Look. I know porn is an addiction that really messes guys up. Hurts marriages. Hurts children. It’s bad. And I don’t see how it’s going to get better anytime soon when every fetish you could conceive is a .com away. And this is something we should all think and pray seriously about.
But…
Sometimes you just have to allow yourself to say “wow” at a guy. I mean, this guy was a government employee who got busted for surfing porn on the internet. Not just a little, mind you. This senior executive spent 331 days looking at porn. You’d think that if you got caught doing something like that you’d either scurry off, change your name, grow a beard and never return or go to confession and then some kind of therapy.
But not this guy. He harumphed in indignation that this kind of thing should be questioned at all.
The Washington Times reports:
For instance, one senior executive spent at least 331 days looking at pornography on his government computer and chatting online with nude or partially clad women without being detected, the records show.
When finally caught, the NSF official retired. He even offered, among other explanations, a humanitarian defense, suggesting that he frequented the porn sites to provide a living to the poor overseas women. Investigators put the cost to taxpayers of the senior official’s porn surfing at between $13,800 and about $58,000.
“He explained that these young women are from poor countries and need to make money to help their parents and this site helps them do that,” investigators wrote in a memo.
Wow. I mean. Wow. That’s some brilliant excuse making.
It changes the whole dynamic from self gratification to helping out poor families in third world countries. It’s like what Sally Struthers does but…well let’s just leave that alone.
I have to wonder if people like this somehow convince themselves of these rationalizations or do they know they’re just throwing smoke. I have to hope they know they’re lying because that at least recognizes some fault in themselves that they’re attempting to conceal. If it’s the former, it’s a long road back.
September 30, 2009 at 7:28 am
"Won't you help these poor women gyrate for just dollars a day?"
I do have to admit, once sex becomes a meaningless commodity, it does make a kind of sense. It's good to know that even though I'll never go to a strip club, my tax dollars have. Yay.
September 30, 2009 at 11:30 am
Oh for Pete's sake. Certainly he doesn't think we believe his interest in pornography is purely out of love for mankind… a sort of beneficent welfare program carried out through ogling?
September 30, 2009 at 12:40 pm
This man needs therapy if he actually believes what he's saying.
Pornography is a real problem that affects a wide variety of people. This website offers some practical and spiritual advice and assistance to those who struggle to break free from its hold.
http://www.whodoesithurt.com
Check it out.
September 30, 2009 at 3:36 pm
This reminds me of the infamous spy and Opus Deista Robert Hanssen, who claimed that his time spent with strippers was dedicated to converting them to Catholicism.
September 30, 2009 at 3:51 pm
If the man does not believe what he is saying, he probably wishes he did. As a recovering porn addict I can't even begin to find the words to address the great anguish that exists in the soul of someone who has found himself hopelessly caught in that world of depravity. To watch yourself lose every sense of respect for the dignity of others, for yourself, for what God has created in His own image, is an unparalleled exercise in fear and loathing of self. Please pray for all who are caught in that trap. It is not something to take lightly in any way, shape, or manner. It is one of Satan's most powerful and effective weapons in the dismantling of human relationships, of family, culture, society, and church.
September 30, 2009 at 4:01 pm
What does this article have to do with Christopher West?
Nothing.
Yet, Steve Kellmeyer linked to this story on CultureWarNotes.com with the following headline:
"Chris West's Success Evangelizing Government Employees?"
One may disagree with West's presentation of the Theology of the Body, but this kind of personal attack is wrong.
Kellmeyer has crossed the line yet again between discussing theology and personal attacks against the person of Christopher West.
Please pray for him.
September 30, 2009 at 5:23 pm
Acorn mentality.
September 30, 2009 at 6:18 pm
331 days in year!? I wonder if he asked for overtime pay for 'working' weekends.
September 30, 2009 at 8:00 pm
I do look at pornography, and I have read the biographies of porn stars, and some of them do do porn to help their families. However, most of them don't, and just the Ethopian prince scam, they try to get you hooked with emotional and sexual arguments, pretending to be poor and saying you can't hold back and saying it's okay to sin. It is similar to, though not the same as, how some rich people go out on the street, put on poor clothing, and begging for money. At times you wonder who is really poor and who is not, but than you must remember that it doesn't matter who takes advantage of you and that you cannot judge a soul. This is where the porn scam differs from the poor scam. Giving to poor is good, looking at porn is not. And one can better help the pornstars with prayer and giving to charities that aid families and needy persons. There is no excuse to do evil, one cannot justify the ends with the means.
Now, as a man who struggles with the addiction of pornography, I ask you for your prayers, and I pray in turn for you. I know it seems strange that a man should have to struggle with looking at pornographic pics and videos and so forth, that a man ought to be able to stop and focus on other things, but, pornography – and, really, all sins – aim at man's lower appetites and passions, at his flesh, and just as it is hard to overcome pride, so too it is hard to overcome lust. Man is weak by nature, due to original sin, of which he shares a part by his own sins, and so, man needs help in overcoming himself, even if it may seem stupid. So please pray for me to stop sinning and to start living in Christ Jesus, who died for us men and for our salvation. By God's grace and will, I shall return the merciful act with my own prayer.
September 30, 2009 at 11:10 pm
You have my prayers, Nick. Have courage and keep up the good fight.
October 1, 2009 at 10:02 am
that guy is stupid why dont he just give those ladies cash not by watching those evil staff.
October 1, 2009 at 12:43 pm
Praying for you too Nick!