How to combat porn?

[Charlemagne_III]

How do we combat porn since now it seems to be protected by the 1st Amendment?

Do you agree that it should be protected by the 1st Amendment?

Did the Founders anticipate that porn would ever be regarded as a form of free speech?

Is porn a form of free speech?

When I was a boy there was very little porn even available, which is why there were so few victims of porn addiction. Once the floodgates of porn were opened by the Supreme Court in the late 1950s, the endless flooding of porn over America began.

Aside from preaching against porn, which is rarely done from the pulpit and which therefore seems to me a relatively ineffectual way to combat it (about as ineffectual as preaching against drugs from the pulpit, which is also rarely done) can anything practical be done in a political way?

If so, what?

Or are we to be hopelessly and forever awash in sexual filth for any and all to see at the flip of a switch?

 

[Jelrak_TB]

I do not feel pornography should be a protected right. The only means I can think of to limit porn exposure at this point is to restrict all such sites to a .xxx designation and then have the ability for individuals to block those sites through their service provider. If porn can be made to starve at the vine it might be possible to reduce its effect…maybe…

 

[ThinkingSapien]

How do we combat porn since now it seems to be protected by the 1st Amendment?

I don’t think you effectively can. Even if you stopped porn sites people can send pictures around via many other methods. Lots of effort has beven made to prevent distribution of other materiel (pirated movies, music, so on). But it’s still around. That has involved some efforts across nations. I look at that as an indication of what might be accomplished with wide spread effort. I don’t think such effort against porn will occur.

Standards for what is considered porn varies across nations. Not all cultures take issue with visual depictions of sex. If it were illegal to host porn in the USA some one could access it from a server in another country.

Do you agree that it should be protected by the 1st Amendment?

Yes, even though I have no interest in it myself.

Did the Founders anticipate that porn would ever be regarded as a form of free speech?

Probably not, but I don’t think people necessarily seek to make decisions that would agree with speculations of what the founding fathers would feel.

Is porn a form of free speech?

technically yes. See the Supreme Court case “Hustler Magazine v Fallwell” 1988.

…can anything practical be done in a political way?

If so, what?

Doubt it. One could discourage it but I think that would most likely result in one keeping theit porn related habits more hidden.

Or are we to be hopelessly and forever awash in sexual filth for any and all to see at the flip of a switch?

At best you might be able to limit your own exposure to it.

 

[Charlemagne_III]

O.K. From this point on, I think we can say that the most egregious forms of porn are the hardcore porn movies that are available through you local cable provider. For the sake of narrowing the discussion to something manageable in this thread, can we agree to limit our discussion to how cable porn could be combated?

Any practical suggestions?

 

[Jelrak_TB]

Disconnecting cable…? Or threatening your service provider to do so if they do not remove access to such films?

 

[Solmyr]

The solution is dead simple. You don’t like it? Don’t watch it. You are not your “brother’s keeper”. It is not your job to prevent others from seeing what you don’t want them to see.

And remember: “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”. There is no definition of “porn”. Do you know the phrase “the Great Castration”?

 

[ThinkingSapien]

O.K. From this point on, I think we can say that the most egregious forms of porn are the hardcore porn movies that are available through you local cable provider. For the sake of narrowing the discussion to something manageable in this thread, can we agree to limit our discussion to how cable porn could be combated?

Any practical suggestions?

None. If that were being pumped into people’s houses there could be an argument against it. But unless the person either purchases the channel, purchases a pay-per-view, or somehow descrambles the channel it’s not going to be visible. The only say so that each individual has is whether or not s/he watches it.

If enough to people lost interest such that such shows were not profitable then the channels would probably not be available. But I don’t think you will see such as lost in interest as long as there exists people that have sex drives, money, and no immediate access to sex. (Though even some with access still watch porn. Sometimes with their mate).

It seems the “problem” at hand is how to control people’s sex drive.

 

[edwest2]

Who controls your sex drive? The Church, the State? No, you do. Who decides when you engage in sexually activity?

Bottom line - You are in control of your body and what you see.

I have no TV. I will never have cable or satellite.

