Healthy Porn?

Recently on a group (which I have since departed) one of the participants posted an argument for the healthiness of pornography in society.  The argument was essentially that "in the west" things are getting more and more open regarding sexuality, whereas "in the east" things are still more repressed.  The "healthy" argument states that pornography gives a "healthy release" of sexuality, and that all humans are sexual beings so such a release is necessary - be it in a physical sexual relation, or through pornography.

The point this proponent of porn misses is that ALL pornography is misdirected.  Why is it so?  The sexuality of persons involved in porn are being exploited by the producers of it.  Granted, some in the porn "industry" are paid, some quite well, but their bodies are being exploited in an immoral way.  Right now I can hear those in favor of porn crying out, "Don't force your morality on me!"  Well, "my morality" is not only based upon Judeo-Christian values, but upon the rights of each individual.  Let us examine this a bit more carefully.

The rights of each individual do not include the right to yell "Fire!" in a crowded theater, where there is no fire.  Likewise, no one has the "right" to display their pornography where my 14 year old child can view it.  The ease of access to pornography, especially on the Internet, is an exploitation of those who may view it and be influenced by it, not to mention that those who are "viewed" are being exploited - whether they are reimbursed financially for this exploitation or not.

Why is pornography a morally wrong thing?  The participation in "the marriage act" by couples who are not married is a corruption of "the marriage act."  "The marriage act" is a gift from God, and it's a wonderful gift intended to bond husband to wife as they part from their respective parents.

The physical basis for "the marriage act" is also human reproduction.  This too is a wonderful gift from God allowing us to participate in the process of procreation with the Creator.  Any deviation from the physical completion of "the marriage act" is also a corruption of that gift.  Thus the "self gratification" which often accompanies pornography is itself a corruption of God's gift intended for married couples, not only as an expression of their love for one another - but also for the blessing of children to the family.  How many in the porn "industry" are engaging in "the marriage act" with the intent to produce children - or at least not with the intent to prevent the conception of children?  Once the intention becomes to prevent conception - or worse to terminate conception, right there the participants and supporters of this production (right down to the consumer) have crossed the line of immorality in regard to "the marriage act."

I have also heard the argument, "What if a husband and wife are using the porn to 'enhance' their own sexuality?"  One has to ask what led to this?  Why is not a healthy sexual relationship between a husband and his wife enough?  What led them to seek out external stimulation?  Is it rooted in one or the other seeking such "entertainment" outside "the marriage bed" and perhaps justifying their own guilt by introducing it to "the marriage bed?"  Then there's the support of the porn industry by such a married couple - it is a tacit endorsement of the immorality being conducted by the porn "industry."  How many of the participants in pornography are married to each other in a monogamous relationship?  Yet each time someone buys or rents such, they are lending their support to the porn industry.

What it essentially boils down to is pornography is hedonistic immorality.  Those who support porn do so because it pleases themselves, and they basically don't care about the ramifications it has upon others and society and more importantly the eternal well-being of souls.  Why should their lack of caring for the eternal well-being of souls (because many of them may not even believe in an eternal soul) be allowed to trample over the rights of those who DO believe in eternity?  And then they want the "freedom" to push THEIR morality upon the rest of us!  When laws are attempted to restrict the availability of pornography are proposed - the proponents are all over screaming for their "right" to "freedom of expression."  Again, I remind the reader, this is like screaming "Fire!" in a crowded theater when there is no fire except this is on a spiritual level.  People in the theater may be hurt or even killed by this unordered exercise of what someone may feel is their "right."  Likewise, on the spiritual level, souls may be harmed or even "killed" by the actions of the porn industry - and they have NO RIGHT to endanger the souls of others, especially of minors.  Non-believers have no right to force their morality on me or my family!

The subject addressed thus far has been "porn" or what some would call "hardcore porn," but this can also be addressed to many of the television shows available to everyone, everyday being broadcast over the air or through cable to the television sets in virtually every household "in the west."  These programs (and some commercials too), which may not explicitly show every aspect of "the marriage act" as "hardcore porn" does, still portray non-married couples living together and sometimes even showing them in the bedroom engaging in "the marriage act," (be it under sheets or through camera angles which don't "show anything").  How is this not the pushing of the (lack of) morals by these television producers and actors upon others?  Certainly we can exercise our right to change channels, but not always is there a parent around who can enforce such an act within their house.  I must admit, there are times when I have been watching television and before you realize it, the scene has changed to something I'd rather not my children see.  When one thinks about it, WHY would we not want our children to see such things?  The "WHY" there is huge because if it's not "OK" for them to see it, why is it "OK" for an adult to watch it?  Simply because an adult can "sort things out better?"  Why put such deviancy in our minds to begin with that WE have to "sort it out?"

That being said, one cannot even drive down the road without being exposed to sexually centered advertising.  Society "in the west" has become so numbed to the exposure of sexual content in selling just about everything from beer to sex itself - that the reality of this exposure doesn't even register as something wrong, misdirected or immoral.

In short, if it is MY morality to not expose myself and my children to pornography, even the "soft porn" on television or billboard signs, and I have a RIGHT to my morality, then what gives another the "right" to force their more liberal morality upon me and my family?