Skip to content
The Catholic Leader
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
The Catholic Leader
No Result
View All Result
Home News Australia

Relationships educator warns of ignorance within Churches on pornography use among teens

byEmilie Ng
19 July 2017 - Updated on 1 April 2021
Reading Time: 3 mins read
AA
Paul Ninnes

Protecting young children: Paul Ninnes. Photo: Emilie Ng.

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Paul Ninnes
Changing culture: Community Leader Award recipient Paul Ninnes has warned Catholic and Christian churches are ignorant about the level of porn exposure among young people. Photo: Emilie Ng.

A PROMINENT Catholic relationships educator has warned that Christian churches are blind to the reality of the “porn pandemic” that is affecting young Queenslanders.

Paul Ninnes, whose organisation Real Talk Australia sees more than 30,000 students in Catholic and state schools every year, said it was rare to meet teenagers who had not been exposed to pornography.

“There’s huge ignorance within the Catholic Church and Christian churches in general, ignorance on usage levels, ignorance on what young people know and see, and ignorance on what exists,” Mr Ninnes said.

“I think a lot of people have an idea of porn as the 1960s, 1970s porn, which was very different.

“We’re not talking about topless women anymore, we’re talking about graphic, violent acts of rape.”

Mr Ninnes’ commitment to changing the culture of pornography – an issue he himself struggled with as a teenager – has earned him respect from around the country.

In 2014 Mr Ninnes was named Professional Leader of the Year at the Community Leader Awards, hosted by The Catholic Leader.

The award was the culmination of nearly 10 years of work to make Real Talk a viable not-for-profit business that highlights the Catholic Church’s message on sexuality.

On Sunday The Catholic Leader will launch the 2017 Community Leader Awards and invites nominations from across the country to recognise outstanding Catholics in five categories – Community Leader of the Year, Professional Leader of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Youth Leader of the Year and School Leader of the Year.

Mr Ninnes said it was important to recognise work that reflected the values of the Catholic Church, which the Community Leader Awards did.

Related Stories

Murdered Nigerians found suffering at foot of cross, bishop says at funeral

Telling stories and praying together at the heart of Catholic Refugee Week event

Surrogacy and pornography both threaten human dignity, Pope Francis says

“That’s something we need to encourage in all fields of work … the values of the Catholic Church (are) life-changing,” he said.

Mr Ninnes is fast becoming one of Australia’s leading presenters on the damaging effects of pornography on young people, including spearheading a national petition to introduce Internet filtering after a six-year-old girl was raped by two 12-year-old boys in Sydney last year.

He recently released a two-part DVD presentation explaining just how bad the “pandemic of porn” has become for young people.

Paul Ninnes
Paul Ninnes: There’s huge ignorance within the Catholic Church and Christian churches in general, ignorance on usage levels, ignorance on what young people know and see, and ignorance on what exists.” Photo: Emilie Ng.

“When we talk about this topic it’s not introducing a new topic,” Mr Ninnes said.

“For many it’s introducing a topic that they have been delving into for years, sometimes decades, if you’re talking to a 17-year-old.

“I can talk about a Catholic boarding school where all the devices were taken off the students and every single device had pornography on it.

“I can talk about a boarding school where all the girls in Year 9 made it pretty clear to our presenter that they have all seen porn in the boarding house.

“It’s pretty rare to encounter teenagers who haven’t seen porn.

“When you look at the themes and the outcomes of watching porn that’s really bad news for people, for marriages, for families and for society.”

Mr Ninnes encouraged parents to discuss issues of sexuality with their children.

“That can be as simple as talking to our kids about the existence of good pictures and bad pictures and what to do when they encounter a good picture or a bad picture that makes them feel uncomfortable,” he said.

Mr Ninnes said his work to date on reclaiming a culture of love and life was validated by his award from the Community Leader Awards.

“I’m appreciative of all the work The Catholic Leader does (in) trying to encourage people who are forging ahead in ministry and professional work with Catholic values,” he said.

The Catholic Leader managing editor Matt Emerick said the newspaper invited people around Australia to nominate outstanding Catholics for the Community Leader Awards.