It all starts with each of us. We have the power to say no. To cut the cable. To encourage others to do the same.

One person can make a difference. Each of us should try.

Best,
Ed

 

[PopePiusXIISupp]

Say 3 Rosaries day, Divine Mercy, Chaplet of St. Gertrude, Litanies of Sacred Heart, St.Joseph, and Guardian Angel a day. Also the Scapular (I say all these and I am 13 and fighting porn and going to frequent confession and Communion)

 

[total_Catholic]

Don’t watch it. Easier said then done I know but I know after I watch it, I feel bad. Not only for myself for being deceived but for the poor souls who engaged in it. It’s a lie of the devil himself.

 

[Sandlot]

Do you agree that it should be protected by the 1st Amendment?

Yes.

Did the Founders anticipate that porn would ever be regarded as a form of free speech?

Probably not - but that hardly matters. We needn’t insist on living by the standards of the late 18th century.

Is porn a form of free speech?

Yep.

 

[mikekle]

I dont think there is a way to stop it or even slow it down, the amount of money porn brings in, shows how many people out there are willing to pay for such a thing, like drugs, thats not going away anytime soon, probably not until Jesus returns, then he will ensure its all gone!

Id say it will probably get more pervasive too, when I was a 12 yr old kid, if we wanted to look at pictures like this, we had to find a magazine, today, ANYONE, can find extremely hardcorde images and video with their computers, phones,etc very easily. Ive heard the porn industry is involved in holographic technology, once that comes to fruition, porn will be much more devastating, they are trying to make the experience as real as possible for the viewer, the closer they get to this, the more kids are going to be attracted and they will grow up as faithful customers.

 

[exnihilo]

Pornography is not a form of speech and should not be protected. It is not protected under current law.

I do not feel pornography should be a protected right. The only means I can think of to limit porn exposure at this point is to restrict all such sites to a .xxx designation and then have the ability for individuals to block those sites through their service provider. If porn can be made to starve at the vine it might be possible to reduce its effect…maybe…

The xxx domain would be a great thing and there are no difficulties in requiring it. The lack of government action in this regard is disgusting considering the various harmless minutiae they involve themselves in.

 

[Bill_Martin]

The only way to “combat” porn via legislation, outside of what already is done, would be to give the government vast regulatory and investigatory power that would be catastrophic for liberty. Even then, porn would never go away; we’d just be left with the government poking its nose into places it shouldn’t.

The solution is to stop watching it and raise our children to avoid it. Not everything that is sinful can or should regulated by law.

 

[fisherman_carl]

I think one way to combat porn would be through education. Education about the harmful effects of pornography and education about the positive effects of living rightly and having a healthy view of our bodies and sex. And for men the healthy view of having a right attitude towards woman as not an object of lust but as persons created in the image and likeness of God with their own dignity as more than just a physical body to be used for self gratification. It is such a debasing of the human person to use them as merely a ‘sex toy’. When they are so much more. I would say that the problem with porn is that they do not appreciate the human person enough. It is not seeing the forest for the trees. It is focusing on one aspect of a person and not really getting to know the person. It is actually a facade of the person. When men lust after images what they are really longing for is intimacy with people. And since they do not know how to get real intimacy (and I am not just talking about sex) they settle for pornography. Real intimacy would be getting to know people on a deeper level, getting to know the real them. Their troubles, their hopes, their fears, etc.

Pornography sets up false expectations on men and women. Real sex in an actual relationship is nothing like pornography. Pornogpraphy projects false images on men and women as being merely things to satisfy sexual desires. Of course it doesn’t really satisfy these desires. Have you ever met a porn addict who said ok I am now satisfied and do not have to look at these images again? No, in fact the opposite happens. It never really satisfies them, and they have to go into harder and more extreme porn because what satisfied them before no longer turns them on. Again, they want real intimacy but pornography can never give them that.

Jesus said let all who thirst come to me and I will satisfy them with rivers of flowing water such that they will never thirst again. The greatest thing we could do for people is to bring them to Jesus. And, this importantly means bringing them to the Sacraments - baptism, confession, etc. I have heard many stories of people’s lives that were changed just from being baptized because they come under the protection of Jesus. And, of course from Reconciliation for people already baptized. Praying the rosary daily and frequent Reconciliation is something I am a firm believer in as I have seen the fruit of it in my life and in others.

