Much is said about the Covid pandemic, but the world is not paying attention to other things that are also pandemics and damaging.  One of those damaging pandemics is Porn. Let’s face it, it is easier than ever to have access to porn. 

On the surface, what is the problem with porn? Some may say, “well, I am not hurting anybody.” Some may argue that, after all, it is not real is just cyber. So how can porn be bad specifically? Secular Science and Research are finding that:

• Porn harms the brain; it is compared to drug addiction.
• Porn Damages relationships.
• Porn can lead to ED.
• Porn is also linked to prostitution and sex trafficking. Porn is commonly made by victims of sex trafficking and put online or sold to distributors. These sex slaves are drugged, beaten, and forced into doing porn. Clicking porn is directly supporting the demand for sex trafficking.^[1] Still think you are not hurting anybody?

Porn is a 6 to 15 billion dollars-a-year industry. This is without the advertisement of big companies as they don’t want to be associated with porn. The revenue number is said to be as high as 97 billion.^[2] This number is impossible to truly calculate. Child pornography is estimated in 3-billion-dollar revenue^[3]; but again, an impossible number to truly calculate because Child Pornography is still illegal.

What about amongst us, Christian men? The percentage is about 62% of born-again believers who are watching porn. We can’t ignore this topic; it must be confronted. Ephesians 5:3 tells us,

But among you, there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. (NIV)

Sexual Immorality is the Greek word porneía meaning “To commit fornication or any sexual sin.^[4] Any sex or form of ejaculation outside of the marriage is sexual immorality. When we are married, any form of sex outside of the marriage is adultery. For the non-married person is fornication. 

I know there is a tendency to believe that adultery is a reason for divorce, and it is, however, we missed a bigger picture, adultery is a form of fornication. The only reason is categorized as adultery is to distinguish it from the married person. All adultery is fornication, but all fornication is not adultery. Adultery only applies to the married person. Therefore, fornication itself is a reason for divorce. In Matthew 19:9 Jesus tells us, 

I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.” (NIV)

Notice that Jesus did not say, “…except for adultery.” It is common sense that it is adultery because he is speaking to a married man having sex outside the marriage. Sexual immorality here is the same Greek word porneía that we have been discussing. The point I am trying to make here is that we may think that if we do not have actual sex with another woman, we have been faithful to our wives, but, before God, we are just as guilty. 

Jesus tells us the standard, “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Matthew 5:28 (ESV) The Word “Lustful” is the Greek word epithuméō meaning “To have the affections directed toward something, to lust, desire, long after.”^[5] This is exactly what we do when engaging in pornography, we direct our affection toward what we are watching; we desire and long after the porn we are watching. Beloved brother, based on these definitions of sexual immorality and lust, pornography is a reason for divorce. 

I want to point out something else. As if pornography is not already bad enough, when we watch pornography, we are also supporting detestable and corrupted examples of sexual encounters. These porn encounters presented in the porn industry promote fathers having sex with daughters, siblings having sex with each other, adultery, rape, homosexuality, polygamy, etc. These are the additional garbage we are filling our minds with.

We know these stories are fake, but my point is that’s the lifestyle they are promoting and, that’s the lifestyle we are supporting when we engage in porn. Pornography does not focus on showing sex between a husband and a wife unless is an amateur video of a married couple doing so. For the most part, as pointed out before, sex is distorted. 

In conclusion, for the sake of this article, there are six main things to remember concerning porn: 1) Engaging in porn is a sin; no way around it. 2) Engaging in porn is supporting sexual trafficking. 3) Engaging in porn is a reason for divorce. 4) Engaging in porn is an addiction that affects the brain according to secular science. 5) Engaging in porn can lead to Erectile Dysfunction (ED).^[6] And, 6) Engaging in porn is supporting lifestyles that are detestable to God (Incest, adultery, polygamy, etc.)

Beloved, if porn is any good, why do you feel miserable? Porn addiction is simple; it means that in that area you are possessed by demons. You need deliverance! 

We are here to help!

^[1] https://fightthenewdrug.medium.com/3-reasons-why-watching-porn-is-harmful-and-research-is-proving-it-bc572b1b0abf

^[2] https://fightthenewdrug.org/how-free-porn-industry-growing-in-fast-paced-digitized/

^[3] https://globalinitiative.net/analysis/stolen-innocence-the-online-exploitation-of-children/

^[4] Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000).

^[5] Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000).

^[6] https://www.everydayhealth.com/erectile-dysfunction/pornography-habit-is-linked-to-erectile-dysfunction-research-suggests/