By Dr. Eddie Capparucci, Ph.D., LPC, C-CSAS

There are numerous reasons why women become involved in pornography. Some are exploited, others are forced, many desperate to make ends meet, and some are lured by the promise of money and fame. Whatever the reason, there is one fact for certain. Without the demand from men for pornography, these women would not be subjected to this sad way of life.

If you believe these women are enjoying this lifestyle and are hypersexual individuals doing what they love, read Jessie’s words, a former porn actress.

“People in the porn industry are numb to real life and are like zombies walking around. The abuse that goes on in this industry is completely ridiculous. The way these young ladies are treated is totally sick and brainwashing,” said Jessie in an interview with Fight the New Drug, an organization helping individuals overcome their porn addiction. “I left due to the trauma I experienced even though I was there only a short time. I hung out with many people in the adult industry, everybody from contract girls to gonzo actresses. Everybody has the same problems. Everybody is on drugs. It’s an empty lifestyle trying to fill a void. I became horribly addicted to heroin and crack.”

Still not convinced a large majority of women you lust after in videos and images would opt to work in another industry? Then answer this question.

Recall the time when you asked a 12-year-old girl what she wanted to do when she grows up. And her reply was, “I want to take off my clothes and have sex with strange men and women in front of a camera.” When did you meet this young lady? My guess is you never encountered her. Does this mean there are not some girls like her? Perhaps. But if they do exist, I can guarantee you someone has hurt them very badly.

Despite our attitudes and perceptions of women who work in pornography, they are no different than you and me. They are temples of God.

“You realize, don’t you, that you are the temple of God, and God himself is present in you? No one will get by with vandalizing God’s temple, you can be sure of that. God’s temple is sacred—and you, remember, are the temple.” 1 Cor. 3:17.

They are not whores. They are not sluts. They are not trash. They are the Princesses of the King. Each of them is God’s temple. He loves and accepts them unconditionally as his daughters. He also knows they are broken. They have been scarred in many ways and their sense of self-worth has been stolen from them. Today, men prey on their weaknesses to exploit them for sexual gratification and greed.

We are all temples of God. So how is it that as men, we can tarnish some of God’s temples’ by stripping them of dignity and diminishing their value? By creating the demand for pornography, we help remove any remaining self-worth these vulnerable women possess. And at the same time, we are indirectly communicating to God that we do not respect His creation of these women.

But God will have the last word. Go back to 1 Corinthians 3:17. “ No one will get by with vandalizing God’s temple, you can be sure of that. God’s temple is sacred.”

We should ponder this the next time we consider surfing for porn. And understand our pending actions will once again bring destruction to more of God’s precious temples.

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Dr. Eddie Capparucci is a licensed professional counselor and works with men struggling with sexual and pornography addictions. Among his many clients, Eddie has worked with professional athletes, including NFL and MLB players and television personalities. 

He is the creator of the Inner Child Model for the treatment of Sexual and Pornography addiction (www.innerchild-sexaddiction.com). This unique treatment method helps individuals get to the root issues of their addiction and provides them with the tools and insight to manage the disorder. It is endorsed by many leaders in the sex addiction field.

The Inner Child Recovery Process is the subject of his book, Going Deeper: How the Inner Child Impacts Your Sexual Addiction. He also is the host of the webcast entitled: Getting to the Other Side: Helping Couples Navigate the Road to Recovery.

His latest book is entitled, Why Men Struggle to Love: Overcoming Relational Blind Spots and shows why being sober is not enough. Those who have been betrayed need to see a transformation from those who hurt them.