King's Holds Difficult Discussion on Pornography

From left to right, participants in the Difficult Discussion include: David Leedy, Tyler Cochran, Carolann Hicks, Megan Dishman and Brent Bounds. I I Photo credit to Abby Miller

Students and professors filled the City Room to hear the Difficult Discussion taking place on Thursday: pornography. 

Difficult Discussions held at The King’s College were created to foster close conversation on sensitive topics, such as race and premarital sex, discussed in previous school years. 

“6 out of 10 young adults between the ages of 18-24 seek out porn either daily, weekly, or monthly,” said David Leedy, Dean of Students.

Many believe that pornography is a male phenomenon, but “13 million American women click on pornographic sites each month,” Leedy said. “Teens and young adults rank not recycling as more immoral than viewing porn."

The conversation challenged the way that Christian households talk about pornography and sex, and addressed tangible strategies to break unhealthy habits like pornography. The conversation was monitored by four panelists, including Dr. Brent Bounds, a licensed clinical psychologist in New York City, Carolann Hicks, the Hospitality and Volunteer Manager at Redeemer Presbyterian Church Lincoln Square. There were two faculty members of The King’s College, Tyler Cochran and Megan Dishman, also moderating the discussion. 

Bounds began the conversation by sharing statistics of the psychology of pornography and the pornography industry. He said that porn is a drug and that he has conversations in his office every day about people that struggle and are “being destroyed” by a porn addiction.

“Porn has the same neurological effects as cocaine,” Bounds said. “Brain-scans of someone on cocaine and someone watching porn are almost indistinguishable. Here is the difference between cocaine and porn: There is a threshold of cocaine. There is only so much cocaine you can take. That is not the case with porn, there is no limit to porn.”

Brain-scans from the Difficult Discussion slideshow I I Graphic courtesy of David Leedy

Leedy then monitored pre-approved questions and anonymous questions from students about what pornography, masturbation, why pornography is so alluring, and what some strategies are to breaking the habit of pornography. The panel also emphasized the importance of community and walking through addiction with a significant other. 

“I think masturbation is about you,” Dishman said. “Sex is not. Sex is intended for the boundaries of marriage to be shared between a man and a woman.”

The discussion not only centered around what pornography is and its effects on human brains, but also the morality of pornography from a Christian perspective. Leedy shared that 41 percent of practicing Christian males frequently use pornography, and 13 percent of practicing Christian females frequently use pornography. Although the Bible doesn’t say anything about masturbation or pornography directly, the panelists all agreed that they are unhealthy habits and that The Gospel is the only thing that can release someone from addiction.

“You have to believe that [pornography and masturbation] are not for your ultimate good,” Hicks said. “It is an imitation and shadow of something that you were created for that is greater and better and good, and that is God’s design.”

Students that attended the Difficult Discussion were excited that this topic is being talked about at a Christian school, and that it is being shared shared in a safe setting.

“Sex and porn have been shoved aside and been made a secret for so long, at least the way I grew up,” Seth Trouwborst, a junior that attended the conversation said. “It’s so important that people are able to open up and find resources and, like the people talked about today, that there is freedom found in opening up about it and discussing it. This is a great avenue to recognizing the consequences but also starting to change your life and orient your sexual life towards how God would have you live it.”

Follow-up conversations about this topic will be held separately for men and women next Tuesday at 6 p.m., at a to be determined location.