Posted on 06/13/2011 5:16:20 PM PDT by RGrizzle
He sat alone waiting anxiously from word from his lawyer. Releasing a nervous sigh he glanced at his watch. Time seemed to be at a stand-still as he fretted about the decision that would determine his fate.
He leaned forward in his chair wringing his hands pondering the horrific events that led to here. How could he have been such a fool? Often he had been warned about the dangers of the pet he loved. He ignored those warnings, and now it was too late. He was forced live through the nightmare he helped create.
“That thing is dangerous”, they would say. “You need to rid yourself of it before it devours you or your family”.
Rid of it? He enjoyed it too much to be rid of it. Besides, he was absolutely convinced that his pet was harmless. There is nothing wrong in keeping this thing around so long as he kept it confined in the space he had set aside for it. It couldn’t hurt anyone. There were many warnings, but like a stubborn fool he ignored what should have been obvious.
Again he glanced at his watch. Its ticking seemed to echo in the emptiness of the room where he waited. How long would fate choose to elude him? The anticipation was unbearable.
As his pet grew over the years, there were times that it truly scared him. He found it more and more difficult to keep it restricted to its enclosure. When it escaped from its designated space it would lash out displaying its true potential for harm. However, he had always managed to coax it back to the area where he kept it contained so that no real harm was done – or so he thought.
His wife had often pleaded with him to get rid of the filthy beast. She had borne the scars of its fury and fully understood the dangers within it. It frightened her to tears. She often lay awake at night worrying about its dangers, but he flippantly dismissed her concerns. Now she was gone.
The thoughts of what had happened overcame him. He covered his face with his hands and wept. Why did he not listen? Why did he not get rid of the pet when he had the chance?
Pet? This was no pet. It was a ferocious beast. Did he think it would mysteriously neglect to grow into anything other than what by nature it was? Did he really think he had the capacity to control it? The questions flowed through his tortured mind.
He coddled what should have been eradicated, and it had taken his family from him. His head collapsed into his hands as he wept. What a fool! What a fool! His weeping became uncontrollable.
Between his sobs he realized that his lawyer had quietly entered the room. He wiped his eyes and tried to regain control.
After a respectful delay the lawyer gently spoke, “The judge won’t reconsider. Beverly has full custody of the children and will be allowed to move back to North Carolina to live near her parents. I’m so sorry, Robert. Your marriage is officially over.” The lawyer placed his hand on the shoulder of his lifelong friend, “I’m sorry, Robert. I’m so sorry.”
Robert nodded as the tears again began to flow. He covered his face again and tried to overcome the loss of all that had been. “How could I let this happen?” he asked.
Years ago, an innocent internet search had produced an image that captured his eye. Unchecked, intrigue led to addiction. He believed that he could keep it contained within the casing of his computer. He was wrong. Fulfilling the warnings he often heard at church, his pet sin had devoured both him and his family.
1 Peter 5:8 (New King James Version)
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
1 Thessalonians 4:1-3 (New King James Version)
1 Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; 2 for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality;
Good article except for the “addiction” part, I hate it when sinful habits are called “addictions.”
I also hate it when addictions are called “diseases.”
You won’t go through any physical withdrawal symptoms if you quit using porn. Oh you will probably miss it, perhaps pine and fret and fuss, but your body will not be going some sort of physical withdrawal like an alcohol or morphine addiction give you (which can physically kill you).
As for disease, cancer is a disease. The flu is a disease. Pneumonia is a disease. Addiction is done to one’s self on purpose through voluntary behavior, with perhaps the exception of the occasional sex slave who is forced on heroin or something to get her hooked so she’s enslaved for life.
Someone with cancer is a victim. Someone with an addiction may have some of my sympathy but it’s NOT the same thing.
“Voluntary behavior?’’ So all those years I was an active alcoholic was because I wanted to? Your ignorance on the nature of addiction is astounding.
““Voluntary behavior?’’ So all those years I was an active alcoholic was because I wanted to? Your ignorance on the nature of addiction is astounding.”
I think once you are addicted, there is the physical addiction component.
But your initial alcohol abuse, before any physical addiction, was surely voluntary. Unless someone was holding a gun to your head!
yes, it was voluntary, the first drink. The rest weren’t. Addiction has largely to do with ones body being pre-disposed to it and family history, ( one of my grandfathers had ‘’the Irish flu’’)
Exactly! I hate to hear anything like that called a diease. I was diagnosed with type one diabetes at 9yo tht is a diease.Something you choose to do to yourself is a behavior not a diease.
Did you eventually give it up voluntarily?
If so, then it was voluntary from beginning to end.
If you were forced to give it up, and are being forcibly kept away from access to it, then you have my sincere apologies for the bolded part above.
Full disclosure: For a few years I drank way too much, voluntarily; I quit voluntarily the day I found myself in the grocery trying to decide between food and alcohol.
(You won’t go through any physical withdrawal symptoms if you quit using porn.)
Yes you would. Pornography has been found to be as addictive as any of the better known addictions. However, unlike alcohol or cocaine addiction, it’s not mentioned at all in our culture (it would upset the pro-pornography left), so most people are not aware of its addictive nature until it is too late. I’m sure there are many addicts walking around saying “I can quit any time I want to”.
You may want to talk to a church group leader who helps people combat this type of addiction in order to get the facts.
“(You won’t go through any physical withdrawal symptoms if you quit using porn.)
Yes you would.”
What? Vomiting? Dry Heaves? Irregular Heartbeat? Delirium Tremens? Uncontrollable Diarrhea? Nausea? Racing Pulse? Fever? Death?
Don’t be ridiculous.
You’re right. I gave up pornography 4 hours ago, and have experienced no physical withdrawal symptoms whatsoever. (But I do have a lot more space on my hard drive)
“I gave up pornography 4 hours ago,”
Well done.
I didn’t ‘’give it up’’ . I had a choice, keep drinking and die or try getting sober one day at a time. Nothing about being addicted is ‘’voluntary’’ any more then a diabetics condition is ‘’voluntary’’. Putting the cork in the bottle isn’t enough. You have to change the person you were or you will drink again. And then , having had a spiritual awakening as a result of turning one’s will over to the care of a Higher Power, in my case God and AA, we try to carry the message to the still suffering alcoholic. Carry it on, as it were. And btw, you can’t force an alcoholic to do anything they don’t want. The number one characteristic of an alcoholic isn’t denial, it’s defiance.
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