JourneyOnline
It describes itself as the "No. 1 Christian porn site", the target is the US adult entertainment industry, but its distribution of purple and yellow covered Bibles with the slogan "Jesus loves porn stars" is drawing fire from others who follow the same faith.
Pastors Mike Foster and Craig Gross created the XXXchurch ministry in 2002 with two goals: to get the Christian church talking about pornography from the pulpit and to go directly to preach redemption to the producers and buyers of pornographic videos and materials.
The Web site includes downloadable Bible studies and an array of "prayer software," including "accountability programmes" designed to help users resist pornographic temptation.
But the young ministers also had trouble finding a publisher for their porn-fighting Bible, whose text is in everyday conversational English. The American Bible Society, one of the oldest Bible publishers in the US, refused to print it.
"Out of a sense of propriety, ABS felt that the wording ‘Jesus Loves Porn Stars’ was misleading and inappropriate for a New Testament cover," the company said in April.
The Bible includes this introduction from XXXchurch: "Jesus loves pornographers as much as he loves pastors, soccer moms, liars, thieves and prostitutes. We’re all just people who need God to save us from the mess we’re in, and lead us to a better way."
Pornography brings in more revenue in the United States than all of the professional football, baseball and basketball franchises combined, according to the Family Safe Media group.
Some Christians, however, criticise the ministry’s methods, especially the attendance of its members at erotica conventions to put its message across.
"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," said the Rev. R. Albert Mohler Jr, president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. "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."
(c) Ecumenical News International
Photo : WORLD NEWS