 

[ThinkingSapien]

Ive heard the porn industry is involved in holographic technology, once that comes to fruition, porn will be much more devastating, they are trying to make the experience as real as possible for the viewer, the closer they get to this, the more kids are going to be attracted and they will grow up as faithful customers.

You might be thinking about virtual reality and 3D video. 3D video is easily produced with any of a number of steroscopic camera setups. Playback is also pretty simple too; someone can view the photos with something as simple as Google Cardboard and their phone, though much higher definition options are also available ranging from Samsung’s Gear VR to other headsets such as from Oculus. And yes, sexual content is already available for this format.

 

[Robert_Sock]

“Aquinas believed that prostitution could not be dismissed entirely even though Fornication itself was sinful. Aquinas compared prostitution with a sewer in a palace: without the sewer. the palace would he filled with pollution; similarly, if the prostitute was eradicated, the world would be filled with “sodomy.” In addition, Aquinas believed that prostitution should exist to save the chastity of other wornen; just as the use of Food is For the preservation of life; so are venereal acts for the welfare of the human race [ST 2-2.153. 2]. Thus, this rationalization of prostitution as a necessary evil encouraged the toleration of prostitution in medieval communities and the Church. Bishops ran and owned brothels in London and Westminster during the 15th and 16th centuries, and they were not only owners but many were also clients as well. However, although Prostitution via Aquinas’s beliefs was tolerated for the benefit of the community, prostitutes were excluded From the Church if they continued their work. but there was always hope of their conversion.”

We should note what Saint Thomas said about prostitution. What would he say about pornography? I, for one, believe that pornography is a ‘necessary’ evil in today’s sexual rampant society.

 

[Robert_Sock]

The only thing bad about pornography is the people who watch it. People enjoy being sexually abused by their own self. When people see it as such, perhaps they will be all too eager to quit it.

 

[edwest2]

Yes.

Probably not - but that hardly matters. We needn’t insist on living by the standards of the late 18th century.

Yep.

The Catholic Answer is there is too much immorality on TV. We should never watch that.

Ed

 

[edwest2]

I think one way to combat porn would be through education. Education about the harmful effects of pornography and education about the positive effects of living rightly and having a healthy view of our bodies and sex. And for men the healthy view of having a right attitude towards woman as not an object of lust but as persons created in the image and likeness of God with their own dignity as more than just a physical body to be used for self gratification. It is such a debasing of the human person to use them as merely a ‘sex toy’. When they are so much more. I would say that the problem with porn is that they do not appreciate the human person enough. It is not seeing the forest for the trees. It is focusing on one aspect of a person and not really getting to know the person. It is actually a facade of the person. When men lust after images what they are really longing for is intimacy with people. And since they do not know how to get real intimacy (and I am not just talking about sex) they settle for pornography. Real intimacy would be getting to know people on a deeper level, getting to know the real them. Their troubles, their hopes, their fears, etc.

Pornography sets up false expectations on men and women. Real sex in an actual relationship is nothing like pornography. Pornogpraphy projects false images on men and women as being merely things to satisfy sexual desires. Of course it doesn’t really satisfy these desires. Have you ever met a porn addict who said ok I am now satisfied and do not have to look at these images again? No, in fact the opposite happens. It never really satisfies them, and they have to go into harder and more extreme porn because what satisfied them before no longer turns them on. Again, they want real intimacy but pornography can never give them that.

Jesus said let all who thirst come to me and I will satisfy them with rivers of flowing water such that they will never thirst again. The greatest thing we could do for people is to bring them to Jesus. And, this importantly means bringing them to the Sacraments - baptism, confession, etc. I have heard many stories of people’s lives that were changed just from being baptized because they come under the protection of Jesus. And, of course from Reconciliation for people already baptized. Praying the rosary daily and frequent Reconciliation is something I am a firm believer in as I have seen the fruit of it in my life and in others.

Thank you.

Best,
Ed