The Documented Effects of Pornography
By Editorial Staff
Published November 1991
In the September issue of The Forerunner (Vol. X, No. VI ), we examined the relationship between pornography and violent crime in an article entitled “Mass Murder and Pornography – Are They Related?”
Since the publication of the September issue, we have received a number of responses challenging the claim that pornography and violent crime are related. These responses implored us to use real, honest and acceptable facts in defending this position. As a follow up to the many questions generated by this article, we have decided to give a more complete overview of the research that has been done in this area.
The Effects of Pornography
Defenders of pornography argue that it is not harmful, and thus should not be regulated or banned. Citing the 1970 Presidential Commission on Obscenity and Pornography, they conclude that there is no relationship between exposure to erotic material and subsequent behavior. But two subsequent decades of research based on the increased production of more explicit and violent forms of pornography has shown the profound effects pornography can have on human behavior.
Psychologist Edward Donnerstein (University of Wisconsin) found that brief exposure to violent forms of pornography can lead to anti-social attitudes and behavior. Male viewers tend to be more aggressive towards women, less responsive to pain and suffering of rape victims, and more willing to accept various myths about rape.1
Dr. Dolf Zimmerman and Dr. Jennings Bryant showed that continued exposure to pornography had serious adverse effects on beliefs about sexuality in general and on attitudes toward women in particular. They also found that pornography desensitizes people to rape as a criminal offense.2
These researchers also found that massive exposure to pornography encourages a desire for increasingly deviant materials which involve violence, like sadomasochism and rape.3
Feminist author Diana Russell notes in her book Rape and Marriage the correlation between deviant behavior (including abuse) and pornography. She also found that pornography leads men and women to experience conflict, suffering, and sexual dissatisfaction.4
Researcher Victor Cline (University of Utah) has documented in his research how men become addicted to pornographic materials, begin to desire more explicit or deviant material, and end up acting out what they have seen.5
According to Charles Keating of Citizens for Decency Through Law, research reveals that 77 percent of child molesters of boys and 87 percent of child molesters of girls admitted imitating the sexual behavior they had seen modeled in pornography.
Sociologists Murray Straus and Larry Baron (University of New Hampshire) found that rape rates are highest in states which have high sales of sex magazines and lax enforcement of pornography laws.6
Michigan state police detective Darrell Pope found that of the 38,000 sexual assault cases in Michigan (1956-1979), in 41 percent of the cases pornographic material was viewed just prior to or during the crime. This agrees with research done by psychotherapist David Scott who found that “half the rapists studied used pornography to arouse themselves immediately prior to seeking out a victim.”
The Final Report of the 1986 Attorney General’s Commission on Pornography lists a full chapter of testimony (197-223) from victims whose assailants had previously viewed pornographic materials. The adverse effects range from physical harm (rape, torture, murder, sexually transmitted disease) to psychological harm (suicidal thoughts, fear, shame, nightmares).
The Facts on Pornography
A day-care director, now serving three years for three counts of first-degree sexual assault, confessed the he had “started picking up pornographic materials occasionally, going to bookstores … no one knew, not even my wife … now I do recognize fully the shocking facts about pornography and how it will draw you into its clutches away from God into sinful fantasies …”
Multiplied incidents like the above graphically illustrate how the $8 billion-per-year porn industry has carved inroads into American life:
- Nearly 900 theaters show X-rated films and more than 15,000 “adult” bookstores and video stores offer pornographic material, outnumbering McDonald’s restaurants in the U.S. by a margin of at least three to one.
- Each year, nearly 100 full-length pornographic films provide estimated annual box office sales of $50 million.
- Approximately 70% of the pornographic magazines sold eventually end up in the hands of minors.
- About 1.2 million children are annually exploited through child pornography and prostitution.7
God’s Purpose in Sex
The tragedy of sex apart from God’s ideal standard was no more forcefully presented than by this young lady who testified in Chicago before the 1986 Commission on Pornography:
“I am a former Playboy Bunny … I never questioned the morality of becoming a Playboy Bunny because the magazine was accepted at home. [During my time with Playboy] I experienced everything from date-rape to physical abuse to group sex and finally to fantasizing homosexuality as I read Playboy magazine.
