24Oct

Sexualisation & Pornography

Blog

Sexualisation & Pornography

We live in a highly sexualised society. During the last 50 or so years, sex has become part of ordinary discussion in both academic and popular culture. It’s steadily become more and more normal to see, hear, talk about, and think about, sex.

Advertising, movies, video games, TV shows and pop music lyrics feature sexual themes. Magazines feature articles instruct us how to feel sexual and how to perform sexual acts

All of this impacts how we see ourselves. More and more, we take for granted that to be a normal, healthy person, we deserve to be sexually satisfied. This has two results:

First, we evaluate ourselves according to our sexuality. Our sexual desirability and performance become more and more important; everything else about us – our athleticism, artistic creativity, intelligence, craftsmanship, relational sensitivity, kindness, courage – become less and less important

Secondly, we take for granted that we have the right to define what it means for me to ‘be sexually satisfied’. No-one outside me has the right to tell me who I am sexually, or how to conduct myself sexually – least of all ‘God’ or ‘the church’. Anyone who tries to stop me from achieving sexual satisfaction – whatever that means for me – is at best old-fashioned, and at worst downrightoppressive and evil.