Ecclesiastes 1:9 tells us, “There is no new thing under the sun.” This is certainly true of pornography. Everything we see and hear today has been shown and told in the past either through pictures, writings, or live demonstrations through prostitution and orgies in which party goers both watched and were involved. Nothing is new. From its start as temple prostitution to its current form, pornography has gripped many people and caused much damage to relationships, both personal and spiritual. It takes a person and drives them to do unimaginable things for the fleeting moment of pleasure it offers. They will profane worship, profane service, and profane their way of thinking to justify this type of activity.

To understand what pornography truly is, the word must be broken down into both parts prefix and suffix. It’s prefix porno- comes from the rootword porneia meaning to fornicate and its suffix -graphy from the rootword graphein meaning to write. Pornography is written fornication or recorded fornication. The verb form porneuo means to commit fornication, and those who commit fornication are either pornos (male/whoremonger) or porne (female/whore or harlot). A whore according to the dictionary is someone who a) engages in sex acts for money or b) is sexually permiscuous, and a whoremonger is someone who consorts with prostitutes. In the Old Testament the word for whore or harlot is zanah and when used as a verb means to commit fornication or to be a harlot. Though it is typically only used for women, there are a couple instances in Numbers 25:1 where it refers to males. In both the Old Testament and the New Testament people whored after and for other gods perverting worship and turning it into pornography. Therefore, prostitution is by definition pornography, both of which are a form of selling sex to a buyer looking for sexual pleasure.

In ancient civilizations goddess worship was predominant. Usually, the main goddess worshipped (Inanna-Uruk/Ningal-Ur/Ishtar-Babylon) would be the goddess of fertility, and as part of their worship families would send their daughters to the temples, for a season of their life before marriage, to be prostitutes and take part of rituals and celebrations of these false idols. This prostitution was based on the ritual of Sacred Marriage thought to have originated earlier in 3000 B.C. in the Sumerian city Uruk. Uruk was dedicated to the goddess Inanna and each year on temple grounds celebrants would come together to worship her with sexual orgies paying tribute to her marriage to the high priest or the king (who usually served both roles). Also, throughout the year male worshippers would go to these temples, bringing an offering of some kind, and have sex with a temple prostitute, who stood in the place of this goddess in hopes of pleasing her that she may grant fertile fields for their crops. 

This is why God gave specific directives in the law to the Levites (the priestly order) and to the people to “not take a wife that is a whore, or profane” (Leviticus 21:7a). All around them were civilizations who were practicing this profane way of living and worshipping. The Israelites were also told by God through Moses not to make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land (Canaan) because these inhabitants “go a whoring after their gods and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice” (Exodus 34:15). To make a covenant with the inhabitants would be making an agreement stating their way of worshipping, which included false idols and profane sexual acts, was acceptable. If the Israelites were to make a covenant and give their sons over to their daughters (who were former temple prostitutes) to marry, they would literally send their own daughters to the temples to whore after and for these false idols who would in turn marry other sons and cause them to go whoring after these false idols as well. It would lead the whole nation of Israel into a spiral of profane living. However, despite these warnings and the laws given regarding these inhabitants, Israel continually made covenants and gave themselves over to this way of worshipping. 

As the centuries have passed into modern times, God’s warnings are just as much needed today as they were when he gave them. Pornography in the form of prostitution has always been a main avenue for fornication, and what started in ancient temples as false idol worship, has now become one of the mainstream addictions, and idols, of our day. What once you had to go out your door to a temple to see or participate in, is now free in the comforts of our homes. History tells us it is mainly men who have partaken of this type of pornography, but now since its ever-convenient availability, females are increasingly becoming hooked on this form of entertainment as well. It is a taboo topic, but it is one which needs to be talked about. There is a lot of shame that comes with this topic. As there should be. No one should glory in sinfulness, especially if you are a Christian. As Christians we should be separate from the world and daily flee fornication. We are not to celebrate it as the rest of the world does. 

Most women and men in the porn industry are willing participants, but there are those who have been abducted and forced into prostitution, including the making of pornography, as sex slaves. Pornography is a gross sexual sin, and it is one which we should flee from daily. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 6:18-19 to flee fornication because it is a sin against the body which is a temple of the Holy Ghost. So, to commit fornication is to commit sin against God because our body is not our own but was purchased with a price. The price being the blood of Jesus Christ who offered himself up as a holy sacrifice in our place to satisfy God’s wrath. The only way out of this sin is repentance, turning away and changing how you live, and believing in Jesus as your Lord and savior.