SEX

PORN
AND THE
CHURCH
Elder Jeffrey Pang
Counsellor
• Master of Counselling, Swinburne University of
Technology

• Diploma in Working with Compulsive Sexual

Behaviour Disorder and Sex Addiction, Institute for
Sex Addiction Training, UK

• Member of
• Singapore Association for Counselling (SAC)
• Association for the Treatment of Sex Addiction and
Compulsivity (UK)
• College of Sex and Relationships Therapy (UK)
 AGENDA
 What is pornography?

 How serious is the porn

issue in Church?

 What is wrong with

watching porn? And why you
should be concerned

 What can we do about it?

WHAT IS
PORNOGRAP
HY?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f29mh5ntlw4
 WHAT IS PORNOGRAPHY?
“Pornography” is a combination of two Greek words:

“Porné” meaning prostitutes

“Graphein” meaning to write about

In ancient times, pornography was not images but words.

But the important element is the function of the content, i.e. the
purpose intended by the creator, adopted by the user, or both.

Pornography is anything one uses for personal sexual arousal.

HOW
SERIOUS IS
PORN ISSUE
THE IN
CHURCH?
 WHAT IF…
The devil is offering
• Free drugs to 75% of your
congregation
• Some as young as 12 years old
• Up to 50% of your congregation
will be addicted!
• This drug is freely available!
• And the government cannot do
anything to stop it!

Is this possible?
 “The Porn Epidemic”

“We have a gigantic

challenge facing the Church
and families today.”

- Evangelist Josh McDowell

Why?

2018
 Smart phone
and devices

3G Mobile
Network (2001)

Hi-speed
Internet

Internet

2018
 INTERNET AND PORN
“The internet has exploded porn globally. The
web has changed everything. Why?
It makes porn:
Available, Accessible, Admissible, Affordable,
Anonymous, Appealing, Alternative,
Arousing, Affirms, Aggressive, Addictive.”
Barna, 2016
 PORN PROBLEM IN CHURCH
Christian men between 13-24 years old
41% watch porn frequently

Christian men 25+

23% watch porn frequently

Barna, 2016
 PORN PROBLEM IN CHURCH
Christian female bet. 13-24 years old
13% watch porn frequently

Christian female 25+

5% watch porn frequently
Barna, 2016
 PORN PROBLEM IN CHURCH
57% of Pastors and 64% of Youth Pastors admit
they have struggled with porn, either currently or
in the past.

21% of Youth Pastors and 14% of Pastors admit

they currently struggle with using porn.

Barna, 2016
https://conquerseries.com/15-mind-blowing-statistics-about-pornography-and-the-
 PORN PROBLEM IN CHURCH
57% of pastors say porn addiction is the most
damaging issue in their congregation. And 69% say
porn has adversely impacted the church.

Only 7% of pastors say their church has a program

to help people struggling with pornography.

https://conquerseries.com/15-mind-blowing-statistics-about-pornography-and-the-
 PORN PROBLEM IN CHURCH

“50-58% of pastors are sex addicts.”

Dr Ted Roberts
Pure Desire Ministry
2016

https://conquerseries.com/15-mind-blowing-statistics-about-pornography-and-the-
 PORN PROBLEM IN CHURCH
“We have to reject 85% of our applicants
because of pornography.”
Missionary Organization

“99% of the men and 80% of the women have

watched or do watch porn.”
Campus Crusade
On 196 applicants to join ministry in 2017
https://conquerseries.com/15-mind-blowing-statistics-about-pornography-and-the-
 PORN PROBLEM IN CHURCH
“…We now realise that in the Middle East the
greatest enemy to our ministry is not ISIS…it is
pornography. ISIS can kill our bodies, but porn
will destroy our soul and the effectiveness of
our ministry.”
CRU Country Leaders
Middle East
https://conquerseries.com/15-mind-blowing-statistics-about-pornography-and-the-
 DR CHUCK SWINDOLL
“The most recent studies
available suggest that one out of
every two people-that’s 50
percent of the people sitting in
our pews, are looking at and/or
could be addicted to Internet
pornography…Truth be told, that
statistic could be even higher…

