Pornography, with a dark and cold grip, continues to drain society of its purity and social norms.

That’s the opinion of Bishop Paul Loverde, who is of the Catholic Diocese of Arlington, Va., and a writer for First Things. Gone are the days of low rates for abortion, divorce and incarceration, as society has shifted towards being a sexualized culture that feeds off pornography addiction in a myriad of ways, he said.

“Those who deny that the act of viewing pornography has any negative consequences must understand just how toxic the situation has become,” Loverde wrote. “It may be that a man now in his 40s, say, remembers being a curious adolescent, stealing glances at a magazine in a neighbor’s home or in the aisle of a convenience store. As morally problematic and harmful as that act surely is, such behavior was arguably slow to become habitual and the physiological and psychological consequences were infrequently severe. That experience is far removed from what young people face today.”

Loverde said young people — who have begun to embrace a “hookup culture” — can find pornography at the click of button. Images flood their minds and puts them “at tremendous risk for failing ever to understand the beauty of God’s gift of human sexuality,” Loverde wrote.

But there is hope, according to the First Things article.

“Pornography thrives in the shadowy silence of isolation, but the warm light of love and friendship can do much to help cast it out,” wrote Loverde. “Women certainly have a critical role in this fight and should take a stance of absolute intolerance toward pornography, but in a particular way men need to be recalled to their God-given role as protectors of their families and of society if we are to overcome it.”

Similarly, The Atlantic reported in early March that an overwhelming majority of American people view pornography as morally wrong. Data from the Public Religion Research Institute found that less than one-third of Americans think pornography is “morally acceptable,” with 23 percent of women and 35 percent of men giving the OK to pornography, The Atlantic reported.

“Most people favor legal restrictions on porn, and an even greater number are morally uncomfortable with watching it,” The Atlantic said. “Americans may understand the right to make and watch porn, but they still don't think it's a good thing.”

Email: hscribner@deseretdigital.com

Twitter: @herbscribner