Lust is the craving for salt of a man who is dying of thirst.
John White in Eros Redeemed: "God gave us sexuality as a refreshing lake of joy. It offers us communion. Unhappily, ever since humanity fell, the lake of joy has been bordered by a fetid swamp, threaded by trails of guilt-laden pleasure."
Colossians 2:8
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
Pornography has been described as the two-ton elephant sitting in the pew of the church that no one wants to acknowledge. It is a multi-billion dollar industry, exceeding the combined income of Coca-Cola and McDonald Douglass Corporations, encompassing adult movies and magazines, adult book stores, and the giant of all sources: the Internet. Seventy-five percent of Internet hits are looking for pornographic sites. Even prostitutes have web sites. Addiction to pornography is beyond epidemic proportions, and threatens the very foundation of society: the family. It is as strong an addiction as cocaine, and the primary target audience is our children - in a deliberate attempt to assure a new generation of consumers.
It has been estimated that 90% of children between the ages of 11 and 17 have been exposed to Internet pornography - either by deliberate attempt or by accident. One recent report talked of a five-year-old child who had used his family's credit card to rack up charges of $673.00 in one month viewing on-line pornographic sites. Five years old!
Another report states that 85-95% of pedophiles and other sexual predators use pornography in some form as the fuel of their behaviors. FBI statistics indicate that pornography is found at the scenes of violent sex crimes or in the homes of the perpetrators. Michigan State Police reported that in 41% of sexual assault cases, pornographic material was viewed just prior to and during the commission of the crime.
Pornography consumption was one of the most common profile characteristics of serial murderers and rapists.
Adult bookstores outnumber MacDonald's restaurants by a margin of at least 3-to-1. Nearly 900 movie theaters show pornographic films with a annual income exceeding $50 million.
70% of pornographic magazines end up in the hands of minors.
One estimate states that 1.2 million children annually are exploited in commercial sex (child pornography and child prostitution.)
The use of and addiction to pornography has become one of the major causes of divorce and a prime reason for seeking marriage counseling. It is estimated that 51% of married Christian husbands masturbate using pornography.
Because of the loss of societal influence and the loss of spiritual power, sexual sin in the Church may be legitimately seen as the single greatest obstacle to the Church's evangelistic impact on the world. Yet the Church remains largely silent. And the destruction and shame continues unabated.
Romans 12:2
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Ephesians 5:2-3
Live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people.
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