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The
spreading evil of pornography
PRAISED BE JESUS
CHRIST!
(Now and Forever)
Several pastors have urged me to dedicate one of my weekly columns to
the topic of pornography. They know from the confessional and counseling
that the evil of pornography is spreading. What once was the shameful
and occasional vice of a few has become mainstream entertainment for
many. Never before have so many Americans been tempted by pornography.
Often it is an uninvited part of the Internet, cable, satellite and
broadcast outlets, cell phones, and portable gaming and entertainment
devices. Rarely is it seen as destructive, but when it becomes an
addiction, that is precisely what it is.
Pornography depicts the body in an exploitative way. Images are created
and viewed for the purpose of sexual pleasure. The production, viewing
and spread of pornography violate the God-given dignity of persons
intended to be temples of the Holy Spirit. Objectively, pornography is
evil.
It needs to be said straight out that the willful use of pornography is
sinful. Those who engage in pornographic activity — its manufacture,
distribution, sale and viewing — with full knowledge and complete
consent, commit a mortal sin. This deprives them of sanctifying grace,
destroys the life of Christ in their souls and restricts their
eligibility to receive holy Communion until they have obtained
absolution through the sacrament of penance.
The immorality of pornography is rooted in the fact that it distorts the
truth about human sexuality. It perverts the conjugal act.
To claim pornography causes no harm is nonsense. It is not part of the
maturing process by which individuals come to understand themselves as
sexual persons. It dehumanizes the viewer. The continual use of
pornography limits a person’s ability to attain intimacy with another
person. It is not just a piece of the maturing process by which a person
comes to understand himself or herself a sexual person.
While there is a great concern for the young and about the sources of
pornography which have become readily accessible to them, the focus of
this column is on what pornography is doing to families.
Addiction to pornography damages the family, the basic cell of society,
because it immerses all who are involved in the illusion of a fantasy
world. The use of pornography turns attention and affection away from
spouses. It creates unrealistic and often immoral expectations for their
intimate life. The person addicted to pornography approaches his or her
spouse as a means for personal gratification and not as a loving
partner. Priests and counselors know how great a threat pornography
poses to marriage and the large number of families that have already
suffered division due to its effects.
The flourishing of the family is dependent upon the growth of family
members in holiness and true human love. This is a love whose primary
concern is for the good of the other. It is in the experience of human
love that children grow in grace and wisdom and become integrated and
virtuous members of society. True human love does not arise from selfish
desire, but rather from self-giving. It is in the example of self-giving
expressed by loving parents that children develop the potential to
commit to intimacy with another and to intimacy with God. When family
members turn to pornography in a distorted thirst for intimacy, they
turn against — and in some measure, reject — the commitment to family.
Once given over to pornography, the family member normally makes great
effort to keep this betrayal secret. Ultimately, however, it is vain to
expect that a secret which distorts the core of sexuality can remain a
secret from those to whom one has pledged his or her love and life. The
betrayal, if not made completely known, will be reflected in the
betrayer.
The first to feel the violence of pornographic use is the spouse.
Pornography is a sin against the human dignity of the one who has
promised exclusivity of affection. The use of pornography is a violation
of the commitment to marriage. When one’s committed partner turns to
illusion and pleasure in pornographic images, this rejection, if left
unhealed, will often lead to the permanent destruction of the marriage.
Just as it is a vain hope for a spouse using pornography to keep this
sin a secret, it is also a vain hope to think that the material itself
can be kept secret. Children encounter the material that has caused
damage to their family and are introduced to an understanding of
sexuality not intended by their parents. Instead of learning and
experiencing the nobility of the human person created in the image and
likeness of God, they experience the derogation of the human person
reduced to a commodity, to an object.
Few living in our sexually permissive culture can totally separate
themselves from the scourge of pornography. Even those who do not
directly participate in the use of pornography are affected to a greater
or lesser degree. Yet, if those who have given in to this vice were to
answer honestly whether pornography makes them happier or a better
person, only the most dismissive would say “yes.”
It needs to be noted that while husbands and wives share equal dignity
as persons, they do not share temptations equally, specifically
temptations associated with the scourge of pornography. The use of
pornography is largely, although not exclusively, associated with males.
If a marriage begins to be damaged by pornography, it will most likely
be introduced by the husband.
Husbands, be aware that your solemn promise of faithfulness is damaged
by the use of pornography. Strive to bring honor to the promise you made
at the beginning of your married life.
Seeking comfort in the illusion of pornography will incrementally
corrupt your understanding of self, your perception of your wife, and
the model you present to your children. It is futile to believe that
this secret preoccupation can be contained and isolated from family
life. In many ways, the self-centeredness and disrespect of self and
others, which lie at the heart of this vice, will become manifest in
your relationships with your family.
All must remember our moral obligation not to place ourselves knowingly
and deliberately in the occasion of sin. My fervent prayer is that when
it comes to pornography, people of goodwill will understand the threat
embedded in it, confront it, facilitate true healing, and determine to
reject it. It violates chastity. It leads to sins against purity. It is
destroying marriages. It turns otherwise good people into sex addicts.
We must not allow it to become part of our lives. |
