Looking at porn isn't going to send you Hell-bound.
Surprised?
I know why.
Because anonymous YouTubers, bloggers and Trolls with names like Jesus_Saves_3:16 have told the world users are in fact detestable to God and damned to some fiery pit in the ground when they die, because they watch, are in or have looked at porn; because pastors, churches and misinformed spiritual types have decided porn is the epitome of evil and deserves punishment; because it’s been used as a scare tactic by Mums of old, who don’t even believe in a spiritual realm but don’t want their kids enjoying orgasms with a screen. Yep. Phwaor. The Fear of Hell. What a great way to start the conversation on sexuality. Not.
Surprised?
I know why.
Because anonymous YouTubers, bloggers and Trolls with names like Jesus_Saves_3:16 have told the world users are in fact detestable to God and damned to some fiery pit in the ground when they die, because they watch, are in or have looked at porn; because pastors, churches and misinformed spiritual types have decided porn is the epitome of evil and deserves punishment; because it’s been used as a scare tactic by Mums of old, who don’t even believe in a spiritual realm but don’t want their kids enjoying orgasms with a screen. Yep. Phwaor. The Fear of Hell. What a great way to start the conversation on sexuality. Not.
Announcement: these statements are false. How about we sit ourselves down in a bucket of ice and chill the heck out, stop damning people to the eternal tanning salon and look at why using, seeing or being in porn won’t send you to Hell.
Porn is not powerful.
Porn doesn’t have the power to condemn you. There is only one thing powerful enough to separate you from God, and that is the man himself; The original G. The Father. Gawd. Yahweh. You know, the guy who you imagine is like a space wizard hanging out in the sky. That one. If this is His world, He makes the rules, not a tiny moment in time on your laptop.
Humans have enough trouble living up to each other’s standards, heck, even their own standards! so when it comes to ‘impressing’ God, we don’t have much hope. No one deserves to be in his presence for that simple reason. No one lives up to his standard of holiness, not even the good Christian girl (see Romans 3:9-11). Without the offer of redemption, there would be no such thing as a Christian. All would be helpless, hopeless and eternally separated from Him (2 Thessalonians 1:9). But Jesus took the judgement on our behalf, for all people. We are counted free. While Sin remains, it no longer has the power to condemn, if we choose to accept the gracious sacrifice of Christ. Too easy.
Porn isn’t special
Why don’t we ever see placards saying "God hates gluttons" "you take too much, Hell will take you"? What about condemnation based on lying, greed, stinginess, double-mindedness, gossip…those subtle slip-ups of the pastor and Christian? It’s always the sex stuff! But porn isn’t special. And all of these bases have been covered by the redeeming love of Jesus. Every short-falling, from gluttony and lust to murder, are dealt with. All sin is equal, and all sin has been overcome. You just need to reach out for it.
Porn isn’t your identity
Whether you struggle with the shame of porn use, you just really love it or are working in the industry, porn isn’t your identifier. It doesn’t define you, either positively or negatively. What defines you, is your innate value and worth as a human being. You are precious, known and cherished.
One of Jesus’ followers wrote a letter to a Church in Corinth a few years after J.C's death. He wanted to encourage them. He wrote this:
"Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers... the greedy...will inherit the kingdom of God…."
Oh, how encouraging. Thanks Paul.
But wait, there’s more.
"And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Corinthians 6:8-12)
This passage is not just about salvation, or changing behaviour, it's about identity. You may not instantaneously or ever change your ways in any of these regards, but they no longer identify you.
The death and resurrection of Jesus sounds pretty damn crazy, really, just like the doctrine of Hell, but they are core to the Biblical account, and it is trustworthy. Through His sacrifice, Jesus has given His followers a new identity, no matter if you continue to struggle. Rather than seeing someone slapped with 'adulterer' or 'big porn fan' on their forehead, God sees the purity and righteousness of Christ. You have been washed, you are new. As someone who has accepted Christ’s forgiveness for their human shortcomings, this is your identity. If you haven’t, he still sees you as a precious child, and wants you to come to him so you may be free.
So next time someone shouts the first part of 1 Corinthians at you, tell them to go and finish reading the passage.
While you may be cheering you can retain your freedom to indulge in pornography and not worry about burning for eternity, I urge you to consider the danger of porn. To get the Bible Bashing out of the way, Scripture is clear that followers of Christ are to seek purity of body, mind and soul. We are called to flee lust (e.g Matt 5:28; Colossians 3:5; 1 Thessalonians 4:5; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20). Why? Because sexual desire is great, and sexual intimacy is highly esteemed in the Bible (e.g Song of Songs; 1 Corinthians 7:3-5; Ephesians 5:22-33; Proverbs 18:22) . Watching porn and sleeping with anyone other than your committed spouse dilutes that intimacy. I'm guessing most people don't watch porn with the intention of not lusting.
Secondly, omitting the faith-perspective, from a health and feminist perspective, porn promotes gender and racial inequality. It glorifies violence against women [1] and cements staunch gender, racial and sexual roles. While playing 'liberation' it really creates a script that flies in the face of the fight for equality that so many porn users cry out for. LGBT and hetero, It is having an alarmingly negative effect on the coming generation. It is the sex educator of our young people. And they don't have the capacity to realise it is edited and acted, or to control their usage. Thus,emerging research is discovering porn induced erectile dysfunction (PIED)[2], body insecurity and peer-on-peer sexual assault are rapidly increasing in youth and young adults [3] amongst other concerning trends.
The reasons why porn is damaging and should be boycotted by society are huge, and out of the scope of this conversation. But we can conclude: Porn is not powerful. Porn is not special. Porn is not your identity. It won’t send you to Hell, but if you choose to live in separation from God, you’ve decided for eternity.
Citations
[1] physical and verbal aggression is 'the norm rather than the exception in popular pornogrpahic film' notes Ana J. Bridges (2010, p46). Bridges completed a content analysis of best-selling / renting pornographic videos in the USA and discovered physical aggression occurred in 88% of scenes...94% was directed at women...when aggressed against, 95% of targets responded with either expressions of pleasure or neutrally (eg no change in facial expression or interruption of actions) Melinda Tankard Reist & Abigail Bray (EDS), Big Porn Inc., Spinifex Press, 2011.
[2] there is a direct correlation between porn desensitization and acting out sexual violence or aggression. Bonino S, Ciairano S, Rabaglietti E, Cattelino E. (2006). Use of pornography and self-reported engagement in sexual violence among adolescents. European Journal of Developmental Psychology 3: 265–288. DOI: 10.1080/17405620600562359.
[3] Research shows exposure to porn decreases sexual attraction to romantic partners and encourages arousal to pornographic stimulus only. This has led to an epidemic of PIED in under 35 year old men who regularly use online porn. http://fightthenewdrug.org/porn-ruins-your-sex-life/
For more information on the harms of pornography from a secular perspective, see FTND.org, Big Porn Inc, exposing the harms of the global pornography industry (Melinda Tankard Reist and Abigail Bray EDS) and pornharmskids.org.
For more information on Christianity, see the 'Jesus' page.
For more on Hell see desiringgod.org
Porn is not powerful.
Porn doesn’t have the power to condemn you. There is only one thing powerful enough to separate you from God, and that is the man himself; The original G. The Father. Gawd. Yahweh. You know, the guy who you imagine is like a space wizard hanging out in the sky. That one. If this is His world, He makes the rules, not a tiny moment in time on your laptop.
Humans have enough trouble living up to each other’s standards, heck, even their own standards! so when it comes to ‘impressing’ God, we don’t have much hope. No one deserves to be in his presence for that simple reason. No one lives up to his standard of holiness, not even the good Christian girl (see Romans 3:9-11). Without the offer of redemption, there would be no such thing as a Christian. All would be helpless, hopeless and eternally separated from Him (2 Thessalonians 1:9). But Jesus took the judgement on our behalf, for all people. We are counted free. While Sin remains, it no longer has the power to condemn, if we choose to accept the gracious sacrifice of Christ. Too easy.
Porn isn’t special
Why don’t we ever see placards saying "God hates gluttons" "you take too much, Hell will take you"? What about condemnation based on lying, greed, stinginess, double-mindedness, gossip…those subtle slip-ups of the pastor and Christian? It’s always the sex stuff! But porn isn’t special. And all of these bases have been covered by the redeeming love of Jesus. Every short-falling, from gluttony and lust to murder, are dealt with. All sin is equal, and all sin has been overcome. You just need to reach out for it.