“I was extremely suicidal and sought psychiatric help for the eight years I lived in a sexually promiscuous fashion. There was no help for me until I changed my lifestyle to be a follower of Jesus Christ and obeyed the biblical truths including no premarital sex.”
The agony of this young lady – and others like her – could have been avoided through an understanding of and obedience to God’s purposes in sex.
Pornography attacks the dignity of men and women created in the image of God.8 It also distorts God’s gift of sex which should be shared only within the bounds of marriage.9 And it frequently promotes sexual perversion (rape, incest, sodomy, bondage, torture, pedophilia) which is condemned by God.
From a biblical perspective, sexual intercourse is exclusively reserved for marriage for the following purposes:
- First, it establishes the “one-flesh” union.10
- Second, it provides for sexual intimacy within the marriage bond. The use of the word “know” indicates a profound meaning of sexual intercourse.11
- Third, sexual intercourse is for the mutual pleasure of husband and wife.12
- Fourth, sexual intercourse is for procreation.13
The Bible also warns against the misuse of sex. Premarital and extramarital sex is condemned.14 Even thoughts of sexual immorality (often fed by pornographic material) are condemned.15 Various forms of sexual perversion are also condemned in the Bible.16
Contrary to popular opinion, the Christian lifestyle of purity and abstaining from premarital and extramarital sex is not repressive or legalistic. People who have adopted this standard of purity can testify to the liberating power that it has had in their lives. Sexual purity not only is a defense against sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS, but it also can help to bring about stable and happy marriage and family relationships.
In hoping to live our lives according to biblical standards and obtain the happy benefits of this lifestyle, we must do two things. First, we must keep pure by fleeing immorality and thinking on those things which are pure.17 Second, we must work to remove this sexual perversion of pornography from society.
If you have any questions or comments about this subject, please contact us at The Forerunner, P.O. Box 4103, Gainesville, FL 32613
1 Pornography and Violence Against Women, 1980.
2 “Pornography, Sexual Callousness, and the Trivialization of Rape,” Journal of Communication, 1982.
3 “The Effect of Erotica Featuring Sadomasochism and Bestiality of Motivated Inter-Male Aggressions,” Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 1981. 4 Rape and Marriage, 1982.
5 “Where Do You Draw the Line?” 1974.
6 “Legitimate Violence and Rape: A Test of the Cultural Spillover Theory,” 1985.
7 Henry Boatwright, Chairman of the U.S. Advisory Board of Social Concerns. 8 Genesis 1:27. 9 1 Corinthians 7:2-3.
10 Genesis 2:24-25; Matthew 19:4-6. 11 Genesis 4:1.
12 Proverbs 5:18-19. 13 Genesis 1:28.
14 1 Corinthians 6:13-18; 1 Thessalonians 4:3.
15 Matthew 5:27-28. 16 Leviticus 18:6,23; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11.
17 1 Corinthians 6:18; Philippians 4:8.
Forerunner - Home » The Forerunner Newspaper » Pornography Battle
Your comments are welcome!
beautiful
Posted by george ezar quriado on 01/05/2009 05:36 AM #
YOU PEOPLE ARE IDIOTS!!! It is up to the person not what they watch that makes them do things. Porn does not screw people up, people are screwed up on their own, just look at who’s president now!!!
Posted by BOB on 01/27/2009 04:51 AM #
yes i agree porn is dissgusting and women should be treated with more respect. Porn is satanic and those who support it are foolish
Posted by keneth on 03/23/2009 02:33 PM #
I am a counselor. During counseling, I have worked with many individuals whose personal experience and testimony confirm the validity of this article. Sex is beautiful when it is approached God’s way. When sex is approached without God’s plan in mind, nothing good comes of it. Nothing. The fleeting high of illicit sex is far outweighed by the tragic long-term consequences of broken lives and spirits.
Posted by mitzi on 03/26/2009 08:38 AM #
Deep down inside everyone knows it is wrong. May everyone who has been taken in by pornography leave it and find a fulfilling, healthy relationship.
Posted by Sam on 04/21/2009 12:23 AM #
“ Porn does not screw people up, people are screwed up on their own, just look at who’s president now!!! “
What does this have to do with the article?
