Carol on Porn vs. Religion

…a lifetime of sexual repression can really screw you up. There's no evidence whatsoever that anyone, of any age, has ever been harmed by seeing porn, but there's ample evidence that a repressive religious upbringing is instrumental in turning children into sexually violent adults. I don't care if your kid turns into someone who likes to look at skin mags and movies with their hand in their pants, or even if they become someone who makes porn movies, but I damn well do care if you are raising your kid to be a rapist – that's something that actually does do serious harm. Yet we don't hear people talking about banning the Bible and fundamentalist religions to "protect the children", do we? What do you think causes that?

[Avedon Carol, "Devolution", The Sideshow, 28 February 2009.]

Posted on February 28, 2009 at 23.33 by jns · Permalink
In: All, Common-Place Book

4 Responses

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  1. Written by S.W. Anderson
    on Sunday, 1 March 2009 at 02.41
    Permalink

    Many generations of teens and twentysomethings have delighted
    in viewing sexually explicit materials, the overwhelming majority
    of them without suffering either short or longterm harm.

    That tells me it's not so much what porn brings to a young person
    that's important, but rather what a young person brings to partaking
    of porn. If they have a basically decent set of values and appreciation
    that the way things are typically portrayed in porn are exaggerations
    and distortions — fantasies — they'll be no worse for wear.

    As for the few who are really sick puppies, it's a crap shoot. Some
    might be emboldened to do things that are harmful and illegal. Others
    might be satisfied, and therefore pacified, in solitary fashion.

    Some repression is necessary for socialization. Like almost anything, if
    carried to excess it can be damaging.

  2. Written by rightsaidfred
    on Sunday, 1 March 2009 at 08.09
    Permalink

    I'd like to see a little more discussion about the effects of sexual repression under Islam. But I suppose people are afraid of getting their heads cut off. So let us live in fear while we crush the Christians.

  3. Written by BearToast Joe
    on Wednesday, 4 March 2009 at 13.54
    Permalink

    I do believe repressed/compressed/supressed/closeted sexuality DOES warp us. I stand as an example. But I'm trying to gay out as best I can.

    And, such repression may have a part in an unhelathy obsession with porn. I believe that can be unhealthy, but not so harmful (except as those in the porn industry may exploit others). Interesting reading at Joe.My.God about tracking porn through credit card use. It shows Utah as the place! HA! Check it out!
    http://joemygod.blogspot.com/2009/02/utah-online-porn-capital-of-usa.html

  4. Written by jns
    on Friday, 6 March 2009 at 22.42
    Permalink

    Like any of us are surprised that the most religious, most red states are the most repressed and enjoy their online porn the most! Puhlease.

    Porn can be unhealthy just as broccoli can be unhealthy, but, as you imply, there's no evidence that porn is any sort of gateway into a perverse psychosis; obsessing over it and repressing one's natural impulses is what makes a person neurotic, or a secret red-state porn fiend, or a violent gay basher.

    It's sounded to me, btw, that your gaying out is coming along just fine.

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