Who cares most – UK or US?

Who cares most – UK or US?

Having spent most my life oblivious to the harm caused by pornography I am now keen to understand how this has been allowed to happen?   In a society that constantly rages over the harm done to children, it seems surprisingly ‘quiet’ with reference to pornography and its effects.  Daily, the news outlets churn out the same rhetoric  over disgraced ‘public figures’ who have led double lives of sexual perversion.  We seem to be bombarded with never-ending tails of sexually corrupt politicians and other persons in positions of trust.  In truth, I feel as though we are in a modern-day Sodom.  Are we living the ‘Days of Darkness’ – petrified of touching anything from the modern world?

Is this apparent apathy to the real cause of sexual ‘darkness’ deliberate; are all countries under the same delusion?  There is no doubt that science and psychology are split on whether pornography is the addictive monster represented by some groups.  Yet, bearing in mind the obvious results we see, nobody seems willing to make the easy ‘first step’ to ban it – or have they?

Florida could declare porn a health threat

Rep. Ross Spano turned the lawmakers’ attention to more pressing matters: pornography. The bill (HR 157) argued that it was “creating a public health risk” and was “contributing to the hypersexualization of children and teens.”

“Research has found a correlation between pornography use and mental and physical illnesses, difficulty forming and maintaining intimate relationships, unhealthy brain development and cognitive function, and deviant, problematic or dangerous sexual behaviour,” Spano argued before the House Health & Human Services Committee in January.

His proposal passed by a voice vote.

Representative Carlos Guillermo-Smith, a Democrat, angrily pointed out the bill was irrelevant.

“[Spano] was saying porn as a health risk was more important to address here in the Florida Legislature than the epidemic of gun violence,” he said, according to The Hill. “I’m not aware there’s a base of voters who are losing sleep every night over the epidemic of pornography as a public health crisis.”

Orlando Sentinel, 22 Feb 2018.

So, having read this article yesterday, I decided to see what the UK was doing.  I was surprised that action is well in hand and by April 2018 all adult sites will require ‘password’ access.  This is clearly a positive step, yet the disappointing aspect was some of the arguments put forward during the debates.  Unlike Florida, experts here suggest the answer lies not in blocking off lawful content from everyday users…but better education of our young!!  I presume that means more sexually explicit ‘discussions’ in our schools?

I will bang this particular drum very loudly.  Why does this country seem so apathetic to stopping pornography?  Surely, this would have a positive effect on the integrity of our future public figures and parliamentary representatives who currently live in fear of ‘discovery’.  We need to remove the obvious causes and then, by all means, do some controlled and audited research on whether the harm is a ‘real and present’ danger to people.  I fear we are at risk of allowing the culture of ‘Freedom of Rights’ to lead us into a sexual reality that is opposed to everything God put in place.

This apathy is destroying our families and our men.  We have to pull our heads out of the sand of ignorance and fear if we are to save the children God entrusted to our care.  Unless the government puts in place controls on all unsuitable media content then we as parents are ‘DUTY BOUND’ to do it for them.  We all know we will be held accountable for the decisions we do and do not make.  I would much rather argue with my children about why I need to have full access to their numerous internet devices than argue with Jesus on Judgement Day.  It is that simple.

Now for the corresponding U.K. article:

The UK will block online porn from April. Here’s what we know

“Age verification of all pornographic content will be mandatory from April 2018. But there are still a lot of grey areas…”

“A wide variety of online age verification arrangements currently exist and so we expect that providers of online pornography will be able to choose the appropriate solution to meet their specific needs,”  Department for Culture Media and Sport has said in a statement.

“The creation of age verification under the Digital Economy Act was justified by stats compiled by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC), which found that more than half of children and teenagers that accessed pornography “stumbled upon” it. The changes could prevent the ‘stumbled upon’ factor, where young children that have no intention of accessing pornography inadvertently do.”

The pursuit of pornography websites was a distraction from other, possibly bigger issues such as revenge porn and sexting.  “Educating kids can help deal with all of this much better.  Educating them, that is, both in terms of sex and relationships, and in terms of the risks of the internet,” Bernal said.  He added he would instead recommend better sex-ed from a young age, dealing with these issues head on.  This is an approach extolled by the likes of EU Kids Online, which has been studying children’s online experience and education since 2006 and been recommending the same steps to government.

Wired, 9 February 2018

Peers approve Brit film board as porn overlords despite concerns

Peers have rubber-stamped the British Board of Film Classification as the regulator for age checks on porn websites, but voiced concerns over delays in issuing guidance.

The Register, 5 Feb 2018.

The commentary from the House of Lords makes interesting reading.  They seem more concerned that the BBFC is a profit driven organisation and may have ‘conflicts of interest’.  It is also clear that the age verification system is not yet agreed and will probably be left to the adult sites to decide upon.  Needless to say, most people know they can set up a fraudulent account for such things.

As for the comments of Bernal, enough said!  I have highlighted the key driver in red above – ‘a distraction’.  I also express concerns that the academia believes the majority of our children ‘stumble’ on pornography.  I think if you sit and have an honest discussion with family and friends you will learn the stark reality.  After all, most of us appear happy to watch Game of Thrones or if not, remain ignorant of the fact that our kids are…

I am including a wide range of topics on this forum deliberately to help us all learn about the issues involved with pornography.   The more we know…the more reasons we have to fight…and to stop.

Yours in Jesus, Mary & Joseph,

SA James