Porn isn’t your identity
Whether you struggle with the shame of porn use, you just really love it or are working in the industry, porn isn’t your identifier. It doesn’t define you, either positively or negatively. What defines you, is your innate value and worth as a human being. You are precious, known and cherished.
One of Jesus’ followers wrote a letter to a Church in Corinth a few years after J.C's death. He wanted to encourage them. He wrote this:
"Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers... the greedy...will inherit the kingdom of God…."
Oh, how encouraging. Thanks Paul.
But wait, there’s more.
"And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Corinthians 6:8-12)
This passage is not just about salvation, or changing behaviour, it's about identity. You may not instantaneously or ever change your ways in any of these regards, but they no longer identify you.
The death and resurrection of Jesus sounds pretty damn crazy, really, just like the doctrine of Hell, but they are core to the Biblical account, and it is trustworthy. Through His sacrifice, Jesus has given His followers a new identity, no matter if you continue to struggle. Rather than seeing someone slapped with 'adulterer' or 'big porn fan' on their forehead, God sees the purity and righteousness of Christ. You have been washed, you are new. As someone who has accepted Christ’s forgiveness for their human shortcomings, this is your identity. If you haven’t, he still sees you as a precious child, and wants you to come to him so you may be free.
So next time someone shouts the first part of 1 Corinthians at you, tell them to go and finish reading the passage.
While you may be cheering you can retain your freedom to indulge in pornography and not worry about burning for eternity, I urge you to consider the danger of porn. To get the Bible Bashing out of the way, Scripture is clear that followers of Christ are to seek purity of body, mind and soul. We are called to flee lust (e.g Matt 5:28; Colossians 3:5; 1 Thessalonians 4:5; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20). Why? Because sexual desire is great, and sexual intimacy is highly esteemed in the Bible (e.g Song of Songs; 1 Corinthians 7:3-5; Ephesians 5:22-33; Proverbs 18:22) . Watching porn and sleeping with anyone other than your committed spouse dilutes that intimacy. I'm guessing most people don't watch porn with the intention of not lusting.
Secondly, omitting the faith-perspective, from a health and feminist perspective, porn promotes gender and racial inequality. It glorifies violence against women [1] and cements staunch gender, racial and sexual roles. While playing 'liberation' it really creates a script that flies in the face of the fight for equality that so many porn users cry out for. LGBT and hetero, It is having an alarmingly negative effect on the coming generation. It is the sex educator of our young people. And they don't have the capacity to realise it is edited and acted, or to control their usage. Thus,emerging research is discovering porn induced erectile dysfunction (PIED)[2], body insecurity and peer-on-peer sexual assault are rapidly increasing in youth and young adults [3] amongst other concerning trends.
The reasons why porn is damaging and should be boycotted by society are huge, and out of the scope of this conversation. But we can conclude: Porn is not powerful. Porn is not special. Porn is not your identity. It won’t send you to Hell, but if you choose to live in separation from God, you’ve decided for eternity.
Citations
[1] physical and verbal aggression is 'the norm rather than the exception in popular pornogrpahic film' notes Ana J. Bridges (2010, p46). Bridges completed a content analysis of best-selling / renting pornographic videos in the USA and discovered physical aggression occurred in 88% of scenes...94% was directed at women...when aggressed against, 95% of targets responded with either expressions of pleasure or neutrally (eg no change in facial expression or interruption of actions) Melinda Tankard Reist & Abigail Bray (EDS), Big Porn Inc., Spinifex Press, 2011.
[2] there is a direct correlation between porn desensitization and acting out sexual violence or aggression. Bonino S, Ciairano S, Rabaglietti E, Cattelino E. (2006). Use of pornography and self-reported engagement in sexual violence among adolescents. European Journal of Developmental Psychology 3: 265–288. DOI: 10.1080/17405620600562359.
[3] Research shows exposure to porn decreases sexual attraction to romantic partners and encourages arousal to pornographic stimulus only. This has led to an epidemic of PIED in under 35 year old men who regularly use online porn. http://fightthenewdrug.org/porn-ruins-your-sex-life/
For more information on the harms of pornography from a secular perspective, see FTND.org, Big Porn Inc, exposing the harms of the global pornography industry (Melinda Tankard Reist and Abigail Bray EDS) and pornharmskids.org.
For more information on Christianity, see the 'Jesus' page.
For more on Hell see desiringgod.org
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