From www.porn-free.org

So what's so bad about pornography?

I spent 20 or so years pursuing pornography in its various forms.  In the years since I was set free in 1998, God has been helping me see and understand his perspective on pornography.  I created this page to share that perspective and answer the question, "What is so bad about pornography?"  Overall, porn affects every viewer negatively, regardless of religious belief, creed, gender or age.   Here is my list of reasons that explain why.

1)  Pornography feeds lust of the eyes and lust of the flesh, which are never satisfied.  It leaves the viewer craving more and more in order to achieve the same "sexual high."  It easily enslaves people to their own cravings and opens the door to other forms of evil, like anger, abuse, violence, hatred, lying, envy, compulsiveness and selfishness.   The power behind porn is revealed when the porn addict tries to stop their habit - it is virtually impossible without help.  

2)  Pornography sexualizes the viewer's mindset.   It warps and perverts their perspective such that sex is unnaturally elevated in their thoughts.   Porn's images are stamped into viewer's  brain with the aid of hormones released during sexual arousal.  Even if a person decides to stop looking at porn, the past images can remain for years or even a lifetime.

3)  Pornography promotes destructive practices and can lead to progressive addiction.  For example, porn sites routinely link viewers to depictions of every type of sexual perversion imaginable, such as child porn, homosexuality, bestiality, necrophilia (sexual interest in corpses), masochism (pleasure from abuse or suffering), rape and sadism (gratification from inflicting physical or mental pain on others).  The viewer's exposure to such themes naturally increases the likelihood that they may attempt to act out what they've viewed.  This can lead to sexual crimes, a la the late Ted Bundy and Gary Ridgway (The Green River Killer). 

4)  Pornography intensifies an individual's drive to serve oneself, rather than serve others.  For example, masturbation, which typically accompanies looking at pornography reinforces a self-centered sexual orientation (i.e. lust), which can detract from a person's ability to give and receive love.

5)  Pornography addiction can lead to debt.  The convenience of credit card transactions on the internet encourages covert spending without limit.  Additionally, pornographers flood common internet areas with enticing banner ads ("teasers") and spam email, which bait potential viewers with free porn.  Once lured by the free porn to the site, the viewers must then pay to see more.  

6)  By viewing and/or purchasing porn, viewers are supporting the porn industry and facilitating its growth.  By viewing porn, the viewer is also contributing to the sexual exploitation of whoever or whatever is in the images he or she is viewing.

7)  Looking at porn can damage the viewer's family relationships, not to mention increasing the chance of his or her spouse and children finding the material.  Porn may also inspire the viewer to explore incest, which is a common porn theme.  Other things porn may inspire in the viewer (which could in turn affect the family) include sexual frustration, lying, abuse, affairs, debt, violent behavior and irrational thinking.  (see Testimonials on how porn destroys lives)

8) Looking at porn at work could damage the viewer's reputation, decrease his or her  productivity and lead to job loss.  It could also inspire unhealthy and/or inappropriate relationships with co-workers.

9)  Looking at porn can damage the viewer's current or future marriage sex life.  Porn viewers may find that it's difficult to enjoy true intimacy with their spouse when they're fantasizing about somebody else!  Additionally, porn builds an unrealistic perception of sexual relations.  Porn sex is a portrayal or an act made for the viewer's enjoyment.  It takes what God intended as a private expression of love between a husband and wife and prostitutes it for entertainment.  When a person has been looking at sexual pictures of other people for entertainment, he or she will have a downgraded value of sex.  This in turn will detract from  their appreciation and value of sex with their spouse.

10)  Looking at porn will increase the viewer's tendency to lie, because he or she will have a natural desire to keep it secret to avoid criticism, embarrassment, shame and/or having to surrender their habit.

11)  Looking at porn can lead a person into masturbation addiction.

12)  Looking at porn brings serious spiritual consequences  (see consequences page).  For example, it opens the doorway to spiritual oppression and confusion in the viewer's life.  The power behind pornography is inherently evil.  It seeks to control and dominate the viewer's life, while allowing other forms of evil to gain influence in that person.  Once a person starts looking at the porn, their eyes become the gateway for the evil power to enter them.  As it gains influence, the evil can numb the viewer's ability discern right and wrong.  As traditional moral values are blurred, confusion sets in.  

13)  Looking at porn helps you start to believe the lies it promotes.  Examples lies include:

  • Sexual freedom = happiness
  • Perverted sex (homosexual sex, incest, BDSM, etc) is more enjoyable than "normal" heterosexual sex
  • There are no consequences to sexual promiscuity
  • Sexual expression is a right, not a God-given or God-defined gift
  • You can live a healthy life with the porn images floating around in your mind
  • Porn doesn't harm anyone
  • Sex is something to be done primarily for self gratification
  • The porn stars are the happiest people on earth
  • Adults can view porn without any lasting side effects
  • Porn will help your sex life
  • Porn is just a harmless thing that everybody looks at

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From www.porn-free.org

How Porn Works

Pornography in its various forms has become accessible to just about anyone. With the help of the internet, videos, cable television, satellite and magazines, thousands...or possibly millions of people are becoming addicted to pornography every day.  Though the sex industry downplays the impact of porn on society, the truth is that pornography profoundly damages people. 

Pornography images are designed to appeal to our human tendencies toward lust and "sexual idolatry."  Let's examine these tendencies more closely:

Lust:  Webster's Dictionary defines lust as "intense or unbridled sexual desire," "an intense longing: craving" and a "conscious impulse toward something that promises enjoyment or satisfaction in its attainment."   The problem with lust is that it is based in selfishness and works contrary to love.  In fact, it is the opposite of love (see lust vs. love).  When fed, it can grow into an uncontrollable force in a person's life.  Like a wildfire, lust can consume a person's resources, time and attention.  

The Bible identifies 2 basic types of lust that people are tempted by: "lust of the eyes" and "lust of the flesh" (1 John 2:15-17).   Pornography caters to both types by providing visual stimulation that appeals to our "fleshly" desire for sex (more about lust).  It also gives us lifelong fuel for lust through the memories of the sexual images.  With the help of special hormones released in the brain during sexual arousal, porn images are retained in our memories much longer than non-sexual memories.  

Sexual Idolatry:  Idolatry is the "worship of a physical object as a god" or an "immoderate attachment or devotion to something."  Worship means to show "extravagant respect or admiration for or devotion to an object of esteem"  (both from Webster's Dictionary).  Many people may not realize that pornography has helped them develop an immoderate or extravagant  devotion to sex.   Gazing at pornography for hours, masturbating to sexual images and repeatedly fantasizing about sex are basically forms of worshipping sex.   People who practice such activities find that sexual images seem to rise to the top and forefront of their thoughts.  Their minds become a type of  "mental altar" for sex (more about sexual idolatry). 

Unfortunately, pornography's powerful appeal leads many into sexual addiction.  A life dedicated to pornography, or even just seasoned with occasional viewing of it can become considerably darkened by the many harmful side effects.  Here are just a few of the many possible side effects of pornography addiction that we've witnessed: 

  • Perversions (homosexuality, bestiality, bisexuality, transexuality, fetishes, etc.)
  • Irritability
  • Sexual imbalance
  • Sexual dissatisfaction
  • Masturbation
  • Lies & deception
  • Uncontrolled thoughts
  • Spiritual oppression
  • Marital strife / destruction / divorce
  • Corrupted perception of reality
  • Warped interpersonal skills
  • Reclusiveness
  • Fear
  • Increased tendency toward sexual crime
  • Guilt & condemnation
  • Loss of Hope
  • Depression
  • Inability to give or receive love
  • Spiritual death
  • Torment
  • Depraved mind
  • Darkened understanding
  • Loss of discernment between good & evil
  • Promiscuity
  • Lustful eye

(see destruction testimonials for real life examples)

Many of the above effects reflect the fact that there is a spiritual aspect of pornography and sex addiction.  Jesus gave us a clue about this in Matthew 6:22-23 NIV:  "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!"   Porn is a form of darkness that follows the rule Jesus described.  When people view pornography, they open a "doorway" in their lives through their eyes to darkness.   The resultant effects of that darkness can be seen in our list above. 

Power for Freedom is Available
We have found that a person desiring freedom from sexual addiction will need spiritual help in order to gain complete freedom.  The only source we know of for reliable and decisive help is Jesus Christ.  We have experienced personally this addiction-breaking power and are happy to share more info about it with anyone who is interested.