Talking Points (Pornography)

Every citizen plays a role in forming the standards of the local and national community.

Silence about pornography indicates approval – both to elected leaders and society at large. Therefore, every Christian should be equipped to effectively communicate the dangers of pornography to those who would defend it.

The following talking points can equip you to engage others on this issue:

• Pornography has destroyed the lives of many individuals – including countless children.
• Pornography is addictive, and the addiction is progressive: once addicted, a person's need for pornography escalates, the person grows desensitized to obscene material, and this escalation and desensitization drives many addicts to act out their fantasies on others. ¹
• Experts believe that a pornography addiction may be harder to break that a heroin addiction. ²
• Pornography destroys marriages and families. Excessive interest in online pornography strongly contributes to divorce. ³
• Pornography seriously damages a child's mental and emotional development. Children cannot filter pornography out of their worldview; thus, exposure at a young age creates an unhealthy view of human sexuality.
• Children who are exposed to pornography tend to exhibit sexually deviant attitudes and behavior, including sexual violence and crime.
• Violent pornography reinforces aggressive behavior and negative attitudes toward women.
• Pornography plays a significant role in sexual violence. The most common interest among serial killers is hard-core pornography.
• Given the overwhelming evidence of pornography's harm, parents should act to protect their children from pornographic material. Efforts might include:
• Warning children about the dangers of pornography
• Establishing online safety basics
• Using computer filtering software
• Defining clear media standards
• Monitoring the amount and quality of all media children consume
• Giving children a compelling biblical worldview regarding God's design for sexuality and relationships – focusing on the good, the true and the beautiful.
• Given the overwhelming evidence of pornography's harm, the government has a compelling interest in protecting society from these damaging effects.
• Lax enforcement of federal and state laws has essentially given obscene material the protection denied to it in the Constitution. Active prosecution must change this trend.