Pornography poisons the soul and weakens and deforms the attributes of the soul, will and intellect.
Lust darkens the intellect.
But you are a chosen generation, a kingly priesthood, a holy nation, a purchased people: that you may declare his virtues, who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Who in time past were not a people: but are now the people of God. Who had not obtained mercy; but now have obtained mercy.
Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, to refrain yourselves from carnal desires which war against the soul
One can see the effects of pornopgraphy all over this thread. It was not long ago that anyone deserving of the name "conservative" would not have been caught dead defending pornography publicly. Even if they gave into the weakness of the flesh and looked at pornography and abused themselves, they never defended their sins. They were ashamed of their weakness.
Whether educated or simply imbued with a sense of moral normalcy, "conservatives" acted as though they has just read LaRochefoucald,... Hypocrisy is the tribute vice pays to virtue... Now, look at this thread. Look at how "conservatives" are now publicly defending perversity and there is the proof that so many on here are denying - that pornography is violent and destructive. It has violently severed our attachment to moral absolutes. It has made us defenders of evil. It has seduced us into calling evil good. It has destroyed the ethos of conservatism.
How does a defender/practicioner of pornography, one who has given themselves permission to violate one of the tenents of Universal Morality, avoid the charge of hypocrisy when they try and castigate, say, homosexuals, for their actions? I would think the homosexual would have every right to object - "who are you to tell me what I am doing is wrong when you yourself do not think it a sin to view pornography and abuse yourself?"
And the same would go for a counterfiter, a thief, a slanderer etc etc etc
"It has violently severed our attachment to moral absolutes. It has made us defenders of evil. It has seduced us into calling evil good. It has destroyed the ethos of conservatism."
Well said. So many of us have yet to realize that morality (and conservatism is nothing if not moral) is a seamless garment, not a cafeteria line.
As a person grows in conservatism he must give up, one by one, ALL the vices into which Satan has seduced liberals. He must reject Satan and ALL his works, not just "all but this one."
Should everything immoral be prohibitted?
God gave people free will. His desire was that people, even when given the opportunity to lead immoral lives, would nonetheless lead moral ones. I see no indication that God intended for people to be confined to the straight and narrow path. All indications I've seen indicate that he wants people to follow that path voluntarily.
Further, any societal benefit that could be gained from enforcing prohibitions against private sodomy or private viewing of pornographic materials could be obtained much more cheaply, and with less expansion of government power, by attacking some of the root causes of familial decay including, but not limited to, anti-male bias in divorce and family courts, an evil welfare system, and the erosion of traditional male/female roles.
IMHO, those who would expand government power to attack pornography are either more interested in expanding government power than in ending societal decay, or else they are the unwitting dupes of others who are.
Your statement is right on the mark.
Now there are conservatives (in name only) who talk, act and have the same moral values and legal revisionism as the ACLU and the far left whore mongering hollywood smut peddlers.