Dancing With the Devil: The Deception of Ethical Pornography

The following is for mature adult audiences only. Viewer discression is advised.

“When you dance with the Devil, The Devil always leads.”

Frank Chirico – PensAndWrenches.com

The above phrase came out of my mouth one morning as I was listening to a podcast that featured a famous Lutheran Church female “pastor” by the name of Nadia Bolz-Weber, speaking on the acceptance of ethically sourced pornography. After picking up my jaw from the floor I backed up the podcast to make sure I heard it right. In disbelief I said, “We’ve hit an all-time low in this world, and it’s not going to stop anytime soon.”

Pornography refers to explicit material, often in the form of images or videos, that is intended to sexually arouse or stimulate the viewer. It involves the depiction of explicit sexual acts, often showcasing nudity, sexual intercourse, or other graphic content.

According to the Bible, pornography is a perversion of God’s intended design for sexuality and falls under the category of lust, which is condemned; taking what is supposed to be a sacred intimate union between a husband and wife and making it a spectator sport. It can lead to addiction, unhealthy sexual desires, and a devaluation of the sacredness of sex within the boundaries of marriage. As Christians, we are called to avoid pornography and instead focus our minds on things that are pure, honorable, and pleasing to God.

Where in decades past, porn viewing was limited to special shops that sold film, pictures traded like baseball cards, or having to go into a store late at night at your nearest 7-11 hoping to avoid anyone but the clerk. Now, it is out of control: unregulated over the internet, inside the homes of millions, and in the palms of children’s hands through their phones in pandemic proportions.

What is ethical porn?

But what is Ethically Sourced Pornography, you ask? Ethical porn puts the actor/actress in mind in the production of it. That they are treated well, as well as paid well for their part in filming. That they are consensual to specific “performances” and that at any moment they have the ability to stop a scene for any reason. One way of making pornography “ethical” is to charge for computer and phone login upon viewing, in which a large percentage goes to the actors and actresses who actually want to “perform” for a living.

This also is about where they get the porn actress or actor. Instead of people being sex trafficked into the industry, or downloaded without their consent, Producers find these actors and actresses from professional agencies and of those who want to do it.

But Ethical Pornography is not only about the performer, but the watcher as well. “Making porn ethical doesn’t mean make it soft and vanilla. It means making sure the porn your teenager is watching isn’t violent snuff, sex trafficking, or putting the idea that degrading women during sex is the only way. Ethical porn doesn’t have to be free of kinks or vanilla. It just needs to be done by real people who enjoy doing sex work and creating” (Wood 2016). Images of women being raped, incest, aggression, or violence are not part of ethical pornography; but of care, gentleness, respect, and mutual consent.

So, what’s the problem?

This may sound good, that the industry is thinking more about the paid actors and actresses in the making of pornographic films, but make no mistake, it is still pornography; it is still wrong; it is still sin.

The dance the devil lulls people into and guides them, the spins, the steps, all are a facade. His tactics are nothing new, for even in the garden, he caused Eve to doubt what God had said and put the focus on the object of desire and off of God.

With that in mind, let’s look at some of the common hoops and loopholes that people will jump through and nitpick when it comes to finding a way to watch porn without remorse or regret. When it comes to pornography, or all sin, there are several things that we need to get out of our thoughts.

Consent…does not make it right.

Why can’t we get this out of our thick skulls that consent does not make something right. Consent doesn’t make something ethical or good, or even acceptable. Is sex before marriage okay as long as both parties’ consent to it? Nope, and why is that? The Bible clearly condemns fornication and adultery. Just because the unmarried man and woman are having consensual sex, doesn’t make it ok. It is still sin in the eyes of God, whether others are consciously included or not.

As the same with Ethical Pornography. Just because the actors in the film are getting paid well, sign a contract, and stop several times throughout the shoot to make the woman feel comfortable, it is still fornication and sin according to Scripture. Watching it, is also sin — even if you click some legal button at the beginning consenting to watching people have sex.

Just because there is no law against it, doesn’t make it right.

Many people will say that there is no law against viewing pornography as an adult over the age of 18 and that makes it ok to watch or do.

First of all, man’s laws change all the time. What is law one day, may be ratified later on. Within the past 60 years, laws have changed over what is obscene, and what is not. The laws against pornography have all been erased except for one: child pornography. Who can say that even this vile act will one day be null-and-void? No one. History has shown that laws are meant to be broken, no matter how despicable they may be.

Second, man’s laws are not perfect like God’s Law. In the early 1940’s, it was totally legal in Nazi Germany to kill Jews. Adolf Hitler and the Nazi’s did not break any laws of their own when they experimented on, tortured, executed, and ravaged Jews when they hunted them down in their homes, put them into concentration camps, and attempted to destroy the entire population. In essence, Hitler believed a lie that the Jews were less than human and he was doing God’s work.

Viewing porn as an adult does not make it right.

Therefore, keeping pornography and material like this away from the eyes of children is wonderful. Keeping children out of these industries is very admirable. But what about adults? Isn’t it equally wrong for any adult to view pornography? Many people would say, “No, as long as they are an adult.” Why? Because society has said it is ok because this type of entertainment is called — adult films.

Can you see how Satan has blinded the minds of people and danced them into thinking it is alright after a certain age? It doesn’t matter what age you watch pornography…it is still wrong because God said it is wrong in His Word.

