) Accessibility.  The Internet has made porn ubiquitous. (2) Quality. Today’s porn is much more hardcore. (3) Consumption. Porn consumption has increased radically with the advent of the Internet. 69% of men and 10% of women report viewing pornography more than once a month. 87% of men admit using it in the past year. The researchers conclude, “In sum, there is evidence that more people—children, adolescents, and adults—are consuming pornography—sporadically, inadvertently, or chronically—than every before” (15).

How does pornography actually harm people? The researchers list a plethora of ways. Each of these points is supported with empirical evidence in the report. Keep in mind that these are objective facts about pornographic consumption, not my subjective opinions.

·      Those who view pornography overestimate how frequently certain sexual acts are actually practiced, which increases one’s willingness to do unconscionable things (18).

·      Porn viewers physically map their brains based on the images they see. Pornographic consumption re-maps the physical structure of the brain (19).

·      Many men who view porn lose the ability to relate to or be close to women (20).

·      Porn viewers become de-sensitized to the barrage of imagery, and as a result, child pornography and violent pornographic images often lose their ability to shock and disgust (20).

·      Women often report distress and harm when discovering that their husbands view porn. They typically feel betrayal, loss, mistrust, devastation, and anger as a result of their partner’s behavior.

·      Porn users have an increased likelihood of divorce and family break-up (23-24).

·      Those who had an extramarital affair were three times more likely to have used Internet pornography than those who had not.

·      Porn leads men to place less value on marital fidelity and more value on casual sex (24).

·      Therapists report seeing fourteen- and fifteen-year-old boys addicted to porn (29).

·      An Italian study reported that boys who view porn were more likely to report having sexually harassed a peer or having forced someone to have sex (30).

·      Adolescent girls who report using pornography are more likely to report being victims of passive violence such as sexual harassment and rape (31).

·      Today’s consumption of pornography encourages sexual exploitation such as trafficking (33).

·      Adolescents who view pornography are more likely to view women as sexual objects (35).

·      Porn consumption raises the risk of sexually risky behavior (35).

·      Men who use pornography are less attractive to potential female partners (37).

·      Exposure to pornography decreases sexual satisfaction with one’s partner for both men and women (38).

·      Chronic pornography use is associated with depression and unhappiness (38).

·      Users often report disgust and shame at finding themselves stimulated by images that would have once repulsed (39).

What do we do? For starters, can you help spread the word about the dangers of pornography? Please consider getting a copy of the report, “The Social Costs of Pornography,” and study it. Talk to your friends about it. Share it with your family and church. Blog about it. Or forward this blog to as many people as you can. There needs to be a renewed conversation about how pornography is damaging this generation. We can no longer ignore the most dangerous health hazard to this generation. Our kids deserve better.

This post was written by Sean McDowell.  The original post can be found here:  http://www.conversantlife.com/morality/the-social-costs-of-pornography

BE HOLY.
BE A MAN.

10 Comments
bjw
9/26/2012 04:41:35

O how that word needs to get out... coupled with Jesus' forgiving grace and strength to go on..clean..

Reply
Anthony
9/26/2012 10:54:53

-Also people who view news casts overestimate how frequently certain criminal acts are actually practiced.
-All activities change the geography of the brain.
-Women upset by their husbands watching porn usually have to 'find out' because their conservative belief is that it has to be hidden in the first place.
-When 50% of divorces end in divorce, the porn link isn't that surprising.
-Those who had an extramarital affair, are probably sexual individuals and so it's no surprise they would've viewed porn.
-I'm glad adolescent girls report when they're harrassed. many don't come forward when they should.
-And many of these are results from the cultural stigma around porn, not the porn itself.
-Certainly people get addicted, or pick-up unhealthy habits, but people do that with all sorts of things. Education would do a lot more than censorship

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drwayman link
9/26/2012 11:29:54

Anthony - It was great to know that you read my blog. I haven't heard from you for quite a while.

- I can agree with 1 & 2 of your statements.
- # 3 is just flat out wrong. There is no reason for porn, hidden or out in the open. It has no value.
- Actually the 50% stat is overinflated. Less than 1/3 of first marriages end in divorce. Nearly 2/3 of second marriages end in divorce. Hence, the 50% stat. God's design is that we stay married to our spouse for life. BTW - Each subsequent marriage has a higher percentage of ending in divorce than the previous.
- I kinda agree with this one and kinda disagree. EVERYONE is a sexual individual. God created sex. When sex is used according to God's design, it is wonderful. Viewing porn has nothing to do with someone being more sexual... To whatever you train your sexual behavior, that it will become. You might want to check out the CATEGORY of BESTIALITY to see what I've written about men who have trained their sexual appetite to animals.
- #6 I agree.
- #7. I disagree. You need to read studies where porn is not stigimatized and prostitution is legal. You will see the same objectification of women as sexual objects. Women are to be respected as sisters and mothers. God's Word is clear about this.
- #8. I kinda agree and disagree. Yes, people can become addicted to just about anything. This isn't about censorship. In countries where porn is widely accepted and prostitution is legal, you see the same kind of addictions and objectification. You may want to read my post under the CATEGORY of QUECHUA.

