The Evolution of Sexuality
So, first off to get an idea of what I am about to talk about, watch this TEDx video.
If any of you have read my blog or have known me as a person for any amount of time, you will know that I am rather transparent about the sexual addiction that I have suffered under for roughly 75% of my life. As more research surfaces on the subject, it is quite obvious that I have suffered the way 1 out of every 2 men of our society have suffered. Some may never fully condemn their addictions, but I can no longer stand by and allow it to ruin my life.
With that said, I wanted to applaud that video you just watched. It really opens your eyes to what pornography, especially high speed pornography has done to our brains. I have spent much time browsing through online forums and listening to personal testimonies on this addiction. I can vouch that when quitting one experiences a wide variety of withdrawal symptoms ranging from headache to flu-like symptoms (one guy was tested for Lyme's Disease because the symptoms were so persistent.) Anxiety disorder and severe depression are also byproducts of the brain's withdrawal from a dopamine rich environment, induced by porn. In fact, such neurological rewiring can occur that one may feel no joy or excitement over any thing in life, besides pornography. This is a problem affecting young boys as early as 8 years old (Females too, but I haven't researched their side. That's a woman's territory.)
Therefore, I enthusiastically endorse that talk by Gary Wilson! Yet, I wanted to question something that I have been pondering the past few days. Despite all of his evidence; neurological maps, MRI's and case studies, he then begins to talk about the evolution of our sexuality. This stuck out to me like a sore thumb. I simply chose not to believe that part, but it challenged me. I kept going back and trying to reconcile it to my faith. The image of that frantic deer and the rampaging rats made me feel like nothing more than a byproduct of an insignificant process.
Then I realized that doesn't show evidence of evolution. That just shows the brain's response to sexuality. His entire argument remains unaffected if you remove the back story of evolution. He oversteps his boundaries a bit when he enters the realm of origins by bringing up evolutionary theory. There is certainly no evidence suggesting that our brains have evolved in the way in which he has suggested. There are no before and after slides, no studies conducted over the course of millions of years, only the presumption that when observing the skulls of primates and other prehistoric hominids that we share a supposed commonality and therefore we must have evolved from a baser form. It is presumptuous at best and doesn't need to be a part of a seminar discussing the adverse effects of pornography addiction.
Why not? Is it harming anyone? Sure... What if we swap Jerry out of his frat party and place him in the place of that horny deer surrounded by four potential mates. If I heard the talk correctly, Jerry inseminating all four women (perhaps against their will) is a byproduct of some leftover evolutionary behavior. In what position does that leave Jerry when he is tried for rape? Evolution makes bold claims, especially those that when wholeheartedly accepted relieve a person of their moral culpability.
You see, it is an unsupported back story that leads one to ask further questions that leave the theory empty of explanatory power. For instance, why do humans partake in monogamous relationships? For the preservation and rearing of offspring of course, but why does it then seem as if evolution is at odds with itself? How can promiscuity and relationships be harmonized?
Once again, removing the back story does not harm the truth that pornography enslaves its victim. In fact, one can easily supplant the Biblical back story and be just fine. If I said that God created man and woman to be sexually devoted to themselves, establishing family for the rearing of children, until the fall when sin distorted our sexuality, we therefore have an explanation of origins, anthropology, and morality. It may not be as fanciful an explanation, but it has greater explanatory power. In fact, we can see modern science in Jesus' words "You have heard it said that you shall not commit adultery, but I tell you that whoever looks upon a woman with lust has committed adultery with her already in his heart." (Matthew 5:29) Isn't modern science telling us that chemically this is a true statement? That one can flood his brain with the same neurotransmitters that make us feel good just by lusting after a woman without ever touching her? Jesus was right. Jesus also said that "He who sins is a slave to sin" (John 8:34), while Paul reiterated that "Anyone who commits sexual sin sins against his own body" (1 Corinthians 6:18). Is this not true across the board when we survey modern science? One can become addicted to sexual sin and as a result create all kinds of negative responses within one's brain and personal life! You don't need evolution to make the argument true, you can easily swap the back story and deal with that argument later.
We really do not prefer what the Bible says about sexual addiction do we? It lacks the glitz and glamour of being the highest evolved species (I wonder if we would want to subscribe to evolution if it didn't show that humans were the grandest of all species?) Aside from that, however, I feel that the evolutionary theory provides a safety net that we can fall back into as victims. I get that, we are offended by what the Bible says because it makes us the transgressor, but that's not all the Bible says does it?
We may not be the highest evolved species, but God does say that we are created in His image (no small privilege.) Unfortunately, that does mean that we squandered a great opportunity and that means we are not victims. I decided to sneak out with my friends and look at playboys when I was a kid. I have since become enslaved by that sin, but Jesus doesn't withhold the promise of His blessing. "Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." (John 8:34-36) Jesus promises to set us free from our sin! That's good news!
