Spirituality and pornography. Why is the latter wrong?

[Nalaar]

I think Jesus's words in Matthew 5 27-28 cover this subject.
27
You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.'
28
But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

I will add nothing.

This is my favourite passage of the bible, because it exposes something simple and dreadful about Christianity - thought crime.

---

As for the OP, I think Louise Perry is leading the counter-culture charge against modern sexual zeitgeist regarding prostitution, pornography, and other sex work. Perry recently had a conversation on UnHeard with Aella, linked below for anyone interested. I think that the concerns of exploitation, and treatment of people are justified and important, they fall short of convincing me that the solution is restrictive moral policing of an individuals sexual freedoms, and right to consent.

Aella meets Louise Perry: Was the sexual revolution a mistake?

[Barry]

https://www.gotquestions.org/fornication-adultery.html

Interesting Greek word porneia.

[T00ts]

I think Jesus's words in Matthew 5 27-28 cover this subject.
27
You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.'
28
But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

I will add nothing.

I guess the get out is the word adultery. So if you are single it's ok? No it isn't but that's another story.

[Barry]

I think Jesus's words in Matthew 5 27-28 cover this subject.
27
You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' 
28
But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

I will add nothing.

[T00ts]

I do not know enough about His teaching though what I do know sounds good to me and makes moral sense. Am uncertain about how it relates to porn though so probably don't know enough.

I have the added problem which is pretty central to a religion named after Christ, and that is that I doubt his supposed divinity. I believe Jesus existed and was a very good person probably with faith healing powers. But I have yet to accept that He is the son of God other than in the same sense that we are all the sons and daughters of God. I struggle a little with the very notion that a divine supreme being would even have a son.

So my doubts are fundamental and would need to be overcome before I could ever be a true believer.

I think you can tell that my heart and mind is open, but the kind of born again awakening you'd probably like me to experience is not thus far forthcoming.

Faith is not necessarily based on knowledge. It involves the heart as much as the mind. I recognised the truth of the Gospel and have built my confirming knowledge since. You just have to have the courage and humility to ask the question. Don't imagine that I want this for you - we all have free will and the life decisions we all make are entirely our own. You posed some questions and I was prompted to share the little I know.

[srb7677]

To be a Christian involves trying as hard as possible to live by Christ's teaching. I guess the first question is always do I believe in God and His Son? We all have free will and it is not our role to judge anyone but purely by my own experience, once God is recognised it changes one's perspective on life to the extent that one's eternal life becomes all important. We are told in Scripture to refrain from many things and to keep the Temple of the Lord (our body) and that includes our minds, pure.
It is not for me to persuade anyone what is and isn't right/wrong,  as with many decisions my answer is to pray to Our Father in Heaven with a genuine and honest heart and simply ask for that guidance not just in this question but more importantly if He is real. That is always the starting point. You will get an answer, not always in the way you might expect or even when you expect it, but it will be there.

I do not know enough about His teaching though what I do know sounds good to me and makes moral sense. Am uncertain about how it relates to porn though so probably don't know enough.

I have the added problem which is pretty central to a religion named after Christ, and that is that I doubt his supposed divinity. I believe Jesus existed and was a very good person probably with faith healing powers. But I have yet to accept that He is the son of God other than in the same sense that we are all the sons and daughters of God. I struggle a little with the very notion that a divine supreme being would even have a son.

So my doubts are fundamental and would need to be overcome before I could ever be a true believer.

I think you can tell that my heart and mind is open, but the kind of born again awakening you'd probably like me to experience is not thus far forthcoming.

[johnofgwent]

I can't see what the feminist argument against the porn my PA put all over the walls of the office would be. 

From my perspective as I said if I were posing for those shots they'd need a bigger, thicker rope for Tarzan to hide his nuts behind

[johnofgwent]

Love thy neighbour. (But not his wife.)

I thought it said thou shalt not covet thy neighbours wife nor his ass. His wife's ass is therefore on the table.

[papasmurf]

Love thy neighbour. (But not his wife.)

[T00ts]

In another discussion the subject of the immorality of pornography came up. I didn't want to derail that thread with a prolonged discussion of the pros and cons of that issue. So have created this one for that.

I have always been a social libertarian, tending towards the view that anything goes between consenting adults. That if consenting adults genuinely choose to involve themselves in the production of porn for whatever reason, then that's their choice. If others choose to view it, where is the moral problem if it's all consensual? But apparently in the eyes of God this is a terrible sin, presumably both for producers and consumers, even if it is entirely consensual and legal.

I have heard all the feminist arguments against porn and they have a point with some forms of it which I would never be interested in. Though their perspective that it is always horrible men doing nasty stuff to women utterly ignores the fact that it can just as readily be the other way around. Men can be victims of porn too. But the religious - specifically Christian - objection to it is not one I have ever psychologically engaged with. I have in fact been rather resistant to what I have habitually regarded as excessively judgementalist moralism based upon the idea of sex and sexual arousal itself being somehow sinful. The concept of something so natural and innate to us being sinful is one I have always rejected

But I am in listening mode, so prepared to listen to Christians try and persuade me or at least state what they believe and why.

To be a Christian involves trying as hard as possible to live by Christ's teaching. I guess the first question is always do I believe in God and His Son? We all have free will and it is not our role to judge anyone but purely by my own experience, once God is recognised it changes one's perspective on life to the extent that one's eternal life becomes all important. We are told in Scripture to refrain from many things and to keep the Temple of the Lord (our body) and that includes our minds, pure. 
It is not for me to persuade anyone what is and isn't right/wrong,  as with many decisions my answer is to pray to Our Father in Heaven with a genuine and honest heart and simply ask for that guidance not just in this question but more importantly if He is real. That is always the starting point. You will get an answer, not always in the way you might expect or even when you expect it, but it will be there.

[srb7677]

In another discussion the subject of the immorality of pornography came up. I didn't want to derail that thread with a prolonged discussion of the pros and cons of that issue. So have created this one for that.

I have always been a social libertarian, tending towards the view that anything goes between consenting adults. That if consenting adults genuinely choose to involve themselves in the production of porn for whatever reason, then that's their choice. If others choose to view it, where is the moral problem if it's all consensual? But apparently in the eyes of God this is a terrible sin, presumably both for producers and consumers, even if it is entirely consensual and legal.

I have heard all the feminist arguments against porn and they have a point with some forms of it which I would never be interested in. Though their perspective that it is always horrible men doing nasty stuff to women utterly ignores the fact that it can just as readily be the other way around. Men can be victims of porn too. But the religious - specifically Christian - objection to it is not one I have ever psychologically engaged with. I have in fact been rather resistant to what I have habitually regarded as excessively judgementalist moralism based upon the idea of sex and sexual arousal itself being somehow sinful. The concept of something so natural and innate to us being sinful is one I have always rejected

But I am in listening mode, so prepared to listen to Christians try and persuade me or at least state what they believe and why.