For decades, Christians have been warning about the dangers of pornography. It can ruin marriages and destroy families. Many researchers have provided evidence of the harmful effects of pornography. Much of this was catalogued in the 1986 Attorney General’s Commission on Pornography.

Various groups ranging from Pure Hope to Enough is Enough have also been warning about dangers of pornography. And the problem has grown worse simply because porn is easily available on the Internet.

The case has been made even stronger by research done by secular researchers at the University of Arkansas, James Madison University, and New York University. This new study in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior found that men who watch porn enjoy it less. They also found that these men usually try to act out what they see in pornography in their real life encounters.

What is most unfortunate is the fact that pornography has become what the researchers call a “primary source of sexual education.” They don’t learn about sex from their parents, teachers, or even sex education materials. They learn about sex from explicit pornographic videos. And these become embedded in their minds.

Of course these videos also remove love from sex and intimacy within marriage from the sex act. Pornography also causes men to objectify their sexual partners. And there is also the legitimate concern about the fact that many of these pornography videos involve violence or female degradation.

If some evil person tried to ruin the lives of men and destroy their marriages, I doubt they could come up with a better tool than online pornography. It is readily available. It is addictive and destructive.

Fortunately there are ministries dedicated to helping those addicted to or tempted by pornography. And there are groups calling for government to enforce existing laws dealing with obscenity and pornography. This new study provides powerful new research that can be used to fight the porno plague in our society.