The Benefits Of Porn? Get A Clue
This piece about the benefits of porn, written by Amy Zhang, appeared recently in the Washington Square News, a news publication of New York University.
Ms. Zhang mentions, derisively, the anti-pornography arguments of former presidential hopeful Rick Santorum. Regardless of whether a person supports Santorum or not, many know first-hand how toxic pornography is to a marriage
i certainly know it from experience.
A simple search of Google may reveal information supporting the benefits of porn, as Ms. Zhang contends, but lots of things can be found on Google — including the very porn that if you are watching it when your wife walks in, will result in that marriage toxicity thing we mentioned earlier.
And so it should be. Pornography is a violation of deep trust for purely greedy reasons. It is demoralizing to suggest that women should get over it already and be fine with pornography. If some women are truly unbothered by porn, then so be it.
However, the responses to pornography that are most common; namely, shame and embarrassment for men who are caught consuming it, and feelings of rejection and infidelity by women who are victimized by their partners’ use of it, are most common for a reason.
Porn harms people. Even the performers in the movies and those who pose for the still shots are being harmed by it. Rather than being a victimless experience, pornography victimizes everyone who comes in contact with it.
Statistics are interesting animals. Ms. Zhang wants to use them to support her contention that porn is good for society. And there may be some studies to suggest that. However, plenty of stats would suggest the exact opposite.
You can find more at Covenant Eyes. But Here is a sampling:
According to the Journal of Adolescent Health, prolonged exposure to pornography leads to:
- An exaggerated perception of sexual activity in society
- Diminished trust between intimate couples
- The abandonment of the hope of sexual monogamy
- Belief that promiscuity is the natural state
- Belief that abstinence and sexual inactivity are unhealthy
- Cynicism about love or the need for affection between sexual partners
- Belief that marriage is sexually confining
- Lack of attraction to family and child-raising
The American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (divorce lawyers) reported that the most salient factors present in divorce cases are as follows:
- 68% of the divorces involved one party meeting a new lover over the Internet.
- 56% involved one party having “an obsessive interest in pornographic websites.”
- 47% involved spending excessive time on the computer.
- 33% involved excessive time spent speaking in chat rooms.
And finally, Ms. Zhang contends that ” Whether we like it or not, we are fundamentally wild animals, governed by some primordial instincts — for example, sexual desire.”
It’s a shame that Ms. Zhang has such a low view of humanity. But more to the point, if we are “fundamentally wild animals,” then why should we care about her first argument in defense of porn?
If we are governed by primordial instincts, then why does it matter that pornography helps reduce sex crime? Perhaps what we call sex crimes are a natural expression of the sexual desire that wild animals possess.
And even if not, why should the existence of sex crimes be of concern to me if it’s really all about my primordial instincts?
Intentional Warriors 
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