The Seriousness of Pornography and Sexual Abuse – Chapter 6

Chapter 6 of the book:

The Failure of the Great Amish and Conservative Mennonite Dress Experiment

Why Christian Conservatism Isn’t the Answer and What to Do

The wickedness of sexual abuse being committed by Amish, conservative Mennonites and other conservative Christians is a serious failure, sin and crime. Sexual abuse among non-Christians is a serious enough sin, but this sexual abuse is committed by piously dressed conservatives against innocent children within their own church group. This sin and injustice is so vile that Jesus said it would be better for sexual molesters if a millstone was hung around their necks and they were drowned in the depths of the sea! God has serious punishments for those who sexually abuse children who believe in Jesus. Jesus goes on to warn us that those children have angels which are always reporting to God the Father. No secret sexual abuse is unseen by God.

Are you looking for something more than just the same old concepts, interpretations, explanations, and perspectives you have heard regurgitated over and over again? This website will give you some new insights and things to think about. You may not agree with everything you read, but Biblical Research Reports will stimulate your thinking. Our goal is to help you to formulate in your own mind what is Jesus’ truth as you look at the research we share on the various subjects facing the Church.

“And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 18:5-10)

The Greek word translated “offend” means to “entrap, that is to trip up” (Strong’s Dictionary). That is exactly what a sexual predator does. He/she entraps a child and sexually abuses him or her.

Jesus emphasizes the seriousness of the sin of sexual abuse by saying that if a man is tempted to sexually molest children, it would be better for him to cut off his hand or foot or pluck out his eye to prevent himself from committing those acts. Jesus said that taking drastic measures to keep one’s self from sexually abusing children would be better than to be cast into hell fire. Woe, too, to those Amish and Mennonite church leaders who cover over sexual abuse cases, who wrongly condemn the innocent sexual abuse victims for being the cause of the abuse and who lie about the abuse, and who through their silence enable sexual molesters to sexually abuse other children in the church.

Sexual abuse is a form of sexual activity that is not even approved of by most non-Christians in society today. Society has accepted sex before marriage, living together unmarried, same sex relationships, adultery, pornography, etc. In addition, TV, movies, magazines, books, and the internet portray many forms of sexual promiscuity in a positive light. But the sexual abuse of girls and boys is not acceptable even in this sexually promiscuous society.

Child Sexual Abuse is a Crime

It is important to repeat what was stated earlier for emphasis. Child sexual abuse is first and foremost a crime and those that sexually abuse a child are engaged in a criminal activity that is awful and disgusting. Churches and pastors do not have authority from the government to judge, prosecute, or dismiss a child sexual abuse crime. Over and over we find churches and church leadership downgrading sexual abuse from a crime to a sin and then addressing the sexual abuse from only a sin perspective and not reporting it to the government authorities. In many cases, a church or religious organization handling child sexual abuse in-house and not reporting it to the authorities is also a criminal activity.

The government’s view of the seriousness of the crime of sexual abuse is evidenced by the fact that there is no statute of limitations for the sexual abuse of a minor in many states. Even after many years have passed and a sexual abuser is an old man or old woman, the one(s) who have been sexually abused by him/her can come forward and report the crime. Only crimes that are considered exceptionally heinous by society, such as murder, have no statute of limitations. All other crimes have a time limitation in which they must be reported.

The crime of sexual abuse is so serious in the view of our sexually permissive society today that some states even allow the use of deadly force to stop sexual abuse. In June of 2012, a grand jury in Texas decided not to indict a rancher who had beat a hired man to death when he discovered him raping his five year old daughter behind a shed on the property. District Attorney Heather McMinn said about the case: “Under the law in the state of Texas deadly force is authorized and justified in order to stop an aggravated sexual assault or sexual assault”. http://abcnews.go.com/US/charges-texas-father-beat-death-daughters-molester/story?id=16612071#.T-R2ERceNLd

Amish children playing at an Amish school house. It is innocent young boys and girls who are being unjustly sexually violated. Their abuse is often covered up to preserve the pious image of the Amish or Mennonite culture.

The seriousness of the failure of the Amish and Mennonite dress experiment is highlighted by the fact that these Amish and Mennonites, who profess to be Christians and dress in pious religious garb, are not just committing the sexual sins that are accepted among non-Christians. They are committing criminal sexual acts that are unacceptable to even non-Christians.