Thanks for dropping by. Your comments are always welcomed :-)

Reply
Anthony
9/26/2012 11:46:49

No, problem! I appreciate healthy debate. Many of your responses are valid opinions.
-I can totally see repeat marriages being the biggest statistical culprit.
-While everyone is a sexual being by 'design' many people are biologically predispositioned to a certain libido (and even orientation, but that's another point of"opinion"). Nurture can definitely affect this, but you'll also see a lot of divorces occur because of differences in libido or attitudes towards sex. When there's no other solution, infidelity often occurs (heck, infidelity is pretty much constant in the majority of relationships, even back when 'everyone was pure')
7 & 8-There are also studies where sex is taught in an open and honest environment and the benefits are vast ( education versus just making everything legal)
- i'll be sure to look through your other articles!

Reply
drwayman link
9/26/2012 12:21:00

Hey Anthony - Thanks for replying.

To divorce due to a different libido is not a reason for divorce. Remember, marriage vows, say "for better for worse, in sickness and in health."

For the sake of argument, let's say that it is "OK" to divorce for different libido. So, you are saying that if a spouse is in a wreck and has quadriplegia and cannot perform sexually how the other spouse desires, then it is OK to cheat?

Your side comment, "infidelity is pretty much constant in the majority of relationships" is flat out wrong. There is no statistical evidence to support this. The most generous stat that you will be able to find to support this erroneous belief is 60% of men and 40% of women. I truly doubt it is even this high.

I agree that sex should be taught in an open and honest environment. That's what God intended. He did not intend for sex to learned on the street, by lascivious means or by viewing porn. The benefits of teaching about sex according to God's design does yield vast benefits.

Sex according to God's design, if you read the stats, leads to a happier and healthier sex life, leads to deeper levels of trust and intimacy and the worry about a sexually transmitted disease is virtually nil.

Reply
Anthony
10/2/2012 06:05:44

Of course having a 'difference' isn't the reason for the divorce. But even god says to consumate and 'be fruitful'. If one partner has a high libido and the other has a non-existent one and doesn't care about the others needs, that's a real problem.

Being a quadrapalegic is different then saying 'I don't feel like it, sex isn't that important anyway' to your partner. If you can't move, there are still ways to be sexual with your partner, or at least be understanding of what they do during their private time.

There are plenty of studies on infidelity. (http://www.kinseyinstitute.org/resources/FAQ.html#Infidelity)
And I think speaking with enough people is enough to know that even long lasting relationships have their 'that one time' story.

I'm glad we agree that sex should be taught in an open and honest way. Many of god's ideas are good ones. But in a broader sense of human reality, having a culture that supports and reinforces your beliefs is as much a part of that as 'one partner means less risk of disease'. Respect and honestly aren't exclusive to God's plan.

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drwayman link
10/2/2012 06:26:39

Anthony - Thanks for writing again. Sorry that Weebly was acting up a bit for you. I appreciate your persistence.

If one person has a non-existent libido why would someone with a high libido want to marry that person? If the libido went out after marriage, then a physician should be consulted. Remember the wedding vows, "for better or worse" and "in sickness and in health"? I don't recall anything in the wedding vows that says if different libido exists, then one can cheat or divorce. Now if one person is unable to consummate the marriage, then an annulment can occur.

Regarding quadraplegia, you didn't follow your own reasoning. You talked about different libidos. I distinctly said, "cannot perform sexually how the other spouse desires" Many people with paraplegia and quadriplegia have active sex lives.

Yes, there are plenty of studies on infidelity. The question is, "which ones do you pay attention to?" You will also find science that says infidelity is genetic. We are not animals. We can control ourselves.

You said, "And I think speaking with enough people is enough to know that even long lasting relationships have their 'that one time' story." It's easy to believe that one's perception of the world is reality (solipsism). My perception of reality is grounded in God's Word, which specifically states that infidelity is sinful behavior. My goal is not to please people, the world, etc. My goal is to please God. He's very clear about the sinfulness of infidelity.

I'm not clear what your third sentence in the last paragraph means.

Your last sentence, "respect and honestly aren't exclusive to God's plan" is true. However, respect and honesty originate with God.

Interesting that you did not address many of the points of this post. I assume that the ones that you did not address, you agree with :-)

If you notice, the follow-up to this present blog is about pre-marital sex. You may find it interesting.

Finally, this is "anti-porn" week on my blog. You may want to review the posts from the week of October 1.

drwayman link
10/2/2012 06:34:26

Anthony - You wrote, "Many of god's ideas are good ones."

I'm really concerned about that statement. ALL of God's ideas are good ones.

To pick and choose about God makes you a judge of God. God has no judge. He has no equal.

I wonder what God is going to say when you tell Him on judgment day, "I think some of your ideas were good ones. Some of them I rejected."

God is good. He loves you. He wants you to have His best. His best includes ALL of His ideas.

Reply
Anthony
10/17/2012 10:29:16

That's one perspective.

I just see it as being discriminate about the things I accept as true. Hearing something you like at sermon or in the bible is little reason to say, "well the source material says that it's true, and that it's all true, better never question"

This is of course a forum for christian discussion, so my only real 2 cents are that every christian should read as much as they can and make sure they aren't picking and choosing what parts they accept as 'universal truths'.

Reply
drwayman link
10/17/2012 11:12:41

Anthony - Thanks for responding again.

You said two key phrases: 1) source material and 2) universal truth

My source material? - God's Word
Universal truth? - God's Word

On what do you base your reasoning?

Only God knows what's best for us. Picking and choosing from God's Word is dangerous....

God told Job, "Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth? Tell me, if you know all this." Job 38:18 (NIV)

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