I’m so glad you are asking this question because it’s an important one. Maybe you will find it comforting to know you are not the only one asking it—more people come to this site by searching “Is watching porn a sin?” than any other question.
I think I know what you are hoping for. You are hoping I will say “No, watching porn is not a sin.” You are hoping I will say that because you want to watch it and that answer will give you a little more freedom to indulge in something that tempts you, draws you, and offers you a kind of satisfaction.
But it’s not quite that simple, is it? I think there is a part of you that also hopes I will say, “Yes, watching porn is a sin.” You are hoping I will say it’s a sin because that answer will address the sense of guilt you feel, that part of your inner self that nags you when you watch it. Human beings are complicated that way—different parts of us can desire different things or even opposite things. It’s possible to long for something with one part of yourself and hate it with another.
I am glad you used the word “sin,” because it is the key to a good answer. When we consider whether watching porn is a sin, we are essentially holding it up to a set of morals to ask, “Does it violate this standard of morals or is it consistent with it?” But here’s a follow-up question: whose morals are we comparing it to? This is where the word “sin” is so helpful, because when we commit a sin, we are violating God’s morals. As the one who created this world and the people who live within it, God is the one who gets to determine what is a sin and what is not. It doesn’t really matter what you or I believe about it, but it matters an awful lot what God believes about it.
So what does God have to say about pornography? To answer that, we would need to turn to the book he gave us, the Bible. While the Bible does not mention pornography by name, it does tell us a lot about God’s plan for sex and sexuality. God makes it very clear that sex is to be expressed in only one context—the relationship between a husband and a wife. In other words, sex is good and it pleases God when we express it, but only when we express in a way that is consistent with his design. In fact, the Bible would go so far as to say that any expression of sexuality other than the one between a husband and wife is committing the sin of adultery. And that’s true even when it does not involve actual physical contact with another person (such as watching them on a screen or looking at them in a magazine). Here’s how Jesus says it: “Everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). It’s simply impossible to reconcile that with pornography.
The other place we can look to tell whether something violates God’s law is in the human conscience. I suspect the reason you Googled what you did today is that you are feeling a kind of nagging in your inner self that tells you that you should not be looking at porn. The conscience is not as trustworthy as the Bible but is still crucial, and we need to be very cautious about ignoring it or violating it. It’s a wise practice to follow that prompting straight to the Bible so you can better inform your conscience. And more often than not you’ll find that your conscience is quietly prompting you away from an action that would be sinful.
More often than not you’ll find that your conscience is quietly prompting you away from an action that would be sinful.
So yes, my friend, I want to affirm what I am pretty sure you already knew or at least suspected: Watching porn is a sin. It is a sin you ought to stop for the good of your own spiritual and relational well-being. And I want to encourage you that it’s a sin you can stop. In fact, you can even get to the point where it’s no longer something you crave. Most of all, I want you to know that pornography is a sin that God can and will forgive. Even though it is a violation of his standards of morality, he delights to forgive those who have committed it. Forgiveness is available to all who will simply confess their sins to God and ask him to save them from the consequences of their sin. So why wouldn’t you do that today?
Let me close with a few recommendations. If you want to know more about God’s forgiveness, visit Two Ways to Live. For more about pornography, I have in the past explained 8 different sins you commit when looking at porn and 7 good reasons to stop looking at porn right now. I have also written a book called Sexual Detox that may be helpful.
