Having seen they do not see. Having heard they do not hear.

By: American Decency Staff

Over the course of my years involved in life and  ministry, I have heard the lies propounded in many different ways. “Pornography is victimless.â€Â “What’s pornographic to you may be art to another.â€Â I am just nicely back from a quick trip to Washington DC for a press conference on the Social Costs of Pornography. The press conference was scheduled by the Witherspoon Institute and entitled “The Social Costs of Pornography: A consultation.â€Â The press conference presented the proceedings of an event held in Princeton, New Jersey in December 2008.  This consultation, organized by the Witherspoon Institute in conjunction with the Institute for the Psychological Sciences and The Social Trends Institute, assembled a group of leading experts in the fields of economics, medicine, psychiatry, psychology, philosophy, sociology, journalism, and law to present a rigorously argued overview of the problem of pornography in our society and to offer constructive recommendations. This consultation “is the first multidisciplinary inquiry in the internet age of a subject that is critically important to the health and well-being of many Americans: the hidden but real social toll of the current consumption of pornography – especially internet pornography – on an unprecedented scale.â€Â www.SocialCostsofPornography.org Pornography victimless? What’s pornographic to you may be art to another? At the National Press Club in Washington DC on Tuesday, I heard a presenter give a wonderfully articulated  7 minute (or so) presentation. Dr. Mary Anne Layden (Director of Sexual and Psychopathology Program Center for Cognitive Therapy, University of Pennsylvania) opened her statement by saying: “I’ve been a psychotherapist for 25 years.  I specialize in the treatment of sexual violence victims and perpetrators and sex addicts.  I spend all day, every day talking to rapists, and rape victims, pedophiles and incest survivors, sex addicts, pornography addicts, prostitutes, strippers and pornography models.  After I had done this work for about 10 years, I had a sudden realization that I hadn’t treated one case of sexual violence that didn’t involve pornography.  You don’t have to have have a Ph D in psychology to realize something’s going on here. …â€Â http://www.cwfamedia.org/media/cw20100317c.mp3 For more information: http://www.socialcostsofpornography.org/about.php The Social Costs of Pornography Consultation: Paper Drafts Available Paper drafts from the Social Costs of Pornography Consultation are available in PDF format. This meeting assembled leading experts in the fields of psychiatry, psychology, neurophysiology, philosophy, sociology, law, and political theory to present a rigorously argued overview of the problem of pornography in our society and to make recommendations. God’s Word makes it abundantly clear that we need a Savior to set us free from the bondage of sin.  We need to receive Christ as our Lord and Savior that we would have His Spirit living within us – giving us new life and the empowerment by His Spirit to overcome the stranglehold that darkness has over us. Yet, there are many who will laugh this off.  Having seen they will not see.  Having heard they will not hear.  I know.  Once I was locked in darkness and ensnared by pornography.  That was years ago.  Faith IS the victory that overcomes the world! ==================================================================== Your support is important to our ability to make a difference: donate online at: http://www.americandecency.org/folder.php?f=donate American Decency Association Bill Johnson, President P.O. Box 202 Fremont, MI 49412 ph: 231-924-4050 http://www.twitter.com/billwjohnson www.americandecency.org

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