A Win for the Little Eyes

Across the United States, pornographic websites are becoming harder to access.

It is a win for children everywhere.

Over recent years, one of the most well-known porn sites to date has been making its content unavailable in states that have enacted some form of age verification laws. Many of these laws explicitly state that to access an online adult website, an individual must present their government-issued identification to verify they are at least 18 years of age or use other methods, such as third-party sites, to accomplish this verification task.

As these laws continue to spread across the nation in an effort to protect children and younger teens, it seems as though the world’s leading pornography website is also making its opinions known on the matter. Instead of continuing to operate in these states as they had in the past, and heeding the verification process, the number one pornography site of all time began pulling out of states where these laws were passed.

A few of the states that the site has restricted use from include Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Utah, and Virginia. Another state where this site has removed access due to age verification laws is Texas.

In late June, the United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Texas law that required proof of age verification to access “commercial websites that provide sexually explicit material,” NPR stated. And as the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) explained, “Our country’s highest court ruled that Texas’s age verification law, which requires that pornography websites verify users are 18+ before granting them access, is constitutional!”

While this is just one site that has pulled out of these areas, age verification laws to protect minors have been growing across the nation. The Daily Citizen shared that as of this May, Arizona became the 24th state to enact such laws. The article continued by sharing that others are working hard to achieve the legislation. It said:

Twelve more states hope to pass age verification legislation before the year is up. Congress is also considering the SCREEN Act, which would institute national age verification requirements.

While this primary porn site leaving some of these states is reason to celebrate for children, it is equally a win for marriages and individuals facing such addictions. Not to mention the victims who are exploited in many of these videos. By just one site leaving these states, that is one less open door for pornography to enter homes and minds of all individuals – especially children – who are most at risk.

NCOSE shares that “People who are exposed to violent pornography as children are more likely to engage in aggressive sexual behavior as adults. And children who are exposed to pornography depicting rape and violence are also nearly three times more likely to experience sexual exploitation. Thus, childhood exposure to violent pornography can increase the risk that children will become sexual aggressors later in life and the risk that they will be sexually exploited.”

Thanks to this big win, children in these states will no longer be able to access the horrors and harmful effects of pornography as easily as before.

In Scripture, Jesus provides specific examples of caring for children and emphasizes their importance to the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:1-6 says:

At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

“Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

Until pornography is no longer around, it will be used to cause little (and big) ones to stumble.

While we celebrate these victories, there is still more work to do in this fight against pornography.

For more information on how to get involved against this giant in culture, tune into National Center on Sexual Exploitation for up-to-date news on exploitation, information regarding upcoming bills on AFA Action, and Fight the New Drug for various articles and studies.

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