Posted on 11/28/2012 7:01:52 AM PST by CHRISTIAN DIARIST
There have been several supposedly “scientific” studies published this year that either disparaged people of faith or insidiously mocked religion.
That includes a study, published in the journal Science, which asserted that people who believe in God are not analytical thinkers.
There also was a study, published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science, which claimed that “highly religious” folk are less compassionate toward the needy than atheists.
Now comes yet another study, published this week in the Journal of Sex Research, which claims that adult film actresses are actually more religious than women who don’t get paid to have sex on camera.
“In terms of psychological characteristics,” the study’s five co-authors concluded, “porn actresses had higher levels of…spirituality compared to the matched group.”
This dubious study would be unworthy of comment except that it has gotten a lot of media coverage. It pretends to be scholarly research. But it’s nothing more than junk science.
Indeed, for those who blindly accept its findings, it leads to the absurd conclusion that there is some sort of link between sexual depravity and religiosity.
Uncritical thinkers could come away with the cockeyed notion that, just because a woman is sexually depraved – because she is a stripper or a prostitute or a porn actress – doesn’t mean she isn’t a woman of faith. Doesn’t mean she doesn’t love the Lord.
The authors of the Journal of Sex Research study argue that their findings disprove the “damaged goods hypothesis” with respect to “female performers in the adult entertainment industry.”
But close examination of the study’s methodology reveal obvious flaws that skew its findings.
It relied on the self-reporting of 177 porn actresses who responded to an advertisement posted at a Los Angeles health clinic, which was founded by a retired porn actress, and which catered to the adult film industry (before it was shut down last year by the L.A. County Health Department).
Apparently, it did not occur to the study’s authors that self-delusional porn actresses might misrepresent themselves as well-adjusted.
Might claim to have higher self-esteem, more positive feelings about themselves, a better support system, a more satisfying sex life and even a closer relationship with the Lord than women who don’t defile themselves for all the world to see.
The reality is that the 177 porn actresses who responded to the survey on which the study published in the Journal of Sex Research was based are indeed damaged goods.
And there is no better authority on the subject than Shelley Lubben, a former porn actress and born-again Christian. She is currently the Executive Director of the Pink Cross Foundation, a faith-based organization that reaches out to women caught up in the adult film industry.
The pornography business destroys body and soul, Lubben attests. Many porn actresses battle alcohol and drug abuse. They perform sex acts that are physically harmful and psychologically traumatizing. They contract sexually transmitted diseases.
There is a way for porn actresses to avoid that almost certain fate – give their lives to Christ. For whom the Son sets free is free indeed.
Those that buy that fiction condemn themselves to eternal separation from God.
We all deal with our sinful nature and the Holy Spirit is always in the process of sanctification. Perhaps the Spirit is working on other parts of a sinful nature that have led to the occupation. Perhaps the actress is stuck. Many Christians get stuck.
God’s ways of dealing with His people are not our ways. I would not assume that a porn actress is not a Christian anymore than I would assume someone obese from gluttony is not a Christian.
Last week I drank a banana flavored milk that was meant for my daughter. :(
I will never do it again. Seriously, the guilt is crushing!
Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”
Luke 7:44-47
The forgiveness is available if a person truly repents...no matter what their previous lifestyle or past sins are.
Titus 3:5:
“He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.”
Romans 5:23:
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
That being said, I would encourage the person to seek guidance and deliverance to be set free spiritually by God the Father so they’re not trapped in their sin and subject to the consequences.
“The forgiveness is available if a person truly repents...no matter what their previous lifestyle or past sins are.”
I don’t think thats the question. The question is whether a working porn actress can be a better Christian than the average person.
The key word is unrepentant. Obstinacy and impenitence are sins against the Holy Spirit and would be unforgivable objectively speaking.
We cannot judge the heart of others but we can judge their actions and come to a probable and just conclusion.
-1 for Critical Thinking.
Seriously, what about those not leading an ‘abjectly sinful’ life but rather a wilfull sinful life?
You didn’t step out of the box and made it about you, and not the condition, all with just a poor choice of an adjective.
Did you mean to say objectively definition 2: “2. Having actual existence or reality.”
Can a working porn star be a Christian, as in someone who is indwelt with the Holy Spirit, yes absolutely. Christians often backslide into “wordly” ways but it doesnt change the fact that they will still end up in Heaven on the day of judgment. But can a working porn star be a better christian than the average person, I would say no. Their job itself is contrary to what the Bible teachers.
Even IF this study represents truth, which is a big “if,” “spirituality” does not equal “Christianity.”
One can be “spiritual” and engage in Wicca, Islam, New Age religions, Buddism, Pantheism, etc.
Sure, they can be “religious”, or “spiritual”, but they’re probably not Christian.
A few mentions about bad science.
