As men, God calls us to be strong and virtuous leaders, providers and protectors in every area of our lives. We cannot do this if we are enslaved to anything. The dark world of pornography has enslaved many men, preventing them from being the men God has called them to be.

One way that pornographers lure men into viewing pornography is by presenting female porn stars as modern liberated women who are choosing “adult entertainment” for their careers.  In porn, they appear to be happy, healthy and having a great time.  They are glamourized.  It’s easy to see how men can be fooled into thinking there is nothing wrong with porn.  However, the way that female porn stars are portrayed is an illusion.   For those who believe that female porn stars are healthy women who are choosing to be in porn, I have one question: Where are their fathers?

What loving and protective father would ever want his little girl to be a porn star?  The answer is no one!  The fact is that many female porn stars come from very abusive homes.  As teenagers many run away from home to escape the abuse.  Living on the streets the only way they can survive is to turn to prostitution.  From prostitution many move on to work in strip clubs and then into pornography.  The pornography industry preys on these wounded and vulnerable young women.  They are easy targets.  Once in porn, the industry continues to use and abuse these women.  When they are finished with these women, they simply throw them out into the street.  It’s no wonder that the average life expectancy of a porn star is only 37 years.  Between the drug abuse, physical abuse, alcoholism, sexually transmitted diseases, abortions and suicide many don’t make it to their 40th birthday.

In the Forward to Matt Fradd’s book, Delivered: True Stories of Men and Women who Turned from Porn to Purity (Catholic Answers Press, 2014), Jason Evert wrote that the best way to combat the pornography industry is to love the porn stars.  By this he means that we need to protect their dignity by refusing to view pornography.  When we do this, we refuse to support an industry that is abusing, exploiting and ultimately killing women.  We need to pray for porn stars that they will find a way to get out of that dark and evil industry and find God’s healing love.  Former porn star Shelly Lubben helps these women through her Pink Cross Foundation.

These women may not have loving and protective fathers, but we as strong, virtuous Catholic men can protect them by not supporting the porn industry and by praying for them every day! By refusing to support an industry that exploits, and eventually kills, many women, we can be the strong leaders, providers and protectors God has called us to be. If every man did this, the demand for pornography would disappear and no woman would ever be harmed by this dark and evil industry.

I encourage all Catholic men to take a stand against pornography. Make sure it doesn’t enter your life or your household. Pray every day that any victims of pornography would find freedom, healing and new life in Christ.

12 / 14 / 2016
Back to all articles