Then There Is Visual Adultery.

[IMINXTC]

“But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” Mt 5:28

I hesitate to post current statistics concerning the use of pornography among professing believers because it is (1) very alarming and (2) simply more easy ammunition for those seeking to discredit the faith. But considering recent topics it would seem foolish to neglect the sobering fact that a major contingent of the church, including pastors and leaders, commits adultery on a regular basis.

The statistics are readily available for anyone who cares to look.

While considering, with dismay, today's obvious weaknesses, and even miasma, associated with the professing church, one need look no further than the heartbreaking reality of porn and it's addicting hold on believers, male and female, and very much including the young.

While I do not believe that a Christian minister caught up in the throes of adultery can be filled with the approval and power of the Holy Spirit, it only stands to reason that continuing porn (adultery) will effectively destroy the good conscience, testimony and effectiveness of any believer, and will sap the life of any congregation or Christian endeavor.

In short: the Church loses it's authority and vitality to preach.

Until porn is seen for what it truly is, and thus dealt with, the collective body of Christ will continue to be sickened by it's quiet yet poisoning presence in the pale of faith.

[Athanasius]

Just blame it on back pain and sleeping pills.

[IMINXTC]

Just blame it on back pain and sleeping pills.

That was for the politics.

[RabbiKnife]

I concur, xtc…

And now it comes through your phone as a regular part if any innocuous yahoo newsfeed without even clicking through to the “article “

[IMINXTC]

I concur, xtc…

And now it comes through your phone as a regular part if any innocuous yahoo newsfeed without even clicking through to the “article “

Right. This persistent deluge of "clickbait" images.

[Kingfisher]

And it doesn't necessarily have to be considered porn to cause those lustful thoughts.

[ProDeo]

“But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” Mt 5:28

I remember the time I glossed over Jesus words and so now and then watched. I was married and did not lust after the woman in the video, just wanted to watch. Sometimes we looked together. After some time I got back to my senses because this kind of reasoning / interpretation falls right into the Jer 17:9 category.

 9 The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?
10  “I the LORD search the heart
 and test the mind,

People (men & women) are sexual beings, the sooner people become aware of that the better and porn to some extend satisfies the needs that come with what people are, sexual beings. It's not a big surprise many can't resist.

Sex starts in the brain, not between the legs, having sex fantasies is the same as watching porno.

[IMINXTC]

“But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” Mt 5:28

After some time I got back to my senses because this kind of reasoning / interpretation falls right into the Jer 17:9 category.

 9 The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?
10  “I the LORD search the heart
 and test the mind,

People (men & women) are sexual beings, the sooner people become aware of that the better and porn to some extend satisfies the needs that come with what people are, sexual beings. It's not a big surprise many can't resist.

Sex starts in the brain, not between the legs, having sex fantasies is the same as watching porno.

So true.

Having had my experimental bouts with porn, I was totally dumbfounded as to the frightening effect it exerts on the human psyche and It's power to addict.

This is not sex, per se, but an aberration which will lead to slavery of the most dehumanizing sort.

While most inflicted individuals, especially believers, come to hate this debilitating habit, the next, logical steps are to get it out of one's life, forever.

There have, so far, been no scientific explanations which categorize porn as an addiction, like drugs, alcohol etc. Just theories.

IMO, this is a mechanism for steering the powerful human sexual machine in the wrong direction.

[ProDeo]

There have, so far, been no scientific explanations which categorize porn as an addiction, like drugs, alcohol etc. Just theories.

My theory would be that every distraction to escape from your real problems has the potential to become addictive in all kinds of forms up to the bizarre solutions OCD people develop to temporarily escape from their inner pressures.

IMO, this is a mechanism for steering the powerful human sexual machine in the wrong direction.

Exactly, in former times you (at least) had to buy a magazine or CD but now with the internet...

I believe it all has a purpose. We live in special times. We know about the universe, a violent place set in motion by God and yet all that violence has created our relative safe little place with extraordinary possibilities, the availability of oil, gas, coil, electricity which started the industrial revolution, then radio, telephone, television and finally internet.   

Sounds, pictures, videos, data all goes through the air (if needed by satellites in space) instantly received on our devices. How did that exploding bubble (the BB) created these kind of miracles? For a purpose of course. Everyone interested can learn about human history and how bad it is, to stay on topic, become aware how something good as sex is misused, rape, pedophilia, porn. Almost daily there is a sex scandal, "Me too" has a long way to go, but it is a start.

All this new inventions, and the internet in special, remind me of Jesus words:  For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.

[IMINXTC]

Since the temptation of porn appears at first to be an innocuous peek, certainly the best and easiest time to resist it is at the outset, before the door is opened to greater and greater involvement.

I do not have a problem with this stuff because I have developed a habit of getting immediately away from it. The Internet is very adept at presenting pretty girls in seeming innocence and that is often where it starts

It's one click to freedom and sanity versus one click followed by another...

[RabbiKnife]

Absolutely

[hisleast]

I hope you all speak boldly about porn's absolute dominance, and compel them to get out of their own way in treating the addiction.

What did we expect after decades of bumper sticker theology?   Twitter manosphere gurus have created better systems for becoming porn free.  But most churches out there will punish you for daring to explore anything beyond "give it to Jesus" or "just stop".

[IMINXTC]

I highly doubt that the average individual lives with pornographic images festering in his/her mind until the act of viewing porn puts them there.

There is a need or a supposed need - even a legitimate need at times - that would compel many to entertain the mildest suggestions that the industry produces and parades, in an attempt to fill that need, only to be repeatedly overwhelmed by the powerful forces of misdirected sexuality.

Once initiated, the body thinks it is having sex. One does not easily shut that process down.

So the critical time and place to wage a determined and successful battle against this sin is before the process begins, before the images are even made available to the mind.

Easier said than done, yes, but easier by far than having made that second click.