| I am writing this page on accident.
I prepared a Spanish page on the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time (XXX Domingo Ordinario) and in that homily mentioned "niñas". I found myself getting "hits" from both the United States and Latin America from people looking for pornography. I was also surprised to notice that, although search engines clearly identify my site as religious in nature, people looking for pornography would visit my page. And so I feel privileged to respond to those of you who happen upon my site in search of something else. (My suspicions were confirmed and this has become the most popular page on my site.)
Abuse
Every good thing can be abused. Excessive overuse often leads to abuse. A beautiful, sexy human body is one of God's finest gifts to humanity. Abuse comes when excessive voyeurism replaces appreciation of this gift.
Addiction to Internet Pornography
Abuse may lead to addiction. In this section, I want to focus on addiction to internet pornography.
For a long time, Society has fighting our Puritanical heritage. Some compensation and counterbalance are to be expected. Listening to people in my professional and personal relationhips, (and confirmed by my own experience!), I have learned that true sexiness comes not so much in what can be revealed as in what can be seductively concealed. The graphic nature of the hardcore pornography so readily available on the net may serve for some education; beyond that it is simply abusive. There is a reverence between people, between sexes, that is violated by pornography.
Addiction adds the elements of compulsion and obsessiveness to the abuse. There can be no addiction without there first having been abusive overexposure. Sadly, commercial interests constantly titillating us with "over the line" ads and programming provide an environment where overexposure is hard to escape.
Where there are abuse and addiction there are also unscrupulous people preying the victims of pornography. Those who pose for the pictures are one kind of victim; those who pay for the internet service are yet another. The internet has for a long time been assaulted by conscienceless purveyors of the basest sorts of pornography!
It has been postulated that habituation to pornography has a deteriorative effect on society. We have been horrified by the treatment of Iraqui prisoners by the American military that has included sexual humiliation and the filming of it. However, this kind of activity would not have occurred in former wars and conflicts. The young people of this day have little regard for sexual boundaries because of the implicit permission in the popularity of pornography to violate those boundaries, prolonged exposure to hard-core sexual images, and sexual exhibitionism that is expected at the young American drinking party. There is a sense in which we should not be horrified by the mistreatment of Iraqui prisoners. There is a sense in which we are all responsible.
Victims of pornography and pornographers become enmeshed in disordered sexuality. Disorder in our lives can shatter our focus on good works. Ghandi, in his pursuit of the practice of public service, chose to lead a celibate life with his wife. I can remember one story in his autobiography when he awoke distressed because he had a sexual dream. Whereas this is an extreme (although no one can doubt the stature of Ghandi as a leader in human history), at the same time it points for the need of restoring balance to our lives. People sometimes fall victim to pornography because of an initial boredom. There is a world of good works crying for our attention -- we may get tired and worn down, but we will never be bored!
God liberates humanity from sin and death. Faith struggles with those death-dealing aspects of our human nature. Abuse of the goods we enjoy, through either choice or addiction, is certainly primary among them. The classic "way out" from addiction is to acknowledge what has become a powerlessness and surrender ourselves to the Higher Power.
Computers are great, the internet has unbelievable possibility, yet it has exposed human weakness and the propensity to sin. The opportunity to liberate ourselves from the snares of addiction is here and now.
Child Pornography
The internet makes more accessible than ever before child pornography -- and hence the abuse and addiction. Those searching the web for "xxx niñas/niños" are looking for children -- and there are many websites that cater to them. The abuse is particularly pernicious, because the viewer is witnessing a clear social and personal evil: child sexual abuse. An argument can be made that child pornography defuses the actual abuse of children. But studies in sexual victimization show that viewing pornography is part of the process of priming oneself for the actual act of perpetrating.
Pedophilia There are some adults whose primary sexual preference is for children. To some extent, sexual attraction to a child is natural; however, the adult, for whom the primary attraction is the child, needs to be conscious of adult responsibility, not only in society but on the developmental effects adult-child sexual interaction could have on the child. Pedophiles do not always have to victimize children. They can lead a balanced, mature, responsible life.
Child Sexual Abuse Child sexual abuse is primarily an abuse of power: not only does the adult take advantage of his or her natural dominance in a situation with a child, but in some cases the chief need is to express power over the child through the sexual interaction. Adults who have acted on those impulses and abused children need to assure, at all costs, they are not in situations where they are alone with, or have access to, children.
I can remember when I was living a life of celibacy, and how we were encourage to "sublimate" our sexual desires. I do know that it was possible to do so, although difficult. Sublimation is discovering and engaging in activities that divert energy away from sexual impulses. For me, it was music, poetry, and nature.
May God give us all wisdom and control that we may love ourselves, embrace our strengths, and be a blessing for others!
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