Why is pornography wrong?

[Na Nach Oi!]

What is the rational explanation about why pornography is wrong?

 

[Goodbook]

Because God gave us clothes to wear, unless you sitting there naked typing this. Ugh.

 

[RaymondG]

Because one believes it is.

 

[SPF]

You're breaking two commandments when you look at pornography.

1. You're lusting.
2. You're coveting something that isn't yours.

 

[Sammy-San]

You're breaking two commandments when you look at pornography.

1. You're lusting.
2. You're coveting something that isn't yours.

Because with the exception of a husband and wife, men are to treat women as sisters and it would be sinful to sexualize her.

 

[Sammy-San]

What is the rational explanation about why pornography is wrong?

Because sex is only to be enjoyed and only proper between a husband and wife-which makes pornography, boyfriend/girlfriend relationships, homosexuality, and other practices sins.

The fact that homosexuality is a nontraditional sexual orientation (like Putin says) has nothing to do with why Christians are against it. "
new and different from an established norm, custom, or method." is irrelevant to this discussion.

Christians are also against other typical sexual practices that go outside of the husband-wife relationship.

 

[Dave-W]

What is the rational explanation about why pornography is wrong?

What do you mean by "rational?" A non-spiritual or naturalistic reason?

 

[Rajni]

What I never really understood is why there's so much stigma surrounding seeing people getting along really (really, really) well while the viewing of people engaging in violence, murder, torture, war, crucifixion, etc. is (at least relatively) A-okay.

I mean, just sitting through the movie previews before the feature starts is virtually nothing more than a long series of shooting and explosions (American films, yay them ). Shouldn't the latter be stigmatized rather than the former? For example, why aren't there more posts on religious forums expressing guilt over watching violent footage?

 

[SPF]

Can you point to Scripture that would indicate violent films are sinful to watch? Sin originates in the heart - what sin is involved in watching for example, Lone Survivor, which was a violent movie based upon the real life experience of a man involved in war?

 

[Na Nach Oi!]

What I never really understood is why there's so much stigma surrounding seeing people getting along really (really, really) well while the viewing of people engaging in violence, murder, torture, war, crucifixion, etc. is (at least relatively) A-okay.

I mean, just sitting through the movie previews before the feature starts is virtually nothing more than a long series of shooting and explosions (American films, yay them ). Shouldn't the latter be stigmatized rather than the former? For example, why aren't there more posts on religious forums expressing guilt over watching violent footage?

What about the documentary of Holocaust, for example.
You'll see many many dead Jews there.

I watched them to satisfy my curiosity and my interest to world history, but after watching those documentaries, the saying "ignorance is a bliss" is, I admit, very true.

 

[Na Nach Oi!]

Can you point to Scripture that would indicate violent films are sinful to watch? Sin originates in the heart - what sin is involved in watching for example, Lone Survivor, which was a violent movie based upon the real life experience of a man involved in war?

The process of crucifixion was violent too.

Were the spectators (including John & Mary) sinning there?

 

[Na Nach Oi!]

What do you mean by "rational?" A non-spiritual or naturalistic reason?

Yes.

 

[Rajni]

Can you point to Scripture that would indicate violent films are sinful to watch?

Not off the top of my head, and certainly no more than I could point to Scripture that would indicate that erotic scenes are sinful to watch. I can't even point to where it says in Scripture that we need Scripture to conclude these things.

Sin originates in the heart - what sin is involved in watching for example, Lone Survivor, which was a violent movie based upon the real life experience of a man involved in war?

Then it's the heart that's the issue and not pornography or violence pe se, correct?

As for real life experiences, I'm pretty sure erotic scenes are also based on those, and (awkward as this may sound) may even be real life experiences in the making to boot (I wouldn't put it past 'em, those crazy love-birds! ).

 

[Dave-W]

Yes.

Why would you want that?

 

[Na Nach Oi!]

Because God gave us clothes to wear, unless you sitting there naked typing this. Ugh.

It could be after God made Adam & Eve clothes.

Interesting post in Desiring God website about clothing.

The Rebellion of Nudity and the Meaning of Clothing | Desiring God

 

[John 1720]

What is the rational explanation about why pornography is wrong?

