Joseph Campbell is a favorite author of mine. He dedicated his life to the study of spirituality on a global scale and the customs that different cultures engaged in to call forth that sense of wonder we all feel when we contemplate our place in this universe. He is a brilliant man who understood the benefits that all who follow their faith with sincerity experience. I also believe that he was likely a man wary of the idea of religion as an institution that uses the exploitation of our bassist instincts (fear, guilt, shame, etc.) to govern and manipulate others. Religious persecution is well documented and it still occurs day after day in this world. Judging others based on your perception of the exterior manifestations of their internal struggle is something I think we all should be avoiding. Especially this group of self-professed "Sinners" for lack of a better word.
Whether it is Paganism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Judaism, etc, etc, etc. All of these faiths have tenets which are interpreted by those who were lucky enough to get a genuine education. Now consider the amount of people in this world living in poverty who never had the chance to learn to read. These people rely on the words of people they trust to lead them in a positive direction. They require stories to understand the struggles occurring inside themselves. Their childhood stories, their holidays, their family gatherings, their professions of faith, their ceremonies and rituals. Sometimes these stories are bent and used malevolently by people embattled with their own internal struggle. From there, life brings us traumas, wars, destruction, hate, propaganda, fear and doubt.
All of these experiences help to shape an individuals moral compass. And the interesting things to me is when you boil down all the tenets of the major faiths you'll find that they all preach inner peace, forgiveness, compassion, empathy, humility, friendship, neighborliness. And most religions also have something that equates to the 7 deadly sins. These are usually associated with the dark forces of Satan, demons, evil spirits, or whatever else you may call them. These are the the distractions on life's path. These are the spells that exist to trap up us, walking in circles for eternity in the dark forest.
Some might say that by indulging our addiction to porn we have invited the demon of lust into our homes. And I for one believe that to be true. However, I DO NOT believe that there is some slathering, scaly creature following me night and day. I simply believe that that demon exists inside of everyone and if we choose to feed that demon it will elbow its way into our lives and eventually destroy it. Now, because I am tired of feeding it I must battle a demon that has gotten very fat and happy living comfortably inside my brain. That demon is just a voice and I'd like very much to turn it into a faint whisper so I can once again listen to the voice that is the real me. I feel it is our duty in life to identify and purge the demons that drown out that voice.
For me, raised as a Catholic, I came to understand the concept of God, His Son, the Holy Spirit, Satan, Demons, Communion, Confession...once again etc. etc. etc. These were the pieces to MY puzzle, no one elses. I explain my struggle with porn in this way because of my upbringing, teachings, and life experiences. Now someone else might explain their own struggle in a completely different manner and that is their path to choose. Far be it from me to tell other lost souls which way to go when I am still lost in the forest myself. But I feel like I have found my compass again, so I cling to that hope.
