When speaking of the positives of porn, a good place to start is the numbers. If you have worked in SEO (search engine optimization), or have done anything related to content creation aimed at meeting user demands and expectations; a key principle is that, when it comes to online search, the three things that really matter are: Keywords (what topics people are looking for); Volume (how many are doing it in a given time); and Content: does your business or enterprise able to provide what people are looking for in terms of information, in adequate quantities. These variables, if understood correctly, and are catered to with relevant products and services, would determine the success of the business venture that relies on this channel. 

When it comes to pornography, despite its many problems-some of which we shall get into-what is indisputable is the sheer amount of time that people, a vast number of people, from virtually every corner of the globe; from many walks of life spend time looking for. And when they find it (online sex of their preference), the time they spend consuming it (4). Based on the numbers alone, logic tells us that the pornographic industry, despite all the fire it gets, seemingly from all sides, is doing something right. Very right. Kinda like good music. 

See, when a music video goes viral on YouTube, for example, it does so, because it is providing the viewers/ listeners something they like, find appealing, stimulating, interesting, etc. And depending on how good it is, it is able to make a lot of people feel those positive sets of emotions. All of which works into the key principle underlying content creation and dissemination: The importance of providing something of value. 

When the search engines algorithms recognize the content as “good”, “relevant” or “useful”, such content gets pushed higher up the search results. And if enough people click on them, spend enough time on sites they link to, engage with content, share them on the same/or related platforms, etc. Then the content in question, literally ‘blows up’ over the internet. 

From an evangelical standpoint, the very fact that these religious types, from across the Christian world (as I can attest), who are in the business of spreading the Good News, see it worthwhile to engage this particular facet of life, tells you something about its popularity or should I say, pervasiveness. Isn’t it funny how these people whose main task is to speak about God, have all simultaneously converged on the idea of speaking about (against) pornography as a worthwhile endeavor? Far too many times I have encountered actually, and digitally; religious leaders of various types, along with lay members active in Christian ministry (like Mr. Fradd), engaging the subject (i.e. evils) of pornography. But why though? 

Think about it. Critiquing this phenomenon, within an evangelical context, seems almost instinctual for these lot, and one explanation is that porn has become a facet of life that many if not all of these individuals/critics are either closed off to… For the wrong reasons. Whose discomfort with, or inability to engage this reality for what it is (sex in the raw). Due to a variety of personal, social inhibitions and limitations, the individuals in question have not been studied. In sum, when it comes to the method of critiquing porn within religious circles, it is a fair conjecture that there’s a lot of hypocrisy around. But that’s just the starting point of this problem. 

Before going further. It is best that I point out, what kind of pornographic content that I am NOT talking about. First, when one speaks of pornography, what is referred to in the course of this essay is the legal kind. Speaking of most Western countries, where pornography is legal; so what falls under the category of legal adult content, are those that do NOT involve minors: Those below the legal age of consent (18 or 21). In terms of its legality, it refers to adult content that involves consenting adults, who have NOT been forced, intimidated, pressured, or manipulated into performing or engaging in sexual acts, that they are uncomfortable doing at any stage of the process. 

By legal, what is being referred to is adult content that does NOT involve persons who have been trafficked, emotionally pressured or tricked, or were at some point in the course of production, been under the influence of alcohol, or drugs: legal or otherwise. Meaning the performers are in full control of their senses and are carrying out a given role, in accordance with the contractual agreements, which they have already signed. By ‘legal adult content, pornography, or porn as it is referred to in the course of this essay involves the performance of sexual acts, that involves NO physical or psychological harm to all parties involved. (Here I  would also include simulated harm: physical or emotional. Case in point: the 50 Shades popularized BDSM genre. Which is also excluded from this essay. 

The legal pornography that is being engaged in the course of this study only involves those who are doing paid work: who are remunerated financially, along with other legal benefits as compensation for their work. Which includes the entrepreneurial kind (i.e. where the performer is also a producer). Further, pornographic content in the acceptable/legal sense is those which give the performers complete freedom during, before, and after the shoot, to exit at their own discretion. Such as the right to ‘Stop’, or say ‘No’ to the proceedings (i.e. whilst the act/acts are in progress). Meaning the performers have the full freedom to walkway the moment they feel uncomfortable with what is going on. 

