"Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body." - 1 Corinthians 6:18
Pornography is more accessible than it has ever been. Some estimates have suggested that pornography-related websites account for anywhere from four to 12 percent of all the websites online. According to Statista, which tracks the amount of traffic websites receive, in 2024 the top porn website garnered almost 5.5 billion views per month. The site that was second had over four billion views per month. So not only is porn easily accessible, many people are watching it and a good portion of those are Christians. In a recent Barna survey, they revealed:
“Just over half of practicing Christians report consuming porn with some level of frequency, including 22 percent who view it weekly (15 percent) or daily (7 percent).”
While it's common to think of this as a man's issue, some studies have shown that women's viewing of pornography is increasing. For those who watch porn, it usually happens in isolation and for Christians, in silence because typically no one knows they are doing it. With the amount of people watching porn, even among Christians, it leads me to wonder if people are asking, is watching porn a sin? The short and simple answer is yes. However, this question begs us to understand why this is a sin and how it can affect your life if you choose to watch it. Beyond that, there is also a darker side to the porn industry that cannot be ignored which gives further evidence to the reality that watching porn is a sin.
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1. Watching Pornography Stirs Up the Lusts of the Heart.
"You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." - Matthew 5:27-28
The problem with porn is that it stimulates lust in your heart. In Matthew 5:28, the word used for lust (epithumeó) implies a deep longing or strong passion for something. In this case, this is a strong sexual desire for someone who is not your spouse. While we often think of lust as a male problem, women can struggle with it, too (think of Potiphar’s wife and Joseph). If you are watching porn, this is the type of unhealthy passion it can stir up within your heart. When this grabs ahold of your heart, it can influence the way you look at and think about other people, which can lead to many other consequences.
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2. Pornography is a Seed Planter.
"But each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." - James 1:14-15
One reality of watching porn is that it plants seeds in your heart. The seeds it plants are images and activities that if you allow them and allow them to dwell in your heart, you will eventually want to act them out or experience them. This is the progressive and destructive nature of all sin and sits at the heart of why watching porn is a sin.
When these seeds give birth, you may desire to do what you have seen on the screen. If you are unmarried, you should not be doing these things. If you are married, this can lead to an unhealthy and unsatisfying sex life. Here are two problems that can arise.
The problem of comparison - You may compare the performance of your partner to those you have watched and wonder why your spouse is not like the person you saw on the screen.
The problem of recreating - After watching a sexual act on screen, you may want your spouse to engage in these acts. Because this is coming from a place of lust, you may give no thought to the reality that your spouse may not be comfortable doing these things and may not be aware of where these desires are coming from. If your spouse is unwilling or their performance is not to the level of what you have burned in your imagination, this can lead to dissatisfaction in your marital bed. In the worst cases, it can cause some to look for fulfillment outside of their marriage bed.
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3. Watching Pornography Can Lead You to Live a Sexually Promiscuous Life.
Whether you are a single person, dating, or married, the consumption of porn can lead to living a sexually promiscuous lifestyle. A mind filled with sexual thoughts increases the temptation to engage in sexual activity. I would make the argument it is not a matter of if you will engage, but simply when.
Porn can also lead to masturbation, self-gratification, or you may seek sexual relationships with the goal of fulfilling your desires. This heightened sexual awareness will shape the way you view yourself and others. It can also lead you to make unhealthy choices that come with long-term consequences.
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4. When You Watch Pornography You are Falling Victim to Deception.
I have heard people ask why watching porn is a sin because you are not really hurting anyone. This is perhaps the biggest deception of pornography, because you are hurting someone. You are hurting yourself. Those temporary moments of pleasure are creating in you sexual strongholds that have the potential to damage you and your current or future relationships.
If you are watching porn, there is another deception you are falling victim to. The truth about porn is that while the acts that are performed on the screen are real, that is where all reality ends. Everything else about porn is fantasy. Any perceived intimacy, pleasure, or passion is staged because those who are on the screen are actors. The acts you see do not represent the sexual expression that exists in a loving, committed marital relationship. The reason they don’t or can’t is because those who are engaging in them are not in that type of relationship.
Brittni De La Mora is a former porn star who is now a follower of Christ. Here is what she said about porn.
"Porn is a lie. It’s not real. It’s a fantasy world…It’s unrealistic to base your sex life on the fantasies you see…”
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5. Supporting Pornography is Supporting Something Much Darker
Porn has a dark underworld that rarely gets exposed on camera. The truth often comes out when people leave the porn industry. Many of these people are broken, hurting, and emotionally destroyed. Though they paint images of having fun, pleasure, and living their best life while in the industry, the truth is often much different. It is a world filled with abuse, drug addiction, STDs, and many suicides. Here are two quotes from former porn actors.
"Of course I lied to my fans. I led them to believe I lived a fantasy life that was far from the truth. I fed into their fantasies. I said I wanted sex 24/7 and made it seem like I absolutely loved what I did and was living this happy life." Jan Villarubia, ex porn actor.
“It was torture for seven years. I was miserable, I was lonely, I eventually turned to drugs and alcohol and attempted suicide. I knew I wanted out, but I didn’t know how to get out.” Jenna, ex porn actor.
When you choose to watch porn, this is what you are supporting. While you may think porn is simply for your pleasure, that pleasure is at the expense of someone else’s pain.
In an interview with UNILAD, here is what Dr. Gail Dines, a leading anti-porn scholar, said about the industry.
“What I do know, because I’ve been doing this work for many years and worked with many women who are in the porn industry and have exited it, is that given the violence that happens to their bodies, given the diseases they get, they come away with PTSD because they’re raped regularly on the porn set.
Just because they’ve signed a contract doesn’t mean they’re consenting to what goes on at the porn set. Many of them are not prepared for what will happen to them. A lot of them are young, and they think they’re going to be a ‘pornstar’…They’re not prepared for the violence.”
As you can see, there is a lot more happening behind the camera, and when you choose to view porn, you are consenting to and perpetuating this type of activity.
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Is Watching Pornography a Sin? (It Goes Much Deeper Than That)
Porn is dangerous. Porn is deceptive. Porn is destructive. It not only hurts those watching it, but it also destroys those who are performing it. Every time you choose to view porn, you are planting a seed in your own heart that has the potential to harm you. However, please also note that when you watch, the person on screen is not just a performer, they are potentially a victim. Porn is not fun and games, and hopefully, this will help open your eyes to the reality of porn. It is not about pleasure. Porn is leading you to become a prisoner. The people on both sides of the camera are prisoners, trapped in a world they feel like they can’t escape from. So, is watching porn a sin? Yes, but as you can see, it goes far deeper than that. Is there any wonder God would tell us to flee from these things?
"Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." - 2 Timothy 2:22
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Originally published Tuesday, 14 January 2025.