No, Watching Porn Is Not Going To Make You Religious

[rug]

Photo of Sarah Jacoby MAY 13, 2016 1:50 PM
SARAH JACOBY

This week, the internet has latched onto a new study suggesting a link between the amount of time we spend watching porn and how religious we are. "Watching Porn Is Making You Religious," everyone seemed to shriek. But the takeaway is much more complex — and fascinating — than those headlines would have you believe.

For the study, published online earlier this week in the Journal of Sex Research, Samuel L. Perry, PhD, at the University of Oklahoma analyzed data from the Portraits of the American Life Study. This included data from 1,314 participants collected once in 2006 and once in 2012. In addition to basic demographic questions, respondents were asked how often they viewed porn and how religious they were (e.g. how often they had doubts about their religion, how important God or spirituality was to their lives, and how often they attended services).

- snip -

"For religious people who look at pornography quite frequently, they may resolve the cognitive dissonance by being super-religious in other areas of their life, like prayer and worship attendance," Dr. Perry told Refinery 29 via email. "These people may be saying something like, Okay God, I may be disobeying you in this area of my life, but look at all the religious stuff I'm doing over here! So it becomes another way to resolve the cognitive dissonance without them having to give up the behavior or become less religious."

However, the curve here is U-shaped, meaning that those who became religious after watching more porn also started out being more religious. And that, friends, is the key: As their porn-watching increased, they reported having more doubts and going to fewer religious services. But when they got up to watching it a few times per week, they reached a sort of guilt peak, potentially causing them to return to thoughts of religion.

http://www.refinery29.com/2016/05/110843/watching-porn-make-you-religious-study

[whatthehey]

1. Maybe I don't watch enough

I will not claim to be innocent of seeking titillation online, but I'm far from the level which tends to revert one to religion, and obviously started from a nonreligious base. It does somewhat raise an interesting question. Is there a high level of porn watching at which guilt develops suffficiently to make the viewer consider a religion he never had?

[rug]

2. Not likely imo.

Nobody's ever learned anything about the Trinity by watching threesomes either.

[Major Nikon]

3. The same can be said about reading the bible

[rug]

4. I've come across a lot of things there but no threesomes.

[Major Nikon]

5. I suspect you haven't looked hard enough

Most polygamists use biblical justification and the examples just aren't that hard to find.

[rug]

6. I'll grant that. Google only has 300,000 hits for biblical threesomes.

But polygamy is not a ménage à trois.

[Major Nikon]

7. It certainly can be so long as there's a divine approval involved

Which seems to be the religious standard for pretty much everything, up to and including pederasty.

[cleanhippie]

8. Or at least institutional enabling like the RCC does.

[Major Nikon]

9. Same thing

[rug]

10. Except there is none apparent.

Nor for pederasty.

I assume you knew that.

[Major Nikon]

11. Not literal perhaps

I assume you knew that.

[rug]

12. Nor metaphorical.

Nor at all.

[Major Nikon]

13. Matthew 8:5-13

[rug]

15. Verse 8 is recited just before receiving Communion at Mass.

"“Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof; only say the word and my servant will be healed."

The word servant is replaced with "soul".

Some claim the servant is the centurion's same sex partner (which has nothing to do with pederasty) but that is -literally - an outlier position.

[Major Nikon]

16. The Greek word used in Matthew 8 is pais

Which is the root of pederast and was quite commonly used to designate a pederast's victim during the time Matthew was written. This is disputed by "literally" nobody. So to claim it "has nothing to do with pederasty" is quite ignorant.

Someone who is seeking biblical approval of pederasty, like say for instance a child raping priest, probably doesn't care much whether you consider the interpretation an outlier or not.

[rug]

17. This reminds me of discussing the Bible with a Jehovah's Witness.

When you get a chance, ask them how they translate John 1:1.

[Major Nikon]

18. I've already provided you with an emoji of what this reminds me of

But really I'd rather ask you how you reconcile Nor at all with that is -literally - an outlier position

I'm sure the waffling on that one is going to be well worth the entertainment value, again.

[rug]

19. I will amend my earlier remark.

This is worse than discussing the broken Greek used in the JW Bible.

At least they don't resort to smileys.

[Major Nikon]

20. Deflection noted

[rug]

21. Actually, it was pointed right at you.

[Major Nikon]

22. This just keeps getting better the more you avoid the question

[rug]

23. Sorry, your argument doesn't raise a question, let alone require an answer.

Pais means no more than "boy" which was a common term used for servants. See recent southern history for examples. Without the root erastes, meaning "lover". the word in Matthew relates to pederasty only in the most desperate niches of the internet, with which I'm sure you're familiar.

Calling your claim an outlier was generous. Alas, one of my weaknesses.

So feel free to post a smiley and pat yourself on the back for your presumed erudition. It will harm no one.

[Major Nikon]

24. So first you imply I'm a bigot, and now you imply I'm a fan of child rape

Gotta love it when someone is so hopelessly pathethic they have to resort to such bullshittery when their normal bullshit starts running lean. So yeah, keep claiming you haven't been harmed by waffling in your corner....again, and I'll take you up on your offer by posting another....

[rug]

25. I see no reluctance to post a laughing smiley when you talk about pedophilia.

No matter how erroneosly used. As long as it concerns the Catholic Church.

Go figure.

[Major Nikon]

26. OH no! I never saw that one coming!

Pretending I'm laughing about pedophilia is so original of you! One would think all the times you've done the faceplant on that one you would have learned by now, but here it is again as if anyone couldn't have predicted such a banal response.



You get two for recycling old bullshit. This really is the gift that keeps on giving. Please do continue!

[rug]

27. I'm sure you didn't.

Your smiley looks more embarassed with each post.

Try this one:

[Major Nikon]

28. Sure, because you haven't worn a rut in that one

[rug]

29. Ok, I'll give you one more fitting.

[Major Nikon]

30. At least the content is improving

[Brettongarcia]

32. The Trinity is a threesome, of sorts

If you look at descriptions of their odd incestuous interrelationships, it gets pretty obscene in fact.

God gave birth to Jesus, who is really God himself.... Etc..

People have commented on the homoerotic quality of the nearly naked, dead Jesus, too.

[rug]

33. oneThreesomes do not involve giving birth to oneself.

Or going to fuck yourself.

Your experience may be different.

[Brettongarcia]

35. So when God sleeps with the Mother of God...

... to produce Jesus, who is God himself, everything is OK?

[rug]

36. Ah, tell me precisely how God "slept" with Mary.

You're a better literalist than you are a euphemist.

[Brettongarcia]

37. In some Bibles, God "comes over" Mary

Presumably this means? There are some fascinating theological implications here.

God can take material form, or become "flesh." To produce - by your account - a literally- e.g. physically real - Jesus. So he can do physical deeds. To produce a physical son. Especially if Mary's virginity is metaphorical.

And then, since God is the father of us all, he is also the father of Mary.

So what's going on here? Is this incest? Curiously,
the daughters of Lot can't find a man. So they sleep with their daddy too. And the Bible doesn't object, at least during that episode.

So ....? It seems the Bible might be even literally pornographic.

[rug]

38. Oooh, biblical bukkake?

That usually doesn't lead to pregnancy.

[Brettongarcia]

39. I meant God could be on top, so to speak.

[rug]

40. A very lucid - and highly persuasive - exegesis.

[Brettongarcia]

41. Thank you.

But then things get complicated. Since God impregnated Mary ... who is both his Mother (Mother of God) and his daughte (of "the Father&quot .To produce a Son who is really ...God himself.

Perhaps your own rejected comments earlier would be useful to describe the situation.

[edhopper]

14. I think we can conclude that watching porn makes you something

but religious ain't it.

[Brettongarcia]

31. Religion is pornography: imaginary companions

Last edited Sat May 14, 2016, 05:06 AM - Edit history (2)

So if you are religious, and watch porn, then you are getting a double dose of fantasy.


Maybe there's some kind of multiplier effect here.

[rug]

34. Discussing religion on the internet is similar to what happens while watching porn on the internet.