Swindoll's Open Letter to the Church
The following is an open letter to the church that Chuck Swindoll originally published on his Insight for Living website:
FROM THE DESK OF
Charles R. Swindoll
An Open Letter Concerning the #1 Secret Problem In Your Church
This trouble concerns a severe disease that is eating away at our congregations, perhaps even some of our own leadership, from the inside out. Men and women, from adolescents to senior citizens, from all walks of life, have succumbed or are at risk, and more are becoming infected every single day.
The problem is pornography, especially Internet pornography. Without your knowing, it could be eating your church alive. And the scariest thing is . . . you may not realize the extensive damage it's causing.
The most recent studies available suggest that 1 out of every 2 people-that's 50% of the people sitting in our pews, are looking at and/or could be addicted to Internet pornography. The struggle is going on among those who volunteer in your church and mine. Chances are good that some of our full-time staff members, even some who faithfully serve on our boards, may be losing this secret battle. And while I'm listing these possibilities, let's not overlook our young adults-married and single-who provide instruction among our junior and senior high youth. Truth be told, that statistic could be even higher.
Forget the red-light district or adult bookstore. Pornography has entered homes via the Internet more pervasively and subtly than any store or strip club ever did. The irony is that if an X-rated store was being established across the street from where you worship, you'd have a committee assembled to fight it immediately. Yet they've set up shop in the homes of millions of our friends in the church while we remain mute and passive.
Stop and imagine the ugly but very real possibility of some of your own elders and deacons leaving your meetings and going home to surf porn. Think about youth leaders viewing it one minute, and leading a small group with your kids thirty minutes later. It's ruining marriages, destroying relationships, harming youth, and hurting the body of Christ. You hardly need to be reminded that fallen pastors and priests did not "suddenly" fall. More often than not, pornography played a role in their downward spiral.
My friend, it's time to do something about it. In fact, we need to start today. Making a difference requires action. Following this open letter is a place for you to sign your name and commit to taking a stand on this issue. I'm convinced the more people who sign this letter, the more attention this issue will receive.
Second, once you sign this letter we will send you a list of resources and services you can put to use today to begin making a difference in the future of your family and your church. I urge you to take advantage of these resources right away.
Our churches are in trouble. This is no time to simply wait and pray. Please join me in this battle for our young minds, our marriages, our leaders, and our churches.
Impassioned and determined,
Chuck Swindoll, Chairman, Insight For Living
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Sound the Alarm!
Great letter from Pastor Swindoll. I'd been addicted for all most 30 years, until about three years ago. The internet has made it possible to become a slave to it with just a click of a mouse. In my young adult days, it took some effort to make a trip to an adult book store or movie theater. Now it's at your fingertips in the privacy of your own home and is actually free!
To the previous post, you've got to make up in your own mind to continually resist the devil and stay accountable to someone that is praying for you. Seeing how porn has changed to more scenes of degrading women has partly helped me. That beautiful body that God crafted, which was your rationale for getting back into porn, is not being used as it was intended. Multiple men, same-sex, bestiality were light-weight issues compared to what's depicted in scenes today. It's FAR from that beautiful body that most men still admire.
We've got to call sin what it is, SIN and not believe that we're simply exercising our constitutional rights as adults. Christians also need to recognize that it's Jehovah-God who created sex, not the Satan and stop giving the devil credit for pleasure. Let's get sex back from where it was in the beginning - God's Word. Over zealous predecessors took sex from God and gave it to Satan. Sex was never perverted, what man has done to sex is perverted.
I hope to bring this to my
I hope to bring this to my church.
Porn addiction
I am a real born again Christian, a head usher of our church (Baptist). I was in to porn before I got saved and immediately after crying out to God for salvation, "all" sin came to a hault. The old man in me really passed away and "all" things truly became new. I mean: I'm still a sinner by nature, but I'm talking about the things that were truly sending me to hell. Porn was one of them! But after 10 years of loneliness, I felt the need to take a peak as I wanted to be reminded of what a naked women looked like. "Its been so long! What a mistake that was.
Over the years it got worse and worse, now I can't stop. I don't have internet access at home but at college I do. I signed up for computer repair. "I'd just as-soon destroy a computer than fix one. A disability keeps me from doing physical work so now its desk work for me.
This can't be Gods will for me to go into computers, but what else can I do? I'm divorced, so I can't be a pastor of a church. I really need help with this. I can't tell my whole church what I'v done.
What will they think of me? Sure they will feel for me, but back in their minds I know they will look at me like I'm a pedifile or something of that nature, and fear me being around their kids. I know they will.
I really need help.
"Can someone please help me???"
No easy way out
You ask for help. There is no easy way out. But I am certain there is a way out. I have been struggling with porn all of my adult life and it has intensified since the advent of the Internet. But just within this year I seem to gain more and more freedom by the grace of God.
Before I tell my story I want to comment on your thoughts on vocation. It seems that you would want to be a pastor. Do you sense a calling from God into that area? You have to follow this if you are certain it is from God. PM me if you want to hear more about what I mean.
Here's my story: I have been saved for 21 years now, so my record of abusing porn while being born again is significant. I have never taken this abuse lightly and I have repented and prayed for forgiveness each and every time. I don't know how many times I have confessed it to pastors, counsellors, principals, professors and the like and received prayer with laying on of hands. God has been faithful and given me a lot of chances. At least five times He has taken the fysical urge and lust away from me. We now know that porn works in the same way as a drug. You get a high from the "brain drugs" being released. So my memory of the rush given by these chemicals made me fall again and again. I have had accountability software installed on my computer, but I found ways to circumvent it. I am certain much intercession gives a result. And my own determination that I would not be ashamed to tell about it has kept me out of the darkest place. It would be a bad tactics to tell the whole church about it. But at least your pastor should know about it. Ideally have somebody to cover you in prayer daily. Be quick to repent. Delete all materials on your computer, cache, cookies and history. Be aware of special situations where you are more prone to give in to temptation. For me it has been feelings of disappointment, loneliness, discontentment of any kind. "I deserve a little comfort". This is of course a dangerous thought. What I mean about this is that there may be some underlying unhealed emotions and / or hidden sins that drag you into abuse. Make sure you deal with this by consulting a therapist. If your faith permits you then read books and attend seminars on inner healing where you purposely address these emotional triggers. Do not be too confident in yourself. If you have gained victory for a while then know that temptation may come again and that you may fall again. So make sure to have a plan for what you'll do if temptation pressures you to give in.
Some time ago my pastor prayed for me and he could hear from God that He would set me free in an area where I have fallen in sin again and again. Since then God has removed the physical urge to sin in a totally new way for me. Now I am tempted only at a level of memory "it would be a nice pleasure to feel this again and look at these pictures once again". I am certain that it is God's will to reach out to everyone in porn abuse. God does it in an individual way, so the way to freedom will be different from person to person. But to be successfull I think you need intercession, confession, determination and knowledge of God's love and grace. And I believe it is a process of restauration and healing by the Holy Spirit.
PM me if you have further questions. God bless you immensely and be filled with God's peace.
Hope this Helps
Hello I know opening up and being vurnable is not easy, thank you for coming forward as I feel your only as sick as your darkst secret. Confession and repentance is the first step. I am aware of porn because I was in porn for several years as a 16 year old girl. The reality of porn is hidden and they do all they can to keep it that way. They lure you in and feed a part of you that even women cn not. This is a billion dollar industry for a reason and this money is often made thru children. 1 out of every 5 images is of a minor and there are over 100,000 sites showing child porn 55% being made here in America. They lure you into an illusion a world you feel is truley is hurting no one but the illness of porn is damaging you and those acting in it. It is brutal and ugly, but that does not make you as such. Guilt and Condemnation is not of God but from the enemy.
To answer your question I suggestion you get involved in SA its a 12 step program where you can find an accountability partner and begin to confide in those who struggle beside you. They can truley support and encourage you thru this dark time. As far as the church I suggestion sharing with only one or two men if you feel it is necessary but truly remember only God can judge you and He loves you. Talk with him thru prayer and seek His help! Remeber all fall short and no one has a right to condem you or pass judgement, we all have skeltons in our closet and if the church was rid of every man who viewed porn then we would have alot of empty seats. When you begin to click on the sites, hit your knees and ask God for his help. There is no temptation too strong to not be overcome with the Word, keep yourself preoccupied, stay alert to what causes this addiction. Hunger, Anger, Lonely and Tired are often triggers so find a way to divery your attention at these times and get into those meeting there is support and encouragment there. This problem is too heavy of a burden for you to carry so let God carry it for ou. You will be in my prayers. I hope this has helped.
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