Written by Marissa Halstead
Our culture is obsessed with sex. This statement is not shocking, as anyone can see through the media and advertising we consume every day. Humans are all inherently sexual beings, which is not a bad thing! We are all created in the image of God and God created our sexuality for good. On the other hand, because our sexuality is linked so closely to our entire personhood, our sexuality has the capacity to damage us if we do not care for it and guard it well.
Most Christians would claim that they think that viewing pornography is morally wrong, but that does not seem to change the statistics. In the United States, approximately 70% of men and 40% of women viewed pornography this year. The use of pornography is not limited to a certain race, age, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation or any other identifying factor. Apart from having the belief that viewing pornography is morally wrong, there are many other compelling reasons to stop watching it.
One strong reason to stop viewing pornography is because it negatively impacts the brain. According to the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, pornography exposure has been linked to physical damages in the brain. With the visual stimulus of pornography, the brain gets bombarded with overwhelming amounts of prolonged dopamine levels, which hijacks the brain’s natural reward system. Prolonged use of pornography can result in the brain physically deteriorating in shape, size, and chemical balance. When your brain changes, it changes you – for better or worse. What classifies an addiction is often the withdrawal that is associated with the substance. Similar to any other addiction, it is possible to dislike the urge to view pornography, but still feel bound to it for the high or perceived reward that it offers.
Thankfully, in His wisdom, God designed our brains to have the ability to create new neural pathways, and therefore, heal itself. Even if you’ve been viewing pornography for years, it is possible to experience healing and freedom from this. Recovery from addition requires honesty and humility. A mental health counselor can help you take steps toward being honest with yourself and others close to you. Part of healing is gaining self-understanding on how pornography has affected your life, how it became a negative coping skill, and how to replace the behavior with more productive and connecting activities. It takes effort, but there is always hope of change!
There are many other negative side effects and ethical issues with the pornography industry that I did not have time to cover in this blog. I encourage readers to look into Exodus Cry’s docuseries on YouTube entitled “Beyond Fantasy” and “Raised on Porn” for more information.
Statistics found at:
https://ballardbrief.byu.edu/issue-briefs/pornography-use-among-young-adults-in-the-united-states
https://endsexualexploitation.org/articles/brain-heart-world-1/
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