Life Matters - June 18, 2025

Porn kills love. That heavy little bullet of truth is being distributed from the coffers of an organization descriptively titled: Fight The New Drug. (FTND) It is descriptive because porn’s effect on the brain is, in fact, according to those who study such things, identical in that it gives an artificially induced rush of the pleasure hormone dopamine to the brain. And because God designed our brains to experience pleasure when accompanied by the higher aspirations of selfless giving, of caring companionship, of enjoying God, His beautiful creation, of expecting good things for the future, of dreaming to be in that safe place of eternity with Him, the sudden boosts of pleasure that initially accompany recreational drugs, as well as porn, have no tempering of impact on the brain.

And because God did not design the brain to pursue pleasure as if pleasure had a merit of its own, the result is a steeling of the brain against such artificially produced (by hallucinogenic drugs or by pictures) pleasure hormones. The result is finally a hardening of the senses to the pleasure that once excited the brain, a dulling of the senses to pleasure. When pursuit of this kind of pleasure is impulsively and habitually pursued, because of physical need for the ‘rush’ even to the damaging neglect of other needs, then addiction is complete.  The result, finally, of such pursuit is much like the drunkard and the drug addict going through life in a stoned, or a drunken, stupor, desensitized to the substance that had once given such pleasure, yet still, helpless in the pursuit of it, because of the physical craving need the body has for the dopamine rush that temporarily feels good, but in its very essence calls for ever-increasing variations, giving rise to the perversions so prevalent in this 21st century wickedness. We cannot say that a little is harmless, any more than we can say that about recreational drugs. This new drug has consequences with eternal implications. 

While I may differ with FTND when they claim to not be religious (I expect, in an attempt to be relevant to everyone) still, in their adherence to natural laws that God wove into His creation, God has given them, whether they are aware of His involvement or not, through their being honest with creation and natural law, valuable and wise insights into the harmful effects of pornography and the way out of such addictions. One of those harmful effects of porn is the objectification of people, especially of young women. Women become objects to be consumed by appetites of lust while their own personal needs are pushed out of the picture. All manner of lusts are involved. Without consumer demand there would be no production and without production there could be no consumers. The lust of consumers drives production while production increases the selfish lusts of consumers. Production is driven by the love of money exploiting the denigration of souls. 

Shutting down production while ignoring consumer demand would likely only result in the uprising of a black market. Which is where FTND comes in as their goal is to awaken consumers to the very real dangers and give a helping hand to the porn addict. Again, if there were no consumers there would be no porn. The industry is driven by the love of money at the expense of people. A reality that begins at the grassroots of the industry. As reported by FTND, the actors and actresses are lured into production by the offer of high paying jobs, but once in, their payments are prorated by performance, which means that if they refuse to do scenes for whatever reason or do not perform however often as needed for the ‘perfect’ picture, well, then they don’t get paid. Or not as much. Other means of coercion are used as well, money being the principal one among them. 

Digital technology via social media has given rise to an even more (if that were possible) deceptive exploitation of the human body, the exploitation of one’s own body. FTND reports that as of Dec. 2024 there are thousands of young women on a social media site where they post pornographic pictures of themselves for their ‘fans.’ When their fans top some millions then these women are referred to as among the “influencers.” These influencers make a lot of money, at times to the tune of millions, per year. It is my understanding that their influence attracts advertising, which is where the money comes from. ‘’The love of money is the root of all evil.’’ (I Tim. 6:10) The porn industry is driven by the lust for pleasure upon its own merit, either the pleasure of looking or the pleasure of money. The youthful spirits of women are sacrificed on the rigid alter of money-fueled body-worship. Bodies eventually wear out, the carnality-serving spirit left gnarled and worn. What then?   

I have never been addicted to porn as defined by FTND, but I have been around the edges enough to know what it might feel like. My introduction to porn came by way of a magazine lying in a road ditch that I unfortunately happened upon while cultivating a back field with horses one sunny and calm summer day on the Pennsylvania farm of my fortunate upbringing. What followed was more than “just happened.” It was the summer I turned fourteen and awoke passions in me that I didn’t know I had up until then. But porn was not available as it is today with digital technology. I am thankful it wasn’t. Even so I was able to get past my guilty conscience several times to buy magazines and even attend several such movies with a ‘friend’ who got me started. I walked out of the last one before it was over. 

Since that life-altering accident of 2011, I have again happened upon pornography. By looking for answers to some male health needs, following the shearing of the brain and whatever else happened that day, ads came in the mail that eventually took a dark turn into porn. The same thing happens on an unfiltered computer. One young man said recently, ‘’porn is everywhere to those looking for it.’’ FTND is approaching the problem with education about the dangers. They are doing a good work. There is, however, only one ultimately safe place to be. That safe place is the taste of eternal fulfilling pleasure through the love of Jesus flooding our souls. Freedom! Love kills porn.

Life Matters!