Humanity's propensity for self harm. - For more than a year (probably going on two now) I've received great joy from reading two of my favorite feminine bloggers, Stacy Harp of Writing Write, and Julie Anne Fidler of Fidler on the Roof (FOTR).
Recently Stacy penned this post, "Poisoned by Porn, Conquered by Love".
In response Julie Anne penned, "The Battle Against Lust".
I highly recommend that everyone, man and woman, read these two posts. These two women share with us how pornography damaged their lives. But they also share the redemptive power of our Lord Jesus Christ in overcoming this terrible sin.
Stacy writes:
And the only good that can come out of such evil is that the Lord has given me a voice to declare the truth about such evil. I often find it ironic that the real victims of abuse in society are often ignored, trampled upon, or not believed. While there are others who fabricate such things and cry for victim status.
I find it ironic that in a day and age when sexuality and sexual deviance is so rampant, that there are so few voices out there telling the truth about so many little girls and boys who are being molested by evil people in their lives.
Julie Anne writes:
I have a deep hatred of pornography, even though I still struggle. I hate it, because I have never known porn to do anybody any good. There is no justification for it. Pornography begets so much more negativity. Pornography produces sex offenders. Sex offenders produce victims. Victims struggle to find themselves and salvage a slice of the innocence that was lost. Pornography produces an impure thought life, and marred intimacy. NEVER does it produce something positive. It's a cancer in our society, and yet it's a cancer that people fight tooth and nail to have the right to have. Can you imagine fighting for your right to have cancer? That's about what it amounts to.
Cancer is a great analogy. Pornography is a tumor that isn't satisfied to exist in a small part of the body. It spreads to every corner with tendrils that drain and steal life leaving behind death. It isn't ever satisfied but is constantly seeking a greater source of erotica as what previously aroused becomes familiar.
Those men and women who think it doesn't hurt anyone are blinded by their selfishness. Read the testimonies of Stacy and Julie Anne.
In no way are their stories out of the ordinary. There are thousands upon thousands of similar stories from men and women who were victimized by others addicted to pornography. The women and men trapped in the sex industry are also victims and in need of being unchained through the redemptive power of Jesus Christ.
I've said it before, I believe that pornography is one of the greatest problems that Christianity in America faces. There are men, and even women, sitting in pews who are held captive to this terrible sin. The Internet has only increased the number of those secretly addicted.
As a man, I struggle daily with the images presented by the various media outlets. It's gotten to a point where I find myself switching channels during television commercials, not because I want to see what else is on, but because I need to flee images of sex that I would catagorize as soft-core porn; Victoria's Secret comes readily to mind.
Julie Anne quotes 2 Corinthians 10:5:
We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
We all must put this into practice in our daily lives. And if we fail, we need to confess that to Christ and seek His forgiveness and strength to not do it again.
The Great Separation continues.
