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Q&A with Pastor David Erik Jones Author of My Struggle, Your Struggle
1) Why did you decide to tell your church about your porn addiction? And did you have any idea how they might react? Were you concerned for your job? I decided to tell the church for several reasons: 1.) To help others. I know this is a major issue in our churches and that people need leaders who are willing to share their own personal struggles in order to give them the insight and courage to overcome. 2.) This is an important part of my passion for Jesus. One of the reasons I am so in love with God is because I know what He has forgiven in my own life. 3.) I wanted people to know that God loves them and can forgive them and use them no matter where they have been or what they have done. I did not know how they would react. In fact, I was a little surprised that I received so much support and encouragement. I felt that some of the members might not respect me or want me to continue as their pastor, but I was willing to take that risk. I talked about it with my family and they supported me all the way. I did believe there was a possibility that I could be asked to leave. But I knew it was worth the risk, and I trusted God to take care of us either way. My story is such an important part of who I am and why I preach, I could not keep it inside any longer. 2) How prevalent do you think pornography is in today's society and do you believe it is as prevalent among Christians? 50% of Christian men and 20% of Christian women admit that they are addicted to pornography. (Christiannet.com 6.6.07) 51% of pastors say cyber porn is a possible temptation, 37% say it is a current struggle. (Christianity Today Leadership Survey, December 2001) Of Promise Keepers, 53% viewed pornography in the last week. (Internet Filter Review, 2006). 40 million Adults in the U.S. regularly visit porn sites on the internet. (Internet Filter Review) At 13.3 billion, the 2006 revenues of the sex and porn industry in the U.S. are bigger than the NFL, NBA, and Major League Baseball combined. (Internet Filter Review) 60% of all website visits are sexual in nature. (NSNBC Survey 2000) 47% of families said pornography is a problem in their home. (Focus on the Family Poll, October 1, 2003)
3) What specific things do you tell people to do who are
struggling with porn addiction? 1.) Face the issue and stop
trying to cover it up or justify it. 2.) Search out how God feels about
sexual immorality in the Bible. 3.) Find accountability partners who
will tell them the truth and keep their struggles confidential. 4.)
Find practical ways to limit exposure and temptation, such as limiting
television time and computer usage 5.) Seek out Bible studies, support
groups, books, and other tools to help them fight for freedom.
4) What motivated you to write the book? What do you hope it
will accomplish? I began writing my testimony about a year
ago. I wanted to let others know what God had done for me, how He had
changed my life. As I wrote, I began to see how important this topic
was and how it was dramatically impacting men and women, families,
churches, and our society in general. I basically felt compelled to
stand up and say "you are not alