Why do people use pornography?

OUR EYES ARE CREATED TO SEE THE BEAUTY OF GOD’S CREATION

In today’s Gospel, we witness a profound moment of healing. Jesus encounters a man who is deaf and has a speech impediment.  With great compassion, Jesus takes the man aside, touches his ears, and says the word "Ephphatha," meaning "Be opened."  Instantly, the man’s ears are opened, and his speech is restored.  This miracle is not just a physical healing; it is a spiritual awakening, a reminder that God desires us to be open to His grace, to hear His word, and to speak the truth.

But what happens when our ears and eyes are closed to the goodness of God?  When they are clouded by the darkness of this world?  In our time, one of the most pervasive and destructive forces is the scourge of pornography.  This is a poison that blinds us to the beauty of God’s creation and distorts our understanding of human dignity and love.

God has given us the gift of sight so that we might see the beauty of the world He has created - the mountains, the oceans, the faces of our loved ones, the wonder of life itself.  But instead of using our sight to behold this beauty, many are drawn into the filth that is so easily accessible on the internet.  Pornography promises pleasure, but it delivers only emptiness, addiction, and despair.  It dehumanizes those who participate in it, and it degrades those who consume it.

When we dabble and are addicted to pornography we turn away from God and side with Satan.  Satan rubs his hands with glee and laughs in the face of Jesus.  He is so pleased that we have chosen him and not our Saviour Jesus.  We offend Jesus, our Mother Mary is hurt that we have chosen Satan above her Son.  Our ever present and vigilant Guardian Angel is so sad that Jesus has been let down,

We live in a time where technology has made pornography more accessible than ever before.  It lurks in the shadows of our devices, tempting us with just a click.  But as followers of Christ, we are called to resist this temptation, to guard our eyes and our hearts, and to seek out the true beauty that reflects God’s love and goodness.

The question then arises:  What can we do about this?  How can we protect ourselves, our families, and our communities from this plague?  Some might say the solution lies in removing it from the internet, and while that is a noble goal, it is not an easy task.  I have personally reached out to political leaders, including the Deputy Leader of a major party, to express my concerns and to seek action, but sadly, I received no reply.  This silence is indicative of a larger issue - our society is often unwilling to confront this problem head-on.

But this does not mean we are powerless.  There are steps we can take if we are prone to watch pornography.  First we must recognise our weakness and be on our guard that when we are tempted the motto is flight and not fight.  Literally walk away from the device that will lead us into sin.  Have this mindset.  We must keep saying to ourselves, ‘Not for me’  again and again.  Do something that will distract you from watching such filth and be happy that Jesus, Our Mother Mary and our Guardian Angel are smiling at you. 

Just as Jesus opened the ears and eyes of the deaf man, He can open our hearts to see the world as He intends it to be seen.  He can heal us from the wounds of sin and lead us to a life of purity and love.  But we must be willing to cooperate with His grace, to turn away from what is harmful, and to embrace what is good and holy.

Let us remember that our eyes were created to see the beauty of God’s creation, not the filth that the world tries to sell us.  Let us use our sight to behold the wonders of God’s love and to recognize the dignity in every person we encounter.

I encourage all of you to take this issue seriously, to protect yourselves and your loved ones, and to be advocates for purity and truth in a world that so desperately needs it.  May the Lord, who healed the deaf and blind man, also heal us, open our eyes to His beauty, and lead us on the path to eternal life.

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