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Thirty years ago Congress passed protective measures regarding pornography. On May 21, 1984, President Ronald Reagan signed into law the Child Protection Act, which was supposed to protect persons younger than 18 from exploitation by pornographers. (Other measures were designed to keep those under 18 from accessing pornography.) Two months later President Reagan signed into law the National Minimum Drinking Age Act, designed to keep persons below age 21 from purchasing alcoholic beverages. Now, visualize this scene: Herbie, 13, walks into his local tavern and asks for a vodka martini—shaken, not stirred. Tex the barkeep asks, “Are you at least...

My last post was prompted by the Bob Coy sexual scandal—an epic “blow up” that affected many. Sadly, “blow ups” of this type are not as rare as they should be among Christians. They happen when a man is unable to mask the lust brewing in his heart. His sin is exposed and he reaps what he has sown. Whether fully public or in the privacy of a family, the consequences are always devastating. What is the proper response to this kind of thing? What do you say?

ST. CHARLES, MO, May 8, 2014 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Parents in Missouri are outraged at school district officials for allowing an e-book with images of people engaging in sexual intercourse in school libraries. Francis Howell School District is facing a backlash for placing "It's Perfectly Normal," a book that includes images of naked people, intercourse, and other pornographic material, in its libraries. One parent told a local reporter that most parents "were shocked" when he "showed this to" them, and that "their next reaction was outrage."

GILFORD, NH, May 6, 2014 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The father of a Gilford High School student was arrested at a school board meeting on Monday night after objecting that the school had assigned his 14-year-old daughter to read a pornographic book without his knowledge or consent. William Baer, an attorney who moved to New Hampshire from New Jersey, registered his complaint about the book Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult, which includes a graphic depiction of sex between two teenagers, at the local school board meeting.

Original Title:Extreme Pornography Agency EPA official caught with more than 7,000 porn files on government computer An Environmental Protection Agency official spent up to six hours a day on the taxpayer dime looking at pornography, according to the EPA Inspector General. Allan Williams, the deputy assistant inspector general for investigations, told the House Oversight Committee Wednesday that his office had discovered an EPA official who habitually watched porn on a government computer. “One such investigation involves a career EPA employee who allegedly stored pornographic materials on an EPA network server shared by colleagues,” Williams testified. “When an OIG special agent...

Despite being in good financial standing, adult film performers and others in the porn industry have had bank accounts abruptly terminated—and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) may have had something to do with it. Under "Operation Choke Point," the DOJ and its allies are going after legal but subjectively undesirable business ventures by pressuring banks to terminate their bank accounts or refuse their business. The very premise is clearly chilling—the DOJ is coercing private businesses in an attempt to centrally engineer the American marketplace based on it's own politically biased moral judgements. Targeted business categories so far have included...

The lives of many were rocked by the recent news that Bob Coy, founder and former pastor of Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale—a bourgeoning mega-church—stepped down because of a sexual scandal. The reason for his doing so was described as “moral failure.” Sadly, sordid details including adultery and a longstanding pornography habit have also emerged. The damage from this is great. Many must be asking, “If Bob Coy can’t figure this out, what hope is there for me?” Bob Coy’s story shows that he had become a slave of lust. Of course, few in the secular press or even in the...

Moral Issues Making moral choices in our modern world can be confusing and difficult. With so many temptations and influences pulling us in all directions, and the pressures of life driving us toward the seemingly “easy” path, it is comforting to know that Jesus Christ, through His Church, has blessed us with clear moral framework to guide us toward a happy, fulfilling life.It makes perfect sense that our Creator, who made us and designed us to work in a certain way, would know what’s best for us. Fortunately, He gifted the Church with His advice on how to live...

In a stunning revelation Sunday senior officials of the Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale, one of the largest and fastest growing churches in the United States, announced that their popular founding pastor Bob Coy, 58, has resigned after "confessing to a moral failing." An official statement on the resignation from the Florida church revealed that Coy confessed his failing to the church's leadership team last Thursday and resigned immediately after that. "On April 3, 2014, Bob Coy resigned as senior pastor of Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale, effective immediately, after confessing to a moral failing in his life which disqualifies him from...

Struthers’ book points especially to the dangers of pornography and the way it can become extremely habit forming and harmful. He is not alone in sounding the alarm about this. In fact, A TED Talk viewed by millions and a related website have pushed this truth into the mainstream. The most alarming recent realization is that when men give themselves over to internet pornography, eventually their plumbing stops working. Not only are they no longer able to enjoy conventional sex but even porn use fails them. It turns out that Erectile Dysfunction (ED) in healthy men because of porn use...

