Hello thank you for being honest.
The Barna Group, in partnership with Josh McDowell Ministry, has created a landmark study on the pervasive nature of Internet pornography and its impact on the church. Titled The Porn Phenomenon: The Explosive Growth of Pornography and How It’s Impacting Your Church, Life, and Ministry.
https://www.josh.org/key-findings-in-landmark-pornography-study-released
Let's look at some data to see the scope and effects of porn in society and the church.
As a teenager I delt with this because I thought it was normal. My friends was watching pornography and even my dad I caught watching it a few times.
What changed my heart was learning how much of the sex trade is linked to pornography,
http://richmondjusticeinitiative.com/the-connections-between-pornography-and-sex-trafficking
how much abortion clinics are funded by pornographic media organizations,
The link between pornography and abortion.
https://downloads.frc.org/EF/EF17K24.pdf
Effects on society as it destroys families, unhealthy families produces unhealthy children, unhealthy children are not law abiding and pornography degrades morals as for example how Ted Bundy once admitted how hardcore pornography led to his sexual female murdering spree.
Also realizing that is someone's daughter on the screen made in the image of God having to preform in such degrading situations and if you have a girlfriend or wife the psychological effects on them can be heartbreaking.
I gave it up back in Highschool as I started dating my now wife. Of all those reasons the number 1 reason that I couldn't stomach was breaking her heart. I was honest with her and she has been the best accountability partner. Doesn't mean I'm not still tempted by the images of women for example Paul explains this battle of will.
Romans 7:19-25 New International Version (NIV)
19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
Your evil or sin is in the same context of sin that Paul delt with daily. But as Paul explains below I grew in Christ and now yes I no longer look at pornography but those same triggers that spark hormones still act on me if I dont quickly as Paul says to discipline the body then the only expectation is to fall in sin. Which is why I and any sinner should be just like Paul and repeat thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 New International Version (NIV)
The Need for Self-Discipline
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
The Barna Group, in partnership with Josh McDowell Ministry, has created a landmark study on the pervasive nature of Internet pornography and its impact on the church. Titled The Porn Phenomenon: The Explosive Growth of Pornography and How It’s Impacting Your Church, Life, and Ministry.
https://www.josh.org/key-findings-in-landmark-pornography-study-released
Let's look at some data to see the scope and effects of porn in society and the church.
- Over 40 million Americans are regular visitors to porn sites. The average visit lasts 6 minutes and 29 seconds
- There are around 42 million porn websites, which totals around 370 million pages of porn.
- The porn industry's annual revenue is more than the NFL, NBA and MLB combined. It is also more than the combined revenues of ABC, CBS and NBC.
- 47 percent of families in the United States reported that pornography is a problem in their home.
- Pornography use increases the marital infidelity rate by more than 300 percent.
- Eleven is the average age that a child is first exposed to porn, and 94 percent of children will see porn by the age of 14.
- 56 percent of American divorces involve one party having an "obsessive interest" in pornographic websites.
- 70 percent of Christian youth pastors report that they have had at least one teen come to them for help in dealing with pornography in the past 12 months.
- 68 percent of church-going men and over 50 percent of pastors view porn on a regular basis. Of young Christian adults 18-24 years old, 76 percent actively search for porn.
- 59 percent of pastors said that married men seek their help for porn use.
- 33 percent of women aged 25-and-under search for porn at least once per month.
- Only 13 percent of self-identified Christian women say they never watch porn—87 percent of Christian women have watched porn.
- 55 percent of married men and 25 percent of married women say they watch porn at least once a month.
- 57 percent of pastors say porn addiction is the most damaging issue in their congregation. And 69 percent say porn has adversely impacted the church.
- Only 7 percent of pastors say their church has a program to help people struggling with pornography.
As a teenager I delt with this because I thought it was normal. My friends was watching pornography and even my dad I caught watching it a few times.
What changed my heart was learning how much of the sex trade is linked to pornography,
http://richmondjusticeinitiative.com/the-connections-between-pornography-and-sex-trafficking
how much abortion clinics are funded by pornographic media organizations,
The link between pornography and abortion.
https://downloads.frc.org/EF/EF17K24.pdf
Effects on society as it destroys families, unhealthy families produces unhealthy children, unhealthy children are not law abiding and pornography degrades morals as for example how Ted Bundy once admitted how hardcore pornography led to his sexual female murdering spree.
Also realizing that is someone's daughter on the screen made in the image of God having to preform in such degrading situations and if you have a girlfriend or wife the psychological effects on them can be heartbreaking.
I gave it up back in Highschool as I started dating my now wife. Of all those reasons the number 1 reason that I couldn't stomach was breaking her heart. I was honest with her and she has been the best accountability partner. Doesn't mean I'm not still tempted by the images of women for example Paul explains this battle of will.
Romans 7:19-25 New International Version (NIV)
19 For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21 So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? 25 Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.
Your evil or sin is in the same context of sin that Paul delt with daily. But as Paul explains below I grew in Christ and now yes I no longer look at pornography but those same triggers that spark hormones still act on me if I dont quickly as Paul says to discipline the body then the only expectation is to fall in sin. Which is why I and any sinner should be just like Paul and repeat thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
1 Corinthians 9:24-27 New International Version (NIV)
The Need for Self-Discipline
24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25 Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26 Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. 27 No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
Thanks for putting it out there!