Do I limit my daughters on what they can watch of TV and DVD, where they can surf on the internet, who they can hang out with, how they are chaperoned, etc? You bet. But I also explain to them and they understand the reasonings behind it. I am protecting them from undue influence. Besides, they are being taught biblical standards of decency in their youth groups at church. They aren't missing anything. They are in a group of friends with the same sense of morality as they do, and you know what? They enjoy it immensely. They enjoy life. They have a sense of purpose in a higher calling in God and desire to serve Him. They are not being forced either. If, for instance, I don't feel like going to church one day, they will urge me to go. They will actually complain about not going. How cool is that?
I'm not saying my girls are the epitome of morality, they do have their faults. But I have seen the vast differences in those whose daughters are allowed to run basically free to do what they want and brother let me tell you: I'm glad I don't have the headaches and heartaches that those parents have (some being close relatives of mind who've let their children go far too soon and have paid for it).
I wonder, Mr. Nick A. Do you have any teen daughters of your own? I'm very intersted in how they are turning out in accordance to you philosophy if you do.
My theory with modesty and overt sexual expression in today's society is that it's heavily influenced by the economic system of one's society. Most of us live in a Western, consumer- and market-driven capitalist economy. The thing about consumer- and market-driven capitalism is that it is all about relentless competition at the expense of others. The relentless competition in Western capitalism influences the people in society itself to be relentlessly competitive.
Overt sexual expression is a consequence of narcissism and narcissism itself is a consequence of an economic system that promotes selfishness and self-interest. People living under a consumer- and market-driven capitalist economy are implicitly narcissists because of the way their economy functions. To have a job and a good career, to obtain the highest-paying salaries, you have to compete for a place at the expense of others. To be competitive, you have to have pride. You have to worship yourself. You have to be selfish and arrogant. To do that, you have to be happy and emotionally balanced. You have to be at peace with yourself mentally and emotionally.
Happiness is influenced not only by your own concept of your potential in your career, but what you have. It's a question of the car you drive, the clothes you wear and the house you own.
Telling people to dress modestly, to guard their virginity, to be chaste, to keep sex within the bounds of marriage is difficult under a consumer- and market-driven capitalist economy where employees must compete for a position. To compete, they have to have pride, dignity and self-respect, and to have pride, dignity and self-respect and thus they have to be narcissistic. They have to be selfish and self-interested. They have to worry about the clothes they wear, the car one drives and the house you own. It's about your self-image. It's going to involve a lot of sex and maybe a multitude of extramarital affairs. People have to live this way to be competitive.
People may argue about and fight against immodesty and pornography, but I think they're not dealing with the root cause of the problem. When you see other people enjoying themselves because of what they have, what car they drive, clothes they wear, what looks they have, you will want the same kind of life.
It's very hard to fight that because it makes you employable to live like that. Narcissistic people have more success in getting jobs. People who live the way the economy requires of them are the most successful in life. People choose to be immodest, they choose to indulge in pornography because it enriches their life experience, gives them the passion for life, for their career, and therefore the artistic, creative and imaginative spark to spear-head a career.
People want to be narcissists and they want to be pornographic because it helps their career.
It all revolves around the economy and the military-industrial complex.
Actually, no, let's call it the
military-industrial-entertainment complex.
Western countries have the kind of military and political power they have today because the people in their societies are artistic, creative, imaginative and don't suppress their full potential. Western countries have become powerful by being led by narcissists. Narcissism has helped Western businesses succeed, and therefore, Western economies to reach their present size. A strong economy allows a country to invest in weapons research and in the training of a large standing army, and therefore a large military-industrial complex.
Sex, narcissism and pornography, a consequence of a consumer- and market-driven capitalist economy, which promotes selfishness and self-interest, makes your country powerful politically and military.
People should, therefore, be thankful for the benefits that pornography has provided for their society/country in terms of national security.
People may discredit Westerners for being decadent, but look at us! Look how powerful we are! We rule the world!
Suppress pornography, and the United States of America will cease to be a superpower. Don't you guys get it? Your country needs pornography! It's got nothing to do with whether Nick_A has kids.
Think about it. Moral decadence is good for your country. Be a narcissist. Be a pornographer for your country. Think not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country. Sex, money and military power. This is what drives the world today.
The USA didn't achieve its superpower status by being led by church-goers, but by narcissists. It has little to nothing to do with God, religion or Christianity. It's all about the pornography. Isn't that sexy?
Divorces, extramarital affairs and dirty laundry. It can all be a good thing.
I was being sarcastic.