Overcoming PornSýnishorn

Understand Today’s Greatest Counterfeit: Porn

All you have to do is get on social media or stream the latest movie to witness varied views of sex, marriage, and relationships. Some see sex as a meaningless, purely physical act. Others portray sex as some kind of ultimate achievement in life. Still, others say sex is dirty or that sexual desire is something God frowns upon.

Today, an entire generation has been introduced to a false view of sex through pornography. Porn is a stark contrast to the sexual ethic that Jesus affirmed; it is a counterfeit that causes great harm to self, relationships, and society.

How does porn harm a person? Watching porn releases dopamine in the brain, resulting in feelings of pleasure. Repeatedly watching porn leads to fixed neurological pathways and can result in an addiction that is extremely difficult to break. As the high diminishes, a user may desire more porn or porn that is more explicit or taboo.

Consistent porn use also leads to frontal lobe atrophy, resulting in a loss of control over behaviors and impaired decision-making. It can lead to toxic stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental and emotional challenges. Recent research even shows that porn can lead to erectile dysfunction, problems with arousal or reaching orgasm, and decreased sexual satisfaction.

As if individual harms were not enough, porn harms relationships. It is directly responsible for fueling the use and abuse of others, presenting them as mere commodities for one’s sexual appetites. In addition, porn teaches that sexual pleasure is to be taken, not given, and it teaches unrealistic expectations for sex. Further, married couples who watch porn are twice as likely to get divorced, and spouses of porn users often experience feelings of betrayal and rejection.

Porn also harms society. Its use leads many to devalue monogamy, marriage, and child-rearing. It fuels sexism and sexual objectification, harassment, abuse, and violence. The porn industry profits from nonconsensual content and the abuse of others and is strongly linked with human trafficking. In recent years, porn has also led to an increase in child-on-child sexual abuse.

All of this grieves God’s heart. God created us to flourish, to have healthy relationships, and to respect and value other human beings in thought and deed. If you’ve experienced the harm that porn brings, know this: God cares for you. Freedom is possible.

God, You created sex and sexual pleasure for good. Help me seek what is good and set what is harmful aside. Bring healing and hope to my life and to all who have been hurt by porn.