Pornagraphy, Major Problem

[Callidius]

From Father Zs blog:
LINGUA LATINA

Oratio ante colligationem in interrete:
Omni­potens aeterne Deus,
qui secundum imaginem Tuam nos plasmasti
et omnia bona, vera, et pulchra,
praesertim in divi­na persona Unigeniti Fi­lii Tui
Domini nostri Iesu Christi, quaerere iussi­sti,
praesta, quaesumus,
ut, per intercessionem Sancti Isidori, Epi­scopi et Doctoris,
in peregrinationibus per interrete,
et manus oculosque ad quae Tibi sunt placita intendamus
et omnes quos conveni­mus cum caritate ac patientia accipiamus.
Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

ENGLISH

A prayer before logging onto the internet:
Almighty and eternal God,
who created us in Thy image
and bade us to seek after all that is good, true and beautiful,
especially in the divine person of Thy Only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ,
grant, we beseech Thee,
that, through the intercession of Saint Isidore, Bishop and Doctor,
during our journeys through the internet
we will direct our hands and eyes only to that which is pleasing to Thee
and treat with charity and patience all those souls whom we encounter.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

[Socrates]

[quote name='RemnantRules' post='1874818' date='May 25 2009, 11:08 AM']First thing I want to tell you is that it is good that you understand that it is a Sin, and is not bringing you closer to God.

Now that you understand this, here are some things you can do to help you from going down that path:

-TURN IT OFF! If it's your computer, phone, your TV, DVD, iPod, (Close the book if it's a book), and I mean not just close the screen but turn off the power, unplug it if you have to. Your exactly right in that typically people turn to this sin in the cases of loneliness or simply boredom. It is those times when we feel solitude is when Satan likes to sit next beside us and give us temptation.

-LEAVE! Get out of that area. Go find family, friends, neighbors, any human beings in contact. Generally pornography is looked on in a private setting. Call up a friend or a family member you haven't spoken to in a while and catch up with them.

- DO SOMETHING! This ties into what I was just saying. Get up and do something active. Ride a bike, take a walk (and while your walking pray a rosary, chaplet, or personal prayer), jump rope, exercise, play board games, play card games, read a good book, read the Bible, just do something else.

-Pray! St. Bernerd stated, "First the thought. Thought leads to consent, consent leads to action, action leads to committing of the Sin." I may be slightly off, but hopefully you understand what I mean. Other posts on here are right in that we must be EXTREMELY careful when speaking of this nature of sin. As Jason Everett put it in one of his audio's if you tell someone NOT to think of a pink elephant, you of course are going to think of a pink elephant. So I want you to think of Mary and Jesus! There's a beautiful prayer of whenever you feel any sort of temptation just pray the names of Mary and Jesus over and over, and the Devil will flee at those names.

Now, if you are minding your own business and these past sins pop in your head what do you do? Remember, even if you see pornography only once, those images do not go away. They leave an impression on you, and the more you see it the more it will leave that impression. Pornography is the attempt to take what is suppose to be one of the most beautiful things that God has given to us between a married man and woman and disfigure it into an act without emotion or love. Pornography strips away the human person's identity and dignity. Pope John Paul the Great said that the problem with Pornography is that they are not showing too much, but rather they are showing too little. These acts are showing nothing of that person. We do not look at them as brothers and sisters of God, but rather objects for our own pleasure. So, in those times when those sins pop in your head, stop, and offer them to God. Take them with you to the offering of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Do you not think that they need those prayers? Of course they do! When we stop and remember that they are the image and likeness of God, we will treat them with all the dignity and respect that they truly deserve, and not as objects. In turn this will only enhance other parts of your life and to be able to conquer the devil in those times when he tries to temp you.

