How Toxic Porn Is Poisoning Society
How is porn poisoning society?
Slowly, the way alcohol destroys a liver before anyone notices. Sexually explicit content now runs through television, movies rated for families, music, books, checkout magazines, and school health curriculum, so we stop recognizing it. Children stumble onto porn by misspelling a web address. Desensitization is the real danger, because ignoring the problem is exactly what lets the industry keep growing. Damage done over years is not undone quickly.
All relationships have their share of ups and downs, but those that are truly toxic can be draining to the soul. By definition, something that is toxic can be described as being poisonous, destructive, unsafe, or deadly. It takes something that was once whole and healthy, and begins to break it down.
If this is on your church's radar, porn recovery resources for churches is worth a look.
Subtly at first but the ill-effects start spiraling out of control until death is looming.
For an alcoholic, it may take years to realize the full effects that drinking has taken on one’s liver. This is something that I have personally witnessed in the life of a close friend. There was nothing that I could do to help this individual, other than to encourage them to find and maintain sobriety.
Even though he made the decision to avoid alcohol, he still had to suffer the consequences of his choices. Waiting for a transplant was gut-wrenching, and many of his organs in turn paid a price for the damage that had been done. While he did end up receiving the transplant, his quality of life was never fully restored.
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A Growing Epidemic
In today’s society, there is an epidemic growing throughout the world – pornography. People are being subjected to its harmful effects even without fully realizing it.
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We, as a society, have become so desensitized to the tentacles of porn that we fail to recognize it within our everyday lives.
Sexually explicit content can be found literally everywhere. Most television shows and movies include some form of sexual crudeness – even when they’re marked suitable for families.
We’re exposed to it in music, books, magazines at the grocery store checkout, and in calendars on display at the local WalMart. Our kids can be exposed by simply misspelling a website address while completing a school project. Have you ever asked your local school what is actually taught in regards to sex during health class?
You might be surprised that topics covered seemingly promote sex outside of marriage, free choice including the right to have an abortion, alternatives to intercourse, and more.
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By choosing to ignore the problem, it is only giving the pornography industry room to increase in size. We cannot keep our heads buried in the sand and expect the future generations to seemingly “get it right” in a world that is saturated with the promotion of unhealthy sexuality.
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The Numbers
Many are reading this article right now and they are oblivious to the toxicity of pornography. But it is vitally important to recognize the negative impact on individuals, marriages, and families if we are going to be driven to take the steps to do something about it.
In a study released by Covenant Eyes in 2018, 57% of teenagers seek out pornography at least monthly. In comparison, only 21% of teens report having someone helping them to avoid pornography.
TruResearch reported in 2012 that only 12% of parents are aware that their child is accessing pornography.
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Covenant Eyes also reports 79% of unwanted exposure to pornography in today’s youth takes place within the home.
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Dr. Jill Manning, a licensed marriage and family therapist specializing in sexual addiction, pornography, and betrayal trauma, took her research to the Senate in 2005. It showed that 56 percent of divorce cases involve one party having an obsessive interest in pornographic websites.
According to the 2018 report by Covenant Eyes, 63% of men and 36% of women have looked at pornography at least one time while at work in the past 3 months.
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Facts & Trends is a division of LifeWay. In November 2018 they reported,
“Four in five pastors (80 percent) say they were approached in the past year by a church member or staff dealing with infidelity, and three in four (73 percent) have handled pornography-related questions. ”
What’s more, fewer than one third felt confident that they were qualified to handle these tough topics. Interestingly enough, only 7% of churches have a program in place to help those who are struggling with sexual addiction.
The Antidote
Pastors no longer have to feel ill-equipped to tackle the tough topic of pornography that is crippling their churches. Using the Conquer Series, churches around the world are offering programs for men (and in some cases, women). It is helping them find hope that they can break free from the grip of sexual sin in their lives.
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The Conquer Series is a powerful cinematic small group study that is helping men find lasting freedom from pornography. Host of the Conquer Series, Dr. Ted Roberts is an author, former Marine Fighter Pilot and founder of Pure Desire Ministries. He has helped thousands of men implement practical tools to renew their mind.
Upon completing his first Conquer Series group, Pastor Daniel Wallis from South Toowoomba Baptist Church in Queensland, Australia shared,
“It’s been amazing to see men who have already overcome drug addictions start to overcome their porn addictions with this series. The light bulb moments have left me in tears as they take the step to release themselves from this bondage that has overtaken their lives!”
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Help for Parents
You don’t have to be addicted to get a lot out of the Conquer Series! Parents are learning a lot about the nature of addiction. They are learning to be more proactive in helping their teens avoid porn or break free from the addictive patterns.
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One individual from Steinbach, Manitoba wrote to us,
“ I have found true freedom in the Lord. Today I mentor my 17 year old son. I now get to teach him the same principals and truths that I have learned.”
We can counteract the effects of poisonous pornography, but it starts by us choosing to do something about it!
Take the bold step to stand up and fight for sexual integrity, not only for yourself but also for your marriage, family, church, and community. Get digital access today at SoulRefiner.com.
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Writing from personal experience and biblical truth to help individuals and families find healing, restore relationships, and discover the redemptive power of God's grace.
More articles by Kayla Sullivan →Frequently Asked Questions
How many teenagers look at porn?
A study released by Covenant Eyes in 2018 found that 57 percent of teenagers seek out pornography at least monthly. In the same research, only 21 percent of teens reported having anyone helping them avoid it. That gap is the whole problem in one statistic. More than half are looking, and four out of five are doing it with no adult walking alongside them.
Do parents know when their kids are viewing porn?
Usually not. TruResearch reported that only 12 percent of parents are aware their child is accessing pornography. Covenant Eyes adds that 79 percent of unwanted exposure among today's youth happens inside the home. The danger is not out there somewhere. It is in the house, on the devices parents purchased, often while a child is simply trying to finish a school project.
Is porn a factor in divorce?
The research says yes, and dramatically so. Findings presented to the Senate in 2005 showed that 56 percent of divorce cases involved one party having an obsessive interest in pornographic websites. More than half. This is not a private habit with private consequences. It reaches into the marriage bed, into the household finances, and into the lives of the children in that home.
Are churches equipped to help with porn addiction?
Not yet, by their own admission. Facts and Trends, a division of LifeWay, reported that four in five pastors were approached in the past year by a church member or staff dealing with infidelity, and three in four handled pornography-related questions. Fewer than one third felt confident they were qualified to do so. Only 7 percent of churches have any program in place for sexual addiction.
Do people really watch porn at work?
They do, in numbers most employers would not guess. The 2018 Covenant Eyes report found that 63 percent of men and 36 percent of women had looked at pornography at least once while at work in the previous three months. That is how far desensitization has traveled. What used to require secrecy and effort now happens in the middle of an ordinary workday.
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