Anyway, pertaining to the topic, would you not agree that exposure reduces sensitivity to sexual deviance? Tell me, did you start at bikini models, then escalate to softcore, then hardcore? Where does this all lead? I completely agree that pornography has negative effects.
Posted by Visitor on 04/25/2009 05:46 PM #
I agree. I have often viewed pornography as I was lured into its addicting behavior. I, thankfully, have not performed any illegal acts, but I am ashamed to admit that it has stressed my marriage, and it has ruined my self esteem. I am striving to overcome this addiction – for truly it is addicting – and may God forgive me.
Posted by Anonymous on 05/18/2009 12:05 AM #
I am so glad to see that someone is talking about this subject. I also was exposed to porn as a young teenager and lived a promiscus life until I accepted Jesus Christ. I do have times that I battle with wanting to look at porn. I know the horrible effects it leads to so I choose not to. I have had two long term relationships ruined by porn. My present relationship will most likely be over now that I came home early from work and found him pleasuring himself with porn movies. My trust in him is gone. I wonder what the link is between men who view porno on computers and chances of these men going to the xxx bookstores and stripclubs. I so much appreciate your article and it is sooo true.
Posted by Lisa on 06/05/2009 11:16 AM #
thanks alot for the research we need more of practical way out on the each effect and solutions
Posted by rodgers kiprop cheptumo on 06/12/2009 10:06 AM #
Lisa
Although I don’t know you’re circumstances, don’t just loose you’re trust in someone because they are human (weak and prone to sin). If you really love the person, then try to love them through it, there’s a good chance that you will both become stronger and so will you’re relationship. Ask God for help and in his way he will provide it but make it you’re goal is to cooperate with him as you work out the difficulties of this debilitating addiction. Forgive me if I offend you but I know what it is to be a porn addict and have my wife completely reject me, when what I really needed was her help to overcome the problem.
Posted by Peter Anderson on 06/13/2009 06:20 AM #
I believe that porn affects relationships. I also believe that people that defend porn are people that are actively watching it. I think that because we are a society that is so dependent on technology and entertainment we are becoming desensitized and this is reflective in our relationships. Whatever happened to dating? Why does everyone wanna just hook up these days?! Because we have forgotten the purpose God has in our relationships and are becoming emotionally detached. Porn is another way to detach. It keeps us at arms length (at least from my experiences) and takes part of us from our relationships…
Posted by Tabby on 07/01/2009 09:00 PM #
I am currently researching serial killers in the United States. The correlation between pornography and the desire to kill (especially women and homosexual men) is unbelievable. There has been over a hundred serial killers in the U.S. to date and my estimate is 8 out of 10 have related their desire to kill with pornography. They also have common links such as being adopted, having an abusive childhood, and mental illnesses. The problem is that since the masses of people don’t display such destructive behavior from being exposed to pornography, that the legal system cannot and will not remove the right to privacy that allows people to view and own pornographic material. We have to, as individuals, take the small steps alone to bring awareness to the people around us of the, sometimes blind, effects that pornography has on individuals, our children, our neighbors, our friends, our own lives. Educate the person beside you, so we can educate the world, and thank you for the insightful article.
Posted by Stacey on 07/06/2009 10:31 AM #
Great!
Posted by Spangle on 07/07/2009 04:26 PM #
Thanks for the article. I hope it encourages everyone that the pure lifestyle is the lifestyle God wants and the best lifestyle for us.
Cheers
Posted by K on 07/10/2009 06:47 PM #
this is something we can not shy away from. it’s the most deadly of all human destroyers. let us put a stop to this. I’m on a book that will ease it off us. expect is real soon.
Posted by Noble Cyril on 07/23/2009 01:19 PM #
is it possible for us to get rid of all the porn website from the internet?..
Posted by some1 on 10/03/2009 05:57 PM #
Please, before you spew more misleading facts and figures, remember this: CORRELATION IS NOT CAUSATION. Over half of these facts do not support yor point, they simply show a correlation between sex and… hey, guess what, sex. saying that because rapists watch porn before raping and insisting that the porn made them do it is rediculous.
