Study: "roughly half of all professing Christian men and one-fifth of all professing Christian women admit to being porn addicts"

Although pornography is a big problem, and a common sin because of its ready availability, I kind of doubt these stats. But I am even more skeptical of what the article claims is at the root of pornographic addiction.

“At the root of viewing pornography is an arrogant heart that says: ‘I will have whatever I want. And if I want pictures of naked women, I am going to have it. And I don’t care if God doesn’t want it, and I don’t care if my wife doesn’t like it, and I don’t care if I might lose my ministry over it — I am going to look at it.’ And in the moment of temptation, in the moment of the sin, when you dive in, that’s the statement of your heart.

“The problem with pornography is not that men are married to women that aren’t pretty enough. The problem with pornography is not that men are too lonely. The problem with pornography is that men are arrogant and they need the gospel of Jesus Christ to shatter their pride and cultivate humility in their hearts.”

Arrogance? Maybe its just old fashion lust of the flesh. What’s the basis for this claim? I suppose some measure of pride could be present in all sin, but I don’t really get that as somehow uniquely the source of pornographic addiction.

Pride is not uniquely the source of pornographic addiction. Pride is the root source of every sin.

Pornography, like alcohol or heroine, is addictive, and is in fact much easier to access than the first two. Is pride the problem behind alcoholics? Not in any direct way. I have never found this supposed ultra-wide-angle lens of everything is pride (something with conspicuously little support) useful in solving real problems.

According to a study by Covenant Eyes, roughly half of all professing Christian men and one-fifth of all professing Christian women admit to being porn addicts.

Study was done by http://www.covenanteyes.com/ that sells … guess what ….

http://www.covenanteyes.com/pornstats/

“… however, self-identified “fundamentalists” are 91% more likely to look at porn.”

[Wayne Wilson]

Although pornography is a big problem, and a common sin because of its ready availability, I kind of doubt these stats.

Then I’d suggest you’re incredibly naïve. Now perhaps it skews by age, but I’d suggest from real-world observation that the numbers are at least as high — if not higher — than the Covenant Eyes study shows. I’ll go one step further: if you can find > 10% of the men in your church (say, under age 35) that haven’t struggled or are struggling with this then I would be astonished.

73.6% of all statistics are made up.

It’s true, Nielsen just released that number last month.

[jcoleman]

[Wayne Wilson]

Although pornography is a big problem, and a common sin because of its ready availability, I kind of doubt these stats.

Then I’d suggest you’re incredibly naïve. Now perhaps it skews by age, but I’d suggest from real-world observation that the numbers are at least as high — if not higher — than the Covenant Eyes study shows. I’ll go one step further: if you can find > 10% of the men in your church (say, under age 35) that haven’t struggled or are struggling with this then I would be astonished.

Well, maybe I am. I do doubt that less than 10% of men in my church generally stay away from pornography. There’s a big difference between the number that have viewed pornography, and those who are addicted, as the “study” claims. You’ve actually “observed” that 90% of the men in your church are addicted to pornography? How did you get that number? Do you really think 20% of women in your church are addicted to pornography? I’ll bet that number is tiny.

[Wayne Wilson]

Well, maybe I am. I do doubt that less than 10% of men in my church generally stay away from pornography. There’s a big difference between the number that have viewed pornography, and those who are addicted, as the “study” claims. You’ve actually “observed” that 90% of the men in your church are addicted to pornography? How did you get that number? Do you really think 20% of women in your church are addicted to pornography? I’ll bet that number is tiny.

Well, I suppose that what addicted means could be in question. I’m totally fine admitting the number is anecdotal, and, as I said, it’s probably higher in the generations that are more connected with the internet. Also, the way I think about that number isn’t just those who are currently addicted, but have been at some point.

As to how I got the number: it’s just based on the observation that when people are actually honest it’s difficult to find those that have struggled with it significantly—and hearing the same from others (e.g., another person made the comment that they only knew of one guy who hadn’t struggled with it.)