Alright, with that attempt at outlining the legal parameters of what constitutes pornography that is legal and acceptable, let’s get down to the specifics, shall we? Often the problem in religious circles is that whenever the subject of pornography is raised, it is done so solely, and I guess quite naturally from a critical standpoint. Pornography = Sinful. Porn = Immoral. Porn = Evil. Case closed. End of story. So beyond this point, it becomes virtually impossible, for the religious to constructively engage this subject, let alone to be able to advance a critic of this subject that goes beyond shallow, instinctual condemnation. 

Given the preexisting negativity that people bring with them into this subject, one that is often built on-as I shall argue, deep-rooted, anti-sexual prejudices-what results from these religious engagements of porn are often undermining to the pursuit of truth, and with respect to the evangelical aim:  which is to produce good, moral Christians; ultimately counterproductive. 

Whilst pornography is controversial for more reasons than one (Who can deny that). The fact is that it is almost universally condemned by virtually all religions in the world (the monotheistic ones notably). And the fact that its legal status across the world, even in parts of the world, where it is generally accepted, is always under question. And at the socio-cultural level, the legal consumption of porn by adults is generally frowned upon in all social circles. Despite the fact that its consumption, being almost universal in practice. Ought to give us some pause. For despite these many sources of opposition, the popularity of porn, if the statistics are anything to go buy, is here to say. 

So we as a society, whether we approach the matter from a religious or secular perspective, the onus is on us to deal with it constructively. Unfortunately, the predictable practice amongst religious and secular critics of porn is to start by condemning it. To condemn it more. And to maintain a mindset that is perpetually condemnatory in character when it comes to it. A state of mind which translates into the variety of restrictive measures that religious and civil authorities have imposed against it: 

From the various restrictions that civil government has placed on access to pornographic content across the world:  such as the near-total bans in much of the Islamic world, to the various restrictions on production and distributions in parts of Asia, to the various prohibitions on certain kinds of (legal) pornographic content found in parts of the West. Such as in the U.K, where government the brought restrictions on a number of (legal) adult content categories: notably their production by local adult content makers. Since the U.K is one of the largest sources of adult content, this imposition is telling (5). 

In parts of Scandinavia where opposition to pornography takes a different, more ideological form. In these feminist strongholds that are notorious for their opposition to sexual polarity (despite their liberal attitudes towards sex): Where State-funded gender equality programs, that are obsessed with equalizing outcomes and in the process exhibit little consideration for the social dynamics that result from the differences in biological sexuality (6). In this regard, opposition to pornography takes on a more systematized, one could say cultural form. The study of which is a subject for another time (7).

Despite the many obstacles to porn, that take the form of various legal restrictions; whose origins emanate from a multiplicity of sources: moral, religious, secular, and ideological (feminism). Pornographic content continues to command tremendous demand across the globe. Here it is worth mentioning the sheer number of time spent by human beings across the globe on only one of the top free porn streaming sites in the world for the year 2019. 

Which came down to a staggering 5,824,699,200 hours. Which equates to a monstrous 665,000 years (8). With the porn streaming site in question being ranked amongst the top 10 of the most visited sites for the year 2019. Raking up 3.36 billion visits (9). These stats alone ought to tell you that pornography, based on consumption practices, has become something of a mass human pastime. A universal one. 

If one wishes to delve further into the statistics;  until the rise of social media, and more recently with the rapid growth in online video streaming platforms like Netflix and YouTube; much of the internet’s bandwidth was taken up by adult content. Even after the advent and now dominance of these major video streaming sites, along with the rise in social media, pornographic content still accounts for around 30 percent of all data that flow through cyberspace (10). So despite these changes taking place in the internet landscape; with much of our lives moving online, pornographic sites, based on the data, continue to dominate the internet highways, in terms of search, access to sites that provide relevant content, and the hours spent. 

So from the sheer number of pornographic sites to the vast amount of time that people spend even on a handful of free adult content streaming sites; in addition to the growth in new pornographic categories and genres; along with new forms of adult content production: Notable here is the rapid growth in amateur/homemade content. Where novice pornographers-a number of them couples in real relationships-who proceed to record their intimate moments for dedicated, paying audiences. Some of whom produce content as per the dictates of their subscribers. 

