In Pastor Jack Burrells book "What will become of Australia" 1975 Jack is speaking about a number of revelations he received from The Lord, some about an invader on Australian soil, some about drought and petrol rationing; and one in particular about a plague of lust created by pornography.
"Lust is going to be like a great epidemic spreading out through the nation, leaving a trail of sorrow, and broken lives in its wake. It will not be safe for any girl, or woman, to be on their own. Sex will be emphasised through every medium possible, to gain and warp the imaginations of people, both young and old. Adultery will not be regarded as sin, and unfaithfullness will not be seen for what it is, a vow made to God, broken usunder".
Incredible words from an earlier time... right into about our time. Question: Is pornography killing the women and children. In the 1950's sex crime was minimal compared to today. What differentiates the two ages? Is pornography the "great fire" behind todays sex crime? As Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore plans for X-rated books shops etc all over Sydney is anyone looking into the sex crime connection in our fair city? Are controls over the pornography only for Aborigines? Do we outlaw porn or do we let it continue? Is there a genuine threat from pornography to modern society?

I would suggest that it is probably not the case of more or less sexually explicit crime (after all the Pastors comments makes no refernce to children abused from within the Church) but we now live in an era where victims are able to report their crimes and have them investigated and reported on. This can make it appear that there is more crime... when in fact we just know of more of the crimes that are occurring.

Correction: in the 1950s, the reported incidents of sex crime were not as prevalent as today.

There's a big difference Gibo. See, back then, it was a shameful thing to be raped - in many ways it still is. So of course fewer people came forward.

Add to that a much more encompassing media which tells us what's going on in the world beyond our doorstep, and of course it seems like there's much more.

I'm not saying sex crimes haven't increased, they probably have. What I am saying is that it's not the simplistic situation you describe.

What I'm ultimately saying, is that my suspicion is that this is another half baked thread that's ultimate aim is to tell us that it's all the fault of the heathens that reject god.

Quite frankly - and I think I can safely speak for most posters that aren't hardline christians - I'm getting a little sick of these transparent attempts to spread the faith using tacit criticism of any belief that isn't christian.

TRTL: "Quite frankly - and I think I can safely speak for most posters that aren't hardline christians - I'm getting a little sick of these transparent attempts to spread the faith using tacit criticism of any belief that isn't christian."

Oh I dunno, TRTL - I find Gibo even funnier than Boazy, and not half as hateful. The stuff about demons and flying saucers is priceless!

Again we see the recently deceased Labour politician who was reported to have fed his appetite on pornography before carrying out abuse. There is a common link between pornography and child abuse which those wanting to protect their right to feast on this trash continue to defend.

Yes Meelamay, the Pastor didnt mention the children molested by some in the christian churches in his writings. In 1974/75 things were quieter even yet. Sadly as porn washed across the earth it picked up a few pastors, priests and ministers here and there as well. Jimmy Swaggart seems to have been one who succumbed to the porn. The good thing is that if we repent God forgives. Jimmy Swaggart has moved on and is back preaching again though in a much quieter capacity. Pastor Jack Burrell was writing primarily about an invader as far south as Byron Bay NSW and North West Cape WA. The plague of lust was a minor revelation in that bigger, overall vision. He sure was right. As the media grew, it is possible that things actually got more reporting than those earlier days and a clear picture of porn/sex crime will not be revealed until we go looking for the connection as a society. A few back I heard a major criminologist, Paul something or other, say there was no evidence that porn and sex crime were connected. If we can ovecome this "caveman set" we might just make some headway towards banning it. For the sake of the women and children.

I will keep what you said in mind TurnRightThenLeft, but christians do tend to speak of the things they know.
I wish you would change your name to "halcyon Spring day" or something similar that suggests a quieter and more peaceful road.
It would be much easier to write in response to you. TurnRightThenLeft is far too abrupt.

"There is a common link between pornography and child abuse"

Sheesh, so thats what all those priests, ministers of religion
and other religious child abusers have been doing, reading porno
when they should be reading their bibles.

