A Word of Warning: Resist the Lure of Pornography

Chalcedon ^ | 1/9/02 | Gerald W. Tritle

[truthandlife]

Pornography – the written and/or graphically portrayed uncovering of nakedness, especially in acts of fornication – grips the hearts and lives of many Christian men and, according to recent surveys, twenty percent of ministers. It tempts potential patrons from its store shelves and by mail, and it champions over three million websites, enticing over twenty percent of online viewers.

Porn appeals to an undisciplined culture (both inside and outside the church) that refuses to mature mentally and sexually. Specifically, many Christian men of all ages find it easier to view porn than to fulfill their God-given responsibilities to glorify their Lord and to love their spouses, their children, their estates, and their congregations.

As Christians, we would expect unregenerate men, who are in bondage to the sin of their Adamic nature, to embrace no conviction against viewing pornography. These men, as are all men before coming to Christ, are corrupt by nature and in need of spiritual rebirth, needing to call upon Christ Jesus for salvation. These men will only curtail or cease viewing porn when they are threatened civically (being jailed or imprisoned), professionally (getting fired), or domestically (being sued for divorce).

To the Christian, porn appeals to the workings of sin in the flesh (Rom. 7:23) that must yet be submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. It is unbiblical for the world or the church to think that a Christian cannot be tempted to view and to succumb to the viewing of porn during a time or times of weakness. Yet, having yielded to the beguiling temptation of viewing porn, the Christian must realize, as spoken by Christ Jesus, that he has sinned by committing fornication (in the case of the unmarried) or adultery (in the case of the married) in the heart – sins which Jesus says will deprive one of eternal life.

For the Christian minister, porn can be alluring as he manages his pressures to serve others, his solitary work environment, his mental exhaustion, and perhaps, his frustrations resulting from his entering the ministry as a novice not fully disciple himself. If he also has relationship and sexual difficulties at home, then porn becomes for him an easy, seemingly victimless escape. However, when he views porn, he jeopardizes the ministry that his God has entrusted to him. 1 Timothy 3:4-5 is clear that the minister’s household must be in order for him to retain his ministry, and, thus, his admitting his habitual porn use exposes problems in his own household, which he must correct lest he be ministerially disqualified. Often, the tremendous guilt that follows is difficult to jettison because the minister is supposedly required to be not only “perfect” but is also forbidden to confess his faults to his brethren (contrary to James 5:16), which would aid in his repentance and restoration.

All Christians: Shall you risk bringing reproach upon the name of our Lord Jesus for a season of lust-filled escape? Shall you risk destroying your own Christian reputations, marriages, families, and estates? Shall you risk jail or prison to fulfill your potentially illegal lusts before calling upon the name of our Lord to save you from yourselves? Do you realize that your viewing Internet porn can be and most likely is being monitored, if not by your bosses at work, then potentially by credit card companies and by porn sites themselves? Furthermore, have you considered that the hardness of your heart and your refusal to repent of this sin may prove indeed that you are no Christian at all, and are, therefore, in danger of eternal damnation? “I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?” (Job 31:1).

Never forget that all men will eventually appear before the judgment seat of Christ to give an account for the deeds done in this life. We, therefore, strongly urge both Christians and non-Christians to repent of this heinous sin and to beg God’s gracious pardon. Christians, if you confess your sin, God is faithful and just to forgive you of your sin. Get rid of your porn regardless of its form or format. Don’t place yourself in a position to view porn. Don’t allow your mind to be idle and filled with pornographic fantasies and thoughts. On the contrary, plan to stay mentally active and to replace pornographic thoughts with pure, holy, and natural thoughts (see Philippians 4:8). Pray for God’s grace to deliver you from the desire to view porn for His name’s sake. Pursue spiritual maturity and love (toward your wife, your children, your church, and your Lord) instead of gratifying your selfish, sinful desires.

Those of you who are spiritual are to restore, with a spirit of meekness, those who have fallen into this sin lest you also be tempted. God will forgive the sins of those who truly repent and turn from their sin.

[discostu]

Oh don't even blame me for Clinton or compare me to him. Count yourself lucky this isn't in person cause there's no way you'd walk out from saying that to my face. And the day I wish, secretly or otherwise, to have relations with women half as fugly as the ones slick willy boinked somebody kill me (Elizabeth Ward Gracen of course being the exception, don't know how that one slipped through considering the big butts and hawk noses that generally drew him in).

If you actually read what I wrote instead of fishing for ways to pass judgement from your high horse you'd understand this topic has absolutely no relationship to any important part of the Lewinski issue. What we're talking about here is having dirty thoughts thanks to smutty words and pictures. Billy-boys BS was about lieing under oath, the closest it comes to what we're talking about here is that one of the incidents that proved he lied involved getting a BJ while discussing troop deployments in the Oval Office. While it's disgusting and tasteless, made more so by the fact that he was cheating on his wife, it has nothing to do with porno or even rules with the wife. Even if Hildabeast didn't care if he cheated (which happens, I have friend that have done the open relationship thing, it always ends in disaster and I always advice against it, but it's their relationship and they get to make the rules) that's just too many degrees of tacky. But that's all it is, tacky.

