FORT WORTH, Texas (BP) -- In light of the increasing prevalence of
pornography and erotica such as the bestselling "50 Shades of Grey,"
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary hosted a closed-door
women-only panel discussion of the issue and its devastating effect on
marriages and ministries.
The panel included June Hunt, founder
of Hope for the Heart counseling and discipleship ministry; author and
speaker Susie Hawkins; and Mindy May, a biblical counselor whose work
includes victims of sex trafficking. The trio set forth candid answers
to questions from moderator Terri Stovall, SWBTS dean of women's
programs, and from some of the 100 female students and student wives in
attendance.
Culture has changed significantly in areas dealing
with sexual sin, and the change is not a positive one, the panelists
said. May, a Southwestern Ph.D. student, noted, for example, that
teenagers are more sexualized than ever before, accepting activities
such as "sexting" as commonplace.
Pornography has infiltrated the
church in alarming numbers, Hawkins said, noting, "It absolutely is
impacting ministry families. … [I]t would shock all of us in knowing how
many ministry people are involved with pornography."
With the
exploding popularity of 50 Shades of Grey, it has become apparent that
pornography is no longer just marketed to men. Hunt said the book is
widely considered "mommy porn," appealing to the suburban soccer mom who
can read it privately on her e-reader, imagining herself in the
situations described in the book -- effectively replacing her husband
with the fiction book character.
The content of the book, Hunt
said, goes beyond explicit descriptions of sexual scenes into bondage,
dominance and sadomasochism -- behavior that demeans females and plants
irrevocable images in the brain that can never be removed. It also casts
human trafficking as acceptable, Hunt said.
May, speaking of her
work with teenagers who have been sexually trafficked, said, "These are
girls who have been taken into literal bondage, and so there are huge
implications there. If we're adopting this as 'okay' or as
'entertainment,' we are in for a world of devastation as far as the
sexuality in our culture today."
Disturbingly, many women who
read such books as 50 Shades of Grey consider it harmless and even
helpful. "It is surprising how many Christian women will read this book
and say, 'It spices up my marriage,'" Hawkins said. "That is going to
put you on a road that is not going to bring fulfillment. You're
introducing a third party, so to speak, into your marriage bed, and
according to 1 Corinthians 6 and 7, that is to prostitute. …
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