Porn and How to Overcome It
Pornography has become a pervasive issue in today’s society, affecting both men and women across all walks of life. While many may view pornography as harmless or even normal, its impact on marriage and intimacy can be deeply damaging. From the perspective of Catholic teaching, pornography undermines the dignity of the human person and distorts God’s plan for sexuality. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) states, “Pornography… offends against chastity because it perverts the conjugal act, the intimate giving of spouses to each other” (CCC 2354). For married couples, addressing this issue is critical for preserving trust, intimacy, and the sacramental bond.
Porn Sex vs. Marital Intercourse
For anyone who has seen pornography and marital intercourse, this should be pretty obvious: porn sex is nothing like marital intercourse. Unfortunately, pornography is everywhere these days and it is practically impossible to make it to adulthood without seeing some of it. Thus, I feel that it is necessary to bring this up for those who may be confused, especially those young men and women who are hoping to be married one day. Feel free to share this article with them.
Masturbation in Marriage
Masturbation is per se (i.e., in and of itself) gravely sinful. This means that it is always sinful, including in marriage. Since we started Catholic Intimacy, many people have contacted me to ask whether one or another act was masturbatory or if masturbation would be allowed in x, y, or z situations. So, hopefully, if you are here with a question like that, this article will clarify things.
Exodus 90: A Reset
Exodus 90 is a 90-day spiritual exercise for men. It was created to call men out of slavery and to God. The three pillars of Exodus 90 are prayer, asceticism, and fraternity. It seems that if you mention Exodus 90 in a crowd of Catholic men, they all know it as that program where you can't drink and you have to take cold showers. Yep, that's the one!