Morals Paper:

" Sexually Pure - Sexually Porn" - By Harry Briley - 2/99

Background

I want this web page to be a list of useful things that centers our minds on sexual purity as defined by thousands of years of world civilizations (tradition) , by key passages from the Bible (scripture), and practical daily living (experience).

The word 'pornography' is a Greek conjunction of 'porneia' (every kind of unlawful sexual intercourse) and 'graphos' (writing). 'Porne' in Greek refers to a prostitute (or by extension, the sexual activity thereof). Quite simply, it is any form of writing or symbology (yes, even on the Web), that dwells on sexual activity outside the lawful marriage covenant.

Lest I find myself trapped by this very definition, I want to dwell on how to be sexually pure without being legalistic or self-loathing for our own human impulses and desires. I firmly believe, and have experienced the total release of resting the matter in God's hands. Instead of struggling sheer willpower, I have found that God is indeed the source of sexually purity that is joyous. I can sense you shaking your head at this poor deluded soul. "It's fine for him but he is not living in the real world." Well, give me a chance to present my case.

The Bible

The Bible - - throughout the Tenach (Torah, Prophets, Writings) , Gospels, and Epistles (Letters) - - does not hide the sordid nature of sexual behavior throughout history. It is a real book written by real people about real life needing to be accountable to the real and living God (G-d, the L-rd in Hebrew). [I could easily have said, like Billy Graham, "The Bible says ..." However, I want to impart the idea that there is something powerful behind those simple words of 'The Bible says..."]

Here are a few passages that deal with the "eye of the beholder", which is the main avenue of pornography into our gray matter. The second main avenue is audio. Together, visual and audio, the power of pornography has come of age in our century. As some wag said, "Pornography has everything to do with the sexual organ between our ears."

Psalms 101:2-4 (NIV): "I will be careful to lead a blameless life ... I will walk in (the privacy of ) my (own) house with blameless heart. I will set before my eyes no vile (lawless wicked) thing. The deeds of faithless men, I hate; they will not cling to me. Men of perverse heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with evil."

2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV): "We demolish (the alluring and seductive) arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we(actively) take captive every (inner hidden) thought to make it obedient to Christ."

Job 31:1-7 (NIV): (Job is speaking) "I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl ... Does he (God) not see my ways and count my every step? ... Let God weigh me in honest scales ... if my steps have turned from the path, if my heart has been led by my eyes, (etc. & etc..)"

Matthew 5:27-28 (NIV): (Jesus is speaking using Exodus 20 and Job 31) "You have heard that it was said 'Do not commit adultery', but I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

All opposed? None? Well, there you are: The 'eyes' have it.

Practical Stuff

Even the most holy of the holy cannot avoid the pervasive nature of sexual innuendo, visuals, artwork, commercials, teasers, promos, and layouts. Madison Avenue and Hollywood have us covered coast to coast. Since we know such 'eye candy' sells cars, trucks, beer, football, films, and virtually everything else we buy in society, how do we practically become sexually pure rather than sexually prone to porn in daily life? Here are some ideas, in no particular order. Like many natural laws that God mentions in the Bible, even people who do not believe in God can benefit from being sexually pure.

• Become a monk in a monastery (OK, not so practical, but don't discount it.)
• Turn off the TV for 30 days as an experiment
• Activate blocking of 'Porn' movies in your hotel room
• Unplug the TV in your hotel room.
• Commit to bypass all 'R'-rated and worse movies.
• Prohibit 'R'-rated or worse videos from being shown in your home.
• Shred or burn (safely) all existing or hidden porn in your home
• Commit to thinking that women are people of worth
• Join a Promise Keepers accountability group.
• Consider a woman you are observing as being your own sister.
• Think about helping people rather and less self-centered.
• Pray using Philippians 4:4-9 as a guideline
• Delete all unsolicited e-mail offering 'eye candy'
• Ask you wife to delete all sexually oriented e-mail
• Decide that being a 'prude' gives your brain a sanity break.
• Become part of a men's morning prayer time at a local church.
• If asked if you want to hear a dirty joke .... say 'No.'
• Activate blocking of 900-xxx-xxxx phone numbers
• Go to bed by 10pm (Are David and Jay really that modest?)
• Read from the Great American Bathroom Books (GABB) before bed.
• When tempted, think: "Garbage in, Garbage out"
• Read up on the transformed lives of the apostles.
• For us parents, realize that the photos are someone's daughter.
• Let chivalry be a trait that women welcome coming from you
• Don't rationalize the swimsuit issue - Eye candy is eye candy.
• Be faithful and true to your spouse.
• Don't follow the President as a precedent - repent daily if needed.
• Don't attend stag parties (especially avoid those thrown for yourself)
• Attend a church where sexual purity is a given and not a debate
• Gentleness is not a character flaw - Handle human hearts with care
• A visual makes a long-term imprint - Make better use of your neurons.

• Sow a thought, reap a behavior - Think pure.
• Sow a behavior, reap a habit - Act pure.
• Sow a habit, reap a character trait - Be pure.

Someone once said (Josh McDowell perhaps) that you cannot change a skunk by dressing him up in fancy clothes. At the character level, the critter is still a stinker. It is impossible to do these things without an inner radical surgery of the spiritual life. Jesus can fill that God-shaped void in our heart and set things in order, including our sexual impulses towards pornography.

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