Pornography: A Big Problem

by Dr. Randy Gilchrist, LDS Psychologist
www.LDSdimension.com (FREE LDS online dating site)

Pornography is a bigger problem today than it's ever been in the existence of mankind. Never before have pornographic images and videos been so conveniently and pervasively available. Pornography is just a few clicks or key words away on smart phones, tablets, and computers. In addition, movies, television, magazines, billboards, and many other mediums make pornography so easily and readily available to whomever wants to see it. Our technological advances have truly brought everything--including pornography--immediately available right into the convenience and privacy of your home.

What is pornography? According to the Webster dictionary, it is "movies, pictures, magazines, etc., that show or describe naked people or sex in a very open and direct way in order to cause sexual excitement". "Softcore pornography" consists of the "showing or describing sex acts but not in an extremely open and shocking way", whereas "hardcore pornography consists of "pornography featuring sexual penetration and other sexuality explicit acts". Taken together, both fall under the general definition of pornography.

Pornography Statistics: Pervasiveness/Problems Caused By It

Here are a few disturbing recent statistics showing just how pervasive and troublesome the use of pornography has become today:

*70-80% of men look at pornography at least once a month.
* A Cosmopolitan survey of 4000 men and 4000 women found that more than 30% of the men watched porn daily.
* The number of Christian men viewing pornography virtually mirrors the national average: 77% of those ages 18-30 view porn at least monthly. 36% daily.
* 90% of Christian men admitted that they were feeling disconnected from God because lust, porn, or fantasy had gained a foothold in their lives.
*64% of Christian church LEADERS struggle with sexual addiction.
* The average teenager spends three to four hours per day watching television and 83% of the programming most frequently watched by adolescents contains some sexual content
*LDS.ORG as of 2008, an estimated 9 out of 10 (90%) young men and nearly one-third of young women reported using pornography.
*17% of all women struggle with porn addiction
*Women favor chat rooms 2x more than men.
*1 of 3 visitors of all adult web sites is a woman.
*In a 2003 survey of 350 members of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, 62% said the Internet was a "significant factor" in divorce cases they had handled the last year. The most-cited problems included meeting a new love interest (68%) and obsessive interest in pornographic sites (56%).
*From a survey of 75,000 men: 64% said their “taste” in porn had become more extreme or deviant with use, and created waning interest in their life partner.

(2 sources: http://makemyburdenlight.blogspot.com/2016/04/pornography-addiction-statistics-70.html and http://www.sagu.edu/thoughthub/pornography-statistics-who-uses-pornography).

Scriptures vs. Pornography

*…whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
--Matthew 5:28

* For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
--1 John 2:16

*To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids. For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life. Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?
--Proverbs 6:24-27

General Authority Quotes vs. Pornography

*“Pornographic or erotic stories and pictures are worse than filthy or polluted food. The body has defenses to rid itself of unwholesome food. With a few fatal exceptions, bad food will only make you sick but do no permanent harm. In contrast, a person who feasts upon filthy stories or pornographic or erotic pictures and literature records them in this marvelous retrieval system we call a brain. The brain won’t vomit back filth. Once recorded, it will always remain subject to recall, flashing its perverted images across your mind and drawing you away from the wholesome things in life.”
--Elder Dallin H. Oaks
"Pornography", April 2005 General Conference

*"… there appears before us in this generation a sinister and diabolical enemy—pornography. Like the bark beetle it too is the carrier of a deadly disease. I shall name it “pernicious permissiveness.” At first we scarcely realize we have been infected. We laugh and make light-hearted comment concerning the off-color story or the clever cartoon. With evangelical zeal we protect the so-called rights of those who would contaminate with smut and destroy all that is precious and sacred. The beetle of pornography is doing his deadly task—undercutting our will, destroying our immunity, and stifling that upward reach within each of us."
--Elder Thomas S. Monson
"Pornography--the Deadly Carrier", October 1979 General Conference

*" [Pornography] is like a raging storm, destroying individuals and families, utterly ruining what was once wholesome and beautiful."
--President Gordon B Hinkley
"A Tragic Evil Among Us", October 2004 General Conference

Final Thoughts
The purpose of this article is to define what pornography is, how prevalent it is today, and some of the problems it causes. In my next article, I will offer some ideas and suggestions for ways to battle and overcome pornography. You too can overcome the chains of pornography, and instead enjoy a healthy, appropriate relationship with the opposite sex the way it was meant to be. Because "…neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 11:11).

Best wishes,
Dr. G

**To readers: to submit a question to Dr. G for a future Q and A column, please send your questions to drgilchrist@yahoo.com. Also, please register for a free account at www.ldsdimension.com for access to previous and future Dr. G articles.

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About the author

Hello, my name is Dr. Randy Gilchrist (aka "Dr. G"). I am a licensed clinical psychologist, a licensed marriage & family therapist, and a certified hypnotherapist in private practice in Roseville, CA (www.dr-rg.com), practicing since 1997. Also, I am happily married in the temple (Manti) since 1996 and have 4 sons. I am a volunteer writer and contributor to LDS Dimension. I use my training, education, and experience to share insights with LDS Dimension on all things of interest to the LDS dating community. Please read my articles and columns on this site to assist you in your online dating journey. Also, to be considered for an answer in a future Q and A column, please email me your dating/relationship oriented questions to drgilchrist@yahoo.com. Finally, I also offer a powerful, effective worldwide custom hypnosis recording service just for LDS Dimension members for weight loss, pornography, and many other issues of concern to those in the LDS dating community (please learn more now at www.dr-rg.com/lds; email me questions to drgilchrist@yahoo.com).