The Synagogue Council of America and the National Conference of Catholic Bishops have issued a joint call to step up anti-pornography efforts.
“Graphic public displays, books, videocassettes, advertising displays and even telecommunications frequently portray degrading and violent sexual behavior which demeans the human character, debases the individual and is openly pornographic and morally offensive,” says the joint statement, which was issued Dec. 2.
“Right now, the climate in this country is freedom, one of doing whatever you want as long as you have consenting adults,” said Rabbi Haskel Lookstein, president of the Synagogue Council.
“Catholics and Jews, from a religious point of view, are trying to say that people should practice much more discrimination in what they will look at and how they will act, and that there should be norms in society,” he said.
“If people stop watching it, it won’t be on television. MTV, for example makes primarily women and sometimes men objects of sexual curiosity,” he said.
“That’s not the purpose of sex, which is to develop intimacy between husbands and wives,” Lookstein said.
The statement will be circulated to synagogues of every denomination and Catholic churches across the country.
“We call upon our fellow citizens to help stem the proliferation of pornography in our community by refusing to purchase or to view such materials,” the statement says.
“We further call upon all members of our religious communities to foster a true respect for human sexuality among all those with whom they come in contact.
“We especially appeal to parents to give guidance to their children in this area. In addition, we believe it is incumbent upon teachers and religious leaders to openly address these issues,” it says.
The statement was the result of several months of work between committees on inter-religious affairs of the two religious bodies and was made public at their semi-annual joint consultation.
The bishops and the council are now working on joint statements that will address Holocaust denial and hate crimes.
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