In fact, I believe the gracious heart of God sees us as victims, but his righteousness requires us to be offenders. Fulfilling both perfections, His wisdom binds the two together through His Son, who being God, fulfilled His own righteous requirement of our judgment that we may partake in His love. That's why He prayed for us like this;
“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me." (John 17:20-23)
You see, the back story can be supplanted without effecting the argument. I prefer this one. It's more rational and it has a happier ending...
With that said, I wanted to applaud that video you just watched. It really opens your eyes to what pornography, especially high speed pornography has done to our brains. I have spent much time browsing through online forums and listening to personal testimonies on this addiction. I can vouch that when quitting one experiences a wide variety of withdrawal symptoms ranging from headache to flu-like symptoms (one guy was tested for Lyme's Disease because the symptoms were so persistent.) Anxiety disorder and severe depression are also byproducts of the brain's withdrawal from a dopamine rich environment, induced by porn. In fact, such neurological rewiring can occur that one may feel no joy or excitement over any thing in life, besides pornography. This is a problem affecting young boys as early as 8 years old (Females too, but I haven't researched their side. That's a woman's territory.)
Therefore, I enthusiastically endorse that talk by Gary Wilson! Yet, I wanted to question something that I have been pondering the past few days. Despite all of his evidence; neurological maps, MRI's and case studies, he then begins to talk about the evolution of our sexuality. This stuck out to me like a sore thumb. I simply chose not to believe that part, but it challenged me. I kept going back and trying to reconcile it to my faith. The image of that frantic deer and the rampaging rats made me feel like nothing more than a byproduct of an insignificant process.
Then I realized that doesn't show evidence of evolution. That just shows the brain's response to sexuality. His entire argument remains unaffected if you remove the back story of evolution. He oversteps his boundaries a bit when he enters the realm of origins by bringing up evolutionary theory. There is certainly no evidence suggesting that our brains have evolved in the way in which he has suggested. There are no before and after slides, no studies conducted over the course of millions of years, only the presumption that when observing the skulls of primates and other prehistoric hominids that we share a supposed commonality and therefore we must have evolved from a baser form. It is presumptuous at best and doesn't need to be a part of a seminar discussing the adverse effects of pornography addiction.
Why not? Is it harming anyone? Sure... What if we swap Jerry out of his frat party and place him in the place of that horny deer surrounded by four potential mates. If I heard the talk correctly, Jerry inseminating all four women (perhaps against their will) is a byproduct of some leftover evolutionary behavior. In what position does that leave Jerry when he is tried for rape? Evolution makes bold claims, especially those that when wholeheartedly accepted relieve a person of their moral culpability.
You see, it is an unsupported back story that leads one to ask further questions that leave the theory empty of explanatory power. For instance, why do humans partake in monogamous relationships? For the preservation and rearing of offspring of course, but why does it then seem as if evolution is at odds with itself? How can promiscuity and relationships be harmonized?
Once again, removing the back story does not harm the truth that pornography enslaves its victim. In fact, one can easily supplant the Biblical back story and be just fine. If I said that God created man and woman to be sexually devoted to themselves, establishing family for the rearing of children, until the fall when sin distorted our sexuality, we therefore have an explanation of origins, anthropology, and morality. It may not be as fanciful an explanation, but it has greater explanatory power. In fact, we can see modern science in Jesus' words "You have heard it said that you shall not commit adultery, but I tell you that whoever looks upon a woman with lust has committed adultery with her already in his heart." (Matthew 5:29) Isn't modern science telling us that chemically this is a true statement? That one can flood his brain with the same neurotransmitters that make us feel good just by lusting after a woman without ever touching her? Jesus was right. Jesus also said that "He who sins is a slave to sin" (John 8:34), while Paul reiterated that "Anyone who commits sexual sin sins against his own body" (1 Corinthians 6:18). Is this not true across the board when we survey modern science? One can become addicted to sexual sin and as a result create all kinds of negative responses within one's brain and personal life! You don't need evolution to make the argument true, you can easily swap the back story and deal with that argument later.
We really do not prefer what the Bible says about sexual addiction do we? It lacks the glitz and glamour of being the highest evolved species (I wonder if we would want to subscribe to evolution if it didn't show that humans were the grandest of all species?) Aside from that, however, I feel that the evolutionary theory provides a safety net that we can fall back into as victims. I get that, we are offended by what the Bible says because it makes us the transgressor, but that's not all the Bible says does it?
We may not be the highest evolved species, but God does say that we are created in His image (no small privilege.) Unfortunately, that does mean that we squandered a great opportunity and that means we are not victims. I decided to sneak out with my friends and look at playboys when I was a kid. I have since become enslaved by that sin, but Jesus doesn't withhold the promise of His blessing. "Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." (John 8:34-36) Jesus promises to set us free from our sin! That's good news!
In fact, I believe the gracious heart of God sees us as victims, but his righteousness requires us to be offenders. Fulfilling both perfections, His wisdom binds the two together through His Son, who being God, fulfilled His own righteous requirement of our judgment that we may partake in His love. That's why He prayed for us like this;
“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me." (John 17:20-23)
You see, the back story can be supplanted without effecting the argument. I prefer this one. It's more rational and it has a happier ending...
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