Jesus loves porn stars
June 28th, 2006
How should Christians go about ministering to people in the pornography industry? That’s a question that Craig Gross has tried to answer with an anti-porn website, XXXchurch.com, and with the distribution of “Jesus Loves Porn Stars” Bibles. Watch an ABC news report about the efforts here.
Some evangelical leaders aren’t convinced these methods are the right ones, including Albert Mohler:
I have no doubt that Jesus loves porn stars, and the Bible is perfectly clear in its grace-filled message that Christ came to save sinners. Jesus ate with notorious sinners and engaged in conversation with them. Yet, the presence of a Christian ministry within the confines of the Erotica Expo is a step beyond the example of Jesus, I would argue. There is a difference between talking to a prostitute about the Gospel and entering a brothel — much less buying a booth.
Mohler adds that he doesn’t “doubt the evangelistic sincerity of those who lead this ministry. This is a question of judgment, principle, and strategy — not a question of motivation.”
What do you think?
Hat tip: Steve McCoy
Some folks will do anything to boost their Google traffic. :p
I’d like to hear more about the distinction Mohler is drawing between Jesus sharing a meal with a prostitute/leper/tax collecter and attending a porn convention. Because I don’t think there is one.
This is an illustration of the difference between Biblical christianity and American cultural christianity (ACC). When Jesus spoke to the woman at the well, for its time, was just as scandalous (if not more so) than the example of the booth at the porn convention. ACC demands the response of Dr. Mohler. ACC has its list of “big” sins, and of “little” or “acceptable” sins. We can debate and discuss the bits about liberty and giving up some so as not to offend the weaker brother all we want. Bottom line is, Dr. Mohler has offered his opinion. That’s fine. If even one person professes faith in Christ, and turns away from their former lifestyle to live in obedience to God, then it will have been worth it. Ministering in that way is not for everyone, to be sure. But aren’t we all commanded to go therefore into ALL the world?
Purchasing a booth at a porn convention is more like being ‘in’ the world as opposed to ‘of’ it. Also, why the choice of title for the Bible? Why not ‘God judges sinners, repent and turn to Him’? THAT would be truth in advertising. However, that’s not the title because that’s a Truth the lost do not want to hear, porn stars or otherwise. Until people are convicted of their sin, they cannot approach God for redemption. My gut feeling is the vast majority of those in this industry, especially its ‘mover and shakers’ see nothing wrong with what they’re doing. Untill they do, the love of God is to no avail. As well meaning as this is, it is wholly inappropriate on several levels.
“If even one person professes faith in Christ, and turns away from their former lifestyle to live in obedience to God, then it will have been worth it.”
Ah, the pragmatist’s national anthem, shall we all hold hands and sing in unison? Heck, why don’t we just show porn films in the church and then offer the plan of salvation at the end. After all, if just one person….
“As well meaning as this is, it is wholly inappropriate on several levels.”
Which levels would those be?
Well, someone hit on the title. How long before someone criticizes them for using “The Message”.
I thought I was pretty clear on a couple of the levels in my post. However, as a refresher:
-Spending money in support of the porn industry by purchasing a booth.
-Using the “love of God” as an evangelistic starting point, something unknown in scripture.
-Exposing oneself (those manning the booth) to things no Christian should expose themselves to. I can hardly imagine what was seen and heard at this convention.
For starters.
>I’d like to hear more about the distinction Mohler is drawing between Jesus sharing a meal with a prostitute/leper/tax collecter and attending a porn convention. Because I don’t think there is one.
I’m not sure, but he may be saying that there’s nothing inherently sinful and dangerous about a meal - where we can’t say that about porn. So the next question is: can you go to a porn convention and not get burned from the fire that is the porn? Scripture keenly talks about things of this nature as a fire - and rightly so. The closer you get to it, the more likely you’ll get burned. Then before you know it, you have been overwhelmed by it. The xxxchurch guys are wise and not unaware about what they’re getting into and I trust that they are going where God has called them, but that doesn’t mean that He has called others to that same ministry with that same method. We all have different strengths and weaknesses and porn feeds off of our weaknesses. So, it’s a dangerous mission environment for sure and it’s not for everyone. This appears to be an extraordinary case.
I agree with Peter. We seem to be forgetting how the religeous leaders of Jesus time viewed his eating with tax collectors and sinners. It was just as scandelous if not more so than having a booth at a porn convention. Imagine what those sitting around Jesus would have thought about a prostitute washing his feet with her hair! “He has no idea who this woman is!”
>-Spending money in support of the porn industry by purchasing a booth.
It’s hard to draw that line these days. Corporate America has little problem with it and is profiting from it in ways we don’t even know - literally! James Dobson has been on that paper trail for years - companies will not tell what they make from porn when that info is requested. So, if we view the products that we buy that are associated with and profit from porn as supporting it, then:
If you have cable or satellite TV - you are supporting porn.
If you have a GM car - you are supporting porn.
The list can go on and on…
It’s frustrating, but for the first time in the history of the world, pornography has been mainstreamed. That’s a sobering thought and that’s the larger problem here. And that’s the issue that we’ll all be dealing with as it’s only getting worse. We should not want to be pragmatic - but rather want to deal with the problem head on. Then maybe as the church becomes more aware and more active - those companies that are propogating and profiting from porn will change their ways.
These guys at xxxchurch must bulletproof, going to a place like this and it not affecting them.
Almost forgot, why wasn’t the OT included in this publication?
I’m not comfortable with “if one person ‘accepts’ Christ then it was worth it” at all. That is not a great argument for such activity.
That being said, I see nothing wrong with it. Jesus Himself was talked about for eating with sinners. I think it is bold and should be commended cause it is a Christ like approach.
It would be cool to make Bible covers that say, “Jesus loves gay, lesbian and transgendered people” and pass them out at a gay pride event.
I agree with you Joal and fox. I have heard Craig Gross speak and he is increadibly passionate about this ministry. They have actually had porn stars become Christians and leave the industry. I was skepticle about the ministry at first too, but I think they are in a place where ministry is needed the most.
BTW, Larry, it is God’s kindness that leads sinners to repentance, not dangling them over hell, as you seem to be advocating.
I can believe that “God loves porn stars.” I need a Bible that says “God even loves harsh, judgemental, legalistic Christians” as well. That would be shocking. Imagine taking that to church next Sunday.
I like the xxxchurch guys. They have a very good ministry and website that has some very helpful resources, like free software similar to Covenant Eyes, but obviously without the cost. They also use humor in a good way to grab attention to serious issues. But, I understand why some think the Bible cover goes a little too far in that it could be construed as being an endorsement of the porn industry. The ambiguity is why the American Bible Society rejected the request to publish it. (On a personal note I do wish NavPress would have published it with the ESV and not the Message, because it is so different from the original text.)
As for their presence at the conventions, if you listen to the audio of the Al Mohler show on June 23rd, JR Mahon explains their discernment and process in doing so (which includes lengthy prayer and fasting). Some of their motivation involves the presence of protesters and their inability to talk to the attendies outside of the convention area because of these protesters.
So, as I said, I like these guys, but I agree that there is a difference between buying space at a porn convention and what Jesus did in eating with tax collectors (the equating shock value is more of red herring than an argument of legitimate parallelism and so is the idea that buying a GM car is support porn — doing so is not a direct endorsement of the porn industry and one’s money doesn’t directly go to further pornography — equating such is a strawman) and I think they could have picked a more appropriate, but still eye-catching cover. I think groups like xxxchurch do a good job, but need to embrace criticism like that Mohler offered in order to not go too far in accomplishing their mission.
Nick,
I’m not claimin that ‘dangling them over hell’ is the way God leads sinners to repentance, however, the Holy Spirit does that work (saving people) and He does so through the preaching of the Word which leads to conviction of sin. If you can find me one Biblical example of an evangelical message where ‘God loves you’ is used, I’d be interested in reading it. All through Acts, we see ‘repent’ being the command of the evangelist. Sadly that’s missing in many evangelistic efforts today.
I read the blog on the site and its definitely a different approach, but looked like they were doing great things! It said the shows attendance was down by one third. What if the attendance was down again next year by another one third? I honestly can’t believe some one does this, but I can’t believe some one ministers to prisoners either. I’m glad they do. The podcast is rather dull though. I may try to give it another listen.
I agree with Larry… Repentance seems to be the prevailing (if not the only) command… that’s how it was for me 3 years ago…
There is a lack of repentance in many messages today. Most of them seem to be “Let’s all be friends. Jesus is our friend. Let’s live in peace.”
But let us not forget some Truths that we all seem to, well, forget.
We ARE in fact bulletproof. Many of us have accepted the call of Jesus upon our lives, but have forgotten or never learned all that that truly means. We have put on Christ, and this is something that we must do everyday. Paul writes so beautifully the epitome of the Message of Jesus. Jesus never came to say “Do not.” He came to say “You have heard…So do not…but instead.” It is always the “but instead” that we leave off. We try to hard to stay away from so many things, and we strive to stay clear of sin. We forget that instead we are to be pursuing the Lover of our Souls, and inviting the lost to join in the pursuit. We must always remember our identity in Christ. Someone commented that these guys in XXXChurch must be bulletproof. In one point of fact, they have not struggled with an addiction to porn and all that goes with it. God has protected them, and they are free in Christ to go and preach the Gospel. Also, because they have been redeemed, forgiven, and made into the likeness of Christ, then they are bulletproof.