Cartoon-sex and A.I. does not make it right.

Like the movie industry is going towards computer-generated graphics, so is the porn industry with it’s realistic visuals that aren’t human at all. To many, this is also ethical because people are not used at all in filming. So, in a sense, no people are actually fornicating. It’s just lights on a screen, right?

Wrong. I don’t care if it looks as unrealistic as Mickey and Minnie doing the horizontal Mombo. If it depicts sexual acts, viewing of sexual organs (actual, drawn, or otherwise), and elicits a feeling of lust or arousal in a person — it is porn; it is wrong; it is sin.

Using objects instead of people to self-serve does not make it right.

Like I said, people will dance around and look for loopholes in the smallest fine print when it comes to getting God to accept their sin. The most asked question of GotQuestions.org is: “Is masturbation a sin?” The more elaborate and fine-tuned to this question, the more people are trying to fit the Bible in their lifestyle. With these, a person’s bare body does things to cause self-arousal in the watcher. According to the Bible, this type of act is lewd and lascivious behavior, and is condemned in scripture (Mark 7:22; 2 Corinthians 12:21; Galatians 5:19; Ephesians 4:19; and 1 Peter 4:3 – all KJV).

Using porn to help with health issues like E.D. or anxiety doesn’t make it right.

Let’s say a husband is having issues getting aroused and resorts to watching porn to help him be intimate with his wife. Is that wrong? What if they watch together to enhance the mood? Is that wrong? Yes, and it may be even worse, because you are now causing your spouse to sin. This was why marrying after divorce was condemned in Romans 7:1-6, and only allowed in specific instances.

There have been many studies that have linked Erectile Dysfunction (E.D.) with overloading the brain with dopamine by porn use and masturbation. So, in order for a man to get any more stimulated he has to “up the ante” and the more weird, violent, and debased the porn that’s needed. So, in many cases, it was porn use that got them there in the first place.

The Bible gave us many ways to combat anxiety in our lives, and looking with lust and committing adultery is not one of them (Matthew 5:28).

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV

In the next few verses after this, the Apostle Paul tells us what to think about:

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

Philippians 4:8-9 NKJV

God is the one who gives true and lasting peace.

Viewing pornography with your spouse is also wrong.

As was stated in the beginning point of this article, viewing and making pornography is always wrong, and consent does not make it right. Consent and the viewing of pornography with your spouse to enhance the relationship and increase enjoyment of your own sexual pleasure is also wrong.

“Another negative aspect of watching pornography with a spouse is that to do so invites strangers into your bedroom. It creates a virtual threesome; while you may never think of participating in a ménage à trois in the flesh, you are doing so in your mind. Watching pornography with your spouse is a form of virtual adultery. It’s as if one is saying, “My spouse is not sexy enough, so I have invited a sexier stranger to help things along.” The spouses may be touching each other’s bodies, but they are visually touching the bodies of adulterous strangers. Nothing about that is in any way pleasing to the Lord. Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8). There is no way to let your heart feast upon vile, pornographic images and remain pure enough to see God.” (GotQuestions.org)

The curious case of Dennis Prager

The way the devil dances and sways people into believing pornography isn’t that bad, that men need porn, or that it is better than actually committing adultery with another woman, is so subtle, that it has crossed into conservative circles. News traveled fast as Jewish conservative, Dennis Prager, was questioned about pornography by Jordan Peterson on Jordan Peterson’s panel on Exodus. Watch this video to see how Dennis Prager tries his hardest to defend his view that pornography alright in most cases.

What Prager does is exactly what I have been talking about: looking for loopholes in God’s Word to allow himself to sin without judgment. So many people do this, it just so happens Prager was filmed. Not only that, but he uses the most cringe and fringe examples to make allowances for this: like if a husband’s wife gets early onset Alzheimer’s disease and he needs sexual gratification which he cannot from his wife. This is so dangerous. Imagine when Prager dies and faces God, he has to explain why the Lord should have been more explicit and direct. Wow.

Beware of the devil’s schemes

It is so easy to be enticed by the devil’s schemes. At first it seems fun and harmless; but then the deeper you go, the scarier it gets, and the harder it is to stop. We need to be vigilant and sober minded because the devil is like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8). Satan is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44), but still powerful and deceptive. He swayed a third of all the angels that served God, day after day in His presence to reject Him and leave the presence of the glory of God in Heaven. God existed, saw Him, worshipped Him, and yet left Him for a lie.

Don’t believe the devil’s lie, because believing in the lie is enslavement to him (2 Timothy 2:24-26). Don’t let pornography be a stronghold for you. Though it may seem harmless, its rewards and consequences lead to death (Romans 5:12, 6:23), and the devil will dance you right up to your end if you let him. Don’t be fooled. Wake up and get help while you have hope.

If you or a loved one is addicted to pornography, here are several resources that can help:

www.CovenantEyes.com

Finally Free: Fighting for Purity with the Power of Grace. By Heath Lambert.

Slaying the Dragon by Todd Friel available in physical copy or download.

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Wood, E. (2016, May 18). Does ethical porn exist? Retrieved from https://ethics.org.au/does-ethical-porn-exist/ 

GotQuestions.org. Is it a Sin to Watch Pornography with My Spouse? https://www.gotquestions.org/watch-porn-with-spouse.html