Porn and Pancakes

Written and media by Jake Cannon.

Porn and Pancakes Featured

Porn addiction. It’s not easy to think about much less talk about. I would argue it’s something we need to talk about, especially on a Christian campus. To start this article off right, here are some stats for those of you who like numbers:

arrow1 out of every 3 women view porn.

arrowNearly 70% of males between the ages of 18-24 view porn on a regular basis.

arrowThe porn industry makes nearly $5 billion a year.

arrow25% of all search engine requests are pornographic in nature.

arrowThe average age a child first watches pornography is 11.

Why should you care? If you’ve never been affected by porn you’re probably wondering you’re reading this.

arrowIt might be because 56% of all divorces involve “one party having an obsessive interest in pornographic websites.”

arrowIt might be because porn addictions increase infidelity by 300%.

arrowIt might be because viewing porn can lead to depression.

Crazy to think about right? In order to try and combat this, Joy Hall, once a semester, hosts a guys-only event aptly named Porn and Pancakes. At the event (you guessed it) guys eat pancakes and talk about pornography. This year’s featured speaker was Noah Metzger, one of the admissions counselors here at Greenville. Speaking to the over twenty males who showed up at the event, Noah spoke on a variety of issues and even had a Q&A session taking Porn and Pancakes close to the two-hour mark.

Noah Metzger.
Noah Metzger. Photo provided by greenville.edu

This wasn’t your average “don’t look at porn” lecture. This was a “hombre a hombre” where Noah shared what God put on his heart for the attendees to hear. The Q&A session involved no-holds barred answers on topics like: “Can you masturbate without lusting?” and “When should you tell your girlfriend/fiancé about your addiction?” With such a chill and relaxed atmosphere, a lot of guys were able to chime in with their thoughts and experiences creating an edifying and enlightening discussion.

Again, why should you care? Let me answer in the most straightforward way possible: you know someone who is addicted to porn. Plain and simple. It is one of the fastest growing addictions in the world and people who are addicted to porn have the same brain activity as alcoholics and drug addicts. It is a plague that will continue to infect others until we bring it into the light. Porn not only depicts inaccurate views of what sex is like, it creates a never-ending cycle for those involved in its grasp. The only cure is the Word. A presentation of yourself as a living sacrifice to him who sacrificed it all for you. Events like Porn and Pancakes remind men that they don’t fight alone. Not only do they have brothers supporting them, they have the light the run to. The light that conquered sin.

The light that conquered porn.

Resources:

Fight The New Drug

XXX Church

2 COMMENTS

  1. Sure, there’s a lot of bad that porn *might* do. I’m not commenting to necessarily despite this…though I think it’s questionable and the statistics presented are…well…questionable. (Marriagegems doesn’t sound like a relabel source, but whatever). Though, what I am commenting to dispute is the damage that forces working to counter act pornography does.

    Essentially, the first and foundational fact of the Christian tradition is that the material and corporeal existence of our bodies and lives is good. It’s in genesis…deal with it. What does this mean? First and foremost, that we have to seriously deal with desire and sexuality.

    “Alright, great. but that’s not a prescription for a certain kind of desire or sexuality” you might be saying. You’re right its not. The Christian tradition, especially recently, has a bad history informing us all in the “proper” use of our bodies. Essentially this prescription of what one should and should not use their body for is where I get kind of grumpy.

    XXX Church and other anti-porn organizations have this really annoying habit of being focused on a narrow binary of gender and sexuality. In the biz, we call this patriarchal or even a more awesome word to use is Phallocratic (this is a good word to learn and impress your friends with.). What does this all mean? Simply that movements that are anti-porn often come out as anti-porn supported by narrow expressions of gender and sexuality.

    Did you know, sexuality and gender aren’t the same thing? Did you know, male and female are culturally defined terms? Maybe this seems like one of those liberal schemes for world domination…but essentially it means something really simply. There’s no essential male-ness or female-ness. Just because you’re a dude doesn’t mean you have to be a construction working, truck driving MMA fighter. Nor does it mean that because you’re a female that you have to be a unicorn riding, ballerina, pastry chef.

    Ok, so you probably know that much, but lets push things a little further. Just because you’re a dude who has [male genitalia] doesn’t mean that your [genitalia] is only for one expression of sexuality. The same is true for other gendered bodily parts. Gender and sexuality are incredibly fluid. If you’re going to be anti-porn, then certainly be anti-porn, but make some room at the table for those with minority sexual and gender expressions.

  2. *Might* is an understatement. I understand your position but it appears your opinion is blinding you from the truth of Christ. Let me dissect your misguided attempts to be the devils advocate.

    “Essentially, the first and foundational fact of the Christian tradition is that the material and corporeal existence of our bodies and lives is good. It’s in genesis…deal with it.” Laughable. None is righteous, no, not one (Romans 3). You are correct, we were created good (Genesis 1). Yet because of Adam we have inherited Adams nature and are spiritually dead (Romans 5). Yet, I agree with you, we must take our desire and sexuality seriously.

    Unfortunately for your straw man argument, there is a “proper” use of our bodies. Check out Romans 6, 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, 1 Corinthians 15, Galatians 5, etc. We are to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, become a slave to righteousness. If you are a Christian (which you might not be for all I know), the Bible is pretty clear: glorify God with your body. Lust, such as porn, incites the words of Jesus in Matthew 5. Even if we look at a girl lustfully (or anything lustfully for that matter), we are committing adultery with it. Basically idolatry. This is where the *might* comes in as an understatement. Porn and lust disconnects us from God because we place it above our desire for God.

    As for your straw man argument: “B-but…GENDER ROLES!!” “SQUIRREL!!” Simple distraction technique that literally has nothing to do with the effects of porn. God created men and women differently. Sexuality and gender can be the same thing. Women desire sexual intimacy on a different level than men do. Ask any married man and woman. We can talk about how “male and female are culturally defined terms.” But there’s no point. God created two separate and complimentary entities. Take any sex-ed class, our genitalia are different for a reason. No one is arguing about stereotypes, you are. Yet another straw man argument. Congratulations, you put your own words in my mouth.

    I am anti-porn because I am anti-sin. I am only anti-sin by the grace given to me by God to awaken my heart to the reality of Christ. Stop making ridiculous arguments about “minority sexual and gender expressions.” I wrote this as an article about the devastating effects of sin and how to conquer it through the power of Christ.

    Next time, confront me with your real name instead of a comfortable wall from hence to launch your ludicrous, trolling arguments from.

Leave a Reply to jcannon Cancel reply

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here