In all honesty, I don’t really know how to say what I want to say or how this will come across. Pornography still feels like a dirty word to say, much less write an entire story about. Even as a widespread problem both in the church and outside of it, it carries a connotation that it is not an issue to be discussed publicly. But it is something that needs to be discussed with gentleness, discernment, and tact, not to mention Biblical truth.                                                                                                                       

In full transparency and vulnerability, I was once addicted to pornography myself. I had created bonds with a false sense of reality through pornography, and it was negatively affecting a lot of areas in my life. I felt bound by its chains and caught up in its web. Graciously, the Lord rescued me out of that through loving community, accountability, and reminders that my body is a temple to be used for His glory. He was and is very good to me. Prayerfully, I wrote this post to educate others on the harms of pornography, resources to help those struggling to break the habit, and to encourage whoever reads it that God intends better for us. 

Despite the awkwardness I feel writing this, I really believe that this issue shouldn’t be pushed to the back burner—either inside the church or outside of it. The viewing of pornographic material is a worldwide pandemic that rivals COVID-19 in terms of the people that it has affected. It is both an addiction and a powerful force for sex trafficking around the world. From young to old, across racial and ethnic lines, crisscrossing throughout different religious groups, pornography spreads. Numerous studies have been done on pornography and there are lots of statistics floating around about it. Combing through them both confirmed my fears about how widespread it is and informed me that it also reaches farther than I dared to dream. Below, I have chosen a few statistics to expound on.

According to one source that I found, 28,258 people are watching pornography every second. In respect to dollars, that adds up to $3,075.64 spent every second on pornography (both of the above from http://ministryoftruth.me.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/IFR2013.pdf). And according to research done by Covenant Eyes, a Christian organization that aims to help keep people accountable in their Internet use and guard their hearts against temptation on the internet, one in five mobile searches are for pornography (https://www.covenanteyes.com/pornstats/).

I think that one of the most shocking statistics I came across was that Sunday is the most popular day of the week for watching porn (https://psychcentral.com/blog/sex/2013/05/the-prevalence-of-porn#1).

There are plenty more statistics, numbers, and facts out there about the prevalence of porn in our society, and sadly, in the church. But I am not going to throw a bunch of upsetting statistics out there and then call it a day. There are many wonderful ministries and programs, both Biblically based and secular, that are working to end this pandemic. Trust me when I say there is hope for those who feel bound by the chains of pornography. Here are two that I’ve chosen to focus on, one that is religious and one that is secular.

Moral Revolution is, according to their website, “a team of passionate individuals who are called to promote God’s original design for sexuality” (https://www.moralrevolution.com/who-we-are). They desire to equip people with the tools necessary to live as God intended them to live, with healthy sexual, spiritual, emotional, and physical lives. They spearhead events like “Porn Prevention in Your Home” and “Sex. Church. Culture.” that provide a safe place to talk about sex, pornography, and the culture of today, which goes totally against God’s design for sex. On their blog, they also have a topics page, which features different posts written for different demographics (Leaders & Pastors, Men, Women, Singles, Dating, Married, and more). They even have an online store, with books, teachings, apparel, online courses, and clothing.

One blog post I found on Moral Revolution is written by a woman named Denice. Denice writes very openly about her struggles with sex, pornography, and masturbation, and how God rescued her out of that (https://www.moralrevolution.com/blog/sex-porn-masturbation). She writes that she had to actively ask God to free her from the chains of her pornography addiction, and then once she was married, how she had created bonds with the pornography she engaged with while single. Her story describes how God helped her break those bonds and connect with her husband. Her words offer a beacon of hope for those who don’t think that they’ll ever be able to get out of the pit of a porn addiction. The blog features more posts like hers throughout.

Another blog, written by the founder of Moral Revolution, Cole Zick, talks about some of the science behind why people get addicted to pornography and what being exposed to sexualization at an early age does to the brain (https://www.moralrevolution.com/blog/this-is-your-brain-on-porn). He also provides a series of questions to help readers to heal from being exposed to sexualization at a young age (as many, many people are).

Moral Revolution was instrumental as a resource for me when I started to break my porn habits. I find their content to be very encouraging and uplifting. When I find myself tempted to return to those habits, I often go to their blog. It reminds me of the hope and freedom that being free of addiction offers, and it points me back to Christ by reminding me that I am His precious creation.

Another organization, Fight the New Drug, is one that Moral Revolution references a lot, despite the contrast between the two--MR is Biblically based and Fight the New Drug openly states that it is not religiously affiliated in any way. However, I believe that Fight the New Drug is still a powerful resource for those addicted to sex and pornography, and that is why I decided to include it. 

Fight the New Drug features a lot of science and data-based articles, like “How Porn Changes the Brain” and “Why Consuming Porn is an Escalating Behavior” (https://fightthenewdrug.org/get-the-facts/). Fight the New Drug’s “About” page states that the group exists to “provide individuals the opportunity to make an informed decision regarding pornography by raising awareness on its harmful effects using only science, facts, and personal accounts” (https://fightthenewdrug.org/about/). They have videos, blog posts, and a podcast. I have found Fight the New Drug to be a helpful resource as I was not only writing this article, but also as I am learning more about why it is so easy to get addicted to, and how to talk about the harmful effects of pornography in an informed, loving way.

I wanted to finish this post by including portions from David Platt’s book Counter Culture in which he writes about the dangerous effects of pornography. His words from this portion (and the book as a whole) are extremely convicting for me, and I hope they will be for you as well:

“Any and every time we indulge in pornography, we deny the precious gospel truth that every man and woman possesses inherent dignity, not to be solicited and sold for sex, but to be valued and treasured as excellent in the eyes of God.  People are not inferior objects to be used and abused for selfish, sexual, sensual pleasure; they are equal image bearers of the God who loves and cares for them.  We may scoff at how pre-Civil War churchgoers justified slaves in their backyards, but aren't we dangerously like them when we participate in pornography (and promote the sex slavery to which it is inextricably tied) in our own homes?”

Sometimes I think of a song I used to sing in Sunday School that had a sweet, light tune but cautionary lyrics: “Oh, be careful little eyes what you see, oh, be careful little eyes what you see, For the Father up above is looking down in love--so, be careful little eyes what you see.” The song went on like that for all five of the human senses. From time to time, it pops into my head and reminds me that the Father is watching in love. He knows what we choose to view and the temptations we face, and He wants to help us pursue justice and love for not only ourselves, but also others, that we would all live according to His design.