A new study published by the newpaper Dagen reveals an alarming finding: a significant percentage of active Christians, including pastors, view pornography regularly and even feel comfortable with their consumption. As Christians, we must ask ourselves the question: How does porn affect our relationship with God and our own understanding of and expectations for sexuality?
Jesus himself taught about purity of sight in Matthew 6:22-23, where he says that the eye is the lamp of the body—if our eye is healthy, our whole body will be full of light. But if our eye is dark, our body will be full of darkness. Watching porn is like putting on «porn glasses»; it affects how we see the world around us and causes us to see the potential for sexual acts anywhere, with anyone, and at any time. This clearly violates the Bible’s call for holiness and purity of thought.
Pornography not only affects our thoughts, but also our spiritual health. Instead of leading us to love and respect, pornography leads us away from God’s purpose for sexuality to a self-centered and greedy sexuality centered on ourselves.This is expressed both in dating culture and in marriages, where the expectation of porn sex and the satisfaction of porn-induced desire and fantasies often become the yardstick by which sex life is judged.
Pornography can become an easy way out in relationships as a substitute for sex where there is a fear of rejection when initiating intimacy. This can create a deeper rift between the couple over time when the underlying problem in the relationship is not addressed, acknowledged and resolved. Porn as a way out can entrench a marital problem and lead to divorce.
Porn is a lie, leads to addiction and is about taking. Love, on the other hand, is about truth, freedom and giving. Sex is therefore meant to be an expression of faithful love in marriage. But when we fill our minds with pornography, we are in effect putting the world before God and making our bodies an instrument for our own lust and sin. Using one’s sex life as leverage to punish one’s spouse or get one’s way is just as much adultery.
How can we as Christians—who are called to be light and salt in the world—maintain a pure and holy lifestyle if we choose to be filled with the darkness of pornography? Out of darkness is the content produced, and in darkness is it consumed.
The survey shows that attempts to reduce pornography use in churches have had little effect. This points to a need for deeper spiritual renewal, where we encourage each other to daily walk in the Spirit and purity of heart. Combating pornography and self-destructive behavior is about turning around—turning our gaze away from worldly desires and self-centered gratification. 4–5 hours of screen time a day with what the world has to offer cannot be stopped by an hour in church weekly. It's simple math. We all need more time with Jesus.
Let us be brave and return to what Jesus taught. Let us stand together as brothers and sisters, not only to speak the truth about purity, but to live it out. For how can fathers rebuke sons if they watch the same pornographic films? How can pastors guide fathers in the congregation if they themselves resort to porn rather than cleaning up their marriages?
The church needs to pray that the Holy Spirit will give us the power to break destructive habits and instead seek a love that is genuine, faithful, and pure—a love that honors Him. God has a plan for our sexuality and our gender as men and women. While we may think we know better than Him, the truth is often different.
Yes, we live in the world, but we are not of it. We live in a time of moral decay where society's leaders and celebrities lead the way. Our Minister of Culture bared her breasts in public because she believed that “you have to offer yourself during pride celebrations”. There were more applicants for the sex-focused reality show “Paradise Hotel” than there were applicants for teacher training in Sweden.
Porn is available everywhere, nudity and sexuality hypnotize and entice young and old on social media and dating apps. Teenagers report that they have seen it all, tried it all, and are left with emptiness and confusion.
There is a longing for purity and holiness in the country among young people. There is fertile ground for a purity movement fronted by Christian youth and young adults who must lead the way. Then pastors, priests, fathers and mothers must first acknowledge the truth about pornography use, and deal with it.
Tone Lise Gustavsen, Spokesperson for Sexual Education, Family and Marriage
Truls Olufsen-Mehus, Spokesperson for Culture and Society
