Pornography "One of the Most Pervasive and Destructive Problems in Our Society" – Philly Cardinal

LifeSiteNews ^ | 6/9/06 | Hilary White

[wagglebee]

Cardinal Justin Rigali, writing in the Catholic Standard and Times, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, said that the modern media’s obsession with pornography is “one of the most pervasive and destructive problems in our society.”
 
“Our society," the Cardinal wrote, “is inundated with sex and sensuality largely from the media. Films, television programs, and advertisements are loaded with sexual reference as well as the promotion of sexual promiscuity.”
 
The all-pervasiveness of sexual imagery in the media has led to the vast proliferation of pornography on the internet where it is accessible to anyone who can use a keyboard. It is also increasingly frustrating for law enforcement officials around the world that sexual predators have begun using the internet to target children.
 
In November, 2004, a US Senate hearing discussing the dangers of addiction heard evidence that addiction to pornography has ruined lives and destroyed families. Virginia Tech, professor James B. Weaver said studies show that extended exposure to pornography creates "sexual callousness, the erosion of family values and diminished sexual satisfaction."
 
Rigali called pornography “a cancer upon contemporary culture.” “Addictive in nature, many have been entangled in its lure and have caused great psychological and emotional harm to themselves and even to spouses and other family members.”
 
At the same senate committee hearing in 2004, US lawmakers heard evidence that corroborates the Cardinal’s assertion. University of Pennsylvania sexual trauma program co-director Mary Anne Layden said pornography addiction has similar effects on the brain as heroin or crack cocaine addiction.
 
The Cardinal writes, “Violence, sexual abuse, psychological trauma and ruptured relationships are the fruit of pornography, which, astonishingly, is a multi-billion dollar industry.”
 
Read Cardinal Rigali’s article:
http://www.cst-phl.com/main.html

[Chode]

i'm kinda partial to gun-porn myself... but racing-porn and airplane-porn will do in a pinch. 8^)

[Lunatic Fringe]

pornography contributes to destructio of family values.

Of all the causes of broken families, "pornography" is probably among the least cited.

You see, many women like pornography too.

[LauraleeBraswell]

What about Erotica?

Erotica:
Literature or art intended to arouse sexual desire.

[Mr. Jeeves]

Especially since pornography is largely an outgrowth of the repression of sexuality by political and religious institutions like the...um...Catholic Church. ;)

In a sexually healthy society, the more destructive forms of pornography would largely disappear.

[HitmanLV]

No bout a-doubt it. I have a close friend from Law School who was terribly addicted to porn. He had some kind of porn running in his dorm room every day. He was also a regular at the nearby strip clubs.

All this really warped his perception of women and he had problems establishing good romantic relationships. It's a problem that nags him to this day.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

How about the drawings of Giulio Romano (The Postures)done in the 1500's on the wall of the Vatacan.

Maybe a few Louis Morin watercolors from the late 1800's.

Or would you prefer some engravings by Antoine Borel from the 1700's.

How about some Mario Tauzin etchings from the 1930's.

Then there is the art of the Romans found in Pompeii...

[fr_freak]

Especially since pornography is largely an outgrowth of the repression of sexuality by political and religious institutions like the...um...Catholic Church. ;)

I hope you're just kidding here. To my knowledge, the Catholic Church has no interest in repressing sexuality. The Catholic Church is merely interested in discouraging sexuality outside of marriage. Within marriage, the Church says have at it. Are you going to argue that a sexually healthy society is one where people are having promiscuous sex outside of marriage and family?

[RileyD, nwJ]

LF,

You are mixing apples and oranges ... the quote provided is for our society ... yeah we are at war in Iraq but from a society POV that's small potatoes (with MAJOR implications), hunger & poverty - not really applicable in our society, slavery & genocide - not applicable at all in our society, murder - yep we have it and so does every society known to man, terrorism - yeah, but our society is dealing with it - see the war entry.

Then you said, "... I suppose someone sitting in their living room watching porn is one of the "most pervasive and destructive problems in our society."
Certainly no more of a problem than sitting in your living room and drinking yourself silly.

In a stable society "accepted" addictions are very destructive to the society ... I know with a brother who is an alcoholic (dry for 16 years!) among many others I know about.

Then there is the guy who spends 25% to 50% of his take home pay weekly on porn ... Yeah, I know him too.

Is the answer making porn or alcohol illegal? Heck no! But we better be able to stand up and acknowledge the problem while doing our best to make sure our children are not seduced by these activities.

My $0.02

RileyD, nwJ

[lastchance]

Wagglebee. Thanks for the post. I am sorry so many see fit to attack the article and use it as an occasion to attack the Catholic Church. The simple truth is that pornography is no longer a matter of getting a mail order of skin mags in a plain brown wrapper.

