Resisting the Powers of Pornography

By Steve Watters

Pornography is anything you see, read or hear that's designed to cause sexual arousal. It includes many types of media--magazines, books, movies music, the internet and more. Pornography promises thrills and sexual satisfaction, but it fails to deliver in these promises. It cant give anyone deep and lasting fulfillment.

A wise man once said, "can a man scoop fire onto his lap without his clothes being burned?" Along those lines, can you repeatedly bring sexually arousing images into your head without consequences? You may not be physically burned by sexual images, but psychologist argue that those images can actually be burned into your mind.

Emotional arousal causes the release of a hormone called epinephrine in your brain that chemically burns the pictures into your permanent memory. This affect is heightened by the combination of pictures and masturbation.

Porn affects real relationships, too. You may think that it's OK to experiment now, while you're single, but getting married won't stop a fascination with porn if you've already been feeding it. Often it's easier to get into a world of fantasy images than it is to get out.

Eve though pornography is not a source of lasting satisfaction, guys who view it usually do so because they are looking to fill a deep need. Pornography is a cheap substitute for what they're really seeking--intimacy. Intimacy means being known inside and out and being loved for who you are. Even is pornography provided accurate images of women (and it doesn't), it still only offers an image--not a real person. For many guys, an image is easier to relate than a young woman with a heart, mind and emotions. You don't have to impress an image or deal with any of the awkwardness that comes with relating to a real person. Porn promises intimacy and satisfaction, but leaves you empty and searching for more.


THE ILLUSION OF ONLINE RELATIONSHIPS
Some young people think chat rooms are a better alternative ti online porn sites because they provide opportunity to develop relationships that go beyond just images. but even words can distract people from their goal of real intimacy.

When interacting through chat rooms, e-mail or instant messages, you can be whomever you want to be. Most often, people give in to the temptation to exaggerate their strengths and camouflage their weaknesses.

An internet relationship can seem fun for a season -- swapping faceless messages can create the exhilaration of a masquerade ball. But after that season is over, what most people want is someone who will love them for who they really are. Intimacy of this kind requires a tremendous amount of face-to-face interaction. Cyber fantasies can never match the rewards of real-life relationships.

No Apologies, Chapter 2 - We All Want Healthy Relationships, page 24