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Lest you think we all are total prudes, maybe I can clarify. Freepers understand the "slippery slope" concept when it comes to issues like Terri Schiavo and euthanasia, or incremental gun controls. It's possible to yield ground a little bit at a time and end up far from where you intended to be.

In the case of Terri Schiavo, there was a lot of discussions on FR about what comes next? Killing off the sick, the elderly, the mentally retarded? On moral issues like that, it's wise to stay as far away from the line of demarcation rather than trying to define it. The Prez called that "erring on the side of life." With gun control, it begins with registration, then banning gun shows, computer background checks. Eventually it will result in confiscation and imprisonment. We resist the beginning because we can anticipate the end result.

Likewise with pornography, there's a slippery slope. The VS commercials might titillate, but any pastor in any church will tell you of men (and women) who became slaves to pornography and it ruined their marriages and their lives--and it all began with a Playboy magazine or a Victoria's Secret catalog. Pornography is addictive. One builds up a tolerance to it. To get the same "endorphin rush," the viewer escalates to more hardcore material.

Many men who become addicted to porn find it ruins their sexual relationship with their wives. Porn is not representative of normal human sexuality. It objectifies women. The wives of pornography addicted men often claim that they don't feel they can "measure up" to those levels of "performance."

When a guy's wife declines to participate in the fantasies introduced into her her husbands imagination, he may be driven elsewhere. They go from flirty chat rooms to furtive meetings with others. Just look at all the cases of arrests made of prominent public figures (this week there was a mayor up in Washington state) who made arrangements to meet up with someone they thought was a "teen" for sex and met the cops instead.

At the "end of the road," these people behold their degenerate condition and think how it would be different if they had never picked up a Playboy or watched the porn flick in the Hilton while on a business trip. They stepped onto the slippery slope, confident they could have a little peek and go back. You should see the damaged lives, the regret, and the pain they have brought upon themselves and their loved ones.

Are there any pastors on FR? Chime in! You know what I'm talking about. A battered self-image, devastated marriages, disillusioned children, and emotional heartache are the ultimate rewards in this evil indulgence.