October 2014 – Porn can light a flame that lays waste to lives, families,  and societies, say an activist, a victim and a rescuer
Enough is enough! If you were a strong-willed child, this proclamation might drum up memories of your mother’s voice and a fiery glare that bent you into compliance.

You might say producers and distributers of pornography need a similar reality check. AFA Journal interviewed leaders of three ministries working in distinct ways to reveal the overwhelming devastation that pornography leaves in its wake.

Even before the World Wide Web had entered the American home, a group of women saw the dangerous connection between illegal pornography and sexual exploitation. In 1992, after a widely attended prayer meeting, the Enough is Enough campaign kicked off. The group concentrated on print media, videos, strip clubs and other sexually oriented businesses.

A whole new world
By 1994 the Internet had entered the scene and would soon be making its way into homes. EIE leaders foresaw the oncoming dangers and shifted their priorities to prepare for the Internet’s dark and secret habitat for child predators.

Constructing a barrier to protect children from Internet pornography and child predators was a long-term project that would require vigilance and unity of purpose. Accordingly, EIE implemented a three-fold strategy: 1) raising public awareness with a goal of empowering and equipping parents, teachers and caregivers; 2) urging the technology industry to advance methods and corporate policies to reduce Internet threats; and 3) working aggressively to ensure strict enforcement of existing laws and enact new legislation.

Donna Rice Hughes stepped into the role of chairman and president of EIE in 2002. Under her leadership, EIE received congressional funding to implement a national parent education program.

That project led to the production of Internet Safety 101, a DVD series, workbook and website that educates adults and provides essential resources to keep children safe from pornography, social networking threats, online gaming, mobile devices, sexual predators and cyberbullies. The program received an Emmy award in 2013 for the TV series version aired on PBS.

AFA Journal: Why was it important for EIE to shift focus as Internet usage became prevalent?
Donna Rice Hughes: The laws didn’t apply to the Internet. We had to get laws updated, and we had to actually create laws that made it a crime for sexual predators to use this new technology to solicit children for sex.

AFAJ: Looking back over the years, what were some of your greatest accomplishments and challenges?
DH: In the 1990s, we focused a lot on public policy. We worked with Congress – both sides of the aisle. We had a lot of success, but almost every law that we got passed was challenged by the ACLU, the American Library Association and other groups. Some of the laws went to the Supreme Court and got struck down, and others were upheld.

AFAJ: What is your most pressing challenge currently?
DH: Getting great resources, curriculum and training to the people. Many parents think their own children are immune. They think if they have a good child or a smart child, they don’t have to worry about their kids. But sexual predators seek out those kids. The impact of this on our youth is devastating. It’s just as bad in the church. No one is immune. Christian adults are not immune.

AFAJ: Are you making headway, or is it a losing battle?
DH: Internet pornography is the largest unregulated social experiment in human history. We knew this was going to devastate marriages, families and children. Is it getting worse? Yeah, it is. But one of the reasons it’s getting worse is because obscenity laws in this country aren’t being enforced. Also, child pornography and sexual predator laws are simply not being funded to the extent that they could be to really curb the problem.

Child pornography is a $3 billion plus growing industry that has increased dramatically in the past few years. Sexual predators have easy access to children. To some degree we are losing, but we have to think about it this way: We are living in a culture and are called to be salt and light. If the light wasn’t there, the darkness would be worse. I can’t imagine what it would be like without groups like ours and others.

AFAJ: What hope or instruction can you offer to our readers?
DH: There are really great parental control companies. Most of the mobile companies and Internet service providers have parental controls available that they offer for free. Always use what’s available to you first. Then, we recommend safety rules (non-technical measures) and software tools (technical tools) on all Internet enabled devices. It’s a must. And start as soon as kids start using technology – now it’s two or three years old. Now, you have so many Internet enabled devices (desktops, laptops, smart phones, iPads and gaming devices). Each one may have a different type of parental control tool. The Xbox for example is an Internet computer. You’ve got to limit who your children are playing games with to those you know and approve of. You need to set time controls. Parents need to be proactive as cyber parents. We walk them through what they need as far as technology goes.

