Confronting the Battle: Porn Sunday

For those of you reading/knowing about this for the first time, it may be a bit of a shock to see. However, the church tends to be uncomfortable discussing the idea of pornography and things related to it, at length. Sometimes it is mentioned as a point in a sermon, but rarely is a whole sermon, filled with statistics and the hope for healing, ever mentioned. It is the elephant that is in the room, but never dealt with.

Pornography has a stickiness about it that can grab and never let go. It can be as much of a problem as any drug addiction. As any recovering addict will tell you, they will always be an addict, even when in recovery. That is because whatever they are trying to released from, their mind will always seem to "want" it. Along those same lines, if it is never dealt with and always brushed under the rug, then the person doesn't receive any form of healing or hope.

Pornography is found almost anywhere, in some form or another. After looking up the meaning of the word and its etymology anchors it to Greek. Interestingly it was about the writing of prostitutes or prostitution. Here's Webster's definition:

1. the depiction of erotic behavior (as in pictures or writing) intended to cause sexual excitement
2. material (as books or a photograph) that depicts erotic behavior and is intended to cause sexual excitement
3. the depiction of acts in a sensational manner so as to arouse a quick intense emotional reaction

From those definitions, one could easily put many areas in the box labeled "pornography". There are the norms - magazines, x-rated films, x-rated books, and x-rated internet sites. However, you could also add in there other magazines, sending sexually explicit messages/pictures to someone, internet pop-ups or teasers, song lyrics, music videos, chat rooms - depending on the context of the chat, etc.

Here are a few statistics, some may be shocking, to keep in mind...

1. Americans ages 13-18 spend more than 72 hours a week using electronic media - defined as the internet, cell phones, television, music, and video games
2. Average age of first internet exposure to pornography --- 11!
3. 90% of 8-16 year olds have viewed porn online - most while doing homework.
4. 80% of 15-17 year olds have had multiple hard-core exposures
5. Searching keywords like ESPN, Disney, & White House can bring up sites that are pornographic
6. 77% of women who are sex addicts said that pornography was significant to their addiction
7. Filtered internet does not guarantee things won't come through or your children will not be able to get around the filter.

Another new rage that is becoming more and more available is known as "sexting". "Sexting" is defined as sending explicit words or images over a cell phone. I've had a mom call me with a concern about her son, who she found out received an image from a famale acquaintance. So, I know it is something that happening all over.

The good news is there is hope for healing. If you would like to discuss it further, please e-mail me at ichthus_man (at) hotmail.com