Posted by Michael on 10/16/2009 09:20 AM #
One needs to use very little common sense to realize that the artificially-induced sexual activities depicted in porn bring with them many personal and social side effects. I commend you for wanting to combat it for some of those reasons. However, god and religion should stay out of what we as people are capable of explaining and resolving ourselves. Unless we take responsibility for our own actions and stop acting like there is some superior power or being handling things for us through guidance or scripture (thereby having something or someone to rely on-although very comforting), nothing will get resolved. For instance, the guilt associated with many activities is a result of our intuition alarming us of engagement in activities that can potentially harm our bodies or minds. We don’t need to bring in god to realize such simple matters. Have a great life my friends and fellow human brothers and sisters.
Posted by Jason on 10/17/2009 03:47 PM #
People must be educated but the choice is ours. It is either you kill porn instantly or it kills you gradually.
Posted by Dr. G.A Umahi on 11/24/2009 09:56 AM #
The responses from many on here are a testament to the power of porn. One can easily discern the ones who support porn as the ones who engage in it and are happy with their sin. Obviously, some people visit this sort of website to offer scorn and derision to those who condemn these practices. They spit on the Lord, why would they not spit on His followers?
Another item of note is this: the humanists claim to not be able to find a god, yet their lives actually reveal His work in their lives. They would gladly fall down to the pit if the slide were made of pure joy.
Yet, when God intervenes in their dark times, they credit themselves for making the right decision instead of giving the Lord His due credit. They want to credit themselves for they worship themselves above anyone else.
Their actions reveal their true motives.
A bad tree will always bear bad fruit, my friends. The mind that got the person into a pit can not retrieve himself from the pit. Someone from outside the pit must be the one to help him out.
Posted by Seek the Lord on 12/18/2009 01:20 PM #
I am highly impressed with this article.it present a factual,comprehinsive and educative information on the consequences of ponography on humanity. islams comdems in totality.we are tought to lower our gaze and guard our modesty that is beter for us healthwise and spiritually.Humanbeings are not animals.Allah said he fashion humanbeins in the best of forms;but some of them by their sins will be reduced to the lowest of the low.i.e lower than animals in their thinking and behaviour.what a pity
Posted by Ibrahim Abubakar on 01/19/2010 06:37 AM #
I agree. I too have found my husband looking at porn sites and when I came into the house, he lied and told me that the porn site had just appeared as an ad (popup). It angers me that he thinks that I am so stupid that I don’t know what he is doing. I know how to do a search that details what sites he has been on, and I did and found over fifteen porn websites that he has visited. It bothers me because he is also smoking weed talks about Tiger Wood as being the devil from hell because of his sex addiction and can’t see that he is too addicted and is doing the same thing to me that that Tiger Woods was doing to his wife in being unfaithful. Who’s to say that Tiger’s addiction did not start out the same way as just watching porn, with no concern to his wife. Bottom line to me is that if you don’t have respect for yourself to be faithful to your partner, you bring in destruction to your relationship.
Posted by Ann on 02/15/2010 12:40 AM #
Stop bringing god into pornography you can’t use god as an excuse to as why you think its bad. Not everyone believes in that. But of coarse according to you everyone who doesn’t believe in god is going to hell. How ridiculous is that.
Posted by Zachary on 02/20/2010 10:36 AM #
Martin Luther (DVD) 1953 Classic
Niall MacGinnis – Digitally Remastered
The dramatic classic film of Martin Luther’s life was released in theaters worldwide in the 1950s and was nominated for two Oscars. A magnificent depiction of Luther and the forces at work in the surrounding society that resulted in his historic reforming efforts, this film traces Luther’s life from a guilt-burdened monk to his eventual break with the Roman Catholic Church.
In spite of its age, this film continues to be a popular resource to introduce Luther’s life. This historical epic captures the life and times of the greatest figure of the Protestant Reformation with depth and clarity, while giving a glimpse at the private man in the eye of the storm. Luther’s protest against the established order of the Church gave birth to one of the largest religious and cultural movements history and serves as a prime example of how one man’s spiritual convictions can change the course of human events.
Running Time: 105 minutes
$9.95 — ORDER NOW!
Click here for more information
The Beast of Revelation: Identified (DVD)
Who is the dreaded beast of Revelation?
Now at last, a plausible candidate for this personification of evil incarnate has been identified (or re-identified). Ken Gentry’s insightful analysis of scripture and history is likely to revolutionize your understanding of the book of Revelation — and even more importantly — amplify and energize your entire Christian worldview!
