I don't get why porn's religiously immoral?

[girlfromsocal]

As a muslim, I don't get it. A friend who's religious thinks people that watch it are playing with fire and religiously corrupt. I mean as an observer what's wrong? I know the participants aren't very modest to say in the least. It's not like cellibacy or abstaining from sexual feelings is more pious. GOD put it in us. HE knows we're going to feel it. Suppressing the feelings only brings one closer to long for premarital sex. I love gay porn. When I indulge I have less of a desire to do it myself. Sex is not a religious wrong. Doing it while not married is wrong. I don't get why it's a religious wrong. Sex isn't bad. It's never mentioned that in the Quran. If anything sex in wedlock is promoted. So what's wrong with wanting it and indulging one's sexual needs so they don't committed immoral acts?

[Liz94]

I am a Christian, though that isn't the reason why I think watching porn is wrong.

I think it is wrong because it is objectiving people of both sexes. It is encouraging rough sex, and sex in which one person dominates. For me one of the points of sex and the whole point of gay sex ( as children can't be the outcome) is to unify and bring together two people who are in love. In porn they don't love who they are having sex with. They are doing it for money. That is why I think porn is wrong.

And I have watched porn before so I do know what I am talking about.

[ALLorNOTHINGforCHRIST]

One thing it is many times outside of marriage. In addition, sometimes it is more rape than anything else the people do NOT WANT it. People, in general do not enjoy rape. I mean if you KNEW someone was being raped would you want t watch them?

[girlfromsocal]

yea it's outside of marriage. But the observer isn't doing anything. Therefore not really a matter of if it's within marriage or not. I mean I'm unmarried I'm not doing anything with anyone when watching porn. I know they're wrong. Gays especially aren't supposed to make it to heaven. But that has nothing to do with me....

I don't watch porn to fall in love but to get aroused.

[Of Mike and Men]

I would like to point out two faulty premises. The first is being that.G-D gave it, so why not use it. G-D also gave us our psych. We get angry, thus by way of your logic, when were angry and feel like punching someone, or killing them in our minds, whatever it be, why not do it? Just because we have a desire, doesn't make it right. You have a right way and a wrong way to deal with your desire.

The second is that suppressing it produces more of a longing. This isn't true. Psychologists have shown that the more you masturbate, the more you'll desire to masturbate again. It increases your sex drive. This increase can take approximately 6 months to reverse. The first 3 can be comparable to quitting crack, if you masturbate frequently. If you abstain from masturbation your body uses natural functions to release hormones, and in the males case, semen. So, G-D gave us a way to release our sex drives without lust.

[girlfromsocal]

I've been masturbating for 5 years. I have a high sex drive doesn't mean it brings me closer to having premarital sex.

Well, you see as a muslim. It's never expressed that sexual feelings are wrong that's why I don't get why it's not ok to watch porn. Masturbation isn't exactly wrong or prohibited by the Quran. So that's why I don't get why some religious muslims act like it's wrong.

[ALLorNOTHINGforCHRIST]

Well too keep in mind, just because the observer is not doing anything if people did not watch it it would not be made.

[girlfromsocal]

they still might do it right? I mean if someone's willing to have sex for money I think their level of morality is pretty low. The existence or lack of it wouldn't change that. But I get a bit of what you mean...

[ALLorNOTHINGforCHRIST]

Originally Posted by girlfromsocal

they still might do it right? I mean if someone's willing to have sex for money I think their level of morality is pretty low. The existence or lack of it wouldn't change that. But I get a bit of what you mean...

but if people did not enable that if porn AKA do not watch it then they could not make money doing porn.

[MadPoet]

I don't know, I'm kind of on the fence about this one. I used to think, and sometimes still think, that sex should be with someone you love, 100% of the time. But on the other hand I believe that people are going to look at sex how they want to, and we shouldn't shove our expectations on other people purely because it's what we believe. If people want to watch porn and see nothing wrong with it, they shouldn't be judged as corrupt people. Everyone believes differently, and I think that's what this comes down to.

[Tegan]

Although I don't believe people who watch porn are

Originally Posted by girlfromsocal

playing with fire and religiously corrupt

I disagree with it personally. Similarly to what Elizabeth said, personally I find porn degrading and believe that it objectifies people.
However, I am a Christian, and personally I believe that sex outside of wedlock etc. is okay. Other people that I go to Church with disagree, they would say that any sexual act (including masturbation) outside of marriage is against God as he created sex as a sacred act for reproduction. Although I personally disagree with this, I find it hard to separate masturbation from other sexual acts?

Also I really disagree with this:

Originally Posted by girlfromsocal

they still might do it right? I mean if someone's willing to have sex for money I think their level of morality is pretty low. The existence or lack of it wouldn't change that. But I get a bit of what you mean...

I think its unfair and wrong to deem someone's morality 'pretty low' if they make their living from making porn. And at the end of the day, if there was no market there would be no business. Also, if I was being pedantic I'd question upon what basis you classed their morality? Surely if you watch it and they make it your reality is on an even keel?