“That includes a study, published in the journal Science, which asserted that people who believe in God are not analytical thinkers.”
The two pertinent descriptions of the word analytical are first, “separating something into component parts or constituent elements.” This fails for the reason that God, by definition, cannot be separated into component parts or constituent elements. If God can be analyzed in this way, it is not God. However, everything else in reality *can* be analyzed in this way. Religious people have no problem making this distinction. So it can be accurately said that people who *do not* believe in God are incapable of imagining a singularity, God, that cannot be analyzed. It is their deficiency.
“There also was a study, published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science, which claimed that ‘highly religious’ folk are less compassionate toward the needy than atheists.”
Easily proven as false. Atheists can be “compassionate” and “caring” all day, yet help no one. They may give money to hypothetical charities that help no one. And they may even *define* persuading others to be atheists as being in some way “compassionate.” Personal emotional gratification is not real compassion. And advocating the use of government to harm one group of people to benefit another group of people is not compassion, and, as H.L. Mencken observed, such people are S.O.B.s.
Religious people, on the other hand, by a long way, directly help the needy by giving to *them*, and they do so for both religious and altruistic reasons. They neither seek to control or dominate those they provide charity, which is another positive trait.
“Now comes yet another study, published this week in the Journal of Sex Research, which claims that adult film actresses are actually more religious than women who don’t get paid to.”
This is little more than hypocrisy, guilt, and rationalization balled up into one. Such women know what they are doing is physically and spiritually and psychologically wrong and damaging. So they first try to justify their actions, then try to overcome their deep and abiding guilt, and are finally hypocritical about the whole thing.
It has long been known that one of the biggest reasons for prostitution is that prostitutes are often “attention junkies”. They invariably insist that they do not like being prostitutes, and want to get out of the business; but they just cannot escape the attention they are given by others. Pimps are expert in doling out attention, and it doesn’t matter if the attention is bad or good; beating them one minute and dancing with them the next.
There is an easy cue to the very low self esteem and craving for attention in such women. Excessive finger rings and tattoos are often sure signs.
In Europe, where prostitution is often legal, many prostitutes are devout church goers. This does not mean that they are spiritual, just that they are filled with guilt and endless promises to themselves to stop doing what they do. They rarely quit until they are too old and ugly, then they are discarded.
We are called to judge our Fellow Christians by thier actions ~~ Fruit inspector
The non Christians are doing what non Christians do by nature SIN... They need Jesus So our only judgement of the non Christian is if they are saved or not...
here comes the “Oh God” jokes.
Why would they want to be?
After 36 years of academic medical practice, I have come to this conclusion:
90% of clinical medical research is trash, BUT
99.9% of psychology/sociology/behavioral science research is trash.
After 36 years of academic medical practice, I have come to this conclusion:
90% of clinical medical research is trash, BUT
99.9% of psychology/sociology/behavioral science research is trash.
Yes but that .1% gives those psychologists hope they will someday be able to self-diagnose.
HOWEVER,
The left in this country, the ones who are decidedly not Christian and fight against it in nearly every way, both openly and quietly (when needed) support the subversion of Christianity for their own purposes. I call out any Christian who calls themselves a Christian to explain to me how they are indeed a Christian and God agrees with them practicing homosexuality and that it is NOT a sin...or that abortion is NOT a sin, or any other clearly defined sin is NOT a sin but they are indeed Christians with nothing wrong between them and God. THATS the problem.
The left LOVES to judges us with our own faith and at the same time use perversion of that faith to justify themselves to others...like their ridiculous use of “Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice.” It is used to disarm arguments against them. The homosexual agenda has been well served by subverting many denominations solely to be USED as the useful idiots they are for supporting their lifestyle choice. it has clearly worked well for them.
What the left does not want is any form of absolute or any form of judgment of their lifestyle. they do NOT want accountability as it REQUIRES of them a thing they hate when caught...responsibility. Whether it is the creation of another “inconvenient human being” or the fact that they got caught cheating on a commitment (many on the right guilty as well) but the institutionalized way of resisting is on the left far more than the right. The fact remains...they do it this way to gain earthly approval and justification for the life the CHOOSE to lead. Nothing more.
...should ask what is meant by "religious" or "highly religious" or "spiritual" or whatever other terms are being used that we assume everyone else has the same interpretations that we do.
What criteria do these studies assume or use to assess living/being/thinking as a religious person or as a spiritual person or as a Christian person?
Can a Christian be a Christian by claiming to have Jesus as their personal savior and/or claiming allegiance to a church, but break each and every one of the 10 Commandments on a regular basis?
If I am to go forth and sin no more, but go forth and sin as before or as if there is no tomorrow, what am I then with my claims of Jesus and church attendance?
Never underestimate the human ability to rationalize ANYTHING, any behavior, attitude, whatever, good, bad or otherwise, especially "in the moment" but also after the fact.
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