Anyway, I am re-posting an article by Dannah Gresh (my Absolute Favorite Author!! I am re-reading her book "Get Lost" right now!!!)
Here is the article (it says it better than I ever could!)
I’m not reading Fifty Shades of Grey.
I wasn’t planning to announce this, but I can’t help myself. I told my
husband, Bob, that I didn’t really want to get involved. But then, I found out my girlfriend’s 70-year-old mom has her name on a long wait list at the library to borrow Fifty Shades of Grey. And then my mom told me that a relative I love and respect for her strong faith had already devoured the book. She regretfully “can’t get the images out of her head.” So, here I am. In an attempt to keep the images out of yours, I’d like to explain to you why I’m not reading Fifty Shades of Grey.
Reason #1: Let’s start with the facts. Fifty Shades of
Grey is classified as erotic fiction. According to one online dictionary,
this genre of literature is defined as that which has “no literary or artistic
value other than to stimulate sexual desire.” I’ve been studying what God says
about sexuality for fifteen years. According to Him, there is only one who
should stimulate sexual desire in me: my husband. Since that’s God’s plan for my
sexual desire, anything other than my husband creating arousal in me would be
missing the mark of God’s intention. (Translation: it is sin.) Jesus said it
this way: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I
tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed
adultery with her in his heart.” The same is true of a woman looking at or
reading about a man. Reason #1? I believe reading erotica is sinful.
I guess I could stop there, but it won’t be enough for some of you. So let’s
go to reason number two.
Reason #2: The Bible has said for thousands of years that
lust is hurtful and harmful. Guess what? Biopsychologists and others are
studying the effects of lust, pornography, and erotica on the brain and the
body. They are finding that the Bible was, in fact, right. Over time your body
becomes conditioned to self-stimulation and gratification. It’s not just a
preference. It’s physiological. The lust cuts a literal pathway in your brain
tissue that’s kinda like a rut. A rut you better be prepared to get stuck in.
While at first a little bit of erotica might give you a taste for your spouse,
overtime that rut reminds you how great you are at self-stimulation and how
powerful your imagination can be. You’ll become less interested in real sex with
your husband. (Both SELF magazine and The New Yorker ran
articles on this phenomenon in recent years. They both suggested that if you
want to have a great sex life, you better push pause on porn!) The fact is,
erotica robs you of real sex. It’s not good for your marriage or future
marriage.
Reason #3: OK, we’re girls. And, sadly, a few of our guys
have looked at porn. How’d that work for ya? How’d it make you feel? Did it
cross your mind that you could never compare to the perfection created by
lights, camera, and Photoshop? Well, he can’t compare to a plasticized, vanilla
interpretation of manhood either.
Reason #4: Do you know what BDSM is? Bondage, dominance,
sadism, and masochism. If you don’t know what those words mean, be glad. If you
do know, you should understand that the most damaging part of Fifty Shades
of Grey is that God created sex to be a partnership that’s fueled by
love and self-giving, not pain and humiliation. It’s not just that this book
misuses sex, it redefines it into something evil and transgressive as the lead
character dominates in a hurtful manner. How woman can enjoy that, I can’t
understand! But I do have a theory. It seems to me that in our emasculating
culture there is a hunger so great for strong men that women will stoop to
Bondage, dominance, sadism, and masochism for just a taste. Do yourself a favor,
don’t!
You might be wondering if I’ve read the book. I haven’t. I don’t need to.
There are many things in this world I need not partake in to discern that they are going to be harmful to me. God has given me more than fifty shades of truth in His Word and when just one of them is in conflict with my entertainment choices, I choose to pass! To be clear: I wouldn’t drive my Envoy into the front of an oncoming semi-truck any more than I would open the pages of Fifty Shades of Grey. I love my marriage, my God, and myself too much.
If your heart resonates with mine, please take a moment today to post these words on Facebook or twitter: “I’m not reading Fifty Shades of Grey.” If you have friends who need help understanding why, send them to this blog. I’d be happy to explain!
What do you think? ... I think, it's true that "we don't need to. There are many things in this world we need not partake in to discern that they are going to be harmful to us..."
It's also a distraction. A distraction from pursuing our relationship with Christ. Think about that the next time you go to watch a movie or read a book... because entertainment is not neutral. Ask the question: Does this encourage me or teach me something important? Or does it