News flash: (some) Women in the Church are addicted to pornography
By Rachael Liberman
In a recent article from The New York Times, titled “Church Counsels Women Addicted to Pornography,” writer John Leland reveals predicable information regarding the Church’s response to overt female sexual behavior. While the fact that the Church is openly acknowledging this as a “problem” is newsworthy, it is the reaction and subsequent treatment that seems obvious and problematic. Leland writes, “The programs at Ms. Renaud’s group and XXX Church diverge from secular sexual theory by treating masturbation and arousal as sins rather than elements of healthy sexuality. Emphasis is on recovering ‘sexual purity’, in which thoughts of sex outside marriage are illicit.” Similar to the Church’s response to male pornography addiction, this article highlights an approach that blatantly ignores the drive or interest in pornography and focuses therapy on restoring the notion that “sexual purity” is the corrective path. Pornography, within this reasoning, has distorted the Church’s normative message regarding “sex” and “sexuality.” Crystal Renaud, a group leader for a Victory Over Porn Addiction group and founder of Dirty Girl Ministries, was quoted as saying: “It’s an injustice that the church is not more open about physical sexuality. God created sex. But the enemy has twisted it.” So what did we learn from this article? Certainly the fact that women are interested in the pornographic version of sexuality is nothing new – even if they do attend Church and practice organized religion. On the other hand, the fact that female Church leaders are trying to organize recovery groups brings attention to the “severity” (or profit possibility) of this issue within this community. In the end, this article does support the pervasive nature of pornography – and that it can no longer be categorized as attracting a seedy, unethical, secular, male-only viewership.
Dirty Girl Ministries: Helping Women Overcome Pornography Addiction
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It’s stories like this that make me wonder how so many people follow the Church’s every word about sexuality [or in general, but I digress…]. While I will admit there are points when sexuality begins to be unhealthy (such as in rape situations, those involving YOUTH, not necessarily “minors” though [as in the case of a 17-year old girl with an 18-year old boy], and for those people whom sex becomes an addiction), pornographic materials are not a “sin” despite what the Church spouts. Without sexuality and the human biological imperative to procreate, nobody would be here–not the church, not myself, not the author of this blog, nobody. “God” may have created all people “equal” in “His eye,” but science has proved that people have different amounts of hormones and different levels of sexuality. For some, having one partner may not be enough, and they may need external influences to help them with their sexuality. If a woman [single or married] wishes to masturbate of her own accord, it should not be the Church’s decision to say whether or not it is acceptable.
This article highlights one of the main issues I have with the Catholic Church. I was raised a Catholic and still consider myself a practicing member of the Church, but I don’t attend much anymore and refuse to believe some of the more ridiculous (in my eyes) beliefs it upholds. My frustration comes from the disparity between the Church teachings and contemporary society. Generally, in this day and age, it is considered healthy to masturbate or look at pornographic images in moderation as an alternative to unsafe, promiscuous sexual activity with multiple partners. I think it would be a lot more beneficial to the Church if certain beliefs, like the one addressed in this article, could be modernized. That being said, I realize the implications and difficulties this suggestion comes with, but there has also been a recent trend of modernization and loosening of some of the stricter rules of the Church in recent years that I believe the Church should continue.
I am glad that this issue is gaining attention. While the church has faced media scrutiny previously in the face of scandals involving priests and sexual harassment of minors, little attention is brought to issues of female sexuality and the church.
I feel like this is only a further illustration of several points. Firstly, that the oppressive nature of the church and their totalitarian views on sexuality only cause individuals to look elsewhere to what they believe to be unsanctioned sexual outlets (ex: porn). I think this only reiterates that sexuality is healthy, and the suppression of it is unhealthy, and what ultimately leads to extreme cases (women in the church being addicted to porn being one of many).