Pornography

[missmuffet]

24 minutes ago, HAZARD said:

You know, I always believe in God even as a child before going to school or even church. I also have many catholic friends who are good people and believe in God. Jesus loves them as much as He loves us, He died for us all. 

Yes, He does love everyone. It makes Him very sad when someone ends up in hell. 

[OneLight]

9 hours ago, ProzacR said:

I must admit I have pornography issues.

I try to stop, but then I just move into some very bad dating sites, creepy games and then back to pornography. Even this morning I was happy how I overcome early urge into it, but around mid-day second wave somehow completely overwhelmed me. I saw just some google images results leading to lees then 5 minutes video, but now on evening I feel regret, loss of energy, and how I can not manage myself. Besides video was quite creepy and I feel regret how I could not use something more common at least.

Even as teenager I enjoyed it without realizing how addictive it can be.

All advises are welcome.

Such is the lust if the flesh.  We are told to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith. (2 Corinthians 13:5)

Galatians 5:16-26

16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control.  Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

The hardest part of any sexual sin is that God told us to go forth and multiply (Genesis 1:28), so within us is the desire to do so.  He made male and female to desire each other and this desire is very strong.  Man, through sin, has corrupted this bond of loving desire down to mere pleasure, a pleasure the lasts for an very short time.  When you fully commit you life to the Lord and allow Him to work in you through His Holy Spirit, you can leave the sinful nature in the shadows and begin living a new life in Christ, but it takes a willing heart to do so.  You have to seriously ask yourself which is more important to you; a few seconds of pleasure or an eternity of love you have never experienced before.  The decision is yours to make, just as it was mine.

[ProzacR]

Thank you all for answers.

[BK1110]

5 hours ago, ProzacR said:

Thank you all for answers.

Praying for you. You should also seek Christian counseling. Find one who can help you. It is a sin issue, but also an addiction issue. You should combat it as both.

[JohnD]

I am not saying God cannot or will not miraculously cure ProzacR from this addiction anymore than he could or would any other addiction.

Treating heroine addiction with scripture verses and glib statements will not do the trick either.

Ever try quitting smoking?

I have. It's the hardest thing I ever did.

It took years to be rid of the withdrawals and cravings.

Is lust so easily remedied?

2 Timothy 2:22 says to flee (run like a scared rabbit) from youthful lusts (meaning it is one of the hardest things to overcome in life).

1 Corinthians 6:18 (AV)
18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

I am not making shallow solution claims, I am pointing out the scriptures themselves claim this is the hardest thing most will face or fight:

Proverbs 7 (AV)
1 My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.
2 Keep my commandments, and live; and my law as the apple of thine eye.
3 Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.
4 Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman:
5 That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words.
6 For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,
7 And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding,
8 Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,
9 In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night:
10 And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart.
11 (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house:
12 Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.)
13 So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him,
14 I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows.
15 Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee.
16 I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.
17 I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18 Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves.
19 For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey:
20 He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed.
21 With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.
22 He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks;
23 Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.
24 Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.
25 Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths.
26 For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many STRONG MEN have been slain by her.
27 Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.

Porn is the same way. Alluring, seductive, stimulating enacting dopamine in the brain.

"God bless you, brother, be well and clothed and delivered from lust..." and other such platitudes won't cut the mustard.  

[JohnD]

Years ago Dr. James Dobson (founder of Focus on the Family radio) took part in the Attorney General's Commission on Pornography. He brought this to my attention on his broadcast:

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart famously said in his 1964 Order that he could not use words to describe pornography but "I know it when I see it."

Point being...

In fact, pornography can be described...

...trouble is, it steps on too many people's toes and its easier to say you can't describe it or just try to ignore it like the rest of us.

There is no doubt worse levels of it. But almost everyone one indulges in or are exposed to the "lesser" levels of it in daily society, entertainment, broadcasts, billboards, media of every kind. 

God's standards under the Law are very strict and quite specific. 

The Law was given to establish God's standards to a fallen, sin natured human race.

Every standard of God is the best and most ideal situation in every case for mankind... yet are the most unachievable by human beings... at least for very long.  

There used to be a sect of rabbis who were referred to as bloody rabbis because they were so afraid they would lust after a female that they would run into things

from always looking down (to avoid seeing female faces... which were about the only things that females uncovered at the time ).