As to women, the statistics in general are not good. I think that this is why a lot of pastors have a hard time realizing how big of a problem this is: because it used to not be as much primarily because it just wasn’t accessible. But with the internet it’s become exponentially worse, and (at least in the younger generations) it’s very much crossing gender lines. Admittedly, again that’s anecdotal. But I’ve heard enough/seen enough examples close to home that I personally believe that it would be difficult to overestimate the problem in either gender.

As someone who is in his early 30’s, and who has attended small bible study groups with others in their 20’s to 30’s, I can say that sadly this is true. When we split up into groups to pray over one another, and discuss issues we are facing in our lives, pornography(fornication) seems to be a common issue among the young men.

I don’t know what the numbers are among the young women. But I imagine that, as pornography and sex in the media becomes more mainstream(acceptable), more and more women are experimenting with it.

[christian cerna]

As someone who is in his early 30’s, and who has attended small bible study groups with others in their 20’s to 30’s, I can say that sadly this is true. When we split up into groups to pray over one another, and discuss issues we are facing in our lives, pornography(fornication) seems to be a common issue among the young men.

I don’t know what the numbers are among the young women. But I imagine that, as pornography and sex in the media becomes more mainstream(acceptable), more and more women are experimenting with it.

Now I thoroughly believe Christian young men in this culture struggle with temptation to view pornography and commit fornication. They are most certainly led down that path by the softcore sexuality of movies and TV. I would be surprised if they did not deal with that temptation. Nothing new there in terms of temptation and desire. “Addiction” is a fairly strong word, suggesting regular, uncontrollable involvement. I think 50% of Christian men as addicts seems high. And I think 20% of Christian women is very high.

I also think what Christian says about his young men acquaintances, which I do not doubt at all, moves us away from the idea that involvement in pornography is a pride issue. I expect the young men in Christian’s small groups are not proud of this sin, and do not feel it is a matter of pride. (It would be interesting to ask them if they consider it pride). It is lust. That lust is being pandered to by specialists in lust. These believers are sorely tempted by the work of these specialists, and sometimes give in to it. Some of them are addicted. But I think shame is the normal feeling among Christian men, and even among many non-Christians, not pride. How many people are proud that they need an image to have a solo sexual experience? For the believer it’s an admission of failure to obey Christ’s teaching, and for the world it’s an admission of a pretty lame ability to connect with someone else. Of course, proud perverts are increasingly common, but still a small number. We had a local ordinance proposed for limiting pornography in town some years back, and out of hundreds of people who showed up at city hall to support the measure, only one person spoke against the limitations as a user. It’s a pretty shameful thing to admit. Few would certainly stand up publicly as a consumer.

Now, that is not the case with sexual sin generally. The world isn’t ashamed of that anymore. I think that is where the pride and defiance comes in. Christians get pulled toward that kind of pride through mainstream entertainment more than pornography, as Christian suggests, and I completely agree with him. I think there is still a lot of shame attached to being a porn user, but in the larger culture fornication is a source of pride. Mainstream Hollywood makes the sin acceptable by promoting it through their stories, their heroes and heroines. That’s where women have their sexuality shaped by emotionally satisfying stories of fornication (See Ryan Gosling). Men and boys model on their heroes – Ironman lives with his girlfriend, Superman has a child out-of-wedlock, Batman beds a woman he hardly knows…etc. Hollywood glamorizes sin, while pornography shamefully feeds it in secret for the weak and insecure.

Pornography causes very real damage to people. It perverts the sexuality of the innocent (possibly for life), leads to dissatisfaction in marriage, feeds corrupt and perverse desires, and does enslave people. It actually destroys sexuality. But I suspect that in certain ways pornography is less destructive than mainstream sexuality in the media. The one is shameful and makes the user feel dirty and controlled, while the other makes sin attractive and beautiful, thus appealing to pride. Both are bad, but I’ll bet among the ladies the addiction to mainstream sin through romance in entertainment is far more common than pornography.

My two cents.

[Wayne Wilson]

“Addiction” is a fairly strong word, suggesting regular, uncontrollable involvement. I think 50% of Christian men as addicts seems high. And I think 20% of Christian women is very high.

