Pure Life Alliance

Men Who Struggle with Sexual Purity

It has not been very long that Christians have been open to discussing any issues around sexual purity openly. But ever since the Internet came into nearly every home and workplace, what was once an issue we needed to talk about has become a plague that is tearing apart a huge number of families in the church today.

There are many surveys and reports on the issue but a conservative poll from ChristiaNet reported by Marketwire.com in August, 2006 showed that 50% of all Christian men and 20% of all Christian women are addicted to pornography. That is not the percent who view pornography, those percentages are much higher, this is the percent actually addicted to pornography. And that was in 2006.

So what is sexual addiction? The clinical definition is, a long-term pattern of sexual behaviors that get progressively worse over time in spite of increasing negative consequences resulting from those behaviors.

The behaviors can range from pornography to prostitution. Like a drug addict, a sex addict may promise themselves that they won't go to the "next level" of risk, but in time they almost always do, in spite of the damage it does to them and those around them.

The consequences of sex addiction for an addict and those around him or her will continue to grow more serious. Sex addicts, like other addicts, usually minimize consequences and blame others for those consequences. Families and friends play into the game by making excuses for the addict and trying to believe the addict's promises that they will change. Until blaming and minimizing stop, however, recovery cannot begin. Often, a severe consequence that is not fixed by a friend or family member is the final incentive for the addict to finally get help.