Most young people are worried about the effect of pornography, according to a new campaign. But the answer is not in normalising it, says Kate Harvey. It’s time for Christians to tell a better story about sex and human relationships
Digital media publisher, LADbible, recently launched a campaign ”to remove the taboo around porn and start an honest conversation about its effects and how we can move forward more positively”.
After interviewing more than 5,000 young people, they found that 77 per cent of Gen Z consume porn, and 80 per cent are worried about the effect it is having on their generation.
The Naked Truth Project has worked in this space for over a decade. We are grateful and encouraged to see this conversation become mainstream, as we believe that talking about porn is crucial. But it is not just an issue that affects young people, or those outside the Church. A recent report found that 55 per cent of US based Christians consume pornography. This needs to be tackled in both the mainstream and in the Church alike.
Almost half of all scenes include at least one act of physical aggression – in 97 per cent of cases, women were the target
LADbible’s argument is that porn is “never going to go away.” Therefore, people should consume it “consciously and ethically” - but is “conscious and ethical” porn use really possible?
The Christian sexual ethic focuses on the inherent value and worth of each participant and the relationship between them. As Christians, we believe that sex is a beautiful and amazing gift, so why would we consume a distorted view of sex from a distance?
Violence and porn
The report found that 64 per cent of young people thought porn influenced what turned them on, with 76 per cent wanting to replicate what they had seen. This is a huge issue when research shows that almost half of all scenes include at least one act of physical aggression – including spanking, gagging, slapping, hair pulling and choking. In 97 per cent of cases, women were the target of the aggression.
Pornography is fuelling a tsunami of violence against women and girls that the government is struggling to curb.
Then we must also consider the people on the screen. Pornography fuels human trafficking and coercion of those who lack choice. The most vulnerable in our society are most often the victims. The conversation about consent becomes complex when it can be bought for a price from people with the least economic agency by those with power.
Jesus fought for the powerless and we must do the same.
Made in God’s image
Pornography reduces humans, made in God’s image, to body parts whose sole function is to provide pleasure without demand. I have experienced the devastating impact of this within my own marriage. My husband turned from an engaged, communicative partner and father into someone who disregarded my words and ignored his kids. It was a deeply bewildering experience that I only understood many years later.
Pornography encourages the objectification of others. This can make real connection and communication difficult - and even undesirable - as our sexual templates are tuned to a less demanding source. Ultimately, intimacy is rejected in favour of intensity.
77 per cent of Gen Z consume porn, and 80 per cent are worried about the effect it is having on their generation
LADbible suggests that pornography can be consumed safely and ethically. I disagree. It is a trap in which the porn industry exploits both participants and consumers, seeking to sell us a product without thinking about the negative impacts.
LADbible’s research found that 50 per cent of men and 31 per cent of women have struggled to reduce or quit their consumption. The hijacking of our God-given sexuality by an industry who profits from producing a counterfeit is heartbreaking.
A sweeter song
The Naked Truth Project’s manifesto says: “We tell them: however you brand it, however you bottle it, poison will always be poison - no matter how you normalise and offer it”. Recently, Steven Bartlett, host of ‘Diary of a CEO’ podcast, said that he, too, was “arriving at the position where I think pornography is bad”.
The Church has a unique opportunity to call out the lie that God’s ways are boring and restrictive; to remind ourselves that there is a sweeter song for our sexuality. Pornography is a critical issue that is causing a public health crisis among younger generations. It is time for Christians to take it seriously and challenge the normalisation of something that is so far from God’s plan for human flourishing.
We must sing the song of freedom, grace and truth. God’s ways bring wholeness and health in our whole lives, including our sex lives.
No comments yet