Historical footage and other graphics are used to illustrate the lecture Dr. Gentry presented at the 1999 Ligonier Conference in Orlando, Florida. It is followed by a one-hour question and answer session addressing the key concerns and objections typically raised in response to his position. This presentation also features an introduction that touches on not only the confusion and controversy surrounding this issue — but just why it may well be one of the most significant issues facing the Church today.
Ideal for group meetings, personal Bible study — for anyone who wants to understand the historical context of John’s famous letter “… to the seven churches which are in Asia.” (Revelation 1:4)
Running Time: 145 minutes
$17.95 — ORDER NOW!
Click here for more information
The Real Jesus: A Defense of the Historicity and Divinity of Christ (DVD)
Who is the Real Jesus?
Ever since the dawn of modern rationalism, skeptics have sought to use textual criticism, archeology and historical reconstructions to uncover the “historical Jesus” — a wise teacher who said many wonderful things, but fulfilled no prophecies, performed no miracles and certainly did not rise from the dead in triumph over sin.
Over the past 100 years, however, startling discoveries in biblical archeology and scholarship have all but vanquished the faulty assumptions of these doubting modernists. Regrettably, these discoveries have often been ignored by the skeptics as well as by the popular media. As a result, the liberal view still holds sway in universities and impacts the culture and even much of the church.
The Real Jesus explodes the myths of these critics and the movies, books and television programs that have popularized their views. Presented in ten parts — perfect for individual, family and classroom study — viewers will be challenged to go deeper in their knowledge of Christ in order to be able to defend their faith and present the truth to a skeptical modern world – that the Jesus of the Gospels is the Jesus of history — “the same yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). He is the real Jesus.
Speakers include: George Grant, Ted Baehr, Stephen Mansfield, Raymond Ortlund, Phil Kayser, David Lutzweiler, Jay Grimstead, J.P. Holding, and Eric Holmberg.
Ten parts, over two hours of instruction!
Running Time: 130 minutes
$19.95 — ORDER NOW!
Click here for more information
The Four Keys to the Millennium (Book)
Foundations in Biblical Eschatology
By Jay Rogers, Larry Waugh, Rodney Stortz, Joseph Meiring. High quality paperback, 167 pages.
All Christians believe that their great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will one day return. Although we cannot know the exact time of His return, what exactly did Jesus mean when he spoke of the “sign of His coming” (Mat. 24)? How are we to interpret the prophecies in Isaiah regarding the time when “the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea” (Isa. 11:19)? Should we expect a time of great tribulation or reformation and revival before the Lord returns? Is the devil bound now, and are the saints reigning with Christ? Did you know that there are four hermeneutical approaches to the book of Daniel and Revelation? These, and more questions, are dealt with by four authors as they present the four views on the millennium. Each view is then critiqued by the other three authors.
$9.95 — ORDER NOW!
Click here for more information
Amazing Grace: The History and Theology of Calvinism (DVD)
Download the Free on-line Study Guide!
Just what is Calvinism?
Does this teaching make man a deterministic robot and God the author of sin? What about free will? If the church accepts Calvinism, won’t evangelism be stifled, perhaps even extinguished? How can we balance God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility? What are the differences between historic Calvinism and hyper-Calvinism? Why did men like Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Spurgeon, Whitefield, Edwards and a host of renowned Protestant evangelists embrace the teaching of predestination and election and deny free will theology?
This is the first video documentary that answers these and other related questions. Hosted by Eric Holmberg, this fascinating three-part, four-hour presentation is detailed enough so as to not gloss over the controversy. At the same time, it is broken up into ten “Sunday-school-sized” sections to make the rich content manageable and accessible for the average viewer.
Running Time: 257 minutes
$19.95 — ORDER NOW!
This was an excellent article. I fully agree with all the points made. I can also attest to what was said; I once lived a sexually promiscuous life, and I know how tragic and negative the results of this lifestyle are. Since I have rededicated my life to Christ, I am a much happier, wholesome person. Thank you for putting this information out to the public. I am sure you will be truly blessed for it.
Posted by Sarah on 09/17/2008 03:02 PM #