In this podcast from The Daily Signal, Summit faculty member Haley McNamara discusses the incredibly important work she is doing as the Vice President for Advocacy and Outreach at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation. Haley briefly discusses the ways her organization is helping to fight against pornography and other linked forms of sexual exploitation, and then she jumps into the problems themselves.
The problems caused by pornography are much bigger than many people realize, Haley argues. She cites data that points to the harmful effects of pornography on a person: shrinking regions of the brain associated with motivation and decision making, increased sexual violence, and increased erectile dysfunction in men under 40. She also discusses the frequency with which young children are being exposed to pornographic content, and the ways it is impacting their behavior and relationships down the road.
This is not something we can turn a blind-eye to because it’s not good for conversation in polite company. Christians need to be equipped to engage in the important, relevant cultural questions of the day, and this is a big one. Pornographic content is impacting lives we care about, and it’s time to learn how to handle it.
Thankfully, people like Haley are working hard to change policy and increase awareness for helpful resources on pornography, including anonymous online counseling. These resources can be found here. Make sure to check out Haley’s podcast to hear more details on how to start making a difference in this area with the people you care about.
“We got Google to stop linking ads to pornography or pornographic content. And there’s so many more victories that I could just talk about… But I think it’s important to let people know that there’s actually a lot of hope. We actually do have some power to push back against how pervasive pornography has become in our culture today.”