Respect Life 2008-09

The porn problem

By Mark J. Houck

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ annual Respect Life program begins each year on the first Sunday in October. The program combines education, prayer, service and advocacy. The column below is the second in a six-part series addressing a variety of pro-life issues.

The startling growth of the pornography industry in the last 15 years threatens the well-being of society. Many social ills and behavioral disorders—teenage promiscuity, crisis pregnancy, adultery, abortion, divorce, sexual abuse, sexual deviancy, rape, and incest—can be linked to the spread of pornography.

The numbers illustrate the scope of the problem.

• In 2006, the world-wide pornography industry’s estimated revenue was $97 billion (up from $57 billion in 2005).

• Porn industry revenues are larger than those of the top technology companies combined—Microsoft, Google, Amazon, eBay, Yahoo!, Apple, Netflix and Earthlink.

• 40 million U.S. adults visit pornographic Web sites regularly.

• Children aged 12–17 are the largest group of consumers of online pornography.
It should be obvious from these statistics that many Christians struggle with pornography addiction.

The dignity of the human person
Our human dignity and worth come from God, not from our accomplishments or possessions. As Catholics, we understand the beautiful reality that each unique human person is a unity of body and soul, and that our human dignity includes our sexuality.

“Our sexuality is more than our gender. It is part of our person. It gives us the ability to connect and give ourselves in love to another person. Our human sexuality is an important means by which we can share in the love and creativity of God” (Most Rev. Robert W. Finn, “Blessed Are the Pure in Heart”). Only in marriage can a man and woman give their entire selves, body and soul, to their spouse. This love alone—love that is free, total, faithful and fruitful—can satisfy the desires of our hearts.

Any action that undermines the unity of the body and soul, that treats sexuality as simply a physical activity or treats another person as an object to be used, demeans the dignity of the human person.

How does pornography harm individuals and society? 
Children, teens and young adults are being victimized by an industry that objectifies people. Everyone involved in the pornography industry “cooperates and, to some degree, makes possible this debasement of others” because sexuality “is reduced to a demeaning source of entertainment and even profit” (Most Rev. Paul S. Loverde, “Bought with a Price: Pornography and the Attack on the Living Temple of God”).

Young men are being taught to value women based on the airbrushed images they see in porn. This promotes teen/college-age promiscuity, contributing to out-of-wedlock/crisis pregnancies and the spread of STDs at epidemic levels. Within marriage, addiction to pornography can destroy intimacy. Eventually, the husband or wife who views pornography can lose the ability to relate on a personal and intimate level with the real person of his or her spouse.

Pornography as addiction
Pornography, the foremost addiction in the world today, is defined as “a psychological addiction to, or dependence upon, pornography, theoretically characterized by obsessive viewing, reading, and thinking about pornography and sexual themes to the detriment of other areas of one’s life.”
In his book “Healing the Wounds of Sexual Addiction,” Dr. Mark Laaser explains that sexual addiction is a result of trauma or wounds experienced over the course of one’s life. Emotional, physical or spiritual abuse during childhood, inflicted by family and the culture at large, can trigger an addiction in adulthood. We need to remember that pornography addiction is an intimacy disorder and that those who are struggling with it are extremely wounded people.

Addressing porn addiction
There are practical measures that offer significant hope for those struggling with pornography:

• Decide to get well and resolve to stop viewing all forms of pornography.

• Remove all sources of temptation.

• Be willing to change current duties or habits if necessary.

• Become familiar with the process by which the addictive behavior arises.

• Find a support group or network to help in one’s recovery.

Without God’s grace, those seeking freedom from pornography addiction may find these five basic steps very difficult, but all believers can seek grace by:

• Praying daily

• Seeking education and formation in the virtues

• Practicing patience and perseverance

• Turning one’s thoughts to God’s merciful love when tormented during recovery with images and temptations.

Additionally, Catholics are blessed to be able to partake frequently in two great sources of sacramental grace: reconciliation and holy Communion.

It is important for all spiritual fathers to lead their sons and daughters towards freedom and healing. Educate the parish community about the problem. Priests must equip themselves with the knowledge to speak confidently and passionately about the issue. Two excellent resources for clergy are pastoral letters by Bishop Paul S. Loverde and Bishop Robert W. Finn. Invite men of the parish to form a weekly men’s group. Encourage the parents of young people to take measures to protect their children from pornography, especially on the Internet.

In the words of Pope Benedict XVI:

“Children deserve to grow up with a healthy understanding of sexuality and its proper place in human relationships. They should be spared the degrading manifestations and the crude manipulation of sexuality so prevalent today. They have a right to be educated in authentic moral values rooted in the dignity of the human person.”

The sexual revolution continues to destroy millions of lives. Many marriages have been destroyed, and women and children have paid the highest price. Let us remember that we engage in this fight for the well-being of our culture and of all humanity, and for the souls of pornography’s countless victims today and in the future.

Mark J. Houck is the co-founder and president of the lay apostolate called The King’s Men (thekingsmen.us).