Catholic universities, and other religious institutes of higher learning, have a right to maintain codes of morality that they see as consistent with their religious beliefs.  If they think porn contradicts those beliefs, they have a right to prohibit it from campuses, including virtual premises.

They have the right.  But are they wise in doing so?

The Consequences of Banning “Impure” Thoughts

The idea that you can prevent active young men and women from thinking “impure” thoughts is ludicrous.  Young people think about sex all the time, much like older people.  And to say to them, “Nope, you’ll only be permitted to think about the missionary position after marriage” is to invite rebellion.

We know that the more religious the atmosphere, the greater the porn and sex-obsession uptake.  Lovehoney, the large English sex-toy mail-order house, recently ranked US cities on the basis of sex-toy orders.  Salt Lake City, ruled by the Mormons, “ranked third sexiest city in the USA.”

Salt Lake City ranked:

—2nd for anal toys

—3rd for bondage

—3rd for strapon’s

—3rd for butt plugs

But, hey, the good news (for prelates) is that Salt Lake City ranked only #28 for role-play.

You Can’t Regulate Desire

Undergrads on college campuses tend not to be big consumers of sex toys.  The toys are too pricey.  You’d come across as “pervy” in your dorm if you had a strap-on.  And you get lots of good sex ideas from online porn.  But the point is, censorious religious establishments cannot regulate desire!

But they can make themselves look ridiculous in their efforts to do so.  Keeping xHamster or Pornhub off school servers is just going to invite people to access these vast websites via other routes.  You think, Monsignor Kelly, that you can keep Betty’s mind pure by denying her access to adult entertainment?  What you will do is to make Betty contemptuous of you and all your well-meaning rules.

Nice going.