I don't know how many of you saw Oprah yesterday, but it dealt with something that I wish would be discussed more. Of course, I think it should be discussed more openly amongst Christians (especially young adults), not just on Oprah, but she's good at getting the word out, so I guess that's fine. The topic was pornography and its addictions, and mostly focused on Kirk Franklin, a very high-profile gospel singer (remember the song "Stomp"?), and one other 'regular' guy named Josh.
I could go on and on about what I wish they would have or would not have said, but there were still some good points made. For instance, Oprah asked Kirk Franklin, "But aren't you just looking at nude bodies?" to which he replied, "No, it's sex." (Read more about this particular show here.) I think we need more people like this man to step out of the shadows and talk about how pornography is ruining marriages. I don't have a bunch of data and statistics to back that statement up, but it's what I believe. One of the statistics that Oprah shared was that 45% of those who took a poll came from Christian homes, and said that pornography was a major problem in their home. We are talking about a multi-billion dollar industry, and that is in the United States alone.
What bothers me so much is how casual people are about pornography. You hear about it more and more and more as it soaks every bit of our society, until nobody is even blinking an eye when Victoria's Secret airs a special on TV and calls it a "fashion show"...do you think that's what young men are tuning in for -- the fashion? Please. Now, I'm not saying Victoria's Secret = pornography. I'm just trying to illustrate how sexual our society has become, and how easy it is to slip from one thing to another, and then one day everyone is wondering why marriages are falling apart and how STD's became so rampant.
Pornography is not the source of every kind of bad thing that's going on -- Satan is. But the world isn't going to acknowledge that. Taking away the pornography doesn't take away Satan, but allowing God into your heart will protect you from him. To paraphrase a wise man, "Sin has its greatest power when it's in secret." How did Kirk Franklin overcome his addiction? The first thing he did was bring it out of the dark and tell his wife. I'm sure that was a very difficult thing to do, and I wish all of us would bring these kinds of things out in the open more often. It's an ugly, ugly world...we've got to shed some light somewhere!
I could go on and on about what I wish they would have or would not have said, but there were still some good points made. For instance, Oprah asked Kirk Franklin, "But aren't you just looking at nude bodies?" to which he replied, "No, it's sex." (Read more about this particular show here.) I think we need more people like this man to step out of the shadows and talk about how pornography is ruining marriages. I don't have a bunch of data and statistics to back that statement up, but it's what I believe. One of the statistics that Oprah shared was that 45% of those who took a poll came from Christian homes, and said that pornography was a major problem in their home. We are talking about a multi-billion dollar industry, and that is in the United States alone.
What bothers me so much is how casual people are about pornography. You hear about it more and more and more as it soaks every bit of our society, until nobody is even blinking an eye when Victoria's Secret airs a special on TV and calls it a "fashion show"...do you think that's what young men are tuning in for -- the fashion? Please. Now, I'm not saying Victoria's Secret = pornography. I'm just trying to illustrate how sexual our society has become, and how easy it is to slip from one thing to another, and then one day everyone is wondering why marriages are falling apart and how STD's became so rampant.
Pornography is not the source of every kind of bad thing that's going on -- Satan is. But the world isn't going to acknowledge that. Taking away the pornography doesn't take away Satan, but allowing God into your heart will protect you from him. To paraphrase a wise man, "Sin has its greatest power when it's in secret." How did Kirk Franklin overcome his addiction? The first thing he did was bring it out of the dark and tell his wife. I'm sure that was a very difficult thing to do, and I wish all of us would bring these kinds of things out in the open more often. It's an ugly, ugly world...we've got to shed some light somewhere!
10 comments:
Honestly, if you insist on attacking my writing, I will have to insist on your at least not hiding in anonymity. Leave your name next time. Thanks!
Thank you so much for your support of Kirk and his and Tammy's appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Please keep them and their family in your prayers, as not everyone is happy that he "got out".
Thank you so much for your support of Kirk and Tammy's appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Please keep them and their family in prayer, as not everyone is happy that he "got out".
Grant, thanks so much for visiting and for your comments! I imagine it must be even more difficult for someone in the spotlight to be so open about this, and that's one of the reasons it impressed me.
You know, it is a sad day when I don't like going to the mall with my kids because of the pornography in the store front windows. :( And my boys are only 4!!!
Yeah, we were at the mall last weekend, and Casey was having to avert his eyes from the HUGE posters in the store windows. Also, we had gone our separate ways in the mall for a bit, and he said that as he walked by the Abercrombie & Fitch he saw a live male model wearing jeans but was shirtless (underwear showing, of course).
What saddens me the most is that when the singer went to his pastor he told him he would outgrow it. We so don't address this issue and how it affects our families. It is also not just our "young" men who are looking it is our family men, single men divorced etc...our church's have to start speaking out on this.
Great post.
Thanks Lori Ann...yes, that part for me was very sad as well, and so hard to understand a pastor saying that. You're right, it is all ages of men involved in this. I suppose I feel like society is teaching the younger and younger how 'okay' it all is, and that is scary to me.
Thanks again for your thoughts!
tracey, thanks so much for this post.... it is an epidemic problem, and i'm not ashamed to talk about sex/porn/whatever. i wish more christians would just lay it out there.
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