DURHAM, NC, March 20, 2014 (LifeSiteNews.com) – During a national media blitz, the Duke University student who makes pornographic films to pay her tuition has said her experience in the industry has left her feeling “empowered” and uplifted. But an anti-pornography activist has posted a shocking video graphically undermining her claims. “My experience in porn has been nothing but supportive, exciting, thrilling, and empowering,” Miriam Weeks, who revealed that she performs under the name Belle Knox, wrote on the feminist website xoJane.com last month. “For me, shooting pornography brings me unimaginable joy.” “It is my artistic outlet: my love, my...

I love the title, Wired for Intimacy. It evocatively describes the promise and hope God packaged with His gift of marriage. Because of the way we are made, husbands can strongly bind with wives (and wives with husbands). The monogamous sexual union is reinforced by the pleasure they share as they are intimate with each other. As Struthers shows, this is not just an emotional bonding—it involves complex neurological and chemical systems throughout our body. It may be what God was referring to when he declared husband and wife to be “one flesh” (Mark 10:8). Surveys and studies back this...

“I call on every man in the Diocese of Arlington to search his heart and renew his commitment to purity. I call on every husband and father to renew his sacred commitment to his wife and children.” - Arlington Bishop Paul Loverde ARLINGTON, VA, March 7, 2014 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The growth of pornography use, particularly on the internet, is “a matter of utmost urgency for every son and father today,” Bishop Paul Loverde of the Catholic diocese of Arlington, Virginia said in a letter to his flock released this week. Titled “Bought with a Price: Every Man’s Duty to Protect...

For failing to broadcast sufficient levels of Canadian-made pornography — and failing to close-caption said pornography properly — a trio of Toronto-based erotica channels has earned a reprimand from the Canadian Radio-television & Telecommunications Commission. Wednesday, the CRTC issued a broadcast notice saying AOV Adult Movie Channel, XXX Action Clips and the gay-oriented Maleflixxx were all failing to reach the required 35% threshold for Canadian content. Based on a 24-hour broadcast schedule, that translates to about 8.5 hours of Canadian erotica a day. The notice was issued as a result of Channel Zero’s efforts to renew licences for all three...

At the opening of Lent, Bishop Paul Loverde has written an important and encouraging pastoral letter on the disturbing and increasingly pervasive issue of  pornography. The full letter was released today and you can read it here Bought With a PriceIt is good to see bishops address moral issues with clarity. And Bishop Loverde surely does that here. There are many things I like about the letter but let me highlight a few things here.1. We live in a culture that makes light of sexual sin, in general, and pornography in particular.  Many people speak of it as a victimless crime...

A taboo is something that is vehemently “forbidden based on moral judgment and religious beliefs.” When confronted with a taboo, we do not consider breaking it. The line is drawn so clearly that we dare not cross it. Incest is a good example. It is condemned in every culture. The idea of sexual relations with a sibling or one’s child is abhorrent and rejected as a matter of course. We are horrified by it. We recoil from it. It is off the table. We totally close the door to it. This keeps us out of trouble. The power of taboos...

HARARE (Reuters) - Former congressman Mel Reynolds has been arrested in Zimbabwe, an immigration official said on Tuesday, after state media reported the convicted sex offender had been found with pornography at a local hotel. Police and immigration officials were investigating Reynolds for living in the southern African country without a valid visa, Francis Mabika, an assistant regional immigration officer, told Reuters. Mabika said Reynolds has been in Zimbabwe since November, but declined to give further details. Reuters was unable to reach Reynolds for comment. A spokeswoman for the U.S. embassy in Harare declined to comment. The state-owned Herald newspaper...

In the Gospel for this Weekend’s Mass we are well into the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), and today we cover a good deal of Chapter 5. In a way the Lord is drawing a picture for us of the transformed human person. He is presenting a kind of slide show of what sanctity really is. In understanding this rather lengthy text we do well to reflect on it in three parts.I. The Power of New Life in Christ – We have discussed before that an important principle of the Christian moral vision is to understand that it is...

'm very frustrated. Over the last several years, I've done quite a few presentations in different Christian communities (Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta) on sexuality and pornography. Each time I've given the presentations, I've changed them quite a bit, adding things I've learned, tweaking it based on the needs of the community and the feedback I've gotten. I've gotten anonymous emails detailing the struggles of porn addicts in Christian homes, and had anonymous letters stuck in the door of my home. The more I hear from the men and women and youth in the communities where these topics are presented, the...

A former Georgia Tech associate professor has been found guilty of 76 counts of sexual exploitation of children. Faiz Al-Khayyal was convicted by a jury Thursday in Fulton County Superior Court and will be sentenced at a later date. “Possession of child pornography is a heinous crime that exploits the most vulnerable members of our society,” Attorney General Sam Olens said in a news release.