Porn in the USA part 3

Luke Gilkerson, is the internet community manager at Covenant Eyes accountability software, a company that helps people overcome their addiction to online Porn. Over the next few days, Luke is going to be sharing with us a ton of information about how deep this sin problem is.

How much of the church is affected by porn?

Unfortunately the church is as affected as the rest of the population.

There’s a ministry called Freedom Begins Here that has started talking about the “20/50 Crisis.” A startling survey recently revealed that 20% of Christian women and 50% of Christian men admit they are addicted to pornography. Not just struggling . . . addicted. When we include the stats for those who are “struggling” but wouldn’t call themselves “addicts” we see that some 70% of Christian men are struggling with pornography on some level. In the younger generations, this stat is even higher.

Focus on the Family reports that of the 10,000 calls, emails and letters they receive every day, struggles with pornography represent their No. 1 incoming request for help overall.

Practically speaking, with stats like these this means that nearly every family and every church is affected by pornography. These men are our sons, our fathers, our brothers, and even our pastors. These women are our daughters, our mothers, and our sisters.

What kind of an effect do you think porn is having on church leadership?

According to a Leadership Journal survey, almost two-thirds of all pastors struggle with Internet pornography. Some stats show that 40% of pastors consider this a great struggle or an addiction. A recent book by Mark Laaser and Ralph H. Earle Jr. called “The Pornography Trap” deals with this issue head on.

I can speak very personally about this issue. Not too long ago I was a campus minister, discipling college students, dealing with my own personal addiction to pornography. Pastors and ministers are like all sinful men: they have a sinful nature that can be captured by lust. But on top of this, a pastor’s job can also be a breeding ground for this kind of sin. I’ll explain.

Many pastors hold flexible, irregular, and long hours. Their jobs can be emotionally draining. They are expected to be found in their offices and studies alone for long hours preparing for sermons or making calls. This can create more opportunities for tempting thoughts to fester and more opportunities for secret sins. In addition, many pastors do not have a system of open and honest accountability in their lives. They are lone-ranger pastors or feel like they are. Many feel like their church, elder board, or denomination does not emotionally support them. Confessing a struggle with pornography could mean the loss of their job, and so there is a hidden pressure to remain quiet about it or deal with it alone. This only accelerates the struggle.

One of the reasons why pornography is so enticing and addicting is because the woman on screen is flattering (Proverbs 6:24-28): she makes the man feel needed, wanted, attractive, desired—like a “real man.” Pornography is a way to medicate a brittle ego. It isn’t uncommon for pastors to come into the ministry struggling with a fragile ego. Some pastors go into vocational ministry with hidden motives—hidden even to them—expecting their ministry position to give them a sense of value and importance. Ministry then becomes a band-aid over the fragile ego. (I can sadly testify to this personally, even though it isn’t true of everyone.)

More and more seminaries and Bible colleges are recognizing the need to address this pornography issue among the future pastors and elders they are educating. Character training and building self-control are being highlighted more and more. Several colleges have started using accountability software for their dormitory computers to encourage conversations about temptations, confession of sin, and a deeper, more honest discipleship. Covenant Eyes Accountability software is currently used by Christ For the Nations in Texas, Mount St. Mary’s University in Maryland, the Baptist College of Florida, Bethel University in Minnesota, Grace Baptist College in Michigan, Grace College and Theological Seminary in Indiana, Moore Theological Seminary in Sydney, Australia, and Toccoa Falls College in Georgia.

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