Former Lutheran pastor turned public theologian Nadia Bolz-Weber says in an upcoming book there is no shame in consuming pornography if it is “ethically sourced,” according to an October interview the New Jersey LGBTQ magazine Out in Jersey.
Bolz-Weber, the former pastor of House for All Sinners and Saints, said she “refused to pick the low-hanging ‘moral outrage fruit’ of liberals and conservatives about porn” in her book due out in January, Shameless: the Sexual Reformation.
Nadia Bolz-Weber
“Now, there are issues of justice and exploitation within the porn industry, no question, but it doesn’t mean consumption of pornography should be shamed,” Bolz-Weber said. “There is ethically sourced porn.”
“Ethical porn” is a term used in the adult entertainment industry similar in meaning to “fair trade” or “free range” staking out a middle ground between warnings about the dangers of porn and its widespread popularity. It describes content that is made legally, respects the rights of performers, and treats both performers and consumers as consenting adults.
Bolz-Weber, well-known for her fluency in 4-letter words, said there are people on both the left and right who say pornography is sexual immorality but consume it anyway.
“There are people who consume pornography in a shame-based way,” she said. “It would be horrible if people know, because they are those who are morally outraged as liberals or conservatives.”
“That’s a lonely place to exist,” she continued. “Let’s take that part out of it. I’m not going to shame people when they already feel ashamed.”
Bolz-Weber said people have viewed erotic images throughout history and the human body is “wired” to respond empathetically to certain stimuli such as hearing a baby cry, and that includes erotic ones.
“To say you should have shame for that is problematic,” she said. “If we took shame out of the fact that people like to view erotic imagery, the compulsive behavior around consuming pornography would decrease.”
“If we took shame out of the fact that people like to view erotic imagery, the compulsive behavior around consuming pornography would decrease.”
Bolz-Weber said people “have a perverted relationship to pleasure” comparable to someone who is eating so much that their senses are dulled.
“We have greater access to erotic imagery and high fructose corn syrup than we’ve ever had in history,” she said. “It’s hard to appreciate the pleasure of an apple when you’ve just drank 32 ounces of Mountain Dew. Pleasure is not the problem. A rhythm of experiencing pleasure and having time where it’s absent so you appreciate it again is key.”
Bolz-Weber said if teachings of the church are harming people, Christians need to rethink those teachings. That includes the notion that “the Creator of the Universe is disgusted by my cellulite.”
“The church is saying that the Creator of the Universe, God in the heavens above, knows if you’re masturbating, and God is super disappointed,” she said. “How ridiculous. That causes harm because these teachings are done in God’s name.”
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