My friend, it’s time to do

something about it. In fact, we
need to start today. Making a
difference requires action…Our
churches are in trouble. This is no
WITH
WATCHING
PORNOGRAP
HY?
AND WHY YOU SHOULD BE
CONCERNED
 Engaging in pornography
is sin
“But I say to you that everyone who looks at a
woman with lustful intent has already committed
adultery with her in his heart.”
Matthew 5:28
 Engaging in pornography
is sin
“Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is
outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his
own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the
Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not
your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your
body.”
1 Corinthians 6:18-20
 Engaging in pornography is
idolatry
“Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual
immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness,
which is idolatry.”
Colossians 3:5
 Pornography debases sex and
human beings
“So God created man in his own “Let marriage be held in honor
image, among all, and let the marriage
in the image of God he created bed be undefiled, for God will
him; judge the sexually immoral and
adulterous.”
male and female he created
them.” Hebrews 13:4
Genesis 1:27
 Engaging in pornography
can cause addiction
The Porn Epidemic
McDowell Ministries,
2021

“Addiction” comes from Latin word “addicere,”

which means enslaved
 Engaging in pornography
can cause addiction
The Porn Epidemic
McDowell Ministries,
2021

“’All things are lawful for me,’ but not all things are helpful. ‘All
things are lawful for me,’ but I will not be enslaved by
anything.”
1 Corinthians 6:12
 Pornography can cause
other sexual sins

“It is highly linked with sexual violence…and it found that,

clearly and consistently, pornography is linked to increased risk
for committing sexual offences and accepting rape myths.”

The Porn Epidemic

McDowell Ministries,
2021
 SPIRITUAL CONSEQUENCES OF PORN
ADDICTION
Shame Distant from God
Guilt Isolation from
Spiritually defeated community
No assurance of Lack of joy
salvation Unwilling to serve
Wrong view of sex
and opposite sex
The Porn Epidemic
McDowell Ministries,
 CONSEQUENCES OF PORN
ADDICTION
Isolation Porn-induced
Depression erectile
dysfunction
Affect natural
sexual Relationship
development dissatisfaction
Warped view of Reduced pleasure
sex and opposite in other activities
sex Shrinking of the
The Porn Epidemic
Negative body brain McDowell Ministries,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1UVJ_eVN2k
 WHAT IF…
The devil is offering
• Free drugs to 75% of your
congregation
• Some as young as 12 years old
• Up to 50% of your congregation
will be addicted!
• This drug is freely available!
• And the government cannot do
anything to stop it!

Is this possible? YES! PORN IS THE NEW

DRUG!
WHAT CAN WE
DO ABOUT IT?
 PURE-fy Your
Church!
 P - Pray!
 U - Understand the issue
 R - Respond
 E - Edify the body of Christ
 PURE-fy Your
Church!
 P - Pray!
 It is a SPIRITUAL WARFARE!
 PURE-fy Your
Church!
 U - Understand the issue
 Do not view this solely as a moral issue
Doing so can deepen shame and guilt
Makes it harder for Christians to seek help
 UNDERSTANDING THE
PROBLEM
“There’s more knowledge on how the brain works now
than ever before. Sexual/porn addiction isn’t just a moral
problem; it’s also a brain problem. We’re not merely
making a poor moral choice when we choose to indulge in
porn…we may develop a brain problem with moral
implications that can’t be healed by moral solutions
alone. We can’t just read our bibles more, pray more or
attend more small groups. We must be transformed by the
renewing of our minds and we must find healing for our
Campus Crusade
wounds.”
 PURE-fy Your
Church!
 U - Understand the issue
 Do not view this as solely a moral issue
Doing so can deepen shame and guilt
Makes it harder for Christians to seek help
 Survey your church
 PURE-fy Your
Church!
 R - Respond
 Educate your people
 Train your leaders
 Start accountability groups
 Seek help from biblical counsellors that
are familiar with addiction
 PURE-fy Your
Church!
 E – Edify the body of Christ
 Discipleship
 Surrender and dependence on the Holy
Spirit
 Confession, repentance and faith
 New identity in Christ
 Spiritual disciplines
 Renew their minds
PURSUE with Scriptural truths
 PURE-fy Your
Church!
 P - Pray!
 U - Understand the issue
 R - Respond
 E - Edify the body of Christ
WHAT IF YOU
KNOW
SOMEONE WHO
WATCHES
PORN?
 C-P-R
 C – Confess

 P – Pray, Pursue
Jesus

 R – Remove
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1UVJ_eVN2k
“My friend, it’s time to
do something about it.
In fact, we need to start
today. Making a
difference requires
action…Our churches
are in trouble. This is no
time to simply wait and
 RESOURCES
 McDowell Ministries, Porn Epidemic, 2021
 https://www.josh.org/resources/apologetics/research/
 Barna Research, Porn in the Digital Age, 2016
 https://www.barna.com/research/porn-in-the-digital-age-new-
research-reveals-10-trends/
 Pure Desire – www.puredesire.org
 Husband Material
 https://www.husbandmaterial.com/site/about
 Porn filter
 Covenant eyes
 Qustudio
QUESTIONS?