No. 864 THE SCOURGE OF PORNOGRAPHY!
No. 864
Jim Davidson -- NEWSPAPER COLUMN
THE SCOURGE OF PORNOGRAPHY!
One of the great things about freedom that produces opportunity is the chance for all of us to do better. An area that I have been concerned about for a long time, perhaps you have as well, is the scourge of pornography. Of course it’s not just here in the United States of America, its world wide.
Pornography is like a disease that eats a person from the inside. You can’t see it until it manifests itself in some negative way, and then it appears in the light of day for others to see. To make sure we are speaking the same language, please allow me to give you the definition of two crucial words. The word “scourge” means, “Any means of inflicting severe punishment; suffering or vengeance.” The word “pornography” means, “Originally a description of prostitutes and their trade; hence writing, pictures and intentions to arouse sexual desire.”
The pornographic industry is so big and pervasive that it is difficult to get a handle on just how much money is spent each year on the various forms of pornography, but here is one to try on for size. In 2006, and I am sure it has not gotten any better in the past several years, the revenue from pornography was more than Microsoft, Google, Amazon, eBay, Yahoo!, Apple and Netflix combined. In just one category it is estimated that 12 percent of all websites on the Internet are pornographic. Now, that is tragic, and you can see why I am calling it a “scourge.”
When you fry out all the fat, it really comes down to each individual person and the values that are important to us. If what I have heard over the years through the grapevine is true, there are millions of men (it’s basically a male problem) who are highly respected in their communities who are secretly involved in viewing pornography. And I am sad to say, a lot of these men claim to be Christians and faithfully attend church each week.
For me, here is the bottom line. There is nothing good that can come from being involved, at any level, in pornography. If this happens to be your problem, I have just one word for you. STOP! We are selling our souls and the hope for future generations of Americans to this wicked practice. There are many good reasons why this is true. First, pornography degrades women. As a man, if we have a good woman and we are involved in this activity, she deserves better. She should be honored and put on a pedestal because she is one of God’s special creations.
Another good reason to use every means possible to rid society of pornography is that it destroys the family. How many homes have been broken up because the man or husband was spending time viewing this trash? Nothing good can come from it. All it does is siphon off our time that we could be using to accomplish something really worthwhile and would glorify God. While I have many failings, I have never rented a pornographic film or watched it on the Internet. In fact, I am so narrow minded in this area that I stopped doing business with a grocery story where the owner refused to remove Playboy from his magazine rack where young children could see them.
While I have no way of knowing if what I am saying will make a difference to anyone, to stop the practice could mean the difference between life and death. I almost forgot, many daytime TV programs are just as bad. We should guard our minds with more care.
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(EDITOR'S NOTE: Jim Davidson is a public speaker and syndicated columnist. You may contact him at 2 Bentley Drive, Conway, AR 72034. To begin a bookcase literacy project visit
