Why might Christian
ministers be more prone to pornography than other Christians?
You may have heard the
rumours – large numbers of Christian leaders are addicted to porn. Sensational,
unprovable, no different from any number of other men? Or are they more
vulnerable?
Well, it’s not because
they are all lechers or pedophiles, that’s for sure! Nor are all Roman Catholic
priests secretly gay. In fact, the only reason for the headlines at all is
because sexual indiscretion is so rare among church leaders that it merits
comment. And, of course, we do expect those who teach celibacy for the single
and fidelity for the married to keep their own house in order.
So, what might make a
vicar or pastor vulnerable? Mostly it’s to do with the work environment. Most
companies, all schools, hospitals, colleges have strict disciplinary policies
in place for any employee who accesses pornography while at work. The majority
of computer systems are programmed to keep porn out and sites accessed by
employees are recorded just to make sure. In addition the majority of people
who use computers in business do so in an open office environment.
Not so your average
church leader. He or she spends a great deal of time in a private study, most
commonly using their own PC, and with the only accountability being to
themselves. It is likely that a lot of suggestive spam or just accidental
browsing will put them in contact with pornographic sites. Vulnerability number
one.
The second
vulnerability is loneliness. Even if the church has a team ministry, apart from
the larger churches, it is likely that there is only one full time paid
minister. Nowadays, the minister’s spouse may be out at work, nobody can cope
with seeing church members all day: result, too much time alone and emotional
deprivation.
The third
vulnerability arises from the counselling room. Church leaders are made privy
to people’s secrets. They get to hear first hand the intimate details of sexual
sins and problems. Since confidentiality is essential, this stuff can feed the
imagination, occupy the idle moments and open the mind to lust. Even
researching problems on the Web can set a line of enquiry in motion that soon
leads to the blatantly pornographic.
The fourth
vulnerability is the fertile imagination. Many church leaders are exceptionally
creative. That’s what makes them good preachers and leaders. It means they may
well have a heightened appreciation of beauty and perhaps of the feminine. This
legitimate feeling can easily be warped in the direction of the erotic.
Then there’s overwork,
tiredness and depression. Leading churches can be a soul destroying affair.
People are demanding, there is little reward for the work. Financially, the
leader may be hard pressed with little spare cash for legitimate pleasures. The
church is a voluntary organisation and runs on emotions. Conflicts cannot be
resolved as in the work environment, so church leaders are often stressed out
trying to engineer peace between people who are a law to themselves. The
temptation to seek emotional comfort and sexual relief in porn is real.
The other
vulnerability concerns spiritual warfare. Throughout history there has been a
major battle line drawn between monotheism and fertility religion. Quite
simply, church leaders can be lured into the enemy camp. God’s people
consorting with the promiscuous and idolatrous Moabite women in the time of
Moses led to a destructive plague that threatened the whole nation. Nothing
changes. Leaders are targets of the enemy.
What can be done?
Secondly, provide your leader with a porn blocked computer system.
Third, ensure that he has a senior confidential advisor outside of the chain of command upon whom to download his problems and counselling matters.
Fourth, insist that your leader has adequate paid holidays, days off and refreshment breaks to recharge the emotional batteries and stimulate creativity down healthy avenues.
Fifth, pay for your leader and spouse to have a marriage refreshment weekend from time to time.
Sixth, pray regularly for the spiritual protection of your leader. and play your part in the spiritual warfare.
