Originally Posted By utahjosh I know this may be a sensitive subject. Many view pornography as harmless and even helpful in marriages. I would disagree vehemently. But for those who do find it a damaging and immoral practice, this new video put out by my church is a powerful message that I just had to share. <a href="http://youtu.be/gWQ5dPeixdw" target="_blank">http://youtu.be/gWQ5dPeixdw</a>
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo The main concern for me with pornography are the ones that do not demonstrate unprotected sex. There is supposedly no market for it. Now that is really sad.
Originally Posted By mele Just like any other addiction, it can be damaging. And just like any other vice, it can be used for pleasure with no negative consequences. I have dave's concern, and I also feel sorry for many of the people involved. I don't think they're coming from a place of good self-esteem or a life that has provided them with many other options (generally speaking). One other thing, speaking about our own experiences...we used to get the Playboy channel (back when it was 24 hours a day). After having it for a few weeks, the "normal" sex didn't seem titillating at all. It made me wonder if repeated watching of porn really does desensitize a person and drive them to seek more graphic porn. But, I guess that could be said of any vice, too. The more you do, the more you need to get off (haha).
Originally Posted By wahooskipper I don't have any particular issue with porn and have, from time to time, been a consumer. (It was pretty instrumental during the infertility testing we went through some years back.) But, I also see that it can harm marriages and have witnessed that first hand with friends and family members.
Originally Posted By dshyates Oh look, another moralistic thread by our resident busy body. Thanks for your concern Donny, but I think I will refrain from clicking on the link. Carry on.
Originally Posted By ecdc The biggest problem with Josh's link is the LDS Church morphs shame into addiction. Like anything, porn and masturbation can become a compulsion for a small minority of people (just like eating, shopping, hoarding, etc.) But just like those things, there's no physical addiction involved. No reputable psychologist recognizes porn as an "addiction" vs a compulsion. And since there's such a huge stigma of shame and guilt around sexual attraction in the LDS culture that Josh is a part of, people mistake that shame, lying, hiding of behaviors, etc, as an addiction. Men in LDS culture don't lie or hide what they do because of addiction, they do it because of guilt. Another issue I find disturbing is this sort of reversal in the church: most anti-porn crusaders are understandably concerned about women who get involved in the industry, many with drug addictions or abusive backgrounds. The LDS Church is primarily concerned with the men who watch porn, and women only come into play as brokenhearted victims who rely on their husbands and have been let down. There's an ugly undercurrent of misogyny to it all.
Originally Posted By Inspector 57 I don't have a moral issue with the production or consumption of porn per se. (I have issues with people being exploited to produce porn, with porn glamorizing unsafe practices, and with porn suppliers beeing dishonest. [Those are supposedly desperate-for-rent-money "straight" men having sex with other guys for the dollars? Puh-leeze. Gimme a break.]) I have a friend who can't masturbate to completion alone in the shower. He needs a friend or a DVD to get off. I can't decide if that's an indictment against porn or a reason to be thankful for it.
Originally Posted By Inspector 57 <<The biggest problem with Josh's link is the LDS Church morphs shame into addiction.>> I should probably concede here that I have not clicked on the OP's link. I have zero interest in hearing what the Mormon church has to say. To me, it is completely irrelevant to the thinking world.
Originally Posted By utahjosh Sexual addiction is not an imagined issue. Time spent lusting for sex always leads wanting more. And fills lives with false fulfillment.
Originally Posted By skinnerbox Religious addiction is not an imagined issue. Time spent lusting for redemption always leads to wanting more. And fills lives with false fulfillment.
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance "Sexual denial is not an imagined issue. Time spent pretending you aren't lusting for sex always leads wanting more. And fills lives with no fulfillment. "
Originally Posted By ecdc >>Sexual addiction is not an imagined issue.<< Unfortunately, people who study this disagree. The fake addiction lives on only in the minds of those with the luxury of ignorance. Your prophets are no more qualified to speak on this complex issue of human behavior anymore than they're qualified to perform brain surgery.
Originally Posted By ecdc I'd add, compulsion is a real issue, and there are unfortunately people who suffer from a variety of sexual compulsions, including pornography. There's plenty to agree on here, and plenty left to learn. Blanket condemnation and intense shame surrounding basic (and very natural) human desires are not, however, helpful in he least.
Originally Posted By mele <<Time spent lusting for sex always leads wanting more. And fills lives with false fulfillment.>> Hahahahahaha(deep breath)ahahahahaha! Oh thanks for that! Trying to figure out what Josh feels for his wife if it isn't lust. LOL And thanks, ladies, for posts 11 and 13.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Disney addiction is not an imagined issue. Time spent thinking of Disneyland always leads wanting more. And fills lives with false fulfillment.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Hmmm, there are things I could add skipper, but this is a family site. But in my younger days.....