The rise in amateur adult content, much of it presumably shot in bedrooms, that have been turned into make-shift studios, has accelerated under the new way of life imposed by the COVID lockdowns. In addition to a life that is increasingly limited to the home; economic hardships imposed by decreased economic activity are also driving the desperate, to find new sources of income (11). Since sex sells. Pornography, that is the selling of graphic, fantastical sex to third parties (who number, potentially in the hundreds of millions) is a logical cash-generating candidate. 

So what are to make of this? What are we to make of the reality of porn, in relation to my argument that porn gets something right. Returning to my point on the relationship between the vast, global demand for pornography, and its relationship to the idea of the ‘good’ is worth considering in light of these realities. Look at it this way: If pornography is so evil, bad, immoral, exploitative, wicked, etc. As its critics routinely cast it out to be, then why do people, so many people, across the globe-arguably almost every person who has had access to the internet at some point or the other, watch it? Is it because it is doing something wrong? Or… Is it because it is managing to do something right. One that, in a way, corresponds to the good?

For a light theological take on this subject. As an analogy, consider why Eve if you believe the story, the mother of humanity, found the Serpent’s arguments in favor of eating the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil persuasive? In addition to the intellectual upliftment that Satan promised would come via the consumption of the fruit; Eve was incentivized to eat “the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye” (12). In other words, what the fruit promised, in addition to wisdom, was physical nourishment, that was made possible by the sensory stimulation it was able to elicit. Like great pie, it’s not good enough simply to be told about, or be in the presence of it. Getting a bite of the tasty-looking morsel is what seals the deal.  

Upon eating the fruit, Adam and Eve gain a deeper insight into the nature of reality (i.e. the fact that they were naked). Like God to an extent.  A stimulating revelation in its own right. This new insight does come with a certain liberating effect. Knowing the difference between being naked or not. Big change! However, that’s where the fun stops for the first humans. For despite the initial information boost, and the feel-good effects that it brings, this new knowledge came with a price. Death. Or rather, ultimate death. Whilst Satan did lie when stating that eating the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil will not lead to death. However, Satan was telling a partial truth in that death was not an immediate consequence. 

For the death that resulted from eating the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good was an inescapable one. Akin to ill-effects of porn addiction: where the corrosive effects that result from the habitual use of this initially stimulating medium snowball and manifest over time. Like the effects of Evil, which grow, accretion, and ultimately destroy the soul of the person from within. With death being the endpoint. Yes death, the tragic character of life, one that marks the beauty of the Creation. Captured by those tragic words:   

“By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return” (ibid).

So when it comes to porn, the Christian critic is right in stating that it is evil. In that it is representative of something that leads man towards the effects of evil, vis a vie sin. Porn addiction as mentioned is one of the banes of society. The evils of human trafficking and the exploitation of minors which are characterized by illegal pornographic content are the most serious. And in more recent times, the adverse effects of porn on young men, especially their social relationships: where the increasing access and use of porn are being associated with fewer relationships with women, and hence fewer sexual encounters, and poor relationship quality overall (13). 

In other words, the ill effects of porn are an increasingly well-documented phenomenon even outside the world of the faith. But more work needs to be done in understanding the nature porn, and the factors and forces underlying its use. That is to say, more attention is needed on the demand side of this equation that drives its existence and popularity, in addition to combating the evils of human trafficking, forced labor, and the exploitation of minors, which are the notable dark sides of the pornographic world. 

However, despite these serious shortfalls, the underlying and universal appeal of porn can not be ignored. The reasons why people are consuming more and more of it, to a point where it is even become (subconsciously) a viable, though poor, alternative to real relationships, means that it is doing something right. Something that is evil, from a moral standpoint, and in terms of the ultimate consequences, even when studied from a purely secular perspective. However at a certain, one could say functional level, it is doing something right. 

In his great Summa, Thomas Aquinas attempts to describe the nature of good and evil. To the objection that “not every being is good”, he responds by stating that “[e]very being that is not God is God’s creature. Now every creature of God is good [..] and God is the greatest good. Therefore every being is good”. And in the course of his four ‘replies’ to the ‘objections’ he further states that: “Every being, as being is good. For all being, as being, has actuality and is in some way perfect; since every act implies some sort of perfection; and perfection implies desirability and goodness [..]” (14).

