Post by completelydone on Dec 6, 2007 19:45:57 GMT -5
You might have read in one of my recent threads where I contacted FOF about some material on the web site (which I like very much) www.pureintimacy.org (if you can't tell).
I questioned their use of gender generalizations as I thought it is not only wrong, but counter-productive in helping people recover from porn addiction.
Here was their response:
Dear Ms. @&*$%,
Thank you for visiting Focus on the Family’s Pure Intimacy Web site and contacting us with your frank reaction to some of the material you encountered there (November 17, 2007). Honest feedback like yours is always welcome here at Focus headquarters; as a matter of fact, we believe that the ministry’s relationship with its constituents is never stronger than when it takes the form of a two-way conversation. Your willingness to keep the flow of communication moving in both directions is much appreciated.
Perhaps you’ll be surprised to learn that we actually agree with you – to a certain extent. It is true that generalizations such as “men are aroused by visual stimuli, whereas women are relationally oriented” can be less than helpful when it comes to dealing with the specific sexual problems of particular individuals. This is especially true in the context of contemporary society, where every aspect of culture has been so hyper-sexualized that neither men nor women can easily escape the lure of pornographic images. But that doesn’t change the fact that generalizations do have their place. Dr. Dobson has never attempted to paint this as a black-and-white, either/or situation. All he has said is that the males and females tend to respond to two different varieties of sexual stimulation. It is not his intention to label anybody or to introduce a polarizing influence into this important discussion.
We hope this reply has clarified our perspective for you, Ms. @%&$#&. Thanks again for caring enough to contact us. Don’t hesitate to let us know if we can be of any further assistance. God bless you.
Timothy Masters
Focus on the Family
I questioned their use of gender generalizations as I thought it is not only wrong, but counter-productive in helping people recover from porn addiction.
Here was their response:
Dear Ms. @&*$%,
Thank you for visiting Focus on the Family’s Pure Intimacy Web site and contacting us with your frank reaction to some of the material you encountered there (November 17, 2007). Honest feedback like yours is always welcome here at Focus headquarters; as a matter of fact, we believe that the ministry’s relationship with its constituents is never stronger than when it takes the form of a two-way conversation. Your willingness to keep the flow of communication moving in both directions is much appreciated.
Perhaps you’ll be surprised to learn that we actually agree with you – to a certain extent. It is true that generalizations such as “men are aroused by visual stimuli, whereas women are relationally oriented” can be less than helpful when it comes to dealing with the specific sexual problems of particular individuals. This is especially true in the context of contemporary society, where every aspect of culture has been so hyper-sexualized that neither men nor women can easily escape the lure of pornographic images. But that doesn’t change the fact that generalizations do have their place. Dr. Dobson has never attempted to paint this as a black-and-white, either/or situation. All he has said is that the males and females tend to respond to two different varieties of sexual stimulation. It is not his intention to label anybody or to introduce a polarizing influence into this important discussion.
We hope this reply has clarified our perspective for you, Ms. @%&$#&. Thanks again for caring enough to contact us. Don’t hesitate to let us know if we can be of any further assistance. God bless you.
Timothy Masters
Focus on the Family