Faces.

Edited July 9, 2022 by JohnD

[JohnD]

While I am not at all making light of the efforts to assuage pornography / lust or downplay its extremely high costs (addiction, loss of family, mistrust, loneliness, etc. just to name a few)

The Bible says you sin against your own (your very) self (1 Corinthians 6).

But efforts to refrain or constrain seldom last for very long (even when all of society adopts this cause like the Victorian Age)... for little by little lust and indulgence creep back in

desensitizing people and societies as it progresses.

When I was a boy (in the 1960's) short hemlines were the rage.

On Bewitched (a popular TV show at the time) a friendly witch brought Queen Victoria to her house where a TV was on showing girls at the beach in swimwear.

The Queen grabbed something and smashed the TV screen.

I'm not pointing any fingers here.

And I am trying to be as discrete as possible about the subject (for even the mere mention of it can invoke lust) ← which is why it was generally not right to mention in "polite company..."

But lust is the fallen sin nature abuse / misuse of what God intended for humans to have to procreate. Read Song of Solomon.

Avoidance (especially of the worse levels of lust and pornography) is the best way to deal with temptation. As best you can.

When the urge to look up porn or even gateway images strikes you, put down the device and do something else or contact someone who is a prayer partner for you.

Understand this is a very difficult temptation to deal with (unlike littering or foul language or not crossing a street on a red light)

this is more like one man on a dock trying to pull a battleship to mooring under his own strength while the tide pulls it away...

especially in a society that allows so much exposure of flesh as the norm.

You are not some sort of beast. Or an exception. But unfortunately the rule... 

People do overcome it in several ways

• avoidance
• prayer on the spot (1 John 1:9)
• desensitized to the lesser degrees of exposure all around

and more.

Christian Accountability Group / Lust

There are (were) Christian men's groups to contact (get a sponsor) to help deal with the temptation to watch porn (it has been decades since I have heard about these groups). 

I used to be on several boards that had this outreach / support. You might Google them or seek such ministries like them at your Church.

You don't have to go it alone. And you don't have to beat yourself up over it. And you don't have to let the devil beat you up for it either.

Again, God CAN miraculously cure you. But it is not always the case.  He is with you in Spirit in Christ through all things. But we are not in Heaven yet.

This life is the most hell Christians will ever know.

And at the same time,

it is the most Heaven unbelievers will ever know.

God be with you in all your struggles!

[JohnPaul88]

On 6/11/2022 at 7:16 PM, HAZARD said:

He is Catholic!

You say that, like there is something wrong in being Catholic, they are Christians also.

[Rick-Parker]

6 hours ago, JohnPaul88 said:

You say that, like there is something wrong in being Catholic, they are Christians also.

As long as they are born again. John 3:3 says, ' In response Jesus said to him: “Most truly I say to you, unless anyone is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”'

[HAZARD]

12 hours ago, JohnPaul88 said:

You say that, like there is something wrong in being Catholic, they are Christians also.

Practicing Catholics are not Christian, and sadly, they don't know it.

Here's a ;list of Catholic heresies.



OF ALL THE HUMAN TRADITIONS taught and practiced by the Roman Catholic Church,
which are contrary to the Bible, the most ancient are the prayers for the dead
and the sign of the Cross. Both began 300 years after Christ.

Year, 310

Wax Candles introduced in church

320

Veneration of angels and dead saints

375

The Mass, as a daily celebration, adopted

394

The worship of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and the use of the term, "Mother
of God", as applied to her, originated in the Council of Ephesus

431

Priests began to dress differently from the laity

500

Extreme Unction

526

The doctrine of Purgatory was first established by Gregory the Great

593

The Latin language, as the language of prayer and worship in churches, was also
imposed by Pope Gregory I. 600 years after Christ



The Word of God forbids praying and teaching in an unknown tongue. (1st
Corinthians 14:9).

600

The Bible teaches that we pray to God alone. In the primitive church never were
prayers directed to Mary, or to dead saints. This practice began in the Roman
Church.



(Matthew 11:28; Luke 1:46; Acts 10:25-26; 14:14-18)

600

The Papacy is of pagan origin. The title of pope or universal bishop, was first
given to the bishop of Rome by the wicked emperor Phocas.



