Pornography And Lds: 25 Years From Now...

[Mola Ram Suda Ram]

I'd love for President Monson to stand in Conference and pronounce a curse upon all members of the Church that seven days hence, any man who has looked at pornography in the previous month and not confessed to his Bishop will have blue ears. I imagine it would be an interesting week for the Bishops of the Church.

OK, just to see blue ears, I am with you on this one.

[Mola Ram Suda Ram]

Last time I taught a lesson on porn and morality in Church, Matthew 5:30 figured prominently into the lesson. I haven't been asked to teach on the subject since.

And I teach the even-numbered Gospel Principles lessons in EQ, so I dodged the bullet this time.

Why don't you just tell everyone, that the easiest way to avoid pornography is just, not get a pronograph. Lol.

Why do people think teaching about porn is so hard? I get the felling from your post that it is a big deal to teach about it?

Edited August 1, 2011 by Mola Ram Suda Ram

[cinepro]

OK, just to see blue ears, I am with you on this one.

"Blue ears? I don't know what you're talking about. I just felt like wearing my ear muffs to sacrament meeting today."

[Mola Ram Suda Ram]

"Blue ears? I don't know what you're talking about. I just felt like wearing my ear muffs to sacrament meeting today."

Hahaha, there is a sorta creepiness to your picture and the subject at hand.

[Bernard Gui]

See? The perfect sword to hold over the members' heads.

Are you LDS?

If so, what would be the reaction of an LDS wife and mother when she discovers her husband is addicted to

pornography (in your thoroughly secular country)? Or are you saying there are no

porn addicts where you live?

Bernard

[Areabird]

I get the feeling that if a person views any porn at all, in LDS circles they would be considered an addict. What is the church's position on what constitutes addiction?

[OUmd]

I could see it getting worse, not to be gloomy gilbert or anything but. Any "discussion" I have sat through in church classes, few if any have ever talked about why people view it and no on ever talks about that stuff. Getting people to stop looking at porn is like locking the barn door after the horses got sick. I am just throwing it out there but causes of why people look at it could be boredom, loneliness,curiosity, lack of sexual contact etc. Why don't we talk about those things?

Bingo. Unless the Church addresses it's conservative approach to the topic of sex it will never get "better". They are getting better just by being so open about the problem, but if the main teaching point continues to be fear driven (it is "evil", it will "destroy" you, etc) it will only get worse. Sexual desire is too powerful to limit it to something as simple as right and wrong.

[Bernard Gui]

I get the feeling that if a person views any porn at all, in LDS circles they would be considered an addict. What is the church's position on what constitutes addiction?

The church uses frequency, duration, intensity, and risk taking as indicators of the depth of addiction. Casual users, although still in need of repentance and a

change of heart, are not considered addicts.

Bernard

[Bernard Gui]

Bingo. Unless the Church addresses it's conservative approach to the topic of sex it will never get "better". They are getting better just by being so open about the problem, but if the main teaching point continues to be fear driven (it is "evil", it will "destroy" you, etc) it will only get worse. Sexual desire is too powerful to limit it to something as simple as right and wrong.

When is a pornography addiction "right?"

Bernard

[OUmd]

When is a pornography addiction "right?"

Bernard

Never. Who said that?

[Duncan]

When is a pornography addiction "right?"

Bernard

Maybe if someone sat down with someone who is addicted and simply asked them why then maybe they will say, well,YXY but if we simply focus on the outgrowth of XYZ then the problem isn't going away. Telling someone that they are bad or worse for having the exact same feelings as they do, (assuming everyone wants to have a sexual relationship or even sexuality)doesn't go very far.

Edited August 2, 2011 by Duncan

[Bernard Gui]

Never. Who said that?

You, unless the quote I responded to was not about the topic of this discussion...pornography.

Perhaps I misunderstood, or you can explain more fully.

Bernard

[Kevin Christensen]

I think it's an artificial problem created mostly by churches. SNIP

Which does not explain the following:

Brain scans show changes in addiction in three ways. First, functional MRI (fMRI) shows changes in metabolism, or how the brain actually works in the addicted verses the unaddicted state. These tests usually require cueing, or administering the stimulus of addiction. Second, structural MRI (sMRI) looks at actual physical shrinkage in key areas of the brain important in pleasure and control. Third, MR spectroscopy, PET, and SPECT scans look at small amounts of chemicals in the brain and can look at dopamine receptors and actually measure the amount of depletion addiction has caused.

Significantly, we now see with each of the above tools the changes in brain chemistry occurring in both drug and natural addictions. We see fMRI changes not only in drug addictions such as cocaine,12 but also in natural addictions such as pathologic gambling.13 Dopamine receptor depletion is seen in drug addiction14 and in the natural addiction of obesity.15

Brain shrinkage has been seen in drug addictions such as cocaine16 and methamphetamine,17 but also in natural addictions such as obesity18 and more recently, sexual addiction.19 Studies are currently underway to examine shrinkage specifically in pornography addiction.

Significantly, some of these changes appear to be reversible with healing and recovery from addiction. Restoration to more normal brain volumes has been seen with recovery in both a drug20 and a natural addiction,21 and improvement of metabolism with abstinence has been seen in methamphetamine addiction.22

Why is it important to understand that compulsive pornography use is an actual addiction? By recognizing this, we will treat it with the respect required to overcome an addiction

That is from the LDS site which is actually very good, very well informed with up-to-date knowledge and recommendations, though, the knowledge seems only slowly to be filtering down to the local levels. It's the old problem of "seek and ye shall find" competing with "Blessed are they who sit like lumps, for they shall be spoonfed..."

http://combatingpornography.org/cp/eng/spouses/recognize/article/understanding-the-addictive-nature-of-pornography

Twelve step programs, following the pattern of A.A. were finally endorsed in the General Conference before last. Colleen Harrison, author of He Did Deliever Me from Bondage, which was used by LDS social services for 9 years, demonstrated that the Book of Mormon contains the 12 steps. She wrote an essay for the Meridian celebrating that belated General Conference endorsement.

