HEY MIKE! I’m 16, and I’m having a hard time keeping my eyes away from porn. It’s like I’m drawn to the stuff. And to be honest, I’m starting to wonder why Christians condemn it. I mean, many of my youth group friends admit they look at it. So here’s my question: Why is porn sinful? Isn’t it just a guy thing? And since sex is good—something created by God—why can’t we call porn what the world labels it: adult entertainment?
—Name Withheld
Plugging into pornography is far from a “guy thing.” It’s actually a messed-up-heart thing. And if it were a matter of simply labeling it as adult entertainment, you’d have no business looking at it, right? (You’re 16.)
I respect your honesty, but I urge you to stay far away from this lethal stuff. To answer your question, porn is a sin for lots of reasons:
• It devalues people. It promotes the belief that humans are not dignified beings but instead are toys to be used for personal gratification. Women are portrayed as sexual objects that are used, abused and thrown away. Men are depicted as lust-driven machines.
• It encourages casual sex between unmarried men and women. It also often promotes unfaithfulness between husbands and wives.
• It turns sex into a cheap activity. Porn twists and distorts God’s gift to husbands and wives, turning it into something dark and perverted.
• It is addicting. Experts agree that the soft-core stuff—such as the photo spreads found in magazines—is the “marijuana” of pornography. It leads users to the harder, more bizarre “heroin” versions of sexual explicitness, such as the stuff found on the Internet. And once hooked, the user keeps coming back for more sexual turn-ons. What was once gross or repulsive—but still sexually arousing—becomes commonplace. Some even begin acting out the fantasies.
• It is off-limits for God’s people. It doesn’t matter what the world says is OK. Check out what the Bible tells us: “Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).
The fact is, you and I weren’t born with Christian attitudes, opinions and values. The Bible tells us that we all have an inborn leaning toward sin. This is called our sinful flesh. We know, too, from God’s Word that the Devil seeks to work through the world—the evil influences all around us—to lead God’s people to sin and a lack of trust in God.
On top of that, sins like pornography are powerful—because our sex drive is powerful. That’s why porn is addicting—and why it trips up so many men.
My advice: Don’t embrace this sin. Find a trusted adult, preferably your dad, who can help you unplug porn. It isn’t merely a guy thing or innocent entertainment. It’s deadly. 
