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"An oasis of erotica amid the porn," announced the headline in the Arts section of the Globe and Mail (Jan. 24, 1998). The column by John Haslett Cuff went on to describe a "mind-expanding", "literary" and "tasteful" Website for those who feel the need to "indulge a civilized taste for eros" (sexual stimulation.)
Am I the only person who is starting to wonder if we have all finally succumbed to syphilis of the soul? It has long been fashionable to distinguish between pornography and art, but have we finally reached the limit of this distinction? For years now, depravity has been masking itself as art in order to appear acceptable.
For most of us, such depravity has been relatively easy to ignore. In recent years, however, that has all changed. The Internet now brings depravity into the privacy of our homes. As John Cuff explains, "It is almost impossible to search for information on the Internet without being distracted by ads and enticements to visit pornographic sites. The proprietors of these sites . . . are clever enough to include words and links that will turn up in even the most innocent power searches." Through the Internet, "red light districts" from around the world are brought right into our homes, and in this private "red light district" there are no policemen--only a vapour thin record trail that can be erased with a key-stroke.
None of this is new for those who own computers. In fact, it is not even a fundamentally new phenomenon in history. The man or woman who works within a key-stroke of this sex-driven world is under no greater exposure to temptation than the businessman of 65 A.D. who daily walked past the temple prostitutes on his way to and from work. Sexual relations with a temple prostitute in that culture were as acceptable as a glance at Playboy is today.
Men and women face sexual temptation as long as they remain mortal. But neither being universal nor artistic makes this temptation any less dangerous. When left to its own course, it systematically destroys both societies and individuals. Even John Cuff seems to acknowledge this.
Instead of excusing our depravity by limiting ourselves to "literary" pornography, it may be time once again to revive a ditty from another time: "Be careful little eyes what you see. . . .
JAMES TOEWS IS PASTOR OF NEIGHBOURHOOD CHURCH IN NANAIMO, B.C. THIS ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN THE NANAIMO DAILY NEWS.
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