The Amish and Mennonite dress experiment has put a significant emphasis on women and girls dressing modestly so that men would not be tempted to lust and sin. The argument for modesty has been used to put strict regulations on women, such as the cape dress, long dresses, long sleeves, and stipulations on the length of their dresses. They have prided themselves in not dressing immodestly like the world. Using human reasoning, the modest dress regulations should have worked in preventing girls from being sexually abused. But God tells us that doing what appears to be best using human reasoning will result in serious consequences. “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” (Proverbs 14:12)

Sexual abuse is one of the worst sins and crimes that can be committed against another human being. Sexual sins affect a person more deeply emotionally and psychologically than any other sin. Most victims are affected by the trauma of the sexual abuse for the rest of their lives. Church leaders who trivialize and ignore the long term emotional affects and consequences of sexual abuse are foolish and lack Christ’s true love and compassion for their brothers and sisters in Christ.

God tells us in 1 Corinthians 6:18, “Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.” This verse not only applies to those who willfully choose to commit sexual sins, but it also tells us that the consequences of sexual sins affect very deeply those who had sexual acts forced upon them. Amish and conservative Mennonite churches have a history of “hushing up” the abuse situation and ignoring the victims and the trauma that they carry with them the rest of their lives. Many Amish and Mennonite leaders are ignorant of, or choose to ignore, the horrible consequences in the life of the victim who has been sexually abused. In some cases, the leaders actually make the trauma worse for the victim by blaming them for what happened.

Jesus strongly rebuked the Pharisees for their hypocrisy and for being whitewashed graves by dressing in their distinctive clothing to appear to be righteous and at the same time covering up secret sin. This same rebuke applies to the Amish and Mennonites who dress to appear to be righteous to others in their group, but have covered over sexual abuse or sexual immorality that they or others in the church have committed. Jesus said this about the cover-up of sin that causes innocent people to be hurt because they have no idea that the wickedness of sexual abuse exists in their church, and they or their children fall prey to a sexual predator: “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware ofthem.” (Luke 11:44)

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous, And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?” (Matthew 23:25-33)

The Amish and Mennonite Dress Experiment, just like the dress of the scribes and Pharisees, creates an ideal environment for hypocrites to operate. It makes it easy for sexual predators to hide their sin because they outwardly appear righteous to men, but within they are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

God tells us that sexual sins are serious and need to be addressed by the church:

“I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. (1 Corinthians 5:9-11)

Two Amish boys going fishing. Conservative churches have taken a strong stance against homosexuality, while hidden in their midst are men who are committing homosexual acts of sexual abuse on boys. The sexual abuse of boys by Amish and conservative Mennonites will be punished by God.

Why Pornography is Sin

Most people know down deep in their heart that pornography is sin, but in my research on the internet, few gave a clear Scriptural basis of why it is sin. Much of what I read about why pornography is sin, was people’s opinion that it is sin because of the consequences, addiction, violence to women, etc. of pornography. But that is not how God defines sin. God defines sin as disobedience to His commands and doing what He has told us not to do.

While pornography has always existed, it is more of a modern sin that is available because of modern technology. I found it interesting that Webster’s 1828 Dictionary does not have the word pornography in it. The Bible does not use the word pornography; however, the Bible makes it clear that lust, and enjoying looking at skimpily dressed or naked women, men, or children to give sexual arousal, is sin and will prevent a professing Christian from entering Heaven.

Pornography is the sin of Adultery

Jesus said “Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” (Matthew 5:27-28)

Jesus expanded the definition of the sin of adultery to include looking at pornography and lusting after women (clothed or unclothed) as acts of committing adultery in one’s heart. Pornography is pictures or movies of harlots or prostitutes with whom men or women who view them are committing mental acts of adultery. Everything that the Bible states about harlots, strange women, adultery, and fornication, applies to pornography.

Viewing pornography is not just sin, it is also part of God’s judgment on those who made a commitment to Christ but have not put Him first in their life. It is a symptom that a person is not in right relationship with Christ and needs to repent and turn their whole life over to Christ. God tells us:

“The mouth of strange women is a deep pit: he that is abhorred of the LORD shall fall therein.” (Proverbs 22:14)

 “But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels.” (Psalms 81:11-12)

“Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:” (Romans 1:24)

Those who choose to look at pornography will not go to heaven.

Many preachers will tell you that a Christian can look at pornography and still go to heaven, but they are not God and that is not what God says. Those preachers have taken the fear of God away from you. An important part of being victorious over pornography is to realize that viewing pornography is the sin of fornication or adultery and will cause you to go to hell when you die if you do not repent of that sin. God is very clear that those who are involved in pornography, even those who at one point were Christians, will not go to heaven unless they repent of the sin. Choosing to look at pornography is not just a matter of looking at pornography, but it is also a rejection of Christ and His eternal life in heaven.

This may sound harsh, but it is what the Bible says. The following passages of Scripture tell us that those who commit adultery (whether physical adultery or by looking at pornography) will not go to heaven:

Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 6:9-20 “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.

“Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of a harlot? God forbid. What? know ye not that he which is joined to a harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

• Pornography is the defilement of a person’s mind which is God’s temple. A person cannot be one with the Lord when he has joined his mind in pornography with harlots. (v.16,17) That person will not inherit the kingdom of God (v.10). Be not deceived.

Ephesians 5:3-7 “But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them.”

• God warns us to beware of preachers who tell you with vain words that you can be involved in pornography or sexual immorality and still inherit the kingdom of Christ. In v.7 God warns us as Christians not to be partakers with them lest we end up not receiving any part of heaven.

1 Corinthians 3:16-18 “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.”

Hebrews 13:4 “Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.”

James 1:14-16 “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren.”

• This passage about lust is written to Christians. Those who are not Christians are already involved in sin and are already spiritually dead. God warns us not to err and let lust be conceived (pornography is one form of lust) and bring about our spiritual death.

2 Peter 2:12-14, 18-22  “But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin…

“For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, the dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.”

• This passage describes those who view pornography: “having eyes full of adultery”. God tell us here that if a Christian gets involved in pornography and sexual immorality and does not repent of that sin, their punishment in hell will be worse than if they had never been a Christian. The sin of pornography is that serious!!

1 John 2:15-17 “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.”

Prostitutes

Pornography is the seduction of men or women by visual and mental prostitution. Jesus said that anyone who looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her in his heart. Because of that fact, pornography has consequences much the same as a man or woman going to a prostitute. God warns us about the serious consequences in the passages below. Yielding to the temptation of pornography is yielding to prostitutes who seduce you with their bodies.

Proverbs 2:16-19 “To deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger which flattereth with her words; Which forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God. For her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead. None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.”

Proverbs 5:3-14 “For the lips of a strange woman drop as a honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil: But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell. Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are movable, that thou canst not know them. Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth. Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house: Lest thou give thine honor unto others, and thy years unto the cruel: Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labors be in the house of a stranger; And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed, And say, How have I hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof; And have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me! I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly.”

Proverbs 6:24-29 “To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman. Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids. For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life. Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned? So he that goeth in to his neighbor’s wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.”

Proverbs 7:6-27 “For at the window of my house I looked through my casement, And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding, Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house, In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night: And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of a harlot, and subtle of heart. (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house: Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.) So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him, I have peace offerings with me; this day have I paid my vows. Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee. I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves. For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey: He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed. With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him.

“He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life. Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth. Let not thine heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death.”

Proverbs 9:13-18 “A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing. For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city, To call passengers who go right on their ways: Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: and as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant. But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell.”

Ecclesiastes 7:26 “And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands: whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her.”

Pornography is a serious sin that will bar a person from heaven. Stay far away from pornography and do not look at it. Do not put the temptation before your eyes.

Should we use internet controls?

Many attempt to control their children from viewing pornography by putting strict controls on the internet. While that appears to work to some degree, it is approaching the solution from the wrong direction, and can, and does have the opposite results of what is desired as is evidenced with the Mennopornite Syndrome. Controls provide a challenge and can be disabled or gotten around.

What is more effective is to take away the temptation by teaching them the fear of the Lord. When people realize that they cannot hide their secret sin from God and that if they are involved in pornography they will go to hell, even if they at one point in the past had become a Christian, they will not have as much of a temptation to look at pornography. The fear of God  and their desire to please Christ is much more effective than physical controls.

It is important also to teach young people to look to the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit’s power in their lives to keep them from looking at pornography rather than relying on their own efforts or other human methods of controls and accountability. God’s methods do not have consequences like man’s methods of controls – “taste not, touch not, handle not”. “Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, (Touch not; taste not; handle not; Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.” (Colossians 2:20-23)

Mark 7:20-23 “And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.”

• The desire comes from within a person to look at pornography and to lust, and the giving in to that desire defiles a person spiritually.

Luke 11:34-36 “The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness. If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.”

• When God wrote the Bible, He did it in a way that it applies to all generations and cultures and not just for the people in Bible times. This passage applies directly to lust and pornography. What a person looks at fills their life with spiritual light or spiritual darkness. When a person looks at pornography, it fills their life with spiritual darkness and they can’t understand deeper spiritual things.

One young man who was struggling with pornography addiction confided that when he shared his problem with his pastors that they basically just told him to try harder. But trying harder was not working. Trying to have victory over sin by behavior modification or by one’s own efforts will not work. We can’t save ourselves by our own efforts. The desire for porn needs to be put to death through the Holy Spirit and His power working in one’s life, not just “controlled”. God tells us that if we try harder with our own efforts (living after the flesh) we will die spiritually.

“For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” (Romans 8:13)

Next Chapter – The Cover-Up of Sexual Abuse By Conservative Church Leaders