In Chist we have
His peace
His righteousness
His Love
His Spirit
His justification
His might and power
His Word
Eternal Life
Full Life now
His forgivenness
His freedom
His authority
There is no place that we can go and be out from under any of this. 1 Peter tells us to “Submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” Submission to God is worship. We draw near and serve the one we worship. When we are seeking Him in worship with our lives, it matters not where we go. We will carry the Glory of God, and the lost will see. We must remember that it is a journey, and that we must stand with others who call on the Name of Jesus, and live as He lived.
Rather than pass judgement on these guys who take the light to a dark and dying world of bondage and pain, let us stand with them, and pray for them to be used mightily, that the Name of God be praised, that God be glorified, and that sinners will repent and turn to Jesus.
We must not be afraid of sin. When we fix our eyes on Jesus, and seek Him first, then the things of earth go strangley dim. I think someone wrote a song about that once…
When we are afraid of sin, then the enemy has won, and we place ourselves back in the chains from which Christ’s blood set us free. It is for Freedom, Paul said in Galatians. It is for Freedom that Christ has set us free. We are to stand firm, on the Rock, firm in the knowledge that we have been freed, justified, sanctified, and given the heart of Jesus.
God is Love. And if we have seen Jesus, we have seen the Father. When Jesus came to reach the lost, I am sure that His presence, the presence of the Holy God of Israel, was enough for those who encountered Him. His eyes said enough. Read the account of the woman caught in adultery. His look, His touch to the lepers and the outcasts. His presence before Pilate. It was enough for them to know that no matter whether they accepted or rejected, they were loved by the God who created all things, including them. How many times does it say the God loves us in the Holy Word, yet we all know that this is the theme of the book, and we don’t doubt it. John is the only one who comes right out and says it. But it is woven throughout each story, and each life. Even the lives of those who rejected.
And besides, who needs love more than a porn star? These people are so hurt and abused and used and empty. Most started in the business because they were raped or abused or had some sexual distortion from their past, and this is the only way they know to find fulfillment. How Jesus hurts for them. And how silly of any of us to say we shouldn’t spend money and buy a booth, thus supporting their industry. Boycotting is the worst form of negative testimony I can think of. God owns it all anyway, it is HIS money. Perhaps we should all pray where to spend His money, that we would go places where we need to bring God’s spirit and light and love by our lives being present.
We must live in such a way that invites those in who are lost. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
How will we reach them if we do not meet them where they are?
My friend if you think you’re bullet-proof you are deceived and headed for a fall. Thinking just because we’re Christians that we can expose ourselves to any kind of sin and depravity is playing with fire and as Proverbs says, we can’t take fire into our lap and not get burned (Proverbs 6:27).
Sexual immorality is something we’re told to flee from, not play around with. Joseph was a believer but did he hang around and ‘witness’ to Potipher’s wife? Of course not.
We should certainly share the gospel with those involved in sexual sin as we should with all unbelievers but we need to use wisdom and discernment when doing so.
We can’t go rushing into a cess pool in the name of saving souls without coming out wearing some of the sewage.
How do you naysayers suggest that this audience be reached then?
Further, have you any examples that these folks aren’t being discerning? It seems to me that they have the accountability relationships in place. It seems to me that they ARE calculated in how they reach out. It’s not like they’re trying to witness ON SET!
Man, it sure is easy to trash the efforts of someone working in the ministry field from our couches. Can’t we wait until they ACTUALLY SIN to throw them to the wolves?
“…have you any examples that these folks aren’t being discerning?”
ummm….attending a PORN CONVENTION maybe??
BTW, given your logic, what would be wrong with witnessing ‘on set’? If we’re bullet proof and have our ‘accountability relationships’ in place that should be no problem either. After all, if just one person….you know the rest.
Right Larry, because we all know that they’re running around MAKING PORN at a porn convention. I don’t claim that it’s a pristine environment, but at least they’d have (some) clothes on - which to my earlier point, they presumably wouldn’t on set.
Second, there’s a difference between being around people in the porn industry and exposing yourself to porn itself. Being around a hooker or homosexual or alcoholic doesn’t make you any of those things either. But don’t try to witness to the woman when she’s making money, OK?
Larry, you can sit and poke holes in this all day, if you choose. I’d rather hear an idea on how YOU would reach this audience where they are. What should we do, only witness to them if they come to church?
“We can’t go rushing into a cess pool in the name of saving souls without coming out wearing some of the sewage.”
