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in every way possible, for profit of
course. Last year the pornographic
magazine, book and film business
grossed $7 billion in the Uni ted
S tates.
Child pornography or pedophilia
comprises one fourth of all pornog–
raphy. Certain magazines portray
sadism and abuse of children not as
filthy, immoral or disgusting, but
normal- even natural!
Smut publishers have been hav–
ing a heyday-anything to ti tillate
and stimulate, with no reference to
beauty, !ove or relationship, with
no qualms agai nst distorting,
exploiting and the bizarre.
"Pornography might be de–
fined," says Ludwig F. Lowenstein ,
British author a_nd educational psy–
chologist, as "dehumanized sexual
behavior- there is no concern for
human feelings."
Antllove, Antifamily
Few who revel in the fantasy world
of pornography real ize what ob–
scenity does to them or how it
reaches its tentacles into homt and
family, s trangling loving relation–
ships and contorting the proper use
of sex. Instead they're lured by por–
nography's siren message: "Enjoy
smut and obscenity; it's good for
you.
If
you don' t you're a prude."
But Solomon, king of ancient
Israel 2,900 years ago, asked, "Can
a man take fire in his bosom, and
his clothes not be burned?" (Prov.
6:27 .) Psychologists maintain that
the natural human impulse is to
imitate what is seen. Research has
proven that sexual sensations
derived from looking at pornogra–
February 1983
phy remain in the brain as sexual
anxiety.
Víctor Cline, a pornography
expert living in Utah, goes so far as
to say that pornography has an
addiction effect- "a person needs
more and more, and there is a ten–
dency for its users to
act out what
they have seen."
Pornographic magazines exploit
women as objects merely fo r satis–
fyi ng sexual appet ites, and that has
a profound effect on anybody. Sex
in this material is presented as an
abusive weapon. Result: a plethora
of pathetic, sexually misoriented
personalities.
Timid or bored pornographic
addicts are left empty and miserable,
devoid of the happiness that a natu–
ral, healthy sexual relationship could
bring. Obscene films, books and
magazines reinforce immature with–
drawal from positive relationships.
Fllling Void of Parental Neglect
When parents neglect to teach their
children proper sex cducation, por–
nography becomes a primary sex
education resource for children and
teenagers. From it they learn that
there is little connection between
sex, reproduction and maritallove–
just barren titillation.
People become objects to be con–
sumed, like an orange, to satisfy
immediate thirsts and hungers. So
much for the fict ion of "innocent
escapism" or "healthy fantasizing"
as proponents of pornog raphy
would have one believe.
l n the shallow wor ld of pornog–
rap hy, people don ' t grow old
together. Forgotten are children,
husband and wife. Never displayed
is emphasis on the proper family
and normal father-mother or par–
ent-child relationships. Sadly, but
true, the one farnily interest often
revolves around incest.
Why not follow lust wherever it
leads?
" Pornography encourages impul–
sive sex, careless sex, daring sex,
irresponsible sex, and it implies that
there are no adverse consequences,"
said Reo Christenson, professor of
political science at Miarni University
in Oxford, Ohio. "You would never
guess from viewing pornography
that irresponsible sex leads to teen–
age pregnancies, premature mar–
riages, abortions, illegitimate chi l-
dren, venereal disease or psychic
traumas. Nor would you suspect that
ext ramar ital sex had any unhappy
consequences."
British author J .B. Priestley put
it this way: "Eroticism in itself,
wanting a sensation and not another
person, makes love impossible."
The fantasy world of smut saps
enjoyment out of life because people
want to
get
sex, fulfill themselves
with no strings attached- st rings
like childbearing. Children mean
responsibility a nd that impedes
casual, unbridled sex. The " lave"
(really lust) that magazines describe
is anything but outgoing concern or
giving to the other person.
Editor in chief Herbert W. Arm–
strong explains in his book
The
Missing Dimension in Sex:
"Self–
centered lustful pleasures [includ–
ing pornography] corrode, injure
and tend to destroy the indulger."
Satan- whose existence many do
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