If we’re to believe the researchers over at Case Western Reserve University, the more religious you are, the more likely you are to believe that you have a porn addiction, should you partake of the porn. The researchers found that it didn’t matter how much porn religious adherents watched, the more conservative they were in their moral beliefs, the more they were convinced they had an addiction. They also probably felt dirty when they watched porn, and couldn’t understand why that made them feel simultaneously good, which in turn made them want to watch even more porn. Feel dirty, feel horny, feel good, feel dirty, rinse, lather, repeat. It’s a vicious and probably messy cycle.
Do the findings of this study make sense? As a former religious adherent of the conservative, fundamental Baptist variety, I say yes. The premise of most of Christianity is that we’re all worthless. We are born worthless and we stay worthless.
So here’s some poor schmuck feeling particularly worthless one day and simultaneously feeling a bit randy. So, he turns on the PC and types into the search bar some titillating words, “midget porn,” “school girl porn,” ”hairy women porn,” or whatever kind of variety of porn floats his boat. The feelings of guilt that he’s already carrying around for being a worthless piece of poo intensify because he’s now looking for porn. But at the same time, there’s a stirring down south and pretty soon junior is at full mast and dude just can’t stop himself from really getting into the porn he’s watching. The guilt is somewhat pushed to the back of his head during the episode, but approximately 19.2 seconds after release, all of the guilt floods in and this time it has new guilt on top of it. It’s a guilt trifle garnished with a Kleenex.
After a few more episodes like the above, our dear, guilt-ridden, worthless schmuck is groveling at the feet of his pastor begging forgiveness for what he is sure is a raging addiction to porn. In reality, our poor schmuck is simply being human. He digs porn, because it turns him on and that’s really all there is to it. No guiltfest required.
I’m sure some of you are wondering how I, as a feminist, can endorse porn and be okay with women selling their bodies. I think that if I were to deny these women the chance of using their bodies how they want, I wouldn’t be a very good feminist. It isn’t any more degrading for a woman to be in a porn flick than it is for a man. And as for having an addiction to porn? If it’s stopping you from leaving the house or you’d rather watch a porn flick than have sex with your partner, then you have a problem. Get help. If not, porn it up, kids and don’t feel even a tiny bit guilty.
Rachel Birdsell is a freelance writer and artist. You can reach her at rabirdsell@gmail.com.
Religious Porn
By Rachel Birdsell
If we’re to believe the researchers over at Case Western Reserve University, the more religious you are, the more likely you are to believe that you have a porn addiction, should you partake of the porn. The researchers found that it didn’t matter how much porn religious adherents watched, the more conservative they were in their moral beliefs, the more they were convinced they had an addiction. They also probably felt dirty when they watched porn, and couldn’t understand why that made them feel simultaneously good, which in turn made them want to watch even more porn. Feel dirty, feel horny, feel good, feel dirty, rinse, lather, repeat. It’s a vicious and probably messy cycle.
Do the findings of this study make sense? As a former religious adherent of the conservative, fundamental Baptist variety, I say yes. The premise of most of Christianity is that we’re all worthless. We are born worthless and we stay worthless.
So here’s some poor schmuck feeling particularly worthless one day and simultaneously feeling a bit randy. So, he turns on the PC and types into the search bar some titillating words, “midget porn,” “school girl porn,” ”hairy women porn,” or whatever kind of variety of porn floats his boat. The feelings of guilt that he’s already carrying around for being a worthless piece of poo intensify because he’s now looking for porn. But at the same time, there’s a stirring down south and pretty soon junior is at full mast and dude just can’t stop himself from really getting into the porn he’s watching. The guilt is somewhat pushed to the back of his head during the episode, but approximately 19.2 seconds after release, all of the guilt floods in and this time it has new guilt on top of it. It’s a guilt trifle garnished with a Kleenex.
After a few more episodes like the above, our dear, guilt-ridden, worthless schmuck is groveling at the feet of his pastor begging forgiveness for what he is sure is a raging addiction to porn. In reality, our poor schmuck is simply being human. He digs porn, because it turns him on and that’s really all there is to it. No guiltfest required.
I’m sure some of you are wondering how I, as a feminist, can endorse porn and be okay with women selling their bodies. I think that if I were to deny these women the chance of using their bodies how they want, I wouldn’t be a very good feminist. It isn’t any more degrading for a woman to be in a porn flick than it is for a man. And as for having an addiction to porn? If it’s stopping you from leaving the house or you’d rather watch a porn flick than have sex with your partner, then you have a problem. Get help. If not, porn it up, kids and don’t feel even a tiny bit guilty.
Rachel Birdsell is a freelance writer and artist. You can reach her at rabirdsell@gmail.com.