- Other tips:
Put your computer(s) in public places. Yes that means even your laptops if you are using them.
Put Holy things all around your computer and on your desktop. Might I suggest a great Background from Phatmass I personally have the John Paul the Great one on mine. There are plenty of other out there.
Limit your time on the computer if it is your problem. Do no sit on the computer for 8 hours at a time. You are not being productive in your daily life.
If you are a male (and even some females) I would recommend looking into some of Jason Evert's stuff. I purchased his audio collection called, "Pure of Heart". It is a great tool to listen to and get some ideas. You might also want to find out about the Bishop in the Diocese of Kansas City. He is doing a lot of work in fighting these types of sin. I was able to meet him in the summer of 2007 and is a great Shepherd of not just the Diocese of Kansas City, but of our Church as a whole.
Go to confession regularly (and if possible mass daily). You will receive so many graces and the strength to fight this sin! Ask your guardian angel to help you. If you have a patron saint ask for their intercession. If you can find a priest that you feel comfortable with in going to regularly I would recommend that. He will be able to help you along this path of purity and Chastity.
I would HIGHLY recommend anyone that is truly struggling with this type of sin is to find a friend or family member that you can truly trust, and confide in them your struggle. Speak with them as much as you need and always have their name on speed dial to be able to call up at that moment of crisis.
If this is a serious problem on the Internet use, there are websites that can be used to where you can assign another person to be able to see everything that you go to everyday. This is a great tool for accountability and resist the temptation to going to anything that is sinful.
Lastly, if this is truly an addiction, and nothing seems to be helping, you may want to seek professional help in battling this. There are good devout Catholic physicians that deal with these types of addictions.

I will be praying for all those who are going through these struggles. I will leave you all with some saint quotes on Chastity. These were on Jason Everts CD and they are awesome!

God Bless!


Devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and devotion to the Blessed mother isn’t the best way, but the ONLY way to keep purity…Chastity is not possible without the Eucharist.
- St. Philip Neri

To be pure, to remain pure can only come at price. The price of knowing God and loving him enough to do his will. He will always give us the strength to keep purity as something beautiful to him.
- Bl. Mother Theresa

Many live like angels in the middle of the world. you? Why not you?
- St. Jose Maria Escriva

Purity they ask, and they smile They are the ones who go on to marriage with worn out bodies and disillusioned souls.
- St. Jose Maria Escriva

Holy Purity is granted by God when it is asked for with humility.
- St. Jose Maria Escriva

That conversation was dirty as a sewer. It is not enough of you to take no part in it. You must show your repugnance to it strongly. Never talk of impure things or events. Not even to deplore them. Look, it’s a subject that sticks more than tar. Change the conversation, or if that’s not possible continue, but speaking of the need and beauty of holy purity, a virtue of the men who know what their souls are worth. I have never talked about impurity, but I have spoken many times, as I have to do, about Chastity, purity, and the joyful affirmation of love.
- St. Jose Maria Escriva

As soon as you willfully allow a dialogue with temptation to begin, the soul is robbed of peace. Just as consent to impurity destroys grace. Temptation is necessary to make us realize that we are nothing in ourselves. Don’t be such as a coward as to be brave. Flee.
- St. Jose Maria Escriva

To defend his purity St. Francis of Assisi rolled in the snow, St. Benedict threw himself in a thorn bush, St. Bernerd plunged into an icy pond. You? What have you done? Don’t say, “That’s the way. It’s my character.” It’s your lack of character. Be a man! When you decide firmly to lead a clean life chastity will not be a burden to you, it will be a crown of triumph.
- St. Jose Maria Escriva

He did not say you will not be troubled, you will not be tempted, you will not be distressed, but He said you will not be overcome.
- St. Julia of Norwich

To resist every temptation it is sufficient to pronounce the names of Jesus and Mary, and if the temptation continues let us continue to invoke Jesus and Mary, and the Devil shall never be able to conquer us.
-St. Alphonsus Liguori

In your strife with the devil, you have for spectators the angels and the Lord of angels.
- St. Ephrem

God desires the least degree of purity of conscience in you more than all the works you can perform.
- St. John of the Cross

As the pilot of a vessel is tried in the storm as the wrestler is tried in the ring, the soldier in battle, and the hero in the adversity, so is the Christian tried in temptation.
- St. Basil the Great