I don’t know how old you are, but there is a fundamental difference (and even secular scientific research has been done on this) here between purchasing a copy of Playboy and internet pornography. And part of that difference (besides the differences in how it affects cognitive rewiring) is availability: and the difference between those who have been exposed to it once or twice and who are regular users (addicts, perhaps not in a technical sense as I think someone has defined that in a very specific way) is not very high.

And the 50% figure actually seems very small if were talking about the number of men between 13 and 35 who’ve been addicted/regular users at one point. They may not be now, but they have been. That number is easily approaching 90%.

[Wayne Wilson]

I also think what Christian says about his young men acquaintances, which I do not doubt at all, moves us away from the idea that involvement in pornography is a pride issue. I expect the young men in Christian’s small groups are not proud of this sin, and do not feel it is a matter of pride. (It would be interesting to ask them if they consider it pride). It is lust.

I think you’re equivocating though with how the original article would define that. No one’s saying that these men are are proud of what they’re doing. What is being said is that pride underlies these choices. In other words, pride is the root of all sin because definitionally all sin stems from thinking too much about one’s self. And valuing one’s sexual satisfaction above Christ or others is what lust is. It’s specific outworking of pride and selfishness.

I agree with Wayne. Popular culture has completely perverted the world’s perception of love and sex. Most movies and TV shows now adays seem to have a scene that shows two people who hardly know each other, going back to the other’s apartment and having sex with them. Casual sex has become the norm.

Anyone who practices abstinence, or who talks about waiting until marriage to have sex, or who is found to be a virgin, is ridiculed. There are even movies aimed at teens about people in high school who are trying to lose their virginity.

It is impossible to live here without seeing a billboard, or TV commercial, or movie, or magazine cover that shows scantily clad women.(In other times, seeing a woman in her underwear would have been considered pornographic) All of that exposure to nakedness will eventually have its toll on the body and mind.

I think you’re equivocating though with how the original article would define that. No one’s saying that these men are are proud of what they’re doing. What is being said is that pride underlies these choices. In other words, pride is the root of all sin because definitionally all sin stems from thinking too much about one’s self. And valuing one’s sexual satisfaction above Christ or others is what lust is. It’s specific outworking of pride and selfishness.

I have heard this reasoning. I’m not sold on it. I’m not sure Scripture defines sin this way. Pride is a sin, no doubt, but humans are also lost, weak, enslaved by lusts, and all sorts of other things. I question the effectiveness of helping someone deal with this sin by accusing them of pride. Should we counsel someone full of shame for their weakness by telling them they are proud? Is all weakness pride? Shame is pride?

[Wayne Wilson]

I think you’re equivocating though with how the original article would define that. No one’s saying that these men are are proud of what they’re doing. What is being said is that pride underlies these choices. In other words, pride is the root of all sin because definitionally all sin stems from thinking too much about one’s self. And valuing one’s sexual satisfaction above Christ or others is what lust is. It’s specific outworking of pride and selfishness.

I have heard this reasoning. I’m not sold on it. I’m not sure Scripture defines sin this way. Pride is a sin, no doubt, but humans are also lost, weak, enslaved by lusts, and all sorts of other things. I question the effectiveness of helping someone deal with this sin by accusing them of pride. Should we counsel someone full of shame for their weakness by telling them they are proud? Is all weakness pride? Shame is pride?

It’s helpful, because it helps craft diagnostic questions that dig into the actual motivation behind the actions. That is, the underlying values. Or, put another way, it helps us ask what truth(s) about God are you not believing/living in light of that are in play here?

A lot of times the underlying motivation for pornography etc. is not purely sexual lust. It’s loneliness, or anger at God for not giving XYZ gift. Or whatever.

And sin always means that we’re valuing something higher than God—which means we’re actually not pursuing the highest pleasure. That’s sin. And it also means that we’re thinking too much of ourselves. It’s not that we need to think more highly or more lowly of ourselves. It’s that we need to think of ourselves less. It’s reductionistic to define pride as something that we’re excited or pleased about. Rather, it’s thinking too much about ourselves—whether that view is low or high.