Opposition to pornography

Most world religions hold negative opinions about pornography which stem from a variety of rationales, including concerns about human dignity, modesty, chastity, and other virtues. In Judaism and Christianity, there are numerous verses in the Bible which are usually cited as condemning fornication and adultery, notably the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew , which states that "anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." The Catechism of the Catholic Church explicitly condemns pornography because it "offends against chastity" and "does grave injury to the dignity of its participants", since "each one becomes an object of base pleasure and illicit profit for others". including Surah An-Nur (), which tells Muslim women to "lower their gaze and guard their chastity, and not to reveal their adornments, except what normally appears", ==Feminist views==

Some feminists are opposed to pornography, arguing that it is an industry which exploits women and is complicit in violence against women, both in its production (where they present evidence that abuse and exploitation of women performing in pornography is rampant) and in its consumption (where pornography eroticizes the domination, humiliation, and coercion of women, and reinforces sexual and cultural attitudes that are complicit in rape and sexual harassment). They charge that pornography contributes to the male-centered objectification of women and thus to sexism. Andrea Dworkin was a feminist famously opposed to the pornography industry, and proposed the Antipornography Civil Rights Ordinance in several American cities in the 1980s. In 2015, feminist Gail Dines founded Culture Reframed, which responds to the growing pornography industry by providing education and support for healthy child and youth development. However, many other feminists are opposed to censorship, and have argued against the introduction of anti-porn legislation in the United States, among them Betty Friedan, Kate Millett, Karen DeCrow, Wendy Kaminer and Jamaica Kincaid. Some sex-positive feminists actively support pornography that depicts female sexuality in a positive way, without objectifying or demeaning women, whereas some other feminists don't see any problem with the industry in its current state, given the subjective nature of perceiving humiliation or aggressiveness in a consensual context as something demeaning or negative. ==Conservative views==

Religious conservatives commonly oppose pornography, along with a subset of feminists, though their reasoning may differ. Concerned Women For America (CWA) is a conservative organization that opposes same-sex marriage and abortion. When discussing violence against women, the CWA often uses pornography to illustrate their points. The CWA asserts that pornography is a major reason why men inflict harm on women. The CWA argues that pornography convinces men to disrespect their wives and neglect their marriages, thereby threatening the sanctity of traditional marriage. Unlike other issues CWA has tackled, they are less forcefully anti-feminist when it comes to the topic of pornography, as many of their points surrounding why pornography is distasteful parallels those of anti-pornography feminists. ==Science-based views==

Dolf Zillmann argued in the 1986 publication "Effects of Prolonged Consumption of Pornography" that extensive viewing of pornographic material produces many unfavorable political effects, including a decreased respect for long-term monogamous relationships, and an attenuated desire for procreation. Other researchers believe that there is a correlation between pornography and a decrease of sex crimes; exhibiting a strong disbelief in the claim that pornography is a cause of rape; mainstream science does not claim that pornography would be a cause of rape. The appropriation of the sexually explicit in American culture and society is part of what has been called "the pornification of America". Rape culture is often discussed when it comes to pornography, and is defined by society victim-blaming women because of their rape. It is known as society making rape less substantial. Some of the most searched titles on pornography websites is rape scenes. The impact of pornography can vary significantly among teenagers and across cultures, depending on specific constellations of personality traits. Research indicates that special attention may be required for highly frequent consumers of pornography, those who actively seek sexually violent content, and individuals with additional risk factors. Male adolescents at a more advanced pubertal stage, characterized as sensation seekers with weak or troubled family relations, tended to use pornography more frequently. This usage correlated with more permissive sexual attitudes and stronger gender-stereotypical sexual beliefs. Additionally, it appeared to be associated with engaging in sexual intercourse, having greater experience with casual sex behavior, and an increased likelihood of involvement in sexual aggression, both as perpetrators and victims. The authors of the review state that the impact of pornography upon the brains of teenagers is a suggestion (what scientific literature suggests) rather than a scientific fact. Some studies suggest that children and youths are more susceptible to the neurological effects of pornography consumption than adults, however this lacks direct empirical evidence. This can be attributed to considerable ethical problems with performing such research. Since those problems are a huge obstacle, it is likely that such research will not be allowed, thus possibly it could never be known. Rory Reid (UCLA) declared "Universities don't want their name on the front page of a newspaper for an unethical study exposing minors to porn." While the World Health Organization's ICD-11 (2022) has recognized compulsive sexual behaviour disorder (CSBD) as an "impulsive control disorder", CSBD is not classified as an addiction; the American Psychiatric Association's DSM-5 (2013) and the DSM-5-TR (2022) do not classify compulsive pornography consumption as a mental disorder or a behavioral addiction. According to Emily F. Rothman, "The professional public health community is not behind the recent push to declare pornography a public health crisis." The ideas supporting the "crisis" have been described as pseudoscientific. ==See also==