Do not apologize for sticking to your guns and having standards

My Muslim brothers and sisters, do NOT apologize for living according to Islam. I have had people try to make me feel guilty for saying “50 Shades of Grey” is smut, and that I should not judge because I had not read the book or seen the movie.

If you are not Muslim and you are my Facebook friend or you follow me so that you see some of what I write, you do need to be aware that as a practicing Muslim I am pretty conservative, especially in regards to things that are considered mainstream here in the US among large swaths of the population, such as the use of alcohol and porn.

I consider ALL porn to be harmful. In my religion, it is not permissible to look at the “awrah”, the private parts, of another person who is not my spouse. Of course I can see my kids when they are small, and in cases of need I can look at what needs to be looked at, such as to render aid for an injured person or to learn anatomy from a textbook. Other than that, it is not appropriate for me to see the private parts of others. This is not my opinion; this is legislation set down by God in my religion, Islam, and I could probably say that a person who considers himself a religious Christian or Jew would have the same belief.

There is no exception to the rule for watching porn if a person wants to use it to “learn something” to please his or her spouse or to share intimacy with a partner. There is no exception for reading porn because the back story is romantic. There is no exception. This is a cut and dried situation.

Porn is a scourge in our society. It contributes to mental illness and the dysfunction of society. People become addicted to it and cannot have normal relationships. People who engage in pornographic videos are lost in the depths of degradation; many come from backgrounds of neglect, child sexual abuse, and drug abuse.

I am proud of the high standards that Islam has for the relationships between men and women. I am proud of the fact that Islam is strict in this regard, because it is a protection for men, women, and children. When I see smut I will call it smut with no apologies. “50 Shades of Grey” is smut with no redeeming social value.

I do not expect all non-Muslims to agree with me and that is your right. But I encourage you to look deep into your soul and think honestly what it is that is lacking in your life that makes you turn to pornography in written form or on film. And for my Muslim sisters who were sharing their sin in public about reading the books or seeing the movies, I ask you to turn in repentance to Allah and ask Him to forgive you. Give up this horrible topic and turn to something positive. Allah will reward you richly if you give up this type of reading material or this type of movie and replace it with something beneficial. There is SO much in our world that is permissible, beneficial, uplifting, good. Why risk the wrath of Allah when you can do things that earn reward instead?

I do not apologize for my stand. I will shout it from the rooftops if needed.