Law of Chastity and Pornography

    Hello everybody, this week I am going to talk about the law of chastity, its importance and the negative affects of pornography. Many of you may not know what the law of chastity means. It is defined in the Preach my Gospel as, "Sexual feelings are an important part of God’s plan to create happy marriages and eternal families. These feelings are not sinful—they are sacred. Because sexual feelings are so sacred and so powerful, God has given you His law of chastity to prepare you to use these feelings as He intends. The law of chastity states that God approves of sexual activity only between a man and a woman who are married. Many in the world ignore or even mock God’s law, but the Lord invites us to be His disciples and live a standard higher than the world’s." The importance of the law of chastity cannot be understated. God gave all of us this power to create, and we need to stop taking it lightly. As with all of God's commandment's there comes consequence's when we don't follow them. These consequences include negative side effects such as unwanted pregnancy, diseases, and negative social situations. "In 2011, there were 45 unintended pregnancies for every 1,000 women aged 15–44 in the United States. In other words, nearly 5% of reproductive-age women have an unintended pregnancy each year." This statistic was published in a fact sheet written on unintended pregnancy in the United States by the Guttmacher Institute. This number has only climbed since. In 2019, the number of unwanted pregnancies in America was at 5,507,000 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). This level of heartbreak and pain is completely avoidable if we were to follow the law of chastity. It was given to us to protect us. 

    However, those who suffer from unwanted pregnancies are not the only ones hurt by a failure to obey the law of chastity. Among those that suffer are those that are involved with a great affront to God's law: those who partake in pornography. This includes those who watch, film, distribute, or create pornography. Pornography is dangerous and can become an addiction if not avoided. The side effects of an addiction to pornography include isolation, aggression, a loss of sensitivity to spiritual matters, destruction of relationships, damaged self-confidence, and negative effects on mental health and self-esteem. And that is just the tip of the iceberg. "Other signs of porn addiction can include: Intense cravings to view porn, excessive porn use that interferes with responsibilities, decreased sexual activity with their real-life romantic partner, engaging in risky behavior to view porn, hiding or lying about porn use, and feeling unable to stop watching pornography" (Addiction Help). Does this sound like a good wholesome life? No. Pornography is one of Satan's most disgusting tools that strips those who view it of their relationship with the Spirit. It destroys families and lives. It does not let you follow the commandments or live a healthy life. And these are just the lives of those who view it. Those who create pornography often become victims of sexual assault and can have their lives destroyed as well. "However, men who have a history of sexual aggression towards women tend to also abuse porn." This means that although the rate of people actually having sex has decreased, the rate of pornography viewers has increased. The majority of youth are learning about sex from pornography and are learning that these violent behaviors illustrated in pornography are appropriate when they are very much not and will lead to even more negative effects if the porn industry is not kept in check. Due to this, we need to help the rising generation to break away from this addiction, and help them to become the best versions of themselves that they can be.