Basically because it cheapens women and children and projects them as objects of vulnerable degradation; all this in order to suit the lustful passions of the perps and reprobates who lust after them. The opposite of this is God's heart both towards the victims and perpetrators of pornography. He desires us to be wholesome. God sees a persons true value and potential desires to free them from sin and degradation in order to redeem us all. He loves us even more than a parent loves their sons and daughters. If I had a son or daughter caught up in pornography I would do everything in my power to rescue them before it ruined and depraved their soul. There is just a big difference between the way of the world and the way of God. God has a holy desires for us to be wholesome and gifted by His love and grace. He alone can bring wholeness to the human soul, no matter how broken they are. He loves the family unit. Sex and the marriage bed are undefiled because God has blessed that as a special union between husband and wife. Sex is a beautiful thing when used in the purpose God intended - to be fruitful and multiply. It is even more beautiful when we see that it produces beautiful babies that are cherished by their families. The Bible tells us that marriage actually symbolizes the union between Christ and the Church. Self gratifying desires without love only leads to destructive behaviors. Power corrupts and absolute power driven by fantasies acted upon physically or in the mind ultimately corrupts the soul of a human being. Almost all serial rapists and killers in prison will tell you their slide into the abyss of depravity started with pornography. David's fall into murder started out by lusting after Bathsheba from the perch of his palace. He made her pregnant and decided to cover it by murdering her husband sending him on a suicide mission. Sin only begets more sin and takes us from the wholesomeness we find in God.
In Christ, John 17:20

 

[SPF]

Not off the top of my head, and certainly no more than I could point to Scripture that would indicate that erotic scenes are sinful to watch. I can't even point to where it says in Scripture that we need Scripture to conclude these things.

If you are incapable of providing a Scriptural argument to support the position that it is immoral and wrong to watch violent movies then on what basis should I believe it's wrong to do so?

With regards to looking at pornography, we can easily use Scripture to support that as sin. As I said in my initial post, looking at pornography causes people to lust, which is sin. It also causes someone to covet, which is sin. If you are incapable of finding Scriptural support about maintain sexual purity, then you need to open your Bible some more.

I personally don't believe that watching Lone Survivor, or 13 Hours, or Black Hawk Down, or Saving Private Ryan ever caused me to sin. If you can provide some sort of Biblically based argument to suggest that watching any of those movies was indeed sinful, then honestly I would welcome it.

John 1720 - I'm sure you made a great post just above mine, but honestly it's so overwhelming when you don't put spaces and paragraph breaks that it's hard to read, so I didn't. I recommend breaking your posts up a bit.

 

[Sammy-San]

If you are incapable of providing a Scriptural argument to support the position that it is immoral and wrong to watch violent movies then on what basis should I believe it's wrong to do so?

With regards to looking at pornography, we can easily use Scripture to support that as sin. As I said in my initial post, looking at pornography causes people to lust, which is sin. It also causes someone to covet, which is sin. If you are incapable of finding Scriptural support about maintain sexual purity, then you need to open your Bible some more.

I personally don't believe that watching Lone Survivor, or 13 Hours, or Black Hawk Down, or Saving Private Ryan ever caused me to sin. If you can provide some sort of Biblically based argument to suggest that watching any of those movies was indeed sinful, then honestly I would welcome it.

John 1720 - I'm sure you made a great post just above mine, but honestly it's so overwhelming when you don't put spaces and paragraph breaks that it's hard to read, so I didn't. I recommend breaking your posts up a bit.

What do you mean by covet?

 

[Dave-W]

Basically because it cheapens women and children and projects them as objects of vulnerable degradation;

Really? Then why did a news outlet a few months ago have an article about some porn website (apparently a large one) that queries the gender and orientation of those who visit and then track their views. It said by far the largest group that viewed male gay porn (men on men) was straight women.

 

[Rajni]

SPF said: ↑

If you are incapable of providing a Scriptural argument to support the position that it is immoral and wrong to watch violent movies then on what basis should I believe it's wrong to do so?

Wait – the only way to determine if something is wrong is if the bible specifically spells it out for us?

With regards to looking at pornography, we can easily use Scripture to support that as sin.

Where in scripture does it talk about looking at pornography, specifically?

As I said in my initial post, looking at pornography causes people to lust, which is sin. It also causes someone to covet, which is sin.

Lusting and coveting are also involved in violence. Neither have to be strictly sexual in nature. People covet after another's death, and then there's blood-lust.

I personally don't believe that watching Lone Survivor, or 13 Hours, or Black Hawk Down, or Saving Private Ryan ever caused me to sin. If you can provide some sort of Biblically based argument to suggest that watching any of those movies was indeed sinful, then honestly I would welcome it.

Scripture doesn’t talk about watching movies, at all, violent or otherwise.

However, violence stems from hate, and as I’m sure you are well aware the bible speaks against hating someone in your heart, as it places it right up there with murder (1 John 3:15). “Thou shall not murder”, is how I believe it’s phrased. So spending time watching portrayals of anger and hate doesn't seem like something that would make the Top 10 Virtues of all time, and those who do so have no justification in judging those who favor watching consenting adults getting along over not-necessarily-so-consenting adults killing each other off.

In short, the reasons for being against the viewing of pornography (in spite of it involving consenting adults) can also be used for being against the viewing of violence. I find the latter far less justifiable than the former (provided, to be absolutely clear, that the former involves *only* consenting adults).