Scary

Are you addicted to porn? Probably not – besides, what exactly does ‘addicted’ mean? Whatever your sexual preference, chances are you don’t mind glancing occasionally at some sort of nudiness, and that it does not in any way damage your life, mental health, standing in society, chances of heaven in the hereafter (what hereafter?). News reaches me of a poll conducted by leading U.S. Christian web site, ChristiaNet.com, which says that an eleven-question survey posed on its home page shows that “no one is immunized against the vice-grip clutches of sexual addictive behaviors.”

"The poll results indicate that 50% of all Christian men and 20% of all Christian women are addicted to pornography," said Clay Jones, founder and President of Second Glance Ministries, which conducted the poll in conjunction with ChristiaNet.

The report concludes: “It seems the Christian community is struggling with many of the same ‘temptations’ that the secular society is faced with.” There’s so much in this pompous and pat little conclusion that pisses me off: the tiny worldview, the implicit dual assumption that Christians are better than the rest of ‘secular society,’ yet always in danger of slithering downwards, and the rank ignorance of what is neatly termed ‘secular society.’ Then again, what do you expect from people who unironically publish books like the one pictured above?

Meanwhile in Iraq, something not that much different is happening in terms of being terrified by sex. Via Andrew Sullivan's blog: “Iraqi Islamists are threatening shepherds with violence if they don't clothe their goats with diapers to avoid tempting lonely shepherds… it's also revealing about the way fundamentalism and sex interact. What most male-run religious fundamentalisms include is a major exception for the hetero-male sex drive. Sex outside of missionary-position reproduction with legal wife/wives is officially verboten; but when frail male flesh gives in, the blame is almost always the object of desire - not the guy actually responsible. Hence: it's the goat's fault. The way they were dressed, they were asking for it.”

A note on the side: in Afghanistan in 2002, I actually witnessed a man shagging a goat. And, in order to help stave off any further descent into uncontrollable porno perversion, I urge you all not to look below. Don't look! DON'T. LOOK.