Pornography Part 2

In part two, Robert identifies pornography as idolatry. Pornography entices us to magnify things that are essentially unreal and seek connection where there can be no reciprocation. Loving another outside of oneself is the center of marriage and pornography is the inverse of this practice. He lays out a series of steps towards freedom that people can take internally if they find themselves prostrate before pornographic idols. -Editor

In trying to further understand the challenge of pornography we note that when Israel committed adultery with those of other nations, they also invited idolatry into their culture (Ezekiel 8:10; Apocalypse Explained 650:66). Pornographers create unreal images through repetition and exaggeration. In effect, they create physically attractive idols. Their goal is to inspire adoration for their obscene symbols by making them appear attractive, real, and powerful, even god-like. But they are none of these. An obscene or idolized picture may inspire a physical reaction or sensual delights, but it cannot inspire genuine love. Love is reciprocal. An idol cannot reciprocate or respond. In reality it is dead. But evil makes it appear to be alive and lust makes it appear attainable. Prayerful reflection can cut through those appearances. When we find ourselves being strongly attracted to these fanciful gods yet blinded to what they stand for, there is no more powerful remedy than thinking of the Lord Himself and turning to Him for help. The Lord is living, and loving, and He can and will respond to any who turn to Him with love (Apocalypse Revealed 926:2).

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Pornography Part 1

Robert writes about the progressive degrees of adultery. While initial experiences of pornography may come to us unbidden, there are forces that provoke us to justify and identify with it to a greater and greater extent unless we guard ourselves against them. He writes that pornography seeks to destroy the most precious gifts the Lord has given us, which are both the love in marriage and the care of young children. -Editor

“Then I saw that she was defiled, and that they took both one way; and that she increased her whoredoms ; for when she saw men portrayed upon the wall, the images of the Chaldeans portrayed with vermilion, girded with girdles upon their loins, draped in dyed attire upon their heads, all of them princes of appearance, after the manner of the sons of Babylon of Chaldea, the land of their nativity; and as soon as she saw them with her eyes, she doted upon them, and sent messengers unto them into Chaldea. And the Babylonians came to her in the bed of love and they defiled her with their whoredoms.” (Ezek. 23:13-16)

This passage portrays a woman being led into whoredom through doting on images of men portrayed upon a wall. This text is over two thousand five hundred years old. The evil of pornography has been around for a long time. There have been times in the past when lasciviousness acted secretly due to fear for reputation or fear of the law (SD 386). Sadly today we live in a different time when such imagery is relentlessly and openly beamed into our homes, threatening the ideals of our children, and even of marriage itself. It is important that we recognize the origin of this evil – pornography - and how it operates, and how we can combat it. It represents an open abuse of some of the Lord’s most precious gifts to mankind.

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Pornography: Make it Our Fight

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).

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