It's Always the Family - Whoever said that pornography is a victimless crime?

New Oxford Review ^ | January-February 2010

[GonzoII]

It's Always the Family

January-February 2010

Whoever said that pornography is a victimless crime?

"The family is usually the first to suffer from pornography," said Pope John Paul II in an address to the Religious Alliance Against Pornography back in 1992. "Con­sequently," he continued, "as the primary cell of society, the family must be the first to champion the battle against this evil."

It is apt, then, that the Family Research Council would authorize a study on "The Effects of Pornography on Individuals, Marriage, Family and Community," released this past November.

By 1992 the porn industry in the U.S. was firmly established, having emerged from the seedy, back-alley urban environs to which it was largely confined in the 1970s. The home-video boom of the 1980s (of which porn was arguably the cause) offered Americans the opportunity to welcome porn discreetly into their own bedrooms. Still, when John Paul identified it as a "serious threat to society as a whole," porn had yet to burgeon into the mammoth industry it now is.


The decade of the 1990s marked the beginning of the current golden age of pornography. Pornographic culture rippled all the way into the Oval Office, resulting in the impeachment of President Bill Clinton. And once the Internet took hold of our daily lives (thanks, Al Gore), pornography became America's open secret. Indeed, it could be argued that pornography fueled the success of the 1990s Internet boom.

[GonzoII]

[domenad]

Since a study showed that every single man with internet access has looked at porn, I guess the family is doing okay. Remember, your pastor has internet access.

[autumnraine]

1) I do not condone pornography, but I do condone freedom. Therefore I do not support laws against pornography.

2) The problem isn’t usually pornography as much as it is addiction to it. In that case, addiction of all sorts have destroyed families, including lottery addiction. You usually aren’t addicted to GOOD things, but I still have a problem with making everything that SOME get addicted to illegal. I know plenty of people out there are alcoholics, but I don’t support prohibition.

[corkoman]

3) Humans get addicted to the darndest things.

[Responsibility2nd]

You knew of course an anti-porn article would be flame-broiled as soon as you posted it, right?

[Le Chien Rouge]

I’m going to get flamed but since we blame the Individual for a murder rather then the weapon, why should we blame porn for the psychological issues of an individual??

[Tired of Taxes]

Ping

[Tired of Taxes]

Ping... this may be of interest.

[Uncle Miltie]

There’s a pretty simple fix for this problem, ladies.

[Hegewisch Dupa]

geez - don’t encourage my wife to put out my eyes, please....

[MrEdd]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0q_VGacfNk

[Wolfie]

Um...It’s not a crime, period.

[GonzoII]

"1) I do not condone pornography, but I do condone freedom. Therefore I do not support laws against pornography."

I think a deep understanding of human nature makes it easier for one to condone anti porn laws. BTW alcohol is not intrinsically evil, porn is.

[little jeremiah]

I’ll ping it out a little later today when I have time - the porn promoters are already here, I see.

[Antoninus]

1) I do not condone pornography, but I do condone freedom. Therefore I do not support laws against pornography.

Non sequitur. Using that logic, this statement is also possible:

"I do not condone child pornography, but I do condone freedom. Therefore, I do not support laws against child pornography."

[GonzoII]

Sad situation, Mr Edd, I didn’t realize HOW sad though.

[Lurker]

BTW alcohol is not intrinsically evil, porn is.

What is intrinsically evil about willing adults watching each other have sex?

[Michael Barnes]

I’m pretty sure autumnraine was talking about consenting adults, not children.

[Persevero]

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, “You shall not commit adultery,’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Mathew 5:27

Well, if you believe Jesus just said these things to be mean and deprive us of our fun, you’d just ignore it.

However, if you believe He loves us and wants us to be happy, you’d realize that this sin is extremely bad for mankind.

[Lurker]

Well, if you believe Jesus just said these things to be mean and deprive us of our fun, you’d just ignore it.

You can follow Jesus if you wish, that's your right.

It's not your right to force others to follow Him. It's called "liberty". You might want to look into it.

If you don't want to partake of erotic films, that's also your right. It's not your right to use the force of Law to prevent my wife and I from enjoying them in the privacy of our own home.

Everyone involved is a consenting adult so that quite frankly makes it none of your business.