J
John21652
Guest
This is a post I would expect from someone who wishes to lead an unfettered, hedonistic lifestyle, all the while accepting no responsibility for the harm that others may be experiencing. I am surprised, jrgiancola, that such a post would come from someone who identifies as a Roman Catholic.Porn should not be banned. It’s protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution, which is the freedom of speech and expression. I’m not willing to give up my right to free speech just to ban porn. If you don’t like it, don’t look at it.
The Church’s catechism devotes quite a bit to the question of pornography -
Note how it points out that those who immerse themselves in pornography enter a fantasy world, a world of illusion. And what happens in that fantasy world? Why, people are degraded and debased. Sex is objectified and so are the people involved. A good read of **Part Three, Section Two, Chapter Two, Article 6 ** of the catechism would serve you well. It places the issue of pornography into the wider context of the sixth commandment, pointing out that not only is pornography a sin against chastity, but it violates the integrity of the person.2354 *Pornography *consists in removing real or simulated sexual acts from the intimacy of the partners, in order to display them deliberately to third parties. It offends against chastity because it perverts the conjugal act, the intimate giving of spouses to each other. It does grave injury to the dignity of its participants (actors, vendors, the public), since each one becomes an object of base pleasure and illicit profit for others. It immerses all who are involved in the illusion of a fantasy world. It is a grave offense. Civil authorities should prevent the production and distribution of pornographic materials.
Now we don’t need to be a Rhodes Scholar to know that none of us has perfect freedom of speech. Why, there are anti-hate speech laws and slander laws and the idea is that with the freedom of speech comes responsibility. It is quite obvious that many people are being affected by the ready availabiolity of pornography and it is a trap for the young and inexperienced in particular. As a citizen in a free society, you should be willing to give up certain freedoms for the sake of the common good. Banning pornography wont affect your right to freedom of expression one iota and yet it will prevent many others from being ensnared by something which demeans them and the society they live in. The only losers will be those actively involved in making and distributing pornography and surely their entrepruneurial skills will quickly find new ways of expression. Importantly, the integrity of society will be enhanced and the dignity of individuals preserved.
So really, jrgiancola, as a self confessed Roman Catholic you should have no qualms about joining the clarion call for the banning of pornography. It’s your Catholic duty.