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Iridescent Iguana's avatar

Good post, I'll offer some nuance that I think is consistent with its thesis.

I am not a Christian or Jewish theologian, and my natural religious inclinations are Buddhist (though admittedly corrupted through a Western understanding thereof). My own take is that there is a space between thought and action, and a lot happens within that space: a thought can be reinforced to the point where it bears fruit in the form of action, while on the other hand a thought can be released or iteratively weakened through negative feedback, to the point where it eventually disappears.

The question of lust and pornography is a clear application of this principle. Yes, nearly every adult can, from time to time, experience a transient feeling of lust. It isn't a good idea to pretend that never happens. But *feeding* that lust is another matter. The more the monster is fed, the stronger it grows, until it eventually prompts action. The better course is to acknowledge the lustful thought and then release it. The principal message of Buddhism (for me anyway) is that the will is exercised in the decision to feed the beast or starve it. As anyone with sufficient awareness knows, pornography only feeds the beast and leads only to greater and greater vulnerability to lust and its consequences.

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bigfatpop's avatar

I didn’t realize Prager held these opinions. I sensed something was off about him prior to 2020, but couldn’t figure out what it was, so I just quit listening to him.

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