Methinks that the Christian Church has such hangups about dealing
with sex, that all sorts of weirdos with all sorts of
hangups emerge from the pulpit, thats the real problem.

I think that the internet has spawned more rock spiders and has even dispelled the shame that one upon a time that kept them in their lairs.

It is not pornography per say,but how it dehumanises our sexuality.The pornography is not in the graphic act,but the diminishing of human relationships to the lowest common denominator,pure self gratification and a disrespect for others.

Pornography is about the perversion of our intimate relationships and not about graphic sex.

Dear Gibo....
such prophecies of the bleeding obvious :) they worry me a bit.

I remember being in a large meeting in Borneo..when some Full Gospel blokes were to speak...they were from KL.. one bright spark said "I have a word of knowledge from the Lord"..and u guessed it "Some young men in this audience are having impure thoughts"!

Well..blow me down.. in a crowed of 2000.. mixed audience......duh

The weird bit was...when he called the guilty parties to come and repent.. it was mostly WOMEN who went forward..one of whom collapsed at my feet with her eyes rolled ... totally out of it.

Any prophecy should be tested and weight by the 'elders'.... and I honestly don't think we need 'special' prophecies to know that porn is invading us. We have the Good book..and really its clear enough on the general direction of things...

But to answer the question... "YES" it IS killing us.. bit by bit..
Its not so much killing the women and children.. most porn is based on objectifying girls.. so its killing the men.. who in turn translate the connotations of porn to their everyday lives and attitudes towards women....

some of us just haven't realized it yet....
Lets hope enough of us do, to the point where our voices are heard...

Many a true word said in jest...

"Sheesh, so thats what all those priests, ministers of religion
and other religious child abusers have been doing, reading porno
when they should be reading their bibles."

I am not saying that this is literally correct but are you aware of the desensitisation training of some Catholic priests in the US of A around that time where part of their training involved watching hardcore porn in the belief that it would desensitise them? The swinging 60s and 70s was a time of cultural upheaval for priests as well as non-priests. Further one of the worst abusers, namely Shanley, openly preached things that were inconsistent with the Bible. http://www.boston.com/globe/spotlight/abuse/stories2/071002_shanley.htm

Youre getting off the truth gentlemen. Is pornography killing the women and children?

Won't somebody puh-leeze think of the children!

Sure Gibo, why not Pornography is killing the children. Much like greenhouses gases, people who speed, fast food outlets, addictive video games, chocolate, cigarettes, a decline literacy rates & sporting involvement, the internet and aggressive dogs.

In fact, I'd argue cigarettes are much worse. But there isn't as much moral outrage from the christian lobby over that one. It's rather confusing to be honest.

In relation to my name - I find it ironic you see it as abrupt. The concept behind it is essentially rejecting the adoption of either a left wing or right wing view in favour of sensible discussion of both - which to my way of thinking, is manifestly unconfrontational. If it's hard to type, by all means use an acronym.

Is Porn killing women and children?? No.

Sex crimes are essentially a crime where the perpetrator is displaying their power over their victim, from the reading that I have done it is this display of power over their victim that really turns the offender on, not the act itself. Pornography is often used as a tool to prime the juvenile victim for what it about to happen, to normalise it for them in order for the offender to instill a feeling of self-blame on the victim and protect themselves following the abuse.

Offenders are in the main those who have suffered abuse themselves as children, or have an overwhelming need to impose their power over someone else. Porn does not trigger this. If all porn was banned and destroyed today the crimes would still occur. Offenders (and may I say a Church that tells the offenders that they only need to ask God for forgiveness and then it is all alright and they will be protected within that Church) are what is destroying that trust between men, women and children.

With the confession also comes the repentence, the turning away Meelamay. Committed christian churches will preach both if they expect to stay under Christs banner.

The legal definitions of being raped have also changed, and I believe that in times gone before if a woman was wearing a miniskirt then she was 'asking for it' and the perpetrator would not be convicted. It is not pornography that has increased this, we just have a greter awareness of this particular crime nowadays.

I agree with CJ, Gibo is funny.