It is not always in the souls power not to feel a temptation, but it is always in it’s power to consent to it. All the temptations of Hell can not stain a soul that does not love them.
- St. Francis de Sales

In proportion to our victories over these petty foes will be the number of jewels in the crown of glory which God makes ready for us in paradise.
- St. Francis de Sales

The sign of the cross is the most terrible weapon against the devil. Thus the church wishes not only that we should have it continually in front of our minds to recall to us just what our souls are worth, and what they cause Jesus Christ, but also that we should make it at every junction ourselves. When we go to bed, when we awaken during the night, when we get up, when we begin any action, and above all when we are tempted.
- St. John Vianney

Purity prepares the soul for love, and love confirms the soul in purity.
- St. John Henry Cardinal Newman

Holy Purity, the Queen of virtues, angelic virtue is a jewel so precious that those who possess it, become like the angels of God in Heaven, even though clothed in mortal flesh
- ST. John Bosco

Chastity is a long term matter. One must wait patiently for it to bear fruit for the happiness of loving kindness which it must bring, but at the same time Chastity is the sure way to happiness.
- Servant of God John Paul the Great

God has assigned as a duty to every man the dignity to every woman.
- Servant of God John Paul the Great

Deep within yourself listen to your conscience, which calls you to be pure. A home is not warmed by the fire of pleasure, which burns quickly like a pile of withered grass. Passing encounters are only a character of love. They injure hearts, and mock God’s plan.
- Servant of God John Paul the Great

Man can not live without love. He remains a being that is incomprehensible for himself. His life is senseless if love is not revealed to him, if he does not encounter love, if he does not experience it, and make it his own, if he does not participate intimately in it. This is why Christ the Redeemer fully reveals man to himself.
- Servant of God John Paul the Great

More souls go to Hell because of sins of the flesh more than any other reason
- Our Lady of Fatima

Out of the darkness of my life so much frustrated I put before you the one great thing to love on earth, the Blessed Sacrament. There you will find romance, glory, honor, fidelity, and the true way of all of your loves upon earth.
- J.R.R. Tolkien

By Lust I mean that affection of the mind that aims at the adjournment of ones self and ones neighbor without reference to God.
St. Augustine

Filthy talk makes us feel comfortable with filthy action, but the one who knows how to control the tougne is prepared to resist the attacks of Lust.
- St. Clement of Alexandria[/quote]
Good quotes!

[musturde]

Sorry to interrupt this serious discussion but I can't help but think back to my friends misadventures with cigarettes. He finally broke his addiction after spending an entire day smoking. By the end of the ordeal, he wanted nothing to do with cigarettes ever again.

I wonder if this works with all addictions/sins?

Edited May 28, 2009 by musturde

[Nihil Obstat]

[quote name='musturde' post='1877422' date='May 28 2009, 05:30 PM']Sorry to interrupt this serious discussion but I can't help but think back to my friends misadventures with cigarettes. He finally broke his addiction after spending an entire day smoking. By the end of the ordeal, he wanted nothing to do with cigarettes ever again.

I wonder if this works with all addictions/sins?[/quote]
With pornography... I have to doubt it. Nature of the addiction, I think.
If an alcoholic did that, they would probably kill themselves. Same with a drug addict.

[Socrates]

[quote name='musturde' post='1877422' date='May 28 2009, 06:30 PM']Sorry to interrupt this serious discussion but I can't help but think back to my friends misadventures with cigarettes. He finally broke his addiction after spending an entire day smoking. By the end of the ordeal, he wanted nothing to do with cigarettes ever again.

I wonder if this works with all addictions/sins?[/quote]
Absolutely not.

I'm not even sure I'd recommend such a method with cigarettes (for obvious health reasons), but it doesn't work that way with sins of a sexual nature (and probably most other sins, for that matter).
The more one indulges in sin, the more one becomes "desensitized" to it, and the harder it is to stop sinning, and the easier it is to move on to even worse sins.
Such a method might lead to temporary exhaustion, but will do nothing to help conquer sinful habits in the long run.
The only thing ultimately that will lead to conquering habitual sin is cultivation of positive virtue.

