Pornography "One of the Most Pervasive and Destructive Problems in Our Society" – Philly Cardinal

LifeSiteNews ^ | 6/9/06 | Hilary White

[wagglebee]

Cardinal Justin Rigali, writing in the Catholic Standard and Times, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, said that the modern media’s obsession with pornography is “one of the most pervasive and destructive problems in our society.”
 
“Our society," the Cardinal wrote, “is inundated with sex and sensuality largely from the media. Films, television programs, and advertisements are loaded with sexual reference as well as the promotion of sexual promiscuity.”
 
The all-pervasiveness of sexual imagery in the media has led to the vast proliferation of pornography on the internet where it is accessible to anyone who can use a keyboard. It is also increasingly frustrating for law enforcement officials around the world that sexual predators have begun using the internet to target children.
 
In November, 2004, a US Senate hearing discussing the dangers of addiction heard evidence that addiction to pornography has ruined lives and destroyed families. Virginia Tech, professor James B. Weaver said studies show that extended exposure to pornography creates "sexual callousness, the erosion of family values and diminished sexual satisfaction."
 
Rigali called pornography “a cancer upon contemporary culture.” “Addictive in nature, many have been entangled in its lure and have caused great psychological and emotional harm to themselves and even to spouses and other family members.”
 
At the same senate committee hearing in 2004, US lawmakers heard evidence that corroborates the Cardinal’s assertion. University of Pennsylvania sexual trauma program co-director Mary Anne Layden said pornography addiction has similar effects on the brain as heroin or crack cocaine addiction.
 
The Cardinal writes, “Violence, sexual abuse, psychological trauma and ruptured relationships are the fruit of pornography, which, astonishingly, is a multi-billion dollar industry.”
 
Read Cardinal Rigali’s article:
http://www.cst-phl.com/main.html

[King Prout]

on this, i agree with the Cardinal - the pornography itself is not necessarily harmful, but the obsession with it is, as is the level of porn and porn-oid saturation with which pop culture is currently inundated.

[Chode]

that works tooo... she's BEAUTIFUL!!!

[Physicist]

Unquestionably true.

I question it. In fact, I assert it's wrong.

I've enjoyed pornography throughout my adult life. I've also enjoyed a satisfying professional career, good health, a happy, monogamous marriage, four untroubled and academically talented children...what problems, exactly, have resulted from my viewing pornography?

It hasn't harmed my marriage; in fact, it has enhanced it on occasion.

It hasn't harmed my children; if I can keep my guns away from them when I don't know about it, I can keep my porn away from them. We supervise their TV and internet usage. And while I can't keep them from ever coming into contact with it outside of my home, as long as I raise them properly, they'll respond to it in a healthy and appropriate manner when they do.

I drink alcohol, too. I even get drunk, sometimes. It's never turned me into an alcoholic. Is alcoholism a problem in our society? Of course it is. But blame the drunks and not the beverages.

[murphE]

Especially since pornography is largely an outgrowth of the repression of sexuality by political and religious institutions like the...um...Catholic Church. ;)

In a sexually healthy society, the more destructive forms of pornography would largely disappear.

This of course is a completely liberal concept which denies the truth of original sin, the concept that man has a fallen nature and has does not have the power within himself to overcome and resist temptation to perversion and sin without the help of divine grace. Liberals deny the doctrine of original sin and believe that man has the power within himself, through natural means, apart from divine grace, to overcome evil.

A "sexually healthy" society would recognize the divinely revealed truth that sex is for procreation, and belongs uniquely within the sacrament of marriage. And the laws of that healthy society would be conformed to this divinely revealed truth. However, this would not prevent all perversions, nor the tendency to perversion, just like laws against murder, and theft do not prevent all murders and burglaries, nor the desires in the hearts of some people to do these things.

[Skooz]

I believe it is harmful, and always has been, to society as a whole.

[hgro]

Stupid me, I thought the pedophile priests of the Catholic Church had a hand in the problem. What a hypocrite this guy is.

[Bigg Red]

Of all the causes of broken families, "pornography" is probably among the least cited.

You see, many women like pornography too.

&&
So you are saying that the family that does porn together stays together? Isn't that nice?

[Mr. Jeeves]

This of course is a completely liberal concept which denies the truth of original sin...

I am no liberal and I utterly reject the concept of Orignal Sin as a falsehood promulgated by profiteering priests.

[Pyro7480]

St Augustine was a "profiteering priest?"

[linda_22003]

You've apparently never seen his famous advice on choosing older women as mistresses, have you? :)

[murphE]

I did not say you were a liberal, I said the thought you expressed was a liberal concept as in...

Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas

If fact your expressed opinion is quite contrary to established, traditional, orthodox, authoritarian (I would say authoritative) attitudes, views or dogmas. You claim not to be a liberal yet the beliefs you hold are liberal beliefs. Go figure.

[Salvation]

Rigali bump!!!!!

[Salvation]

In my opinion, just as destructive as an addiction to alchohol or drugs.

Is there a Pornography Anonymous that is patterned after AA?

[Dante3]

Even my liberal sociology professor agreed that pornography was a serious problem that damaged human relationships. And certainly child porn horrific.

[Salvation]

Catholic Discussion Ping!

Please notify me via FReepmail if you would like to be added to or taken off the Catholic Discussion Ping List.

[Pyro7480]

There are three groups for such people that use the 12-step model: Sex Addicts Anonymous, Sexaholics Anonymous, & Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous.

[dsc]

"The Cardinal forgot to add diddling little boys by priest in his charge."

A little accuracy, please. Very little child molesting went on. Most of the problem was homosexual priests seducing teen-age boys.

[dsc]

"Is the answer making porn or alcohol illegal? Heck no!"

We certainly should reverse the aberration of recent decades and restore our laws against pornography.

Whether or not that is "the answer" depends entirely on what the question is. If the question is, "Should a good and moral civilization endorse the production and circulation of pornography," then making it illegal is definitely the answer.

[supercat]

"Should a good and moral civilization endorse the production and circulation of pornography," then making it illegal is definitely the answer.

Unless you wish to somehow eliminate porn globally, disconnect the U.S. Internet from the rest of the world, or eliminate the Bill of Rights, I don't see how you can very well stop people from viewing porn produced outside the country. VPN tunneling is not difficult.

[Mrs. Don-o]

"The Cardinal forgot to add diddling little boys by priest in his charge."

I don't know that Cardinl Rigali has even been accused, let alone convicted, of doing any such thing. Link?