“What would happen if we took outrage porn as seriously as we take traditional pornography”? That is the question I’m asking in this series of blog posts.
Is it really that big of a deal to view outrage porn (that type of media designed to get traffic by making you angry)? I don’t think most Christians view it as such a big deal. Or at least it’s somebody else’s problem. Like those snowflake liberals who get all hot and bothered by truth. Or those stick-in-the mud conservatives convinced they must force their morality onto other people. You know, the other guy. Outrage is their problem.
So because outrage porn isn’t seen as such a big deal, or at least somebody else’s problem, I need to first convince you that if you’re addicted to and engaging in outrage porn it’s not okay. Just as I’d counsel any young man in my office who is viewing online pornography…you need to stop it. Let me explain why I say that.
Why Porn Is a Big Deal
First, consider why traditional pornography such a big deal. What’s going on there? Does it really hurt anybody for you to view other people engaging in consensual sex?
Yes, it’s a big deal. And it’s a big deal because our sexuality is a big deal. It’s a mirror to our hearts. And engaging in pornography is engaging in lust and adultery. Sex is meant to be enjoyed by two people, a man and a woman, in the context of a covenanted relationship. Anything outside of this is a selfish act which does not accurately image God. It’s a big deal because it’s a lie.
Pornography takes a God-given gift, hijacks it, and turns a selfless God-reflecting act into a selfish God-belittling act.
I would argue that outrage porn does the exact same thing. It takes a very good desire (truth and justice) and hijacks it. Remember outrage porn is writing in such a way to evoke anger for the sake of getting traffic. The worst part of outrage porn is that it tricks us into thinking we’ve actually taken a stand when we’ve done nothing. It makes us just like the well-wishing goober in James 2 who prays for a freezing guy instead of giving him his coat. I think Brant Hansen is correct:
Let’s face it: we’re positively in love with ‘taking stands’ that cost us absolutely nothing. We even get to be fashionable in the process. (Unoffendable, 94)
Actually engaging in real social justice (did I just trigger someone?) is a way of imaging God. It’s a way of selflessly acting on behalf of another. But engaging in faux outrage on the internet while not actually being moved towards tangible action is a selfish act. It’s using the plight of another to garner attention for yourself. Traditional pornography is based on a lie. So is outrage pornography.
Porn Robs Community
There are also practical reasons why pornography is an issue. It’s become such an issue that even our sex-crazed culture is picking up on the problem. Even Time magazine ran a cover story in 2016 on the dangers of porn. They are seeing that porn use has an impact not only upon marriage but even upon sexual performance. Porn does the opposite of what it promises. It is air-brushed and unrealistic.
Pornography trains people to be selfish. Since sex was designed to be the enjoyment of another, selfishness robs it of pleasure. You cannot have true unity when you are obsessed with and focused on self. So it’s not surprising that a porn-saturated culture is finding it empty.
I would argue that outrage porn does something very similar. It too robs of true community and doesn’t deliver on it’s promises. It parades itself as truth seeking and passionate about justice, but it ends up promoting neither. David Murray summarizes the damaging effects of outrage porn well when he says, “an overemphasis on falsehood breeds only destructive cynicism, suspicion, mistrust, and hostility”. (Murray, 29) Those things are not going to help community. They will destroy it.
Conclusion
Whether you write outrage porn, share it, or just indulge in it, you need to stop it. Today. It does harm to the body of Christ and it does harm to your soul. I know that it feels like you are taking a stand and furthering the cause of Christ, but you aren’t. I challenge you to look at the New Testament and give me examples of Jesus or his followers using their sermons/platform to incite people to anger and outrage. Can you find any? When Peter did respond in outrage and grabbed a sword, how did Jesus respond?
Listen, this isn’t the way of the Master. And just as pornography robs you and does harm to others so also does outrage porn. It is a big deal. Reading those articles and sharing those articles likely started as a passion for truth and justice. So I leave you with this quote from J.I. Packer:
A half-truth masquerading as the whole truth becomes a complete untruth.
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