In explaining the nature of evil, Aquinas states: “No being can be spoken of as evil, formally as being, but only so far as it lacks being. Thus a man is said to be evil because he lacks some virtue; and an eye is said to be evil because it lacks the power to see well” (ibid). Going further, on the question of whether God wills evil, he engages that the subject of pursuing something that qualifies as evil (like porn), as an end in itself. 

Aquinas explains that the want (or pursuit) of something evil is due to its relationship, or perceived association with something that is good (actually or potentially): “[S]ince evil is opposed to good, it is impossible that any evils, as such should be sought for by the appetite, either natural, or by the intellectual, or animal, or by the intellectual appetite which is the will. 

Nevertheless, evil may be sought accidentally, so far as it accompanies a good, as appears in each of the appetites” (ibid). Aquinas, the great mind, but one that was grounded in reality, goes onto explain: “For a natural agent intends not privation or corruption, but the form to which is annexed the privation of some other form, and the generation of one thing, which implies the corruption of another. […] [So] when a lion kills a stag, his object is his food, to obtain which the killing of the animal is only the means. Similarly, the fornicator [or pornographer/viewer] has merely pleasure [and profit] for his object, and the deformity of sin is only an accompaniment (ibid).

So when it comes to porn, which is evil: that it is sexual immorality, that deviates from God’s plan for what human intimacy was meant for; nonetheless contains elements of goodness in it. So the person who logs into an adult site is doing so, not because he is trying to find and indulge in something that is inherently evil. Rather he doing so because he hopes to gain, experience, or be a part of something that he thinks, will give him something, or something related to what is good. Coming from a strongly Catholic environment, I have spoken and listened to, and been in the company of many a Catholic priest, seminarian, brother from many parts of the world (notably Europe, the Americas, and Asia). 

One of the common subjects that get engaged in such fellowships is the subject of sex; which is invariably engaged in a critical or distant manner. To use the sermons as an example, there have been far too many times that the Catholic clergy have engaged the “evils” of pornography (and by extension masturbation). To a point where I as the listener, and I am sure others like me, was left wondering: Geez is this what occupies the minds of these people? The focus on such subjects, notably the focus on teaching the rest of us the dos and don’ts of what counts as acceptable sexual conduct. It’s always curious as to why these men had to, with almost predictable formality, engage such specific subjects. 

Well, the answer, with some reflection becomes quite straightforward: As lifelong celibates, these men are denied (or have denied themselves) relationships with women, and by extension, sex. Hence the reason why pornography and masturbation (sins) have become major sources of concern for them, and their flock (even though we didn’t ask for it), is due to the lack of something good in their lives. That is the sexual dimension, which these people (like Fr. Schmitz) have closed themselves off to. Hence owing to lack of the goodness that is bought forth by the company and union with women, drives them to, one would imagine finding refuge in, sex-substitutes like pornography.  

So pornography, since it seeks to embody the reality of human sexuality, at a number of levels, as I shall argue; is doing something good. For other than visually capturing the beauty of sex (this especially true in the case of erotica, as opposed to hardcore content), it also becomes a vehicle for communicating the positive aspects of life that are inherently or indirectly associated with the sexual. Meaning, porn as a reality needs to be studied outside the vacuum of the ‘viewer-producer’ framework. Whereby the reality of carnal unions that are being played out for the titillation of consumers, and profit for the producers, need to be situated and understood (and dare, I say appreciated) for what it seeks to represent in its totality. 

So pornography, retuning to the theological dimension of the problem, whilst clearly, a manifestation of something evil; is not inherently so. Rather the wickedness it embodies manifests only by way of its incompleteness. Its misdirected purpose in presenting aspects of sexuality, that many (or most) naturally find appealing for the inherent goodness that it carries. Despite the overt unpleasantness that it is instinctively associated with. Kinda like sex if you think about it. Caz sex, whilst being something that (almost) everyone enjoys, but at the same time it is something that almost all feel uncomfortable, at various levels in openly engaging it. So pornography, whilst it carries many potential harms, at certain levels it embodies something good. In the following sections, I will break down a few of them.