I am not a Christian, so perhaps that is part of why I have a different point of view on the matter. The whole concept of "committing adultery in your heart" puts watching porn on par with cheating. I do not see watching porn and cheating as the same thing.
By your reasoning, we should also outlaw porn and artwork depicting rape. In the "reality" of the porn, rape, which is a crime, is actually occurring. In the case of artwork, consent hasn't been given, and in the case of porn featuring actors, consent has only been given behind the scenes. I still fail to see how actual rape is occurring in those cases, however.
You mentioned violent video games. By your logic that "non-existent" crimes are real psychologically, and therefore real in reality, we should be locking all Grand Theft Auto players in jail for rape, murder, hiring prostitutes, etc. Even in the eyes of the law, a "crime" committed in a video game, a virtual "reality," can't be prosecuted in reality. By the same token, I don't see how someone could be prosecuted for child porn when they have only "virtually" watched a fake child commit a sex act.
One could also look at it in this manner. Characters depicted in art, even pornographic art, are an extension of the artist. Therefore, one could almost see the act of creating pornographic art, even if it features child or child-like characters, as consented to. The artist gives consent, much in the way that a porn star gives consent even though non-consent may occur in the "reality" of the porn. There is no real person, other than the artist, to give or not give consent ahead of time as far as artwork is concerned. Consent isn't an issue if no other actual people are involved. The artist is the only actual person involved, and they are obviously giving consent by drawing, it unless someone has a gun to their head forcing them to depict the act.
"If real human children can't give consent, than anthropomorphic animal children can't either."
This point, oddly enough, makes me think of an amusing webcomic I used to read. It featured a 40-something year old chibi character who was having trouble getting laid because everyone thought she was a child, being chibi.
I am not a Christian, so perhaps that is part of why I have a different point of view on the matter. The whole concept of "committing adultery in your heart" puts watching porn on par with cheating. I do not see watching porn and cheating as the same thing.
By your reasoning, we should also outlaw porn and artwork depicting rape. In the "reality" of the porn, rape, which is a crime, is actually occurring. In the case of artwork, consent hasn't been given, and in the case of porn featuring actors, consent has only been given behind the scenes. I still fail to see how actual rape is occurring in those cases, however.
You mentioned violent video games. By your logic that "non-existent" crimes are real psychologically, and therefore real in reality, we should be locking all Grand Theft Auto players in jail for rape, murder, hiring prostitutes, etc. Even in the eyes of the law, a "crime" committed in a video game, a virtual "reality," can't be prosecuted in reality. By the same token, I don't see how someone could be prosecuted for child porn when they have only "virtually" watched a fake child commit a sex act.
One could also look at it in this manner. Characters depicted in art, even pornographic art, are an extension of the artist. Therefore, one could almost see the act of creating pornographic art, even if it features child or child-like characters, as consented to. The artist gives consent, much in the way that a porn star gives consent even though non-consent may occur in the "reality" of the porn. There is no real person, other than the artist, to give or not give consent ahead of time as far as artwork is concerned. Consent isn't an issue if no other actual people are involved. The artist is the only actual person involved, and they are obviously giving consent by drawing, it unless someone has a gun to their head forcing them to depict the act.
"If real human children can't give consent, than anthropomorphic animal children can't either."
This point, oddly enough, makes me think of an amusing webcomic I used to read. It featured a 40-something year old chibi character who was having trouble getting laid because everyone thought she was a child, being chibi.