Kevin Christensen

Bethel Park, PA

[Bernard Gui]

Maybe if someone sat down with someone who is addicted and simply asked them why then maybe they will say, well,YXY but if we simply focus on the outgrowth of XYZ then the problem isn't going away.

As in all addictions, the answer to the question "Why are you addicted?" is irrelevant to recovery, in my opinion.

That question usually cannot be answered until sobriety is achieved. Even then, it really doesn't matter in the long run.

Bernard

[Duncan]

As in all addictions, the answer to the question "Why are you addicted?" is irrelevant to recovery, in my opinion.

That question usually cannot be answered until sobriety is achieved. Even then, it really doesn't matter in the long run.

Bernard

I don't follow. if someone is inactive and you ask them why are you inactive maybe you will find something that needs to be addressed whether in them or the Church.

[OUmd]

You, unless the quote I responded to was not about the topic of this discussion...pornography.

Perhaps I misunderstood, or you can explain more fully.

Bernard

Interpret what you must. If you are suggesting that sexual desire is as simple as right or wrong, so be it. I would obviously disagree with you since I stated that it wasn't. Either way, don't put words in my mouth.

[Bernard Gui]

I don't follow. if someone is inactive and you ask them why are you inactive maybe you will find something that needs to be addressed whether in them or the Church.

A man is addicted to pornography. He's asked, "Why are you addicted?" He says, "My wife doesn't satisfy my needs," or "I don't know, I started looking at

it when I was a kid visiting a friend's house." How does that help his recovery?

Bernard

[Duncan]

Which does not explain the following:

That is from the LDS site which is actually very good, very well informed with up-to-date knowledge and recommendations, though, the knowledge seems only slowly to be filtering down to the local levels. It's the old problem of "seek and ye shall find" competing with "Blessed are they who sit like lumps, for they shall be spoonfed..."

http://combatingpornography.org/cp/eng/spouses/recognize/article/understanding-the-addictive-nature-of-pornography

Twelve step programs, following the pattern of A.A. were finally endorsed in the General Conference before last. Colleen Harrison, author of He Did Deliever Me from Bondage, which was used by LDS social services for 9 years, demonstrated that the Book of Mormon contains the 12 steps. She wrote an essay for the Meridian celebrating that belated General Conference endorsement.

Kevin Christensen

Bethel Park, PA

I agree with you to a point and here is why. Your body can't tell what is real and what isn't. It will have a physical reaction in men...regardless of whether it is a woman in reality or a woman in a magazine. I would say the brain reacts the same way to stimuli-real or not. This is where the brain and the mind are different. In my mind I can tell when something is real or not but my brain can react the same way to those types of stimuli(I am not an addict by any stretch). I would love to see brain scans of men who are ready to have intercourse or during and see if that is different from porn addicts, because the body,IMO, will be reacting the same way-To carry this further is it possible that sex is as addictive as porn? why don't we talk about sex addicts in Church? Why dump on the porn addicts for the same thing that possibly is going on in non porn addicted men but who have a sexual relationship with their wives

[Duncan]

A man is addicted to pornography. He's asked, "Why are you addicted?" He says, "My wife doesn't satisfy my needs," or "I don't know, I started looking at

it when I was a kid visiting a friend's house." How does that help his recovery?

Bernard

Well! you have to dig deeper then that! haha!

[Bernard Gui]

Interpret what you must. If you are suggesting that sexual desire is as simple as right or wrong, so be it. I would obviously disagree with you since I stated that it wasn't. Either way, don't put words in my mouth.

We're not talking about sexual desire. The topic, in case you didn't notice, is pornography addiction. Your statement seemed to indicate that dealing with

pornography isn't as simple as right or wrong. Could you address the topic?

Thanks.

Bernard

[Bernard Gui]

Well! you have to dig deeper then that! haha!

I have no idea what you mean. Sexual addictions are no joke.

Bernard

[OUmd]

We're not talking about sexual desire. The topic, in case you didn't notice, is pornography addiction. Your statement seemed to indicate that dealing with

pornography isn't as simple as right or wrong. Could you address the topic?

Thanks.

Bernard

So pornography addiction has nothing to do with sexual desire? Gotcha. My bad. Carry on.

[Duncan]

I have no idea what you mean. Sexual addictions are no joke.

Bernard

I am aware of the non-hilarity of the situation, I have had MANY friends who have been addicted to a variety of things and/or quit the Church over chastity. BUT you can't just solve someone's addiction with one or two simple questions, it takes time, digging deeper into their past. I was just saying the gateway questions could be why are you look at this and then go from there

[Bernard Gui]

Why dump on the porn addicts for the same thing that possibly is going on in non porn addicted men but who have a sexual relationship with their wives

Helping someone get free from an addiction is hardly "dumping" on them.

What you have missed is that addictions, natural or chemical, alter brain chemistry. The addict receives pleasure, not in a normal way,

but from the object of his/her addiction. The good news is that normal brain chemistry usually can be restored through recovery and

sobriety.

Bernard

[Bernard Gui]

So pornography addiction has nothing to do with sexual desire? Gotcha. My bad. Carry on.

Once it reaches an addictive stage, it may have nothing at all to do with desire.

Why are you trying to pick a fight?

Bernard