Porn Wins an Oscar
After I saw a headline that this year’s winner for picture of the year at the Oscars was about a young sex worker, I decided to look into the content. I had a feeling that a story like that might include a lot of sexually explicit scenes. I have no desire to see the movie (haven’t been to a movie theater in more than 5 years) so I looked up Focus on the Family’s Pluggedin review:
“The first 45 minutes (at least) of this film are pretty much nonstop party and sex scenes, with many explicit moments and images. Part of that is because Ani works at a strip club and does sex work on the side. But even after Ani and Ivan get married, the gratuitousness continues.”
You can read the review here: https://www.pluggedin.com/movie-reviews/anora-2024/
When a sex film is celebrated with an Oscar there can be no doubt that porn has gone mainstream in the USA. From movies I’ve watched in the past I know that Hollywood tends to glamorize a seedy industry that destroys the lives of those who prostitute themselves, as well as those who take advantage of them.
I’ve had sex with prostitutes, in decades past. I’ve also visited strip clubs. One young woman who prostituted herself with me struggled to finish a sentence at times. Her mind had been so blown by drugs that her brain chemistry was altered. As I tragically know from personal experience, the women who give themselves to strangers have a hard, vacant look in their eyes. Their souls have been traumatized to the point where they’ve buried their emotions and their sense of self in order to survive. Some are physically beaten or verbally abused. Many age quickly and some die an early death.
I’ve also interviewed former prostitutes and porn actresses on our radio show. They’ve shared how devastating “sex work” was to them physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and the years of hard recovery they went through after coming out of the sex industry.
I haven’t even mentioned the destroyed youth, marriages, and families from “just viewing pornography,” which is a Satanic product.
So where is the church, that God-sanctioned institution that is called to be salt and light? Where are the voices of the big-name Christian celebrities who should be crying out that this Oscar winner is dangerous and that it glorifies a destructive lifestyle?
Why is there no outcry from pastors everywhere warning people of the dangers of pornography and sex work, from those who create and offer those services to those who consume it, causing massive wreckage to marriages and families in the process? Why are there so many spineless cowards when it comes to openly talking about these issues? Where are the John the Baptists, those fearless prophets who call out the Herods of this world for their sexual sin without regard to their popularity, how many likes they get, or the fallout? Where is the fire, the sense of urgency, especially since many lives are being destroyed on our watch?
It’s almost as if Satan is flaunting the ground he’s taken in every corner of society, including the church, and daring us to do anything. He knows that few will, and many are cowards or so comfort-driven that they won’t step into the fray.
Recent headlines show that the enemy of our souls continues to destroy lives from sexual sin.
March 18: Georgia pastor arrested for possessing child sex abuse material.
March 18: Music minister accused of sending sexually explicit picture to a young girl.
March 17: Pastor arrested for multiple sex crimes.
March 16: Former megachurch pastor to turn himself in for charges of molesting 12 year old.
March 14: Mississippi pastor accused of multiple sex crimes, including child porn, statutory rape.
March 13: Lutheran pastor suspected of distributing child porn.
Every time a pastor falls it has a severe impact on those he hurt, his wife, his family, his community. Robert Morris is the pastor mentioned in the March 16 article above. His former church, Gateway, was ranked as the 9th largest in the US, with a weekly attendance of more than 25,000. Morris’ fall had a devastating affect on thousands – including the woman he allegedly molested when she was 12.
Recent Barna surveys show that upwards of 70% of Christian men and 40% of Christian women are viewing porn. (See Pornography Use Among Christians Reaches an All Time High.) We are a church in all-out war. Spiritual battles aren’t won by empty talk, trite cliches, playing ostrich, liking a post, watching Christian TV, or ignoring the raging battles and bombs going off all around us. We need men and women who are willing to get off the sidelines, speak out, take action, and willing to pay the price in spiritual warfare and prayer.
So how about it? Any takers out there to step into the arena? You can pray (powerful!), join one of our weekly prayer meetings, share your story (one on one, in a group, or in front of an audience), speak to youth, start a support group for men or wives, start a ministry to the sex industry, host one of our From Porn to Grace conferences, have me speak at your church or organization, forward or share this article, ask your pastor to speak boldly about sexual issues and equip your church in these areas, or support ministries like Blazing Grace with prayer and finances.
And if you’re struggling and need help, reach out today. Contact us for more information.