This he did to spite Bishop Ciriacus of Constantinople, who had justly
excommunicated him for his having caused the assassination of his predecessor
emperor Mauritius. Gregory 1, then bishop of Rome, refused the title, but his
successor, Boniface III, first assumed title "pope."



Jesus did not appoint Peter to the headship of the apostles and forbade any
such notion. (Luke 22:24-26; Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18; 1st
Corinthians 3:11).



Note: Nor is there any mention in Scripture, nor in history, that Peter ever
was in Rome, much less that he was pope there for 25 years; Clement, 3rd bishop
of Rome, remarks that "there is no real 1st century evidence that Peter
ever was in Rome."

610

The kissing of the Pope's feet



It had been a pagan custom to kiss the feet of emperors. The Word of God
forbids such practices. (Read Acts 10:25-26; Revelation 19:10; 22:9).

709

The Temporal power of the Popes



When Pepin, the usurper of the throne of France, descended into Italy, called
by Pope Stephen II, to war against the Italian Lombards, he defeated them and
gave the city of Rome and surrounding territory to the pope. Jesus expressly
forbade such a thing, and He himself refused worldly kingship. (Read Matthew
4:8-9; 20:25-26; John 18:38).

750

Worship of the cross, images and relics was authorized



This was by order of Dowager Empress Irene of Constantinople, who first caused
to pluck the eyes of her own son, Constantine VI, and then called a church
council at the request of Hadrian I, pope of Rome at that time.



Such practice is called simply IDOLATRY in the Bible, and is severely
condemned. (Read Exodus 20:4; 3:17; Deuteronomy 27:15; Psalm 115).

788

Holy Water, mixed with a pinch of salt and blessed by the priest, was
authorized

850

The veneration of St. Joseph began

890

The baptism of bells was instituted by Pope John XIV

965

Canonization of dead saints, first by Pope John XV



Every believer and follower of Christ is called saint in the Bible. (Read
Romans 1:7; 1st Colossians 1:2).

995

Fasting on Fridays and during Lent were imposed



Imposed by popes said to be interested in the commerce of fish. (Bull, or
permit to eat meat), some authorities say, began in the year 700. This is
against the plain teaching of the Bible. (Read Matthew 15:10; 1st Corinthians
10:25; 1st Timothy 4:1-3).

998

The Mass was developed gradually as a sacrifice; attendance made obligatory in
the 11th century.



The Bible teaches that the sacrifice of Christ was offered once and for all,
and is not to be repeated, but only commemorated in the Lord's Supper. (Read
Hebrews 7:27; 9:26-28; 10:10-14).

 

The celibacy of the priesthood was decreed by Pope Hildebrand, Boniface VII



Jesus imposed no such rule, nor did any of the apostles. On the contrary, St.
Peter was a married man, and St. Paul says that bishops were to have wife and
children. (Read 1st Timothy 3:2,5, and 12; Matthew 8:14-15).

1079

The Rosary, or prayer beads was introduced by Peter the Hermit, in the year
1090. Copied from Hindus and Mohammedans



The counting of prayers is a pagan practice and is expressly condemned by
Christ. (Matthew 6:5-13).

1090

The Inquisition of heretics was instituted by the Council of Verona in the year
1184. Jesus never taught the use of force to spread His religion

1184

The sale of Indulgences, commonly regarded as a purchase of forgiveness and a
permit to indulge in sin.



Christianity, as taught in the Bible, condemns such a traffic and it was the
protest against this traffic that brought on the Protestant Reformation in the
16th century.

1190

The dogma of Transubstantiation was decreed by Pope Innocent III, in the year



By this doctrine the priest pretends to perform a daily miracle by changing a
wafer into the body of Christ, and then he pretends to eat Him alive in the
presence of his people during Mass. The Bible condemns such absurdities; for
the Lord's Supper is simply a memorial of the sacrifice of Christ. The
spiritual presence of Christ is implied in the Lord's Supper. (Read Luke
22:19-20; John 6:35; 1st Corinthians 11:26).

