CG7 on Pornography

In the current (June 2009) issue of its Bible Advocate Magazine, CG7’s former president, Calvin Burrell wrote:

Some say that pornography is the #1 secret problem in the church…

God created sex and called it good. He created the feminine figure and gave men eyes to see and admire. He made the mas-culine physique and persona, and gave women desire for male companionship. God created tes-tosterone and said it is not good for man to be alone. We were engineered as sexual beings, not just for reproductive purposes but also for enriching our lives.

No problem!

We live in a sex-saturated society — that’s a problem!…

See no evil
Given the principle of Jesus, the pledge of Job, and the experience of Jimmy, what is realistic for us in the matter of moral purity for our eyes and minds?
Some people may carry false guilt in this matter, and clear thinking can help free them. The Bible confirms that sexual desire and passion are normal human traits. Between a man and his wife, God affirms and blesses the full-bodied expression of love (Genesis 2:24, 25; Proverbs 5:15-19; Song of Solomon; 1 Corinthians7:1-9).

Even beyond matrimony, thoughts with sexual components are not necessarily sinful thoughts. Since Jesus was tempted in all points, He must have experienced His own sexuality as a natural attraction toward the feminine. Never did He entertain this to the point of sinful lust, however. Thus admiration, appreciation, and attraction toward a person of the opposite sex are natural in the human family and may be free of evil intent.

Though the interest we feel in persons of opposite gender may be innocent enough, too often we cross that border into the land of lust, as Jesus defined it. Temptation, then, has given way to sin. The key to victory is preparation before the test.

Whatever it takes
In this corrupted culture, how can we prepare ourselves to “see no evil”? A severe analogy that our Lord used can teach us more. In the next verse after Matthew 5:28, Christ urges us to ward off lust before it strikes…

• Pluck out porn from your computer with a good filter; cast from you all lewd and obscene materials; cleanse your home! (Romans 13:14b).
• Amputate sexually charged television and movies; instead, integrate the spiritually charged Word (2 Timothy 2:22, for example) to use in times of temptation, as Jesus did.
• Cut clear boundaries; avoid all improper appearances in male-female relationships.
• Choose a personal accountability partner who will ask hard questions that carve away at your use of pornography.
• When your eyes introduce improper thoughts, switch to your heart and to enlightened prayer. Pray for the object of your temptation, her spouse and family, her faith.
• For deeper sexual addictions, seek professional spiritual counsel until the chains are broken…

More on Porn
• Pornography is a $13.3 billion annual industry in the U.S., taking in more than the NFL, NBA, and major league baseball combined.
• The porn industry has larger revenues than the top technology companies combined: Microsoft, Google, Amazon, eBay, Yahoo!, Apple, Netflix, and EarthLink.
• Every second, 28,258 Internet users are viewing pornography and spending $3,075.64 on it.
• Every 39 minutes a new pornographic video is created in the U.S.
• There are 4.2 million pornography Web sites.
• 25 percent of search engine requests are for pornography — 68 million per day.
• 100,000 Web sites offer illegal child pornography.
• Average age of first exposure to Internet porn: eleven years.
• Pornography growth in the last five years: 1800 percent.
• Phone sex is a $4.5 billion industry; “sexting” is the new trend among teens.
Sources: Family Safe Media, Senate testimony by Dr. Mary Anne Layden, Nightline, Crosswalk.com, Home Invasion by Rebecca Hagelin,
Dr. Mark Laaser, and Focus on the Family

Pornography is wrong.

However, it is surprising to see that Calvin Burrell believes it could be as serious and widespread as he implies within CG7.

Any one (male or female) who is addicted to pornography obviously is in a state of sin and needs repentance.

Perhaps this post will give those involved in it, pause to reflect, consider, and repent.

Some articles of possibly related interest may include:

Were the Ten Commandments in Effect Before Mount Sinai? Some have said not. This article provides biblical quotes to answer this important question.
Job and the Ten Commandments Was Job written prior to Mount Sinai? Did Job know about the ten commandments? This article provides biblical answers to those questions.
What Did Jesus Teach About the Ten Commandments? This article quotes what Jesus actually said about them (His words are in red).
Were the Ten Commandments Nailed to the Cross? Some have said so. This article provides some biblical quotes to answer this important question.
What Did Paul Actually Teach About the Ten Commandments? Many say Paul taught against the ten commandments. Is this true? This article quotes Paul with his words in green.
Are the Ten Commandment Still in Effect? This article quotes the ten commandments and combines some of the previous articles into one article about the ten commandments. The commandments are shown at Mount Sinai, before Mount Sinai, in the teachings of Jesus, after the crucifixion, and in the teachings of Paul. It addresses the most common “traditions of men” regarding them as well.
Were the Pharisees Condemned for Keeping the Law or Reasoning Around it? Many believe that the Pharisees were condemned for keeping the law, but what does your Bible say? If they were not condemned for that, what were they condemned for?
The Ten Commandments Reflect Love, Breaking them is Evil Some feel that the ten commandments are a burden. Is that what Jesus, Paul, Peter, James, and John taught?
Was the Commandment to Love the Only Command? Some have stated that John’s writings teach this, but is that what the Bible really says?
The Ten Commandments and the Early Church Did Jesus and the Early Church keep the ten commandments? What order were they in? Here are quotes from the Bible and early writings.