A Porn Problem...

Pornography.

There's a topic we probably haven't touched on much at Deliberate Women... A topic that many Christians shy away from or never mention. Maybe it's not personally a problem for you, but it is a looming crisis in our culture, our churches, and our homes.

Porn is everywhere.

It's one of the biggest businesses in America, legal in every state.  The massive porn industry makes more money than Hollywood. In 2007, the porn industry made 13 billion dollars for over 13,000 adult films made versus Hollywood's 8.8 billion dollars for 507 films made. Pornography is simply huge business. Bigger than big. With more total revenue than the revenue from the NFL, the NBA, and the MLB - combined. More revenue than the revenue from CBS, NBC and ABC - combined. Worldwide pornography is a 97 billion dollar business.

It's consuming youth in America in more ways than we realize. It's estimated that kids are seeing their first pornographic images as early as age 11. "Sex" and "porn" are in the top five search terms for children under 18. I'd contend that they are seeing their first pornographic images as early as preschool in the form of advertising from Victoria's Secret, Abercrombie, and other entities, some of which are soft core porn. It's also estimated that 20% of pornographic imagery on the internet involves children.

It's affecting our churches where 47% of Christians say that porn is a problem in their homes.  Fifty-three percent of Promise Keeper men said they had viewed porn in the last week - THE LAST WEEK. That's a problem, a silent one. It's affecting teens when 90% of 8 to 16-year-olds say they have viewed porn online, while doing homework. It's affecting our marriages, as approximately 50% of divorce proceedings cite usage of porn on the internet to be a major contributing factor.  It's even affecting our culture's thought pattern on rape and sexual violence toward women, when studies show that men who viewed porn more often believe that a woman who dresses provocatively deserves to be raped and had increasingly aggressive behavioral tendencies.

Porn is bad. Porn is wicked. Porn is addictive. Porn is destructive.

Porn is a big problem.

Every 39 minutes, another pornographic film is made in America. And another pornographic picture is taken. And another. And another. And another.

Another child's innocence is taken, another man's or woman's sexuality is scarred and another person's mind is seared with unforgettable images.  Porn will stay with your mind. Believe me, I {Alayna} know. When I was younger, I viewed pornographic images on the internet. I read some x rated pornography scenes from "romance novels". I watched porn with friends a few times. And those scenes stay with you, and they affect you whether you realize their potential impact or not.

Some people - good, Christian people - are persuaded that watching or reading pornographic content is a beneficial thing, because they believe it will jazz up their sex life or revive a failing sex life. They buy into the lie and consume pornographic video and images that can't be unseen or unread. If you have never experienced the destructive nature of porn, don't buy into any lies about potential benefits of porn or "romance novels". It's all fantasy that has no benefit in real relationships. Real relationships with flawed and sinful people are not what fantasies are made of.

The fantasy of porn is a tool of the devil in many ways to destroy our culture from the inside out. It isn't the people involved in the porn industry who are at work against you and your family. From those producing, acting, and selling porn to those consuming pornography, the fact is they are all some one's loved one. Someone's daughter, someone's dad, someone's wife, someone's mom or someone's son. They are all people, in need of love. In need of truth. In need of confrontation, warning, and accountability.  People in need of the healing power of Jesus.

Maybe you are like me, with images from the past stuck in and affecting your mind.  Or maybe  you currently have a porn addiction problem, and are in need of help. If so, there are resources available to you. Maybe porn is consuming your teenager or your husband. If so, there is help for your family too.

Help and freedom start with the redemptive and powerful death of Christ on the cross, for your sin and mine. Start a relationship with Christ, and you will no longer be a slave to sin and the devil.

With new life in Christ, it can still be quite a journey to daily freedom from porn. You will need help. Reach out to your local church and find out if they have a ministry suited to dealing with the sensitive nature of a porn addiction.  Seek out Christian counseling.  Invest in a great internet filter to help your household keep searches clean, whether intentional or accidental.  Teach your children about sex and always keep the lines of communication on this sensitive subject open, or they may turn to the internet to learn about what you're not teaching. Get an accountability partner to hold you responsible. XXX Church is one of the Christian groups leading the way to healing in our sex and porn filled culture. Please check out all their resources for men, women, and students online at www.xxxchurch.com.

The road may be bumpy for you, for your family, for your child. But there is always forgiveness when we turn to Christ, even when we are struck by sin and setbacks along the road to freedom. As with any sin, it's the same when we mess up. Confess your sin, accept His forgiveness and keep living life for Him.

Facts, figures, and info from:

http://stoppornculture.org/about/about-the-issue/facts-and-figures-2/

http://www.xxxchurch.com/men/stats.html

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