Guest Post: Opt-In Pornography Should be Required in America

Source: This Week in Mormons

   Geoff and Al records a weekly Podcast about what is happening in the world of Mormons.   Currently there is a petition gaining signatures with the purpose of making online pornography an opt in feature with ISPs, just like it is Cable TV.  Geoff writes a convincing argument as to why this is in the better interests of our faith and society as a whole.  Geoff has written for us before on the revival of Arrested Development, this post is of a more important matter.

By Geoff Openshaw

“I’m no moral relativist, but I do support the rights of others to do whatever the heck they want, so long as it doesn’t affect me. You want to smoke weed in your own home? Knock yourself out. You want to watch pornography? Have a ball. I don’t agree with any of these things on a personal level, but when it comes to the marvel that is free agency, which we Mormons believe is basically the greatest gift we have save the Atonement itself, I believe we have to roll with the upsides and downsides.

But porn goes beyond simply living in its own confided world, not affecting anyone who does not seek it. Please. It permeates our society, and the problem is that addiction continues to escalate. Pornography skews the way people are supposed to view sex. I’m not saying we need to approach sex with puritanical zeal. Do whatever the heck you and your partner want, but don’t let something as unrealistic and ridiculous as pornography change what you expect from the experience of sexual intimacy. Whether you are religious or irreligious, the effects of porn are frighteningly real.

Anti-porn website Fight the New Drug argues that, “Men interviewed reported that after many hours looking at porn, they found themselves willing to look at things they would have previously found disturbing, including bestiality, group sex, hard-core S&M, genital torture, child pornography.”

That said, I don’t want to take away your perceived right to view pornography. I do believe it is one of society’s great ills, but since God gave me the liberty to choose not to watch porn and advocate against it, he also gave you the liberty to seek it out as much as you like, and I honor your freedom to do that.

I do, however, agree that the time has come to require ISPs (Internet Service Providers) to make porn a so-called “opt-in” feature. What does this mean? It means that a simple Google search for _________ will (ideally) result in nothing on its own. Porn will be blocked from view. Currently, as things stand, it’s a free-for-all. I don’t encourage anyone to do a search on Google for lascivious stuff, but this isn’t merely confided to web results. Images, video – whatever you want – are all right there in plain view.

So if you want your porn…” (Read Full Story)