Christ First Forum

Half of Clergy Members View Pornography Every Month
Date: 1/12/2010 8:57:19 AM

Matt Friedeman, InTheFight.com

New polling has come from George Barna and Pew Research that reveals some scary facts about the state of the church.

Dave Macy:

Reading the religious poll results from the Barna Group and the PewResearch Center can be a cold slap in the face. The reality ofChristian America’s shift away from faith in God and sound doctrine isevident by some staggering statistics. Perhaps the most telling of allthe research trends showing a watering down of “old time religion” andthe emergence of a post modern Christianity that embraces a liberaltheology far removed from the truth....

But perhaps the most shocking news coming from these surveys concernsthe men (and women) in the pulpit. In any given month at least 50% ofpriests, pastors, and ministers have visited at least one pornographicwebsite. If that many who are leaders of the church of Jesus Christare being promiscuous with porn is it any wonder those who still fillthe pews are experiencing a real lack of the power and anointing of theHoly Spirit from those who are commissioned to preach God’s word?

Why this decay? Why is the church worldlier than ever? There are manyreasons: Liberal theology that denies the inerrancy of the Holy Bible;the attempt by many churches to grow in numbers instead of makingdisciples; churches that love tell you ‘God loves you’ but don’t preachthe need for Repentance

Fifty percent of clergy members have viewed pornography in any given month? How has the church fallen to this state? Macy points out that the church cheapens God's love by leaving out the need for repentance. But I wonder if there isn't more to the problem than that. One major problem is that accountability is lacking in the church, but most importantly among the leaders of the church. It seems there is always a new scandal, typically sexual, involving a prominent church leader. Discipline and accountability must be reinstituted in the church, especially among the leadership. A revival will be much less likely to begin if church leaders are living in sin.

http://action.afa.net/Blogs/BlogPost.aspx?id=2147491058

"It's been a 'long' time since I've heard 'sin and repentance' being preached in my own church..."

Jeani, If you ever came to hear me preach, you would not find this to be the case. One of the reasons pastors shy away from sin being preached and the Holiness of God is because they are afraid to step on toes. Even there Own!

LdyinChrist wrote:This sounds kind of funny to me....how did they get this pole? are clergy men just gonna confess it or what? Maybe it is a Christian bashing thing???

I thought the same thing, but there are a lot of this that goes on and there are restoration ministries that do this 24-7. It just blows me away sometime what goes on in the church and from some pastors. What ever happen to disqualification from ministry!

LdyinChrist wrote:It's difficult to know who to trust anymore. I know I don't trust very many people at all. The world is growing more wicked every day. The government is corrupt, our schools are corrupt and churches are going with the flow.

Libby, Joan and I don't trust many folks especially after 26 years of ministry and pastoring 4 churches and associate to three others. I can always trust God and I can trust Joan, but we must in these last days choose wisely for there are many wolves in sheep clothing.

Amen, Frank and Libby!!! Isn't it a crying shame that we can't "trust" anyone anymore, especially another who goes by our blood-bought name "Christian"? It's sickening, it truly is, when you get right down to it. So many in the pulpit aren't saved, they're not there because God called them - they're there for an easy living. I grew up in a very rural area in north Louisiana, back then, everyone who preached did so from a calling. I grew up, was rebellious, but later saw the error of my ways, and accepted Christ. The pastor of the church told me that many pastors in the pulpit at that time (l970) weren't saved. I about fell out of my chair. 40 years ago - now, the number has increased beyond measure. So few hear the true Word today.

I agree, Carmela. That is why I refer to our whole group as the "remnant" of the true church - a very good choice of a code name by Frank. It does my heart good to be able to share the Word with other like-minded believers whose sole purpose is learning about and serving our Lord Jesus Christ!

The Holy Spirit totally convicted me less than two weeks into being born again. I was watching a TV soap, one I had always watched before my life changed), when suddenly I felt the very presence of Jesus by my side and I actually saw on TV a
scene that turned my face red and I fumbled for the remote and turned the TV off. I just sat there and told Jesus how sorry I was and that I wanted never to view such junk again.
Titus 2:12 speaks of us having to live in this world but not of it.
This same (almost identical event/same soap) convicted my daughter less than six months later when she was born again. She called and shared how the Holy Spirit had just convicted her and she finally understood why I could not watch such things any more.
We have a free will and could go back to viewing such junk but it our desire to be pleasing before our holy God that we simply say, "No." If my husband choosed to view something that I feel uncomfortable with I simply have to excuse myself...most of the time he will realize what he is viewing and how upsetting it is to me and he will tell me he is sorry and he changes the TV.
Our choice to please the Lord shows our other family members and friends that we are willing to stand up for what is
good and sweet in Jesus.