That’s exactly what Jesus did. He didn’t just forgive from afar. He came down to this cess pool, identified with us, lived with us, and while he did not sin himself, he ultimately accepted the guilt and punishment for our sin. If he was willing to dive into the cess pool to pull us out, should we not be willing to do the same to save others?
“…there’s a difference between being around people in the porn industry and exposing yourself to porn itself.”
Yeah, you’re right, I’m sure there’s no porn at the porn convention. That explains why there weren’t any boats at the boat show last year, I was wondering what the deal was with that.
If someone wants to stand outside this place and talk to people going in and coming out, more power to them. Heck, set up a tent with literature on the sidewalk. However, we’re crossing a line we shouldn’t cross when we go inside. The same would be true of going into a ‘gay’ bar or a brothel. True, Jesus ministered to immoral people but He never did so under immoral circumstances. There are no accounts of Jesus in the brothel nor did Paul go to pagan temples (hotbeds of immorality) to share the gospel. He went to synagogues when they existed in a town but otherwise he did his witnessing in the public square.
We certainly should not sit in church and wait for the lost to come to us but its a false dichotamy to say the only other choice is to go to them at the porn convention or brothel.
Your example doesn’t make sense here. I never said there wasn’t porn content there - just that they wouldn’t be MAKING porn. It was the arguement on where they chose to talk to these folks; on set vs. in a convention hall. Boatmakers don’t MAKE the boats at the boat shows any more than the pornographers make porn at theirs… But, if you’re looking to reach the folks that make boats, what better place to witness to the boat manufacturing industry?!?!?!
However, you do finally suggest that they should be outside of those events with a tent, etc. That’s valid. They can. But so do all of the obnoxious protesters. I pray God lets your voice with God’s Word be heard above the others out there.
Jesus was crtiticized for eating with tax collectors and sinners. This was no small offense to the religious leaders of the day. To eat with someone was to have fellowship, or commonality with the person. It would have been much easier on Jesus to just stand outside the house and preach to them.
John the Baptist was one who preached against the society as an “outsider.” It’s interesting that Jesus did not criticize John’s tactics and John did not criticize Jesus’ tactics. Both were effective in their own way. Perhaps we should follow their example and reach people however we can.
If I stand let me stand on the promise that you will pull me through.
And if I can’t let me fall on the Grace that first brought me to You.
Rich Mullins
I will go wherever He send me. If He make me a table in the presence of my enemies, He will be with me. If He send me to Egypt, where I will surely be faced with the possibility of captivity and bondage, He will be with me. If He send me into the depths of sin and depravity, surely His Right hand will guide me. If the sin that so easily entagles entagle me, I will throw up my hands and pray that Jesus deliver me. There is no one I should fear, no where I should not go should He send me, and no law, command, bond, statement, person, or possibility that He has not forseen and will not provide a way out of. If we are not living as if we have been freed from the bondage of sin, then Christ died for nothing. Love covers over a multitude of sin. Love always protects, always trust always hopes. Love never fails.
Jesus’ blodd never failed me yet. So I will go where He send me. I am thankful that He has sent us to the places that He has gifted us to reach those with whom we will come in contact.
Let us remember to speak the Truth in Love, not badger each other with sarcasm and one-upping.
Romans 8:1-39 has answers for us in this. So does the book of Galatians. We must walk in the Spirit, and we will not gratify the desires of the flesh. There is no in between in Scripture, it is one or the other. If we remain in Jesus, John 15, then there is nothing that we cannot do. If the be false, then God is a liar. And do try to bring in the “Well, look at the context” argument.
If we submit to God, and resist the Devil, He HAS to flee because of the authority of Jesus given us by faith in the Son through the Spirit of God. Praise God that these men are reaching the lost, and that they are releasing people from their bondage. Jesus said that the gates of Hell would not be able to stand against His Church. I for one am thankful that this is the Power of Christ in me. And sometimes, it is hard to believe, He sends us into things that cause us to fail so that He may redeem us unto Himself.
Also, read 1 Corinthians 5:9-13. There is a very powerful word here, and a very clear distinction Paul makes. Also, 2 Corinthians 2:14-17. Everywhere we go we are the presence and the fragrance of God, permeating to all we are near that Christ may be found. A beautiful illustration for us to see how potent the power of Christ is in us, those who believe.
…and let us not forget: those who are minstering to the people in this industry are seeking the Glory of God for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus, going where He has called them to go, to do what He has called them to do. They are not seeking our approval or opinion. They need us to pray.
“…going where He has called them to go…”
Well, you got me there. Obviouisly a ‘God told me to do this’ ends the argument. Instructions from the Almighty are the trump card. Just how did He communicate ‘go to the porn convention and set up a booth inside’ to these guys? Was it an audible voice or the always popular ‘peace in my spirit about it’ or maybe is was the ‘inner voice’ thing.