Basically, I disagree with porn personally, but I have no issues with people who watch it (everyone gets their kicks in a different way). But I would disagree with looking down on pornstars, especially if you watch porn yourself. :]

[dr2005]

As has already been said, the biggest objection to porn from a religious perspective is that it completely objectifies the people involved in it and reduces sex to a commodity - and knowingly or otherwise, viewing porn is facilitating that process. As Emily and Tegan say, if people didn't watch it they wouldn't make it, so much as I can appreciate where the observer-not-being-involved argument comes from it's not particularly convincing I'm afraid. It's also at its heart a selfish enterprise - the sole purpose of pornography is achieving arousal and gratification without the need for an emotional aspect, so that isn't going to gain much approval from religion either. You are quite right in saying that sex itself is not bad, and the vast majority of religions would agree with that - what they do view as bad, though, is sex being used to turn people into objects rather than actual human beings with worth and dignity. That is what the main source of objection is.

[girlfromsocal]

well yea but in the Quran it's not just for having babies it's for recreational. Masturbation isn't a sex act imo. It's like how going out in shorts is wrong. But indoors you can do it if you are the only one there. When you're not married you can do things and see yourself in ways others can't. But yea,, again I think it's a difference between religious backgrounds. But that's how I see it. I can let others see me in a bathing suit but I can see myself that way. So I can do things others can't do.. So yeah....

[Gymnophoria]

All the views expressed so far are really interesting, but I have a question. You're all talking about watching porn, what about reading it? Is that the same to you?

[girlfromsocal]

I didn't mean just watching. I meant writing reading or listening etc....

[Toz]

I really don't think it's any religious figure or organization's business, what I do with my own body. If I want to masturbate, then by cthulu almighty, I will fap till the morning dawn.

[rizz]

i don't think there is anything wrong with porn myself as long as the ppl (porn stars) know they are in it, i know of sites where the "stars" have no idea and that is where i think it is wrong but other then that my partner and i really enjoy it. but each to their own.

[Tegan]

I think reading erotica etc. is a good balance? For me that is a product of someone's brain rather than the exploitation of their body; therefore I would be inclined to rate that above watching porn. However, if you are addressing the issue of pornography from a religious point of view I'd been unsure where that fits in? (I almost considered asking my Priest about it... but decided that would be too awkward!)

Also, I know this is a serious issue but this is one of the most amusing posts I've ever read in the 5 years I've been on TH:

Originally Posted by Toz

I really don't think it's any religious figure or organization's business, what I do with my own body. If I want to masturbate, then by cthulu almighty, I will fap till the morning dawn.

[TheBabyEater]

It's simple. Religion makes EVERYTHING immoral.

[girlfromsocal]

well it's not immoral to fap in my faith. I am a reader of the quran not the hadiths.

[Acheron]

Originally Posted by Liz94

I am a Christian, though that isn't the reason why I think watching porn is wrong.

I think it is wrong because it is objectiving people of both sexes. It is encouraging rough sex, and sex in which one person dominates. For me one of the points of sex and the whole point of gay sex ( as children can't be the outcome) is to unify and bring together two people who are in love. In porn they don't love who they are having sex with. They are doing it for money. That is why I think porn is wrong.

And I have watched porn before so I do know what I am talking about.

Question: what about amateur porn? The amateur genre is enormous, and while some of it is pretty obviously professional porn going for a lo-fi indie look, there are still a huge number of individuals and couples making their own porn and posting it online. No money changes hands, and the couples are already together and maybe even in love. Is that still wrong?

[Toz]

Originally Posted by Acheron

Question: what about amateur porn? The amateur genre is enormous, and while some of it is pretty obviously professional porn going for a lo-fi indie look, there are still a huge number of individuals and couples making their own porn and posting it online. No money changes hands, and the couples are already together and maybe even in love. Is that still wrong?

You're confusing the issue. Regardless of whether profit is made, it doesn't deter from the fact that it's still pornography- amateur or otherwise.

Originally Posted by rizz

i don't think there is anything wrong with porn myself as long as the ppl (porn stars) know they are in it, i know of sites where the "stars" have no idea and that is where i think it is wrong but other then that my partner and i really enjoy it. but each to their own.

If you're talking about Backroom Casting Couch, they're paid to act like they don't know what's going on.

[Acheron]

Originally Posted by Toz

You're confusing the issue. Regardless of whether profit is made, it doesn't deter from the fact that it's still pornography- amateur or otherwise.

Yes, but it's deliberate. Her arguments against pornography were on the premise that pornography is sex for money between people who don't love each other. It's still porn, but it's porn that her arguments don't apply to.

[SilenceToLoud]

Originally Posted by Of Mike and Men

I would like to point out two faulty premises. The first is being that.G-D gave it, so why not use it. G-D also gave us our psych. We get angry, thus by way of your logic, when were angry and feel like punching someone, or killing them in our minds, whatever it be, why not do it? Just because we have a desire, doesn't make it right. You have a right way and a wrong way to deal with your desire.

The second is that suppressing it produces more of a longing. This isn't true. Psychologists have shown that the more you masturbate, the more you'll desire to masturbate again. It increases your sex drive. This increase can take approximately 6 months to reverse. The first 3 can be comparable to quitting crack, if you masturbate frequently. If you abstain from masturbation your body uses natural functions to release hormones, and in the males case, semen. So, G-D gave us a way to release our sex drives without lust.

I'm not trying to argue here but are you trying to say that mastubation is wrong or immoral? If so then I hope you know that recent surveys show that 99% of the male population mastubate and 80% of the female population mastubate from the time puberty starts into middle age. It's a normal thing that a vast majority of the population takes part in even if they don't talk about it.