Pastor's Pen - May 15, 2016

During this past Lent, the Bishops of the Philippines published a statement on Pornography. They quote from the Catholic Catechism that states “growing in chastity empowers and transforms us into the likeness of Christ himself so that we can love God, our neighbors and ourselves, as God himself loves us.” The Bishops went on to say that “Jesus offered his own life for all, even for his enemies, to transform their hearts. We need to live and express this selfless love. It is the only way to authentic happiness.” They went on to state that our sexuality is a beautiful gift from God that is ordered toward selfless love. “Because we are created for love, we are also created for chastity. Chastity demands self-mastery. It does not tolerate a double life. Chastity takes time to attain, and often, only after a struggle.”

Pornography is a grave evil that offends against chastity. It does great injury to the dignity of all involved: performers, consumers, producers and distributors. Pornography dehumanizes and objectifies persons.

We Catholics are often too silent or soft on PORNOGRAPHY. Maybe it is because we’re afraid that speaking out is invading other people’s privacy and free will. Maybe we are silent because we know someone who has become an extremist as a censor and we don’t want to be like them or associated with their extremism. Maybe we are soft on porn because we allow ourselves to indulge in it in one form or another and we don’t want to feel like a hypocrite speaking out against it. Some of us even rationalize or argue the innocence of our actions, saying things as, “A little titillating or pleasure-seeking isn’t bad;” or “the human body and our sexuality were created by God so it can’t be bad or wrong to talk about it, view it or use it;” or “I haven’t committed any crime or raped anyone;” or “my involvement is purely personal, no one is getting hurt;” or “everybody does it!”

Yet pornography in any form abuses God’s creation and His will for His people. Using pornography in any form keeps us from finding God. No wonder some of us can’t relate deeply with God. Pornography corrupts. It is a scourge and a cancer.

Here is a list of some of The Destructive Fruits Of Pornography --- destroys our relationship with God, makes prayer difficult, wounds families and relationships, depersonalizes, builds irresponsibility, immaturity, victimization of women and children, sex without love, obsessions/obsessiveness, escapism, abuse, lovelessness, undisciplined sexuality, infidelity, dehumanization, desensitization, subordination/domination, warped thinking, fantasizing, insensitivity, cheapness, non-commitment, slavery, distortion, perversion, objectifying persons.

Pornography violates our minds, bodies and spirit. It is absolutely addictive. It is like a cancer that has long-term effects. It deadens our soul and warps our conscience. Every film, video, magazine, book, program, computer screen, phone line, or pep show we give in to weakens our moral and Christian fiber and adds dollars (over $100 billion) to the producers of this demeaning trash. Where is God found in any of it? It is UNGODLY! We need to root it out of our own life and help battle it in our community. Parents especially must be better supervisors and monitors of and examples for their children. A website that I recommend with various links is www.loveisfaithful.com

Fr. Ralph