The elephant is pornography.

The sin of lust by way of pornography is widespread amongst men in our country, yet we rarely talk about it.

Why? Because many men have lusted after women by looking at pornography and rightfully feel ashamed of it, such that the very mention of the word evokes this shameful feeling.

I had a conversation today with some friends of mine when I brought up pornography as evidence that good sexual desires, when twisted, can be manifested in multiple ways. That led to a discussion of pornography and whether it was right or wrong for a man to look at it and lust.

When I became a Christian, I became convinced that pornography was wrong, but it was not until I became a Catholic that I understood the full reasons why. I hope to explain why it is wrong and offer some encouragement for men struggling to overcome this sin.

For me, pornography evokes regret that I ever looked at it, sadness for the hurt it caused to God, to myself, and to the world, and at the same time gratitude for the fact that our Lord, Jesus Christ, has forgiven me of these sins and turned the tide from lust to love in my heart, giving me the grace to become a man of physical integrity.

Pornography weakens men because it is a sin, and giving in to the temptation to lust weakens our self-mastery.

Eventually, if this sin becomes a habit, it further erodes our masculine strength because we feel helpless against the temptation.

The solution is perseverance and grace, along with educating our minds in the truth of who we are as man and woman.

You see, pornography does not show too much of the woman; rather, it shows too little. In a man’s heart, pornography reduces the woman, a glorious creature made in the image of God as the substantial union of body and soul, to just a body, which can then be an object of lust and sexual gratification for the man.

This sexual gratification has neither unitive nor procreative capacity: It does not unite the man with his wife, nor is it possible to procreate from the act, which proves that it is altogether selfish and an attempt to frustrate the good design of our Creator and Father.

Men need to form their minds and hearts with this understanding of the human person by studying the Theology of the Body and learning all that the Church teaches on this most important matter. Armed with the correct understanding of the human person and with God’s grace through prayer and the sacraments, our human wills can be strengthened to overcome the temptations to lust.

Men are often afraid to speak out against pornography because they themselves have been in its grip and may even still be struggling to overcome an addiction to it. “Who am I to talk about it, when I have done it myself and still sometimes fall to temptation,” they ask themselves.

Well, it is vital that we speak out against it and challenge other men to fight for the virtue of chastity, of manly physical integrity. If we don’t do it, who will?

It is similar to the women who courageously go to pro-life rallies with signs proclaiming “I regret my abortion”. They had an abortion; they have realized it was wrong; now they want to help other women not make the same mistake they did, to realize that they do have a choice other than aborting their baby.

It is the same with us men who are striving to live virtuous lives: Even if you have sinned in this way before, you can courageously stand up and condemn the sin of pornography while sympathizing with the men who suffer under its slavery and encouraging them that they can overcome it.

With Christ’s aid, we can become the men of honor and strength that He created us to be.

Share:
  • Facebook