‘Child pornography is the sexual abuse of children’

Pornography is rampant today and, by some, accepted as normal.

George Barna (Christian researcher) reports that even some clergy are involved in Internet pornography. Shame on them, I say!

Pornography is extremely addictive. I’ve known several men whose marriages have been destroyed and families devastated by their addiction to Internet porn.

I have encouraged some of these men to join an accountability partnership with me. In this arrangement, I would have full access 24/7 to examine every site they’ve visited online and they in turn could examine my computer history. I’ve not had a single taker, yet.

To add to the nastiness of this, a cursory study reveals that pornography tends to be degenerative. That is to say, that pornography does not always, but can lead to variant and unhealthy sexual appetites, acts of sexual abuse or assaults and child pornography.

It’s this last type of divergent activity, child porn, that filled the media last week. More than 200 charges were laid against 60 people from all over Ontario and police say that the ongoing investigation will probably result in more arrests and reveal more victims.

In addition to the arrests, the police say they have identified 22 victims so far. Illegal drugs and weapons were also confiscated in the police raids.

What is even more disconcerting is that it’s apparent that this police bust, though notable, is by no means a clean sweep. One reporter explained that police have identified an additional 9000 IP addresses that are, or have been involved in accessing and/or sharing, child pornography.

I don’t understand child pornography and I am glad that I don’t. I am, however, absolutely repulsed by it!

Scott Tod, acting commissioner of the OPP, said, “Child pornography is the sexual abuse of children. Every image of child pornography represents a child victim. Every trading or transmission of the image represents a re-victimization of that child.”

The Bible doesn’t specifically address pornography, but says enough about sexual impurity for us to know how God views it. Jesus taught that sin occurs in our hearts. In Matthew 5:27-28, He taught, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

Sexual sin also occurs in the physical realm. 1 Corinthians 6:18 says, “Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.”

Finally, Proverbs 23:7 explains that, “...as a man/woman thinks in his/her heart, so is he/she.” I fear there are some pretty hideous hearts out there!

Pastor Ross Helgeton is the senior pastor at Erskine Evangelical Free Church.