Sunday, April 29, 2007

It's a Porn World After All

My brother is a preacher down in Florida and he sends me his sermons on CD, which I load into my iPod. Anyway, yesterday I was listening to him relate a story to his church about how he used to have premium channels on cable. He said he was home alone one day watching a movie which wasn't porn, but that he still shouldn't have been watching. His wife arrived home and as he heard the door open he jumped up, grabbed the remote, and turned off the TV.

He suddenly realized that he had been watching something in God's presence that he was ashamed for his wife to see him watching. So, he cancelled the premium channels.

Also from his sermon:
1) Nearly 50% of American men admit to regularly visiting porn sights on the Internet.
2) 25% of American women admit visiting porn sites.
3) One third of conservative Evangelical Christians say going to R rated movies is "OK."
4) 40% of the men who are "promise-keepers" say they have a problem with porn on the Internet.

And of course... Network television has become "porn with clothes on."

It's odd that I wring my hands over the fact that Radical Islam threatens to conquer the West and subjugate us... When the Principalities of Darkness have already kicked our door down.

There is coming a time when being a Christian, and having a TV in your home... will be "incompatible personal circumstances." But for now I intend to continue to "kid myself" that I can watch TV and remain unaffected. Uninfected.

...That somehow I can bathe my brain in secular and sinful entertainment - and strive to be holy at the same time. Uh huh...

11 comments:

janice said...

We all live in the darkness, afraid to turn on the Light and see the ugliness of our human lives.

Great post, Chris.

Jacob said...

This post makes me chuckle.

First, because when I saw the opening sentence I realised that you're probably going to attract lots of extra hits now looking for porn-related things.

I mentioned the name of a gay porn actor in my blog once and I got so many weird keyword search results that I almost deleted the post.

Same when I included that gross picture of the aborted foetus. I got about 700 extra hits in three days, which for my modest little blog was quite a jump. Apparently people on the internet love seeing dead baby cells.

(By the way, you didn't tell me how to embed that graphic of the abortion into a blog post. Just saying...)

My second point is about the statistics you cited.

Can I just say that everyone who has ever seen the internet, and how it works, has at some point looked up porn of some description. I don't hesitate to say that you probably have as well. So that statistic is, in my opinion, a load of old cobblers.

I can't exactly speak for women, but I'd wager that the real figure would be much higher than 25%.

Also, what's a "promise-keeper"? Sounds like some sort of weird cult.

And of course... Network television has become "porn with clothes on."

But... you don't watch it. Why would softcore porn bother you if you don't watch it? Unless of course you're one of these people who sits through programs that they don't like, so that they can later complain about being forced to watch it.

That somehow I can bathe my brain in secular and sinful entertainment - and strive to be holy at the same time.

So... don't watch it. If there are so many Christians in America, and they're all as holy as they say they are, then the networks should be alarmed by the drop in ratings and start to sanitize their programming.

But I doubt it, because as much as people love to complain about "secular and sinful" things on television, they also love to watch said material. Complaining is merely a way to absolve themselves of guilt.

Now... back to my porn.

Malott said...

Thanks Janice.
I struggle with my entertainment. Even the commercials of today are filled with images that would have shocked my great-grandmothers.

And Jacob,

I think I found that graphic abortion picture at the National Right to Life web site. I saved it to "my pictures" and when I added it to the post... It was moving.

Promise Keepers is an Evangelical Men's organization that strives to help men live as Christians in this modern world. I expected the "numbers" to be lower in this group.

I agree with most everything you said. The Church of today has a big problem with compromise - and - living one way on Sunday and another way the rest of the time. We're hypocrites... Like everyone else.

Mojo_Risin said...

That's why I'm glad I have cable TV. If I don't like what's on, I can always tune to something else. Or listen to the radio or read a book. Or just sit and think--bounce a ball against the wall, anything.

Though 'bouncing a ball against the wall' sounds a little porn-ish, too... ;-)

Bekah said...

Good post - really good. This very subject has been bugging me lately - since I wrote a post about my favorite tv shows and found myself (on a few) trying to justify why I watch them. Is it to fit in with water cooler talk? Is it out of boredom? Is it because "I can?" I have no idea. But I have a feeling this topic is going to nag at me for a while...and I'm not sure how I feel about changes that might result. It's at least good to know I'm not alone in the tug of war.

cringing2 said...

Mallott, you are a product of television above all things.

Your wacked out world view is the product of US media and so divorced from reality that you can't recognise the truth when it hits you.

What a joke.

cringing2 said...

janice said...
We all live in the darkness, afraid to turn on the Light and see the ugliness of our human lives.


We can all go to your blog to see the dripping hatred that consumes your life.

Malott said...

C2,

From your comments:

"Wacked out world view... Divorced from reality... What a joke... Dripping hatred..."

C2, I believe you are the one filled with hatred. I hope you find peace.

janice said...

Thanks for running defense for my views Chris.

What C2 calls hate is another mans truth, and the truth hurts. Looks to me like he too is in the dark.

Unknown said...

Janice, when you've been to the West Bank or Gaza, then we can trade "truth" stories.

Your life seems ruled by a hatred for a people that you have no knowledge of.

Emotional intelligence and empathy are what seperate realists from your neanderthal crowd here.

You hate because you are told to hate. Truth doesn't come into it.

The false idols you worship are the very things your prophet warned you about.

But I'll never change your mind. You people are too far gone. Ironically, largely because of television.

janice said...

Don't pretend to know me, c. The hatred you espouse speaks volumes.

You're so pathetic.