1215

Confession of sin to the priest at least once a year was instituted by Pope
Innocent III., in the Lateran Council



The Bible commands us to confess our sins direct to God. (Read Psalm 51:1-10;
Luke 7:48; 15:21; 1st John 1:8-9).

1215

The adoration of the wafer (Host), was decreed by Pope Honorius



So the Roman Church worships a God made by human hands. This is plain idolatry
and absolutely contrary to the spirit of the Gospel. (Read John 4:24).

1220

The Bible forbidden to laymen and placed in the Index of forbidden books by the
Council of Valencia



Jesus commanded that the Scriptures should be read by all. (John 5:39; 1st
Timothy 3:15-17).

1229

The Scapular was invented by Simon Stock, and English monk



It is a piece of brown cloth, with the picture of the Virgin and supposed to
contain supernatural virtue to protect from all dangers those who wear it on
naked skin. This is fetishism.

1287

The Roman Church forbade the cup to the laity, by instituting the communion of
one kind in the Council of Constance



The Bible commands us to celebrate the Lord's Supper with unleavened bread and
the fruit of the vine. (Read Matthew 26:27; 1st Corinthians 11:26-29).

1414

The doctrine of Purgatory was proclaimed as a dogma of faith by Council of
Florence



There is not one word in the Bible that would teach the purgatory of priests.
The blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sins. (Read 1st John 1:7-9;
2:1-2; John 5:24; Romans 8:1).

1439

The doctrine of 7 Sacraments affirmed



The Bible says that Christ instituted only two ordinances, Baptism and the Lord's
Supper. (Read Matthew 28:19-20; 26:26-28).

1439

The Ave Maria, part of the last



It was completed 50 years afterward and finally approved by Pope Sixtus V, at
the end of the 16th century.

1508

The Council of Trent, held in the year 1545, declared that Tradition is of
equal authority with the Bible



By tradition is meant human teachings. The Pharisees believed the same way, and
Jesus bitterly condemned them, for by teaching human tradition, they nullified
the commandments of God. (Read Mark 7:7-13; Colossians 2:8; Revelation 22:18).

1545

The apocryphal books were added to the Bible also by the Council of Trent



These books were not recognized as canonical by the Jewish Church. (See
Revelation 22:8-9).

1546

The Creed of Pope Pius IV was imposed as the official creed 1560 years after
Christ and the apostles



True Christians retain the Holy Scriptures as their creed. Hence their creed is
1500 years older than the creed of Roman Catholics. (Read Galatians 1:8).

1560

The Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary was proclaimed by Pope Pius IX



The Bible states that all men, with the sole exception of Christ, are sinners.
Mary herself had need of a Savior. (Read Romans 3:23; 5:12; Psalm 51:5; Luke
1:30,46,47).

1834

In the year 1870 after Christ, Pope Pius IX proclaimed the dogma of Papal
Infallibility



This is a blasphemy and the sign of the apostasy and of the antichrist
predicted by St. Paul. (Read 2nd Thessalonians 2:2-12; Revelation 17:1-9;
13:5-8,18).



Many Bible students see the number of the beast (Rev. 13:18), 666 in the Roman
letters of the Pope's title: "VICARIVS FILII DEI." -- V-5, I-1;
C-100, I-1; V-S, I-1; L-50, I-1; I-1; D-500, I-l — Total, 666.

1870

Pope Plus X, in the year 1907, condemned together with "Modernism",
all the discoveries of modern science which are not approved by the Church



Pius IX had done the same thing in the Syllabus of 1864.

1907

In the year 1930 Pius XI, condemned the Public Schools

1930

In the year 1931 the same pope Pius XI, reaffirmed the doctrine that Mary is
"the Mother of God"



This doctrine was first invented by the Council of Ephesus in the year 431.
This is a heresy contrary by Mary's own words. (Read Luke 1:46-49; John 2:
l-5).

1931

In the year 1950 the last dogma was proclaimed by Pope Pius XII, the Assumption
of the Virgin Mary

1950



Cardinal Newman, in his book, “The Development of the Christian Religion,”
admits that ... “Temples, incense, oil lamps, votive offerings, holy water,
holidays and season of devotions, processions, blessing of fields, sacerdotal
vestments, the tonsure (of priests and monks and nuns), images ... are all of
pagan origin...” (Page 359).