Last week Secret Desires sex shop in Worthing was once again refused permission to sell hard-core pornography. Christians rejoiced and shouted out prayers at a packed meeting to decide the issue. They believe such pornography can lead to marriage breakdown and sex crimes. Sex shop owners suggest this is a myth and people should have the freedom of choice. Argus Reporter ANDY WHELAN gets both sides of the story from pastor Mark Weeden and sex shop owner Tim Richardson.

NO
Mark Weeden, pastor, Worthing Tabernacle

Sex is evidently popular and pleasurable too.

Sales of contraceptives and pregnancies show this to be true. If God made us then it is His gift to human beings. Did you ever stop to thank Him for it?

Christians believe that God gave the gift of sex for procreation and to be enjoyed within the confines of traditional marriage. If anyone calling themselves a Christian says it can be enjoyed outside marriage, they need to re-examine the words of the Jesus Christ carefully.

So am I against sex shops? While I would not encourage anyone to patronise them, I do not set out to oppose "soft" sex shops. Lingerie is not the issue. But I do believe that pornography is wrong, corrupting, demeaning and potentially dangerous.

Pornography separates sexual activity from the person, usually the woman, reducing it to a gratuitous act. Many wives who discover their husbands view porn are devastated. Pornography is frequently destructive to married life, as those involved with marriage counselling are fully aware.

Worse, there is a clear link between pornography, especially hard core, and sexual crime and paedophilia.

The Ministry of Justice has a study on its website which shows this clearly. Produced in conjunction with the Department of Health and several universities, the authors say exposure to pornography puts one at increased risk for developing sexually deviant tendencies, committing sexual offences, experiencing difficulties in one's intimate relationships and accepting rape myths.

While some may seek to deny these links, the authors do attempt to deal with the assertion and demonstrate statistically that their findings are reliable.

A few years ago I attended a conference about sex offenders in the community, put on jointly by Sussex Police, the Child Protection Advisory Service and a reputable clinic. They showed similar findings.

Whatever one may wish to believe morally, anyone willing to look at the evidence objectively will recognise its harmful effects. I would encourage all town councils to refuse licences for especially hardcore pornography.

YES
Tim Richardson owns Taboo in Surrey Street, Brighton, which won UK sex shop of the year in 2007. He also owns Lust! in Gardner Street, Brighton, which opened last year.

People think about sex shops and conjure up images of old men in raincoats but it hasn't been like that for 20 years.

Probably half of our customers and staff are female. Half of the people who buy adult movies are also women and people don't always realise that.

We have British women film producers such as Anna Span who make material which is female friendly.

It is an outdated myth that these shops attract crime, prostitution and drug dealing.

I live locally to Taboo and my children go to the local primary school and there is no way I would have opened a shop like that in my back yard.

My daughter is eight and my son is 12 and I would not bring anything dangerous into my neighbourhood.

It is nonsense to link sex shops with crime. I'm not a criminal and the police have never been called to my shop in the four and a half years since it opened.

Who are these people to judge what others watch in their own homes?

I know there is a demand for movies in Worthing and it just means people have to travel to Brighton.

There is a sex shop in Oxford Street, England's busiest shopping street, so why can't there be one in Worthing?

Sex isn't a bad thing for consenting adults and people want sex shops and the things they sell.

It isn't a bad thing to want to enjoy a sex life and enhance it using movies, games, toys and clothing.

Sex is a God-given right, a natural thing and we wouldn't be here today if people since the dawn of time hadn't enjoyed it.

But unfortunately there are people who oppose it for misguided reasons and in Worthing it was easier for the council to say no.

It is a shame for the people of Worthing because it means they have to come to Brighton to visit our sex shops.

It won't stop them watching videos, it only restricts their freedom of choice.

What do you think?