I think you probably know the answer to this question yourself.
im not sure what mean by question one and as to question 2, no its not hard to flip past those and i dont ahve am attraction to them but i still see them.
If you’re speaking of sexuality, I disagree… There are tons of things that have suggestive pictures of stories in them that we either should or need to look at, like the newspaper or the news on tv or the Bible. Also, if something is overwhelingly good but has one evil thingin it or something, should one avoid it altogether? Sometimes, depending on what that evil thing is and in what context. But always? No, I’d say not.
I first would say one does not need to look at tv or the news. Of course, one needs to read the Bible but I am not sure what pictures in the Bible promote sexual lust . What I thought we were talking about here are the magazines seen in almost every store in America. Many, if not all, promote sexual depravity. Should we, as Christians, purposfully allow our minds to take in these pictures? I say not. The devil can and will use them.
I totally agree with this. For example, alcohol. It is good but people pervert it and make it bad. Sex, it is good but people pervert it. But I am not talking about only sex here. I am talking about opening your mind up to the way the world presents sex, which is in a very depraved way, and then purposfully reading magazines etc that promote lust. Is it neccessary to read these magazines? No. Are these magazines good? No. We would be hard pressed to find a man who would not in some way struggle with some type of lust when seeing these pictures, and again, I think even if you do not struggle with it you should not open yourself to immorality.We must daily guard ourselves against the devil and his wiles. This is one of his tricks, it is ok to think that immoral pictures are ok to look at! When, in reality, these pictures not only promote lust and sexual depravity but they de-humanize the men and women who pose for these pictures. We should always see people the way Christ sees them, and these pictures do not help us to do that.
As I said above I totally agree with this. But I am not sure one can compare immoral pictures…which are ALWAYS immoral, to alcohol,which is NOT immoral.
I didn’t know that I needed to watch to watch television!!! Why didn’t anyone tell me??? I haven’t turned on the TV in years, the thing drives me nuts. I usually get my news from the radio. The newspaper ( at least in my small town) is real safe… really don’t have to worry about pictures there. Now the Bible, that’s a different story. I do need to read the Bible, and I realize that there is a lot of intrigue and hanky panky there, especially in the Old Testament. And if you have an illustrated Bible, especially if you have pictures by Michaelangelo (like Paris Blue has in her art history book), well… all I can say is don’t ever go to Europe, 'cause there’s neked statues everywhere 
I agree. I hate television and I very rarely watch tv or even movies.
IF someone has an illustrated Bible, I have never had one like this, are the pictures the same as in a fashion magazine? Are they meant to produce lust and desire within another, even a desire to look like that other person? I think not. They are meant to be examples of God’s beautiful creation. Of course these pictures in a Bible could be used in the wrong way, as anything good can be…but one cannot compare them to the pictures in a fashion magazine.Now the Bible, that’s a different story. I do need to read the Bible, and I realize that there is a lot of intrigue and hanky panky there, especially in the Old Testament. And if you have an illustrated Bible, especially if you have pictures by Michaelangelo (like Paris Blue has in her art history book), well… all I can say is don’t ever go to Europe, 'cause there’s neked statues everywhere
I was being faceitious. I am always amused by the Victorian attitued towards the body that is the norm in the United States. Can you imagine Michaelangelo’s David in YOUR town square. If anyone reads, “and he knew her” and starts having sexual fantasies or lustful thoughts…you need to go see a priest immediatly and start counseling. I am not kidding about this.
Of course I totally agree with this. Even Saint Paul says to be “in the world yet not of it.” The question is this. Should you purposfully put pictures and thoughts into your mind that the devil can use? I am not talking about driving down the street or walking through a store and seeing a sexually immoral picture, of course that could not be helped. What I am talking about is picking up a magazine which is unncessary to read and opening your mind up to the devils world.
If you think giving up immoral pictures is letting Satan win then you are 100% wrong. Beleive me I know we cannot get rid of everything around us that Satan can use. He can use our family, business etc…whatever God lets him use he can use. But what we can do is try and live Godly lives and decrease the occassion of sin around us. Don’t pick up the magazine and flip through it and see immoral pictures. Don’t watch that movie with bad language and immorality. Why do these things? They are a waste of time anyway and do not further the Kingdom of God.
Haha. No, I can not imagine that. ROFL is right! I know you were being faceitious.
Yeah, I’m ROFL at the thought of all the commotion that would cause.
Agreed, I had a feeling you were aware of this!!
I pretty much said that for the benefit of others reading.
That’s true, in the same way that an alcoholic needs counseling. My point is that there are some folks who have this problem.
I think we may be in agreement here. What I am talking about is that if a person, say, is a fashion designer, or gets some sort of enjoyment out of reading about fashion, he shouldn’t have to give that up simply because some folks who are into the same things are also into skimpy clothes or dirty pictures. I don’t mean we shouldnt give up immoral pictures. Obviously we should. Movies with immoral themes or whatnot are the same thing.
But the magazines we are talking about are really not “fashion” magazines. They are magazines with articles on sex, fashion, immorality, birth control, abortion etc. The problem is not that some people are into skimpy clothes or dirty pictures…the problem is you allowing your mind to see these things purposfully.
Ah, but you could go to another book store where those books are not at. You possibly could walk another way around…but regardless, those books you are speaking of you would have to stop and pick up to read. If you are NOT going to do this…then walk on by. But your example is inconsistent. Why? Because sex is good, so we should be able to read “Sex for Dummies” and just weed through the immorality. I mean, after all, sex is good so I should not have to give up a book like “Sex for Dummies.”
IF he has a real problem, he should not be reading the articles at all. Many of the articles as well are not moral nor are they Christ like. Why shouldn’t the articles be given up? Of what benefit are they? And how does he know he will “easily resist tempation” when the devil decides to " bring it on!"
That’s true of some sorts of magazines. If you’re talking about Cosmopolitan, then you are correct. However, I work at a store that sells many magazines, and I can tell you that there are plenty of fashion magazines that aren’t all about immoral articles. They are for the very most part or often exclusively articles about fashion. There’s a major difference. I don’t think we ever specified which type we’re talking about, so we can’t really say we aren’t talking about fashion magazines. I know the sort you’re thinking about… Those aren’t fashion magazines, those are women’s magazines, or teen magazines.
Maybe not, but a lot of those books have dirty pictures on the front. Furthermore, I’m not married and won’t be so anytime soon so I’ve got no reason to go anywhere near those books. Also, that is one example. There are of course a lot more books there that I’m sure we would find very problematic. Again, I am not talking about giving up anything. I am talking about the idea of not taking myself out of the world, as Paul was and as you brought up.
If the articles aren’t moral or Christ like, of course he sould give them up. But if the article he wants to read is about the latest type of pants to come out, there’s no problem in that. In fact, even if the article on the page after that is about some terrible thing, he still shouldn’t give up the good article unless he has a real problem with that temptation. I read the newspaper all the time, and the fact is that there are always great articles right next to terrible ones that I could be tempted to read. It doesn’t mean I ought to not read the good ones, or even the newspaper.
I understand where you are coming from with everything you said.