Freedom from Pornography 

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Matthew 5:3

In today’s world, with the Internet, smartphones, and variety of mobile technologies, pornography is abundant, easily available, free, private, little monitored or regulated, and in our own homes. Combined with cultural attitudes that are silent and even open to pornography as a healthy expression of sexuality, pornography usage — both among adults and children — continues to grow at alarming and exponential rates.

“Never before in the history of telecommunications media in the United States has so much indecent (and obscene) material been so easily accessible by so many minors in so many American homes with so few restrictions.” – U.S. Department of Justice, Post Hearing Memorandum of Points and Authorities, at l, ACLU v. Reno, 929 F. Supp. 824 (1996)

Such a reality has led many health care professionals to declare pornography as a global public health crisis. All parts of society are negatively impacted by the increased use and destructive effects of pornography.

Yet there is help, and hope

With God’s grace and the support of resources below, quitting pornography is possible. We can’t underestimate this issue. Below are links with further information, including resources to help those struggling with this issue, as well as to help parents protect their children. Visit the Battle for Purity web site for additional information and resources.

Getting Help

It is hard to stop. Many who use pornography and want to stop find it very difficult to so.

They may think, “I can stop at any time. I can stop when I get married. It is not a problem.” But statistics tell a different story. The person often finds stopping their pornography habit is very difficult. The American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers reported in 2002 that 56% of divorces involved one party having “an obsessive interest in pornographic websites.”

The solution seems simple. Just stop. But reality is quite different. Sheer willpower isn’t enough.

Many enter into what is called a “cycle of despair”. They decide to stop their pornography habit, only to fail. They resolve to try even harder, but only fail again. They begin to feel hopelessness and desperation. They hate pornography in their lives. They want to be set free. But they feel they can’t share this problem with anyone. It is too shameful. So they resolve to try even harder, again and again. Only to fail again and again. Only to enter into despair again and again. And the cycle continues.

Some might be tempted to say, “Just accept it as healthy and be free of the guilt”. But this is a lie. This doesn’t alleviate the harmful effects, the pain pornography inflicts on the person and their families. It doesn’t restore the person to their God-given dignity.

A key factor in the battle to quit pornography is to know oneself. The more someone is informed, and the more that they know what is causing the struggle, the better prepared they are to stop using pornography. The struggle against pornography is both a physical and spiritual struggle.

It may seem overwhelming and unavoidable. But quitting pornography is possible. There are many websites and software programs available to help those struggling with pornography. Covenant Eyes, The Battle for Purity, and RECLAIM Sexual Health are valuable resources to both learn in-depth about the struggle with pornography, as well as services and science-based programs to help a person quit pornography.

 

Protecting Children

The increase of pornography usage among children is staggering. Pornography sites do not limit access based on age.

A 2016 survey at a large U.S. Catholic high school found:

  • 49% of the students viewed pornography more than once a week

  • 82% of the pornography they viewed was in their home

In a report released by Google Analytics, pornography searches increase by 4,700% when children are out of school.

New research from the security technology company Bitdefender has found that, among the online porn users under 18 years of age, 22% are children under the age of 10.

“This material is more aggressive, more harmful, more violent, more degrading and damaging than any other time in the history of the world. And this generation growing up is dealing with it to an intensity and scale no other generation in the history of the world has ever had to.” - Clay Olsen, Co-Founder and CEO of Fight the New Drug

It may seem overwhelming and unavoidable, but problems due to pornography are preventable. There are many web sites and software programs available to help parents protect their children.

 

Resources

Covenant Eyes

Covenant Eyes is a company designed to help you and those you love to live free from pornography. They are the pioneers of Screen Accountability internet filtering software, and they are the corporate leader in cultural recognition of the public health crisis of pornography and sex trafficking. Their software services and free resources are a valuable help for those struggling with pornography.

Screen Accountability™

Covenant Eyes provides software services to block access to all known adult, pornographic, and explicit websites. It can also be configured to block mixed-content sites (like Reddit), as well as proxy and VPN domains that are used to bypass filters. For the person struggling with pornography, blocking pornographic web sites offers the person an opportunity to pause and reach out to their accountability partner, or to reach out in prayer. Parents can also create a custom list to block websites of their choosing from their children’s devices.

Accountability Partners

Having an accountability partner is an important tool in the battle to break free from pornography. Quitting pornography is hard, especially when trying to do it alone. A person needs community and friendship. A person struggling with pornography often feels embarrassed and shameful, hence hiding their behavior. Having a trusted accountability partner helps remove the shame associated with pornography usage and keeps them from struggling with the problem in isolation.

Covenant Eyes provides software services to establish an accountability partner. This helps parents monitor their children’s Internet activity. Parents will receive a daily report of any pornographic activity. Parents can then talk to their kids, providing them crucial guidance as they grow and mature, helping them understand the proper use of technology as well as equipping them to not give into sexual temptation and embrace a life of chastity and holiness.

Information Resources

Covenant Eyes provides informative resources to help better understand the threat of pornography, how it impacts the brain, how to protect children in a pornified world, as well as how to have honest, age appropriate conversations with others regarding self-image, sexuality, sin and shame, all in the context of faith.

Covenant Eyes has partnered with the Unites States Council of Catholic Bishops so that information provided is consistent with Catholic teaching.

Learn more

Visit the Covenant Eyes web site for more information. Visit their resources page for a variety of informative documents, or view their video entitled “Unfiltered” for an excellent overview of this issue: how it harms children and their brain development; how it conflicts with God’s plan for love, sex and intimacy; as well as practical steps for you and those you love to live free from pornography.

RECLAIM Sexual Health

RECLAIM Sexual Health looks at the science of the brain in light of the Catholic faith in order to provide an anonymous, science-based, and comprehensive recovery program from pornography and other problematic sexual compulsions. It combines recent discoveries in brain science, psychology, and addiction recovery, and adheres to the Catholic Church’s teachings on sexuality. Their program incorporates faith, the sacraments and intercessory prayer. RECLAIM Sexual Health is an initiative by Elizabeth Ministry International and The Most Reverend David L. Ricken, Bishop of the Diocese of Green Bay, and has the bishop’s imprimatur.

"As a psychiatrist with 25 years of clinical practice, my careful review of every aspect of RECLAIM-Sexual Health has led me to conclude that RECLAIM is a most effective online program for helping persons who are struggling to be free of Internet pornography addiction." - Sister Marysia Weber, R.S.M., D.O. Religious Sisters of Mercy of Alma, Michigan

Go to the RECLAIM Sexual Health web site to learn more about their recovery program or about the RECLAIM Sexual Health mini course.

 

Additional Information and Resources

Please visit The Battle for Purity web site for more in-depth information and additional resources, including:

  • Detailed statistics on the usage of pornography for adults, children, and families in the Church.

  • Research on how the brain is designed to learn new habits for efficiency, and how pornography leverages this ability.

  • A listing of many resources available in the battle for purity.

  • Access to a list of Catholic psychologists and counselors.