Yes the Cardinal did speak about sex in the movies and tv. Though I would not call such things pornographic they are coarse and cheap. They separate sex from any kind of moral anchor and show whoring and fornication as the healthy norm for adults. That cannot contribute to the building up of civilization.

But he also spoke of the internet and that is where most of the guttersex can be found.
The internet has made pornography widely available and there are really no controls to keep the material completely away from children.

Pornography is used by pedophiles as a means of seducing their victims by normalizing the sexual activity.
Pornography also reinforces the sexual predators fantasies and gives the predator the assurance his behavior is not isolated but shared by a great many others.
Pornography degrades woman and children by showing them as objects. Something that is against all Christian teachings about the dignity of the person.
For those who still think pornography is just a matter of
potrayal of sex between an adult man and woman do a web engine search on any abnormal sexual behavior or fetish.
Maybe simply start out with Sadism. I bet you would get lots of hits offering very candid sites.

The Cardinal is not naive. Those who do not understand just how degrading and harmful hard core porn is are the ones living in a fairy tale land.

[LauraleeBraswell]

Pornography if allowed to run rampant brings about the overall sexual degeneration of a society. Institutions such as Catholic Church serve a purpose of keeping pornography in check. On the other hand, this goes both ways. Sexual repression leads to aggression. I believe you need both extremes.

[LauraleeBraswell]

I said this before but I'll say it again


women are most subjugated in societies that have the least “sex and sensuality from the media." Think of the middle East, Central Asia and Africa.


I also would say many of these societies are far more violent than ours.

[Melas]

i'm kinda partial to gun-porn myself... but racing-porn and airplane-porn will do in a pinch. 8^)

I understand completely. My wife often points to my vast collection of bicycle porn. However, I can assure you that the $4,000 mountain bike I keep in the bedroom isn't for sexual gratification. Honest.

[Melas]

I'm sure that's the truth as this woman sees it. Do I consider the anectdotal ravings of a woman who may have lived with a monster as proof of anying in the general? No.

[HiTech RedNeck]

It's a multi billion dollar industry in the midst of a multi trillion dollar general media industry. Citing absolute figures doesn't by itself give a good idea of how big a problem is. Maybe if it was put that if every man, woman, and child in the USA spent the same amount on that porn revenue stream, they would be shelling out fifty dollars or more, it would be meaningful. (I don't have the exact numbers. I could be wrong by a factor of ten or more.)

[metmom]

I'm pinging even though this thread will undoubtedly be hijacked.

Making a bet with myself, trying to figure out how many posts till that happens. Your threads sure seem to draw them out of the woodwork.

[wagglebee]

I think they held back until the 4th or 5th post.

[HitmanLV]

Probably.

[metmom]

Wow, all the way to post 5.

Wow, I see genocide everyday along with slavery, and the neighborhood outside my front door is just a battleield. There are terrorists blowing themselves up down the street every day. Sure.

The moral decay of our society IS one of the most destructive problems in OUR society. It breaks down the family and social order and pornography clearly contributes to it. Virtually every sexual predator is involved with it and it's been known to give people ideas for sexual crimes. It's degrading to women and dejumanizes and desensatizes men. I agree with the Cardinal.

[Dilbert San Diego]

Pornography has become more explicit in recent years.

In the old days, Playboy only showed bare breasts and bare buttocks.

Then they moved on to some pubic hair. then full frontal nudity including close ups of genitals.

Pornography is so much more than nude girls. Now it's oral sex and excited genitals and climaxing genitals and seuxal intercourse fully displayed.

Now we're hearing more about children in pornography. Lines have to be drawn somewhere.

[mountn man]

Neither wagglebee nor the author of the article make the statement of creating a committee of limiting porn.

Wagglebee posted an article that states the detrements of pornography, and then makes the statement "Yet many would prefer to just pretend it isn't a problem."

Both Spinestein and Melas choose to make a judgement to Wagglebee's posting, and my response to Melas. Neither Wagglebee or myself made any reference to "controlling" others.

I know personally the affects that pornography can have. I see absolutely no benefit of pornography, but see all types of problems.

I don't know Wagglebee, but from his/her posting I would assume that he/she desires a betterment for man and society.

For me, I am a Christian, and I desire the betterment of man. I agree with the article, that pornography is a cancer on society. And I feel that posting an article like this exposes pornography for what it is. Spinestein and Melas you made statements based on assumptions, possibly from preconceived notions, but not based on any information that pertains to this posting. Sounds exactly like what the liberals do.