Saturday, October 6, 2012

The Christian Man's Guide To Viewing Pornography

I don't think that anyone would deny that we live in a society that is permeated by explicit sexuality and pornography. Whether on TV, movies, print or the internet, nudity and sexual content is available continually. Women routinely wear clothes that leave more uncovered than concealed. Commercials and advertisements show as much as possible to sell their wares.

We are surrounded by the temptation to submit to sexual sin. I know the music for the lingerie commercials without looking. The decision then becomes, do I not look, or do I view a sexually arousing image? There are several TV shows that I enjoy which are set in Miami, which means beach scenes. When those scenes come on, I am faced with the choice to look away, or to view a sexually arousing image.

Then there are the times that I am tempted to go FIND something to view. These seem to line up very well with the HALT acronym, Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired.

But what does the Bible say about viewing pornography? Matthew 5:28 says that I should view myself as an adulterer when I do "but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (NASB) Also, Proverbs 6:26 tells me that I should view myself as selling MYSELF, and as being hunted for gain, "For on account of a harlot one is reduced to a loaf of bread, And an adulteress hunts for the precious life" (NASB)

What about the actual person being viewed? When I view explicit images, do I see a person who might very well be a slave? What we have sanitized into "human trafficking" in today's language? Do I view a person who is so destitute for food and shelter that they have decided to sell the only thing of value they have left, their very body? Do I view a person who might be so consumed by addiction that they sell their body to escape the burden of the mind? Do I view a person who thinks so little of themselves that selling themselves is just a meaningless action to them?

Better yet, do I view a woman in person that is dressed immodestly, do I see a woman who has been told that there is nothing precious about her to be kept? Do I see someone who has realized that she can get a tiny part of the void in her heart filled by attracting male viewers to herself?

Setting all that aside, when I view a woman sexually, do I see her father standing behind her? The popular movie Taken tells the story of a daughter who is kidnapped and goes through an army of men to rescue her and save her from a life of slavery. Kind of like what Jesus did to deliver ME from a life of slavery. And what He did to offer them deliverance from a life of slavery. To addiction, loneliness, emptiness and from sin and death. If only someone would tell them.

So how SHOULD a Christian view pornography, sexually explicit images and revealing dress? By viewing the Holy Spirit crying over our return to bondage in sin. By viewing our Savior standing beside that person, wanting them to turn to Him for fulfillment and salvation. And by viewing our Father shaking His head and saying "I didn't make either of you for this purpose".

That's how I want to view any sexual arousing thing, with the exception of my bride. What about you?

1 comment:

  1. great post. May we seek the Holy life we have been called to.

    -Zach

    ReplyDelete

Comments are always welcomed, but I seek to carry on respectful discourse.