Pornography was once a word never uttered in polite company. Salacious magazines were sold in seedy, out-of-the-way shops, where transactions were made swiftly and secretly.
Little by little, the word sneaked into TV shows like “Friends,” which portrayed a young woman giving her boyfriend a pornographic video for his birthday, as perfectly normal.
In another show “Superstition,” two teenage males routinely watched pornography, which was presented as an acceptable past-time that you could indulge in without embarrassment.
Pornography also is creeping into new shows produced by Netflix, where ordinary viewers — who’d never in a million years visit a sleazy porn site —are slowly becoming acclimated to the images.
For example, in an episode of “Ozark,” the main character watches a pornographic tape on his office computer, which the TV audience glimpses as well.
Later, this fellow visits a bar where men are gawking at a topless dancer who — and how sad is this? — happens to be pregnant.
Books and movies also promote the gospel of pornography. For example, the bestselling “Fifty Shades of Grey” series gave everyday moviegoers, who wouldn’t dream of frequenting porn sites, a glimpse of sadomasochist behavior.
It’s shocking to realize there are about 200,000 pornography addicts in the United States, according to Webroot, an Internet security site. Further, about 40 million Americans regularly visit porn sites.
Sadly, addictions — whether to alcohol, food, drugs, pornography or gambling — are destructive to families because addicts become so focused on getting the next “fix” that they neglect spouse, children and friends.
My father indulged frequently in gambling, which wasn’t considered an addiction in his day, but definitely took its toll on our family.
The loss of money was a big issue, as were the lies, secrets and promises to quit, which caused conflict between my mother and him, and affected the children.
For porn addicts, there’s a compulsive desire for sexual pleasure, which, once satisfied, is followed by guilt, shame and secretive behavior.
The Ten Commandments are rarely referenced on TV shows, unless they’re the butt of jokes, but are still the moral compass guiding faithful Jews and Christians.
One commandment prohibits murder, while two regulate sexual behavior — perhaps because ordinary people are rarely tempted to kill someone, but many folks struggle with sexual impulses.
TV script writers may laugh at this notion, but for practicing Christians and Jews, breaking a commandment is a serious matter, a deliberate flaunting of God’s rules.
Christians have Jesus’ words, “Everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
On Jewishanswers.org, Rabbi Lit notes that viewing pornography weakens a person’s moral fabric. “There is nothing wrong with physical pleasure if it is within the laws of Torah,” he says.
However, he adds, looking at X-rated images means succumbing to our physical desires and letting the bad side of us win.
There’s an old saying that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. For people struggling with sex addictions, the first step is admitting there’s a problem, followed by the second one, which is seeking help from a pastor, rabbi, psychologist or support group.
Jesus said, “The truth will set you free.” It may take time, but with prayer and counseling, people imprisoned in the treacherous web of pornography addiction can break the bonds and discover freedom.
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