Last week’s article discussed how pornography is a drug that comes with great danger – especially to one’s marriage. These dangerous effects, however, extend beyond one’s marriage relationship to all relationships. Those who view pornography cannot help but begin to see both men and women as objects whose sole purpose is for the fulfillment of one’s desires. As a result, husbands often fail to love and respect their wives in the right manner, while wives may easily fail to respect their husbands as they ought to (Eph. 5:22ff). Beyond problems in one’s marriage, it leads to problems in other friendships and relationships. Because pornography has the real danger of causing one to objectify others, it can easily cause one battling the drug to see both men and women as mere tools for one’s desires and fantasies instead of seeing them as souls created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27). Moreover, pornography at its core is designed to elicit lustful thoughts in the heart of the viewer (cf. Matt. 5:28-29; Job 31:1). One cannot partake of this drug without having to deal with its dangerous effects.
Not only does pornography bring about relationship problems, but it also creates a great amount of self-doubt and shame that is suppressed with great guilt. Because the drug is consumed in private and is of such a sensitive, taboo nature, those who consume pornography want to hide it from others – from parents, from spouses, from friends, and from children. This secrecy leads to increased guilt which is unhealthy for one’s mental and physical stability (Psa. 32:3-4; Prov. 28:1). Alongside this self-doubt and shame also brings about increased selfishness – seeing as the actions which accompany this drug are specific to self in an attempt to satisfy one’s needs and is a departure from God’s designed outlet for such needs in marriage. Pornography perpetuates problems of human trafficking and slavery, as well as bringing about potential financial problems as those enslaved will buy and subscribe to more and more content.
Pornography is a highly dangerous drug. It may begin by accident and in all innocence, but it is quick to take control and become the master of one’s life. If we have allowed ourselves to be enslaved to pornography (or to anything/anyone), we have not allowed ourselves to become slaves of righteousness (Rom. 6:16). Next week, we will briefly consider some steps that can be taken to be find freedom from the dangerous drug that is pornography.
By: Preston McElyea