Pornography: Make it Our Fight
Anonymous | Friday, February 1, 2013
This essay draws attention to the silence within the church around the widespread use of pornography. This silence is either a complete denial that people within the church have this kind of struggle, or an inability to confront these issues with openness and integrity. The author calls on us to provide compassionate and safe help to people engaged in this behavior, because so much is threatened when we look the other way. -Editor
Pornography. Simply typing the word awakes strong feelings. I can’t help but worry who might look over my shoulder and see the condemnatory letters on my computer screen. Pornography is a dark word. But it is because of this that I want to open up this topic and talk to you about pornography; darkness can only exist when there is no light.
According to The Porn Trap, a guide to overcoming porn addictions by Wendy and Larry Maltz, in the US alone, forty million people visit porn sites at least once a month, 25% of all internet searches are for pornography, and under eighteen is “one of the largest consumer groups of porn” (4). And further, Porn Nation by Michael Leahy states that the average age of first exposure to porn is eleven to fourteen (114).
Wondering about the inspiration for this article? Look up the New Church, which is based on the theological writings of Emanuel Swedenborg.
