A concept I love: Maithuna

Post Edited (One Love) : 1/20/2012 12:03:12 PM (GMT-6)

I don't think there was research in the sense that they asked someone to view pornography.  There could have been studies done in that even though they ALREADY did watch it there may have been questions regarding views on women, desensitization, etc.  Just like we put out violent video games before we actually study the affects.  The one thing I found interesting about what Wolf said was the distinction she made between crimes due to pornography and the depletion of libido. 

Years ago, it was pointed out that there is a difference between correlation and causality.  There were many cases in police files that demonstrated a correlation between pornographic indulgence and criminal behavior.  However, this by itself did not actually prove that pornography causes sexual crimes.  It probably has to do with the idea that to make the distinction between correlation and causality it is almost impossible to make in practice.  For instance, people who have a pre-existing propensity toward sex crimes such as a rape and child molestation are drawn to pornography because of this inclination.  At the same time, there are cases where there is a clear evidence where someone committed a crime where the perpetuator himself confesses he felt "compelled" to act out his fantasy after looking at porn.

I suppose mystifying sex ought to be connected to spiritual development.  Barclay put it like this:

"It is wanton and undisciplined action.  It is the action of a man who is at the mercy of his passions and impulses and his emotions, and in whom the voice of calm reason has been silenced by the storms of self will."

We can talk about commands against sexual sin in terms of being for our own protection (as I've heard some more liberal stripe Christians say) but that doesn't make them sins any less.  But that protection is in part what it does to us.  We don't commit sexual sins in part because we are at the mercy of our passions and impulses and emotions and not focused toward God.