Something More Than A Business

16Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” 17But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him. 18Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 19Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body gand in your spirit, which are God’s.
1 Corinthians 6: 16 - 20 NKJV

Forbes magazine recently estimated the annual sales of the pornography industry to be in the 10-14 billion dollar range (2001 figures).  In recent years, however, this figure has dipped by an estimated 50% due to the overabundance of free material availble on Al Gores internet.  Like a goodwill warehouse for porn addicts, the internet has provided millions of people the opportunity to browse their addictions at home alone to their hearts content.  It seems that pornography has become quite the big business.  Too many people protest, cry, yelp and complain of large corporations that all too often rake in billions of dollars in profits at the consumers expense.  However, I have yet to see a occupy wall street protest that protested the billion dollar a year porn industry.  Why is that?  Why are we so quick to demonize corporations which seemingly take in ridiculous amounts of money and yet legitimize the true scoundrels who take advantage of us?  Well, for one thing, far too many people see the porn industry as one that offers up few victims.  However, these same people will react in mock outrage at each and every human interest story of that wayward teenage runanway whose very life has been destroyed by the porn industry.  These are the very same people who will be all too quick to pass judgement on those who are caught in the addictions of this wickegame.  At the end of the day, many of these who have passed judgement upon others for a seemingly unpardonable sin will themselves sneak away to their own dark corner to indulge in their own internet addiction.  It all seems a bit hypocritical, but that's just my take.

6knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6: 6 - 11 NKJV

There are a few areas in the christian life where my own life experiences have presented to me a opportunity to warn others of the dangers of things I myself have faced.  One of these areas is the subject of pornography.  See, my own father fell victim to the evils of this disease, as did his two sons.  I'm guessing that it's true that the sins of the father will be passed down to his own offspring.  While not true in every case, it was for me.  While more often than not we might classify the pornography industry as a business, I feel that at its deepest roots that it is more than that...a lot more.  The way I see it, many men see pornography the very same way in which they see women in this world around them.  That is, a woman is only there to satisfy whatever needs he may have in any given moment.  While this isn't the case for all men, I feel that there is a large percent of the population that feel this way.  Remember that I was once among that crowd.  I was shocked one day to realize that as I watched a few ladies walking down a sidewalk...that my very first thought was of how I could get them into bed!  Despite the fact that this was someones wife, daughter or mother, my very first thought was the quenching of my own desire.  THAT, in a nutshell, is what I believe lies at the core of this issue.  Our own needs must be met, no matter the cost.  Given the chance, would any one of us actually approach a woman with those thoughts we secretly carry for her?  NOT...A...CHANCE!  Why?  Because that would only serve to validate her fears that she is simply there for the gratification of aother.  Not only is this not biblical, moral or right, it gives us a false image of what relationship and intimacy truly is.  Why would we waste our time with the stresses, pain, hurts and discouragements of building and keeping a relationship when at the click of a button we can have all the pleausres of what our heavenly Father intended for a MARRIAGE relationship without the struggles and commitment of that relationship?  It all seemed like a no brainer at one time to me.  However, I came to one realization that helped me turn my heart towards that direction which God desired for me.  I realized that it could be far more gratifying for me to actually learn all that I could about another person.  I realized that it wasn't all about me, but about the needs of others.  Finally, I realized that I was indeed dead to those sins my own father engaged in through Jesus Himself {Romans 6:11}.

~Scott~