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#271092 09/24/06 03:18 PM
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Use this discussion area to discuss the article posted at http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art46090.asp, Christians and Pure Thoughts.

What are your feelings about the statistics: 50% of Christian men and 20% of Christian women are addicted to porn.

How does this make you feel about leaders in your church? Does your church interview potential leaders and ask questions about whether they are into porn or not?

Do you feel that some Christian Romances are perilously close to being little more than soft porn, like so many of secular romance novels?

How should we as Christians respond to this crisis in our churches today?


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I think that the statistcs of Christians are likely not much different than non-believers or those who are non-church-attending. Porn addiction just shows that we live in a fallen world and Christians are people like anyone else. Fortunately, there are many churches now that offer support groups that deal with all kinds of addictions as well as other emotional difficulties. - Those who don't believe in satan won't agree but I think that pastors, ministers, priests, and any church leader is a target for satan's lies and temptations if they are not continually defending themselves with prayer, Bible study and accountability groups.

The danger in setting up Christians as perfect is that when they have a problem they are afraid to get help. They are afraid to admit it to anyone. More and more churches are making it easier for them to 'come out' and admit the problem and get help.

As for the other subject - the Christian novels - I haven't read any with explicit sex scenes, but I agree with you that you wouldn't want to appear to promote any that cross the line. I find that many romance novels cause marital problems just because it causes the reader to expect her or his spouse to live up to the romantic image portrayed in the book.

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The Priest at my former Church told me not long ago that 50% of the men at the Church admitted to him that it is a problem for them.

Maybe it is worse for religious men because they have to try so hard to keep it a secret and that only makes things worse.

On an online discussion board I used to get on a man who admitted to me that he was addicted to it told me that "It is the crack cocaine of the internet." Meaning that you could get addicted to it from the first time you look at it and it is as hard to stop doing as crack.

I think maybe he was right.


"All of us invent ourselves. Some of us just have more imagination than others."


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I'm amazed at this article. I'm multi-published in Christian romance for a major publishing house, and I read a lot of Christian romance from major publishing houses. I have not found any with sex scenes, and I don't write any with sex scenes.

Where are you getting these "Christian Romances" from? Maybe small presses or e-publishing, but I'm sure not from major publishing houses.

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Hi - I'm new to BellaOnline. I read the aritcle titled Christians and Pornography, and I'm a little confused by it. I've been reading Christian/inspirational fiction for years and love reading books I can share and discuss with my daughter. We've never found any Christian fiction with sex scenes. Where are you finding these 'so called' Christian books? Are they being self-published? Are they e-books? I'm very concerned about this. I pray a few self-pubbed writers are NOT giving Christian fiction a bad reputation, but especially not risking the reputation of Christ. Can you give me some author names and titles, please?
Jess
Faith, Hope & Love of Romance Writers of American
American Christian Fiction Writers

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I'm also new to Bella Online. I'm a book reviewer for Christian fiction (though I do occasionally review a secular title) and I want to know what books the reviewer is talking about. I've read nearly 200 Christian novels in the past two years and have only read one with an explicit sex scene, and it was Women's fiction, not a romance. BTW, I disliked that story and the message it gave to the reader. Please, fill me in here. I didn't know this sort of Christian romance novel existed! Even if you are not comfortable disclosing the book title and author, can you at least share the publisher?

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I was surprised to find that this reviewer was being sent books represented as Christian fiction that had sex scenes in them. I write Inspirational fiction and know that that is not acceptable to Christian publishers. People who buy Christian romances want to know the book is "safe" and they aren't going to be confronted with explicit sex, cursing and the like. Perhaps authors of Inspirational romances that meet this reviewers standards should send her some new releases to review. We can all help get the word out about great titles that anyone of any age can enjoy. My book, The Winds of Sonoma, is a book like that. I've had teenage girls and grandmothers write to me and say they loved it. - Nikki Arana <img src="/images/graemlins/queen.gif" alt="" />

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I agree with Lynn. Pornography is so hard on people. It truly is a snare of the enemy in that it destroys good people from the inside out. And all it takes is one nibble on the fishhook to reel someone in. I wish that everyone who is staring at their computer screen right now looking at some pornographic material could have someone else secretly take their picture. Maybe then it would make them think twice about what they are ACTUALLY doing... and not what is blinding them in their minds.


JESUS DOESN'T HOLD UP A STANDARD, HE HOLDS UP A MIRROR AND SAYS REFLECT ME!
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I won't reveal publishers or authors due to the risk of being sued! However, I have another book with too much sex in it on my review shelf right now. Nikki Arana has said this must be an aberration from this particular publisher.

As I said in this article, the publisher will be notified about why the book isn't reviewed.

I've also discovered a couple other "Christian books" were NOT published by strictly Christian Publishers.

Thank you everyone who has responded so far. This issue needs to be addressed by writers and publishers. As one writer says, no one wants to hurt true Christian writers by giving Christian Novels a bad name.

Some secular publishers are pushing "Christian books" that don't match what I expect for a Christian book. Others apparently are self-published or done at those places that let ANYONE publish a book.

I am looking forward to some books that have been offered by members of a Christian Romance writers email group. It's good to finally connect with the writers themselves who are willing to vouch for their books.


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"What are your feelings about the statistics: 50% of Christian men and 20% of Christian women are addicted to porn."

My feeling is that these are made-up statistics and absolutely false.

Is there any reliable source for them?

Think of it: at least half of all men and 1 of every five women you know "addicted" to pornography?

You realize that this means at least one and likely two of the posters above are addicted? C'mon, 'fess up.

Last edited by FrankJBN; 10/02/06 11:48 AM.
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