Psychology Research Paper Topic

My Tuesday morning class is Urban Social Psychology and the major assignment for the semester is to write a research paper on a relevant topic to urban ministry. So I chose to write about the affects of pornography on society. I have found some interesting journal articles about the topic and I will be spending part of this weekend writing the paper.

The reason why it is such a relevant topic is because of the vast presence of pornography in our culture. I think most people underestimate how saturated our culture is with porn. There are millions of porn websites and it has crept into the media more and more. Probably 2 in 3 teenagers have been exposed to some level of porn. It is a real problem because it screws up how people relate towards other people. People try to satisfy their deepest desire for intimacy by dishonoring themselves and others with selfish, cheap fantasies. It is much easier and "safer" than going through all the work to control those sexual appetites and to save yourself for a life with one person. One will only be satisfied when they give themselves to the Lord Jesus Christ and no longer to the temptations of the flesh. People are taking shortcuts that are sending them off a cliff and into addiction and numbness. Porn is a popular shortcut for millions of people. If you want to read a very good article on pornography in our culture, go here. Also, read this from 1 Corinthians 6: 12 - 20:

"All things are lawful for me," but not all things are helpful. "All things are lawful for me," but I will not be enslaved by anything. "Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food"—and God will destroy both one and the other. The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, "The two will become one flesh." But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

People need help. People who are addicted to pornography and endulge in the sexuality of the "flesh" culture need to hear this Word of God. My heart goes out to those who are addicted to porn because they are trapped in fantasies that will never satisfy them. Only Jesus Christ can fill the hole in our hearts. In our Christian lives, there are people who are struggling to fill the void with porn, drugs, alcohol, aggression, and other things. As we flee from sexual immorality, we can tell others how Jesus Christ has completely satisfied our desire for true life and joy by making himself nothing. We have all we need in Jesus Body, chiefly, forgiveness; that is why we eat and drink Christ's body and blood in His Supper.

In Jesus' Name,

Carl