[Tab'le De'Bah-Rye]

My approach as european christian blood is to approach this for what it is (pornography)and is a visagoth(viking) attack on the roman catholic empire, these people hated the romans and the hate continued even after the conversion of the empire due to there old beliefs of vengence, the vikings where well known and feared for there treatment of women(raping and pilaging) and the church was plugged by them as witch hunters and pagan bashers wheras these 2 practises where never sanctioned by the holy see and infact catholic justice courts where established to up-hold the first holy commandment of thou shalt not kill,and bring such murderers to justice,
Another definate understanding for the youth to fight back against these liers is that the word cum(pronunced coom) is latin for rise up and jesus rose a young girl from the dead with the latin words tabitha cum (meaning young girl rise up) these groups hated christianity because we viewed women as equal partners in creation and not silly sallies and hores,or just objects of pro-creation.If you study you may well find the origins of pornography are en-rooted in the nordic region we have a station called S.B.S in australia that has promoted since the 80s, programs from the region that have always had a sex scene in them,(one famouse example is cheech and chong) Stop the weed take heed. And these are the same deceptive kind of people that play the catholics are drunkards cards knowing that we all don't have an intimate understanding of the gospels and letters of Paul. Thuogh jesus and his disciples came eating and drinking they where not drunkards, Jesus did come back, he appeared to paul on the road to damascus and ushered in the conversion of the roman empire from one of there lead generals, and i'm sure many anti-christ play the card oh your no better look at what paul was like how can you tell me i'm wrong or past behaviour(Jesus said your not bonded by the sins of the father my cross will set you free,and to not worry by dwelling on the past or what is to be-held in the future.)I say it is up to young christian women to say no to people whom are like this and have pagan beliefs without hate or judgement just to tell them the truth by loving them and not thinking or feeling little when these sinners have this or that materially[the soul is worth more], the wages of sin are death(and tell them what the seven deadly sins are and the only way out[belief in confession/eucharist and prayer and the holy gospels] Tabitha Cum

Hopefully there is truth to be found in what i have said and courage for young christian women to speak the truth without falling into sin as well as young men

[Innocent]

[quote name='musturde' post='1877422' date='May 29 2009, 05:00 AM']Sorry to interrupt this serious discussion but I can't help but think back to my friends misadventures with cigarettes. He finally broke his addiction after spending an entire day smoking. By the end of the ordeal, he wanted nothing to do with cigarettes ever again.

I wonder if this works with all addictions/sins?[/quote]

I would say there are no grounds to suggest that such a method would work for pornography addiction. Remember that escalation is part of the pornography addiction cycle. (This is generally spoken of as having the following broad stages: 1. First exposures out of curiosity; 2. Habit formation - becomes a part of their routine; 3. Escalation; 4. De-sensitisation; 5. Acting out what was watched; ) If they spend more time using pornography, then what is more likely is that the result is that they would seek out more and more depraved forms of pornography. (which are not at all difficult to obtain these days.)


The method that organisations like Sexaholics Anonymous use is to "clean house" (remove all the sinful influences in the addict's life and mend realtionships that have been hurt due to the addiction) and a progressive spiritual transformation along certain guidelines (the 12 Step programme) that aim to create a genuine relationship with God and also with their family and friends.

Net Nanny has an online archive of articles on pornography addiction and its effects.

[url="http://www.netnanny.com/learn_center/article_list/cat/pornography"]NET NANNY LEARNING CENTER: Article Archive: Pornography/Sex-Addictions.[/url]

Those articles indicate the seriousness of the problem. (Obviously, pornography use affects certain persons more than others - perhaps certain temperaments, we should say? - Some become addicted easily, whereas some others use it occassionally and don't get addicted. The spiritual damage in the lives of the addicts and the casual users, in my opinion, cannot be much different. But in the case of the addict, many aspects of his temporal life are damaged more extensively than what happens for the casual user. But I suppose it could damage the marriages of both to the same extent, if their spouses are not de-sensitised enough that they're unable to recoginise the evil of pornography. )

Edited May 29, 2009 by Innocent