Much as I hate the man that alone was not impeachable, it was lieing about it to the nation and more importantly under oath to the court that should have gotten him thrown out. I don't understand how anybody could vote for somebody that did that, but it's their vote, again not my judgement to make.

[r9etb]

They're about half of the latest posts these days, and the zealots that frequent them can't even offer pretense of reasoned debate. Enough already.

It's interesting that you should be saying this 300+ posts into the thread. Almost as if you couldn't stop reading once you got inside....

If you don't like these threads, stay out of them.

[another1]

You can't possibly imbecilic or arrogant enough to presume to tell me what to do. Well, maybe not arrogant enough...

[discostu]

Oh common, would you take one sentence in this entire thread, just one, WITHIN context. Clinton broke LAWS. What I was talking about was the personal rules of a relationship. You and I have no right to judge how two people make their marriage work. Not just their rules about eyeballing people outside the relationship (or even doing more than that), but also their rules about morning bathroom time, home decoration and evening meal preperation. It's their marriage and their job is to make it work their way. Assuming that their rules don't involve breaking laws, or offending our sensibilities where I am forcibly exposed to it (ie no going to get curbside mail naked, which would both publicly violate most societies behavioral standards but also break most areas public decency laws) then it's none of our business.

Or are you claiming a right to tell my wife and I what color to paint our kitchen?

[a_witness]

Once again... I think you should count yourself lucky that you enjoy the benefits of internet anonimity.

I notice you enjoy the benefits of internet anonimity.

If you were to have been so unfortunate as to call me a homosexual pedophile to my face, you would presently be collecting your teeth from up off of the floor.

I called you no such thing. I think you used the term to describe yourself. You did though persist in asking me unsolicited questions. As for your threat ... I consider it impotent.

[a_witness]

Or are you claiming a right to tell my wife and I what color to paint our kitchen?

Of course. Not Orchid, never HotPink and certainly never ForestGreen. Other than that it's up to her (not you).

[a_witness]

Count yourself lucky this isn't in person cause there's no way you'd walk out from saying that to my face.

Men, they're all the same.

[r9etb]

You can't possibly imbecilic or arrogant enough to presume to tell me what to do. Well, maybe not arrogant enough...

LOL!!!! (You were joking, right?)

[discostu]

The way I was raised if someone slandered you in public it was your duty to hand them a whipping, because people that would go around saying those kind of things needed to be beaten else they'd never stop.

Now if you slander someone in public, especially if that someone has a few conservative views, the New York Times offers you a job. Given what you've posted on this thread you should be getting an offer in the next few few days.

[Teacher317]

Sexism is okay when it works your way, huh?

[ASA Vet]

I stand by my observation

OWK you have indeed gone to far in hurling an insult at an innocent group.
Morons in the old system were those with an IQ between 50 & 69, (-2 to -3 S.D.)
They could not help being born that way and to compare a moron to
someone judging another persons marriage as "wicked" is not fair to morons.

You owe Morons an apology.

[Doctor Doom]

So sex not for the purpose of procreation is immoral?

Wow.

I suppose, gauging the behavior of those who subscribe to this, it had to be something that silly.

[a_witness]

Sexism is okay when it works your way, huh?

Do you have permission from your students' parents to post their photos on the Internet, huh?

[Doctor Doom]

Hey no offense taken at all. At least you seem to know of what you speak within the bounds of your religion, unlike the self-righteous, perenially idignant hiding their prejudices behind sanctimony.

[a_witness]

The way I was raised

I don't know how you were raised but if the end result is you are a porn addict then I pity the women and children in your life. Whether it was partially your parents fault I cannot tell.

[Abn1508]

It's not all that strange. A recent Harvard medical study (conducted by a woman) determined that males who look at pretty female faces (and one would assume bodies) experience a straightforward dump of "pleasure chemicals" similar to those released by cocaine, food and sex. IE, porn is addictive.

If you find yourself in an addiction cycle, treat it like any other addiction. Do a twelve step program, change your patterns, etc. Or succumb to the addiction and have it ruin your life. Your life, your choice.

This is your brain (insert picture of an egg here). This is your brain on porn (insert picture of a wildly hyper extended egg here.)

:-)

[consultant]

I find it peculiar that many who identify themselves as Christian, excuse much of their obnoxious and boorish behavior by stating that they're "doing what their Lord tells them to do", but they seem to conveniently forget that their Lord commands humility, forgiveness, compassion, peace, and love for their fellow man.

OWK - I've read many similar posts from you on other threads. What always amazes me are the responses. They either ignore you, change the subject, or challenge your knowledge of the Bible. I guess it's true, the truth hurts!

[The Green Goblin]

And I don't know of any society that accepts public copulation. And copulating on film constitutes public copulation.

If (by your definition)copulating on film constitutes public copulation, then you actually know of plenty of societies (ours included) that accept public copulation, since such films are not illegal in those societies.

In other words, you may want to rethink your definition...