“The awards have become a major event in our Catholic community, and are excited to open nominations again for this year,” Mr Emerick said.

“It is an opportunity to showcase the good work the people in our Catholic parishes, schools, organisations, ministries and charities are doing to make Australia a better place.

“We look forward to the flood of nominations that will come in and to see everyone at our awards event in November.”

Nominations for the 2017 Community Leader Awards will open on July 26 and close on Friday, September 29. Nominations can be made online from July 26 at theleaders.com.au or check The Catholic Leader newspaper for a paper nomination. All winners will be announced at our awards party in November. Full details on the awards party will be released soon.

ShareTweet
Previous Post

Redcliffe woman diagnosed with rare disorder writes book on accepting people with a disability

Next Post

Court trial continuing for Catholic men charged with wilful damage of Toowong war memorial cross

Emilie Ng

Emilie Ng is a Brisbane-based journalist for The Catholic Leader.

Related Posts

Murdered Nigerians found suffering at foot of cross, bishop says at funeral
World

Murdered Nigerians found suffering at foot of cross, bishop says at funeral

21 June 2022
United Nations nuncio joins others in calling for end to hostilities in Ukraine
Australia

Telling stories and praying together at the heart of Catholic Refugee Week event

15 June 2022
World

Surrogacy and pornography both threaten human dignity, Pope Francis says

13 June 2022
Next Post
Jim Dowling damage charges

Court trial continuing for Catholic men charged with wilful damage of Toowong war memorial cross

Gonski Catholic Panel Member

Queensland Catholic education leader on Gonski review panel

Catholic Youth Calling

Rite of political election: Why young Catholics need to engage more in Australian politics

Popular News

  • Performer: Liza is a trained gymnast and contortionist and has enjoyed performing at St Eugene College.

    Young Ukrainian performer settles into new life in Brisbane school

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Abdallah family deliver powerful Vatican speech

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Catholics need better understanding of the Mass, Pope says in follow-up letter to Traditionis Custodes

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Federal and state parliamentarians encourage pro-life Queenslanders at March for Life rally

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Christianity still top, but numbers decline amidst a secular shift

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
Search our job finder
No Result
View All Result

Latest News

Braving the cold: Caloundra Unity College Principal Daniel McShea ,Our Lady of the Rosary College Principal Dr Michael Stewart and Caloundra priest Fr Joshua Whitehead.

Fr Josh braves ‘freezing’ June night to raise awareness for homelessness at Vinnies Sleepout

by Hannah Kennelly
30 June 2022
0

WHEN asked if this year’s CEO Vinnies Sleepout was easier than the last, Caloundra priest Fr Joshua...

Catholics need better understanding of the Mass, Pope says in follow-up letter to Traditionis Custodes

Catholics need better understanding of the Mass, Pope says in follow-up letter to Traditionis Custodes

30 June 2022
Performer: Liza is a trained gymnast and contortionist and has enjoyed performing at St Eugene College.

Young Ukrainian performer settles into new life in Brisbane school

29 June 2022
Secret baptisms show how Christians still persecuted worldwide

Secret baptisms show how Christians still persecuted worldwide

29 June 2022
Tragedy: Debra Ponce, left, and Angelita Olvera of San Antonio mourn near the scene where dozens of immigrants were found dead inside a trailer truck a day earlier on June 28. Photo: CNS

Pope Francis asks for prayers after 50 migrants found dead in Texas trailer truck

29 June 2022

Never miss a story. Sign up to the Weekly Round-Up
eNewsletter now to receive headlines directly in your email.

Sign up to eNews
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Jobs
  • Subscribe

The Catholic Leader is an Australian award-winning Catholic newspaper that has been published by the Archdiocese of Brisbane since 1929. Our journalism seeks to provide a full, accurate and balanced Catholic perspective of local, national and international news while upholding the dignity of the human person.

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader
Accessibility Information | Privacy Policy | Archdiocese of Brisbane

The Catholic Leader acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the First Peoples of this country and especially acknowledge the traditional owners on whose lands we live and work throughout the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader

0
    0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyChoose another Subscription
    Continue Shopping