It's White Ribbon Against Pornography (WRAP) Week! The purpose of WRAP Week, which is October 25th thru November 1st, is to inform the public about the harms of pornography, and to advocate for decency. After all, George Washington said, "Religion and morality are the essential pillars of civil society."
But, we live in a broken world.
According to CovenantEyes, the pornography industry generates $13 billion each year in the U.S., and internet porn alone is a $3 billion a year business. Even 64% of Christian men and 15% of Christian women say they watch porn at least once a month. While the problem with pornography may begin with the objectification of individuals made in the image of God, it does not end there. Studies show individuals who are unfaithful to their spouses are more than three times (that's 300 %!) as likely to have looked at pornography.
Pornography is like a "gateway drug" to sexual anarchy.
Unfortunately, pornography's effects are far-reaching. Not only is the individual's brain affected by viewing pornography, but their relationships are subsequently affected as well. In fact, CitizenLink reports that 56% of divorce cases involved "one party having an obsessive interest in pornographic websites," and "68% involved one party meeting a new love interest over the Internet."
CovenantEyes also reports the average age of a male's first exposure to pornography is twelve, and nine out of ten boys are exposed to pornography before they turn eighteen. This places a significant burden on parents to be aware of their children's use of technology, especially considering one in five mobile searches are for pornography.
A biblical sexual ethic is not achieved through passivity; it must be fiercely pursued.
This pursuit begins in the private use of phones, tablets, and computers, and extends to interpersonal relationships. Based on statistics, the more rampant the use of pornography, the greater a person's tendency toward infidelity, and the more likely a couple is to divorce, breaking families apart. After all, actions have consequences, and those consequences involve deep wounds for the families and communities that surround the unfaithful.
The family is the cornerstone of society. As families crumble because of unfaithfulness, society suffers the consequences of children raised with trust issues, in homes without mothers or fathers. Every child deserves to be raised in an intact, biological family unit. Not only does the child benefit, but the entire family benefits economically, socially, and otherwise.
So, when temptation raises its pornographic and unfaithful head, remember that God provides a way out of tempting situations (I Cor. 10:13); and, it is the duty of believers to run in search of that way out, rather than sitting passively as temptation knocks at the door. In today's culture, fidelity is not an easy path, but with God all things are possible.
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