Category Archives: Interview

Luke Ford Interview Part II: Behind the Man

1) Luke, why do you like to write? What motivates you? Do you write for you as a sort of an intellectual diary, or do you write for the readers out there? Do you have an “agenda” or do you just write from the heart

I write out of an internal compulsion. I suspect that if I got psychologically healthy and learned to connect normally with others, I’d have much less drive to write.

When I write well (and I measure this by whether or not I like to read what I wrote), I feel like I’m doing what I was put on earth to do.

When I have an agenda, it’s clear in my writing. When I write from the heart, that’s clear too.

2) You write very frankly and openly, often going into very personal details. How does that make you feel, and is there anything you regret having written?

To write frankly, I have to put out of my head how people will react. Then, when I come back to people, I often feel embarrassed by what I’ve written.

I write because of the distance I feel from others, and by writing as I do, I increase that distance. There are many things I regret having published on my blog. Over the past couple of years, I’ve taken down many things that were gross.

3) What is the number one issue you would want to fix in the Jewish world?

Any cause that I espouse will just bring disrepute to that cause, so I probably shouldn’t say anything. I have so many emotional addictions (all at root stem from an intimacy disorder) that my thinking and my will are corrupt and should not to be trusted.

4) What are your goals for the year ahead?

I’d like to write well, to put on a one-man play about how 12-step work helped me with my emotional addictions, to make money and friends, and to find a Jewish woman to marry.

5) Came across an interesting quote online: “Avraham was 99 at his circumcision, initiating a 3,700 year old covenant. No matter your age, you can still make a lasting impression!”
Luke what is your contribution to mankind, how would you like to be remembered?

I want to skip this.

I sometimes get asked to speak in Jewish life. Usually the organizers want inspiration. They want me to inspire people to take Judaism more seriously. I don’t feel comfortable doing that. I just feel comfortable with sharing like I do in 12-step meetings — here’s what I’ve done, here’s what I felt like, and here’s what helped me. It might help you too.

Interview with Luke Ford: Part 1

Human beings revel in beauty, sensual and erotic pleasures, many would argue that is what makes life worth living. The media and popular culture and the adult film industry exists to bring entertainment/pleasure to its viewers, that is a reality. If Judaism would be able to “photoshop” the world, would all these things be removed? What is our vision for the rest of mankind in regard to these matters?

Beauty has much less significance to Judaism than holiness. As the old saw goes, to the Greeks, the beautiful was holy, to the Jews, the holy was beautiful.

Beauty is like all the other pleasures of this world, fine in their place but never a reason to disregard God’s instructions.. You can’t trample on the Torah to indulge in your natural desires.

Torah has little to say about the importance of aesthetic beauty except as a vehicle to God. We should beautify our mitzvos.

Do you think religion, Orthodox Judaism in particular has unrealistic/cruel/stifling expectations in regards to pleasure and sexuality?

I think religion in general and Orthodox Judaism in particular are very realistic about beauty.They know that men in particular will give up everything to attain a beautiful woman. Beauty is powerful and like the desire for power or fame or pleasure, the desire for beauty must be constrained. Unconstrained pursuit of any of these things will ruin your life. This seems to be the theme of most movies and TV shows I watch. People pursue some temporal end like beauty or power to absurd ends.

What do you think G-d thinks of people who perform in the adult film industry? Do you feel pornography has any redeeming qualities, is there a place for it in existence?

Every religion in the world condemns porn. Judaism is no different in that regard. Any redeeming quality in porn is dwarfed by its damaging qualities. I think God hates people who deliberately and needlessly damage society and destroy the family unit. Some such people are pornographers, others are respected Hollywood types, others are bloggers and talk show hosts and lawyers and politicians.

Every civilization depends upon stigmatizing sexual expression outside of monogamous heterosexual marriage. Do away with this stigmatizing and men will increasingly act naturally (pursuing their lusts and not sticking around their spouse and kids).

More to come… stay turned for more insight from Luke.

(For more great blogging from Luke Ford, see http://lukeford.net/blog/ and his biography here: http://lukeford.net/blog/?page_id=10)