The head of an addiction recovery program says the Church must deal with the very serious porn problem faced by the younger generation -- those who have access to smartphones and other devices that make viewing pornographic content easy -- or risk a "reckoning."
Speaking to The Christian Post, The Freedom Fight founder Ted Shimer said that the unprecedented level of the younger generation's addition to porn must be dealt with by the church or it would cause "massive reckoning" that dishonors Christ.
"We may think that the porn situation is bad now, as we're seeing pastors like Ravi Zacharias come out, but this younger generation has been raised on hardcore porn to a level that we've never seen before," Shimer said.
"The Bible tells us that we're going to reap what we sow. Those of us who work with college students, we're seeing porn addiction like never before. These are our future Christian parents, mothers, fathers, church leaders. If the church doesn't deal with it, there's going to be a massive reckoning that is unfortunately not going to look well on the name of Christ," he continued.
He said that the level of porn addiction correlates with technology's accessibility, noting a significant rise in 2007 when iPhone came into the picture.
He further stated that addiction in pornography is the biggest obstacle in the church's mission to build Christian spiritual leaders.
He then revealed that there are children as young as in seventh grade who are already addicted to pornography. Statistics also show that the viewing level of Christians, including pastors, and the people in secular world engaged in viewing porn are "at almost the same rate." The problem, he said, is relevant given the coronavirus pandemic wherein Pornhub and other sites have taken advantage of the lockdowns.
Shimer argued that the church needs more people with understanding about the issue to help those that are struggling from it. He added that pornography would be an issue in the discipleship of the youth, so the church should be equipped to tackle the issue effectively.
Acknowledging that talking about porn in the church is shameful and uncomfortable, he suggested that church leaders should address the issue with "with effective, Gospel-centered, scientifically-informed solutions because it's not simply going away."
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Posted by The Freedom Fight on Friday, February 5, 2021
Shimer's organization offers a free program in equipping church leaders and parents fight the problem.
He has also written a book, "The Freedom Fight: The New Drug and The Truths that Set Us Free," that explains the harm of pornography and examines its six root factors. The book also provides practical and biblical methods to overcome porn addiction.
Shimer calls his method "B.R.A.C.E." or Breathe, Remember the truth, make an Accountability Call and Escape the temptation.
He urged the parents to tackle the pornography issue, using the Word of God, with their children at a young age before the world tries to defile their minds.
He also pointed out that parents and church leaders must understand pornography's harsh reality and its impact to the mind of a person, as well as in relationship, spiritual life and marriage.
"But there is a pathway to freedom, and addressing this issue in the Church is an opportunity for revival," Shimer concluded.
Those who are currently struggling with porn addiction and want to be free should try The Freedom Fight's 30-Day Challenge, a "powerful biblically based and scientifically informed program" designed to help people "break free from pornography and other unwanted sexual behaviors." The program is free and confidential. Interested parties can sign up here.