We have to recognize that this is a spiritual battle first and foremost. Parents need to pray over their kids. Satan counterfeits God’s plan for sexuality through pornography, and people are hurt at their very core. Parents need to talk to their children about God’s plan for sexuality and marriage – and model it, so they will long for purity and marriage. How do you recognize a counterfeit? By knowing what the real thing looks like.

Pornography, prostitutes, pastors
Annie Lobert, former Las Vegas prostitute, saw the dark effects of pornography addiction in men who used her. She was the addiction’s prisoner and servant. But one night, God rescued her from death and a destructive lifestyle. Once free, she could not forget about the other women still living her old life.

Although the world and the church still saw a prostitute, Annie knew God had made her a fisher of men. When she looked up the word “hooker,” she discovered the primary definition was not “prostitute,” but instead “fishermen.” Lobert founded a 501(c)3 nonprofit ministry, Hookers (fishermen) for Jesus. It rescues, houses, disciples and helps women transition into normal lives.

AFAJ: If pornography became inaccessible what would happen to the prostitution industry?
AL: It would definitely take a hit. Porn definitely fuels the prostitution industry. As a society, our culture has been directed toward this. It’s nothing new. It’s sin.

AFAJ: You’ve stated that priests, pastors and other Christian leaders used you as an escort. Do you understand why church leaders are falling into sexual sin at such an alarming rate, and what needs to change?
AL: This is why we really have to pray for our leaders. Everyone expects them to be the answer. They end up giving in because the pressure is too much. And sometimes Christian leaders get so much power, they do it just because they can.

We need to keep them accountable, and love them through whatever they are going through. I’m not talking about enabling. Jesus definitely loves the porn addict, and He definitely loves anyone who is trying to get out of it.

AFAJ: After being rescued from prostitution and drug addiction, you experienced difficulty finding a safe place in the church. Do you relate to the porn addict for this reason?
AL: When you are addicted to sex through a screen, it’s the same thing a prostitute might go through when she’s addicted to the money that prostitution brings. The heart addiction is always trying to fill the hole that only Christ’s love can fill. And God often uses another human being to bring comfort. If there was more of a support system to handle the disgrace and embarrassment without judgment, [imagine] what would happen.

An answer for the fallen
David Jones is president of Restoration Path, a Christian discipleship ministry passionately committed to helping those trapped in sexual and relational sin. The ministry serves women and men of all ages and locations through online workshops, individual biblical counseling and custom intensive programs.

AFAJ: Do a significant number of Christian leaders come to Restoration Path for help?
DJ: I’d say 60-70% are in Christian leadership, and 99.9% are Christians.

AFAJ: How many of them got involved in pornography when they were children?
DJ: The vast majority, and it’s getting younger. That’s the problem. With guys in their 50s and above, it was around 12 or so. Guys under 50 got hit by the Internet age, and they were dramatically younger. The younger the child is exposed, the more damage it does. It’s not a question whether your child is going to be exposed, but when, and what are you going to do to battle it?

AFAJ: What usually prompts one to seek help?
DJ: They want to protect that secret life, the sexual sin – it’s disconnected from reality. But when reality hits, they usually hit a place of brokenness. They begin to see the tears of the wife and the devastation of the children. The lies they told to cover it up don’t fit anymore.

AFAJ: When a spouse learns of a husband or wife who is addicted to pornography, what is the right thing to do?
DJ: It may be shocking. Don’t overreact. Take time to pray and seek guidance. Speak the truth in love. And be prepared for a long journey.  

Porn, kids and confusion
Pornography gives children unrealistic ideas about:
1) Sex – often that violence is appropriate, and women are to be subjugated.
2) The opposite gender – affecting their ability to develop healthy relationships. It becomes difficult to form intimate relationships.

→ With over 90% of youth, ages 12-18, using the Internet, the media has arguably become the leading sex educator in the U.S. today rather than parents and school education programs.
→ Children exposed to pornography tend to engage in sexual acts at younger ages, resulting in increased STDs, unwanted pregnancy and many other emotional consequences.
→ The average age of first Internet exposure to pornography is 11.
→ 90% of 8-16 year olds have viewed porn online, most admit that it is while doing homework.

For more information and to participate in Morality in Media’s 26th Annual White Ribbon Against Pornography Week, October 27 – November 3, visit pornharms.com.

Source: Morality in Media