Devastating Statistics
Did you know that the average age a person stumbles across pornographic images is 8 years old? Did you also know that a recent study shows that children ages 9-12 are sharing self-made pornographic images of themselves at double the rate they did last year?
We, especially our children, have an inherent desire to be seen, known, and loved. But, while beauty extends an invitation to share in divine goodness and truth, images that objectify—pornography—send a deceitful message that to be seen, known, and loved is to be used. While the lie of pornography has woven itself into the very fabric of our worldly culture, the truth of what it means to be seen, known, and loved is woven into the very design of our bodies.
Pope St John Paul II, spent years unveiling the theology of the body. He said, "The body, in fact, and it alone is capable of making visible what is invisible; the spiritual and divine. It was created to transfer into the visible reality of the world, the mystery hidden from eternity in God, and thus to be a sign of it."
Man's fallen nature is at risk of objectifying the gift of beauty. When we do this, we reject the full person—body and spirit, and in doing so, we willfully reject their innermost self—where the invisible life and love of God dwell within them in a unique and unrepeatable way. We view the other simply as a thing, an object available for our use. We reject the goodness beauty invites us to share in; we consume, we take, we wound.
In Mark 7:21-23, we read this verse that tells us when we justify evil, we defile ourselves. We do this every time we look at explicit images of another person to fulfill a desire. It is yet another pervasive and tragic consequence of denying the dignity of the human person—objectifying one's body and rejecting one's soul.
The statistics above are difficult to read and dangerous to ignore. The truth is, while you may have used parental controls and internet restrictions to safeguard your children from accessing pornography, there is a multi-billion dollar industry actively working against you.
Just as important as internet safety measures, sharing the truth with your child about who they are as a human person—body and soul—protects them from evil's predatory lies. Our Pray, Grow, Serve guides provide parents with age-appropriate verbiage to share divine truths about the dignity of the human person and the many ways we care for and protect that dignity. Planting these seeds now will bear in them the fruit of Godly virtue and give them the tools to live in this world while joyfully preparing for the next. Don’t forget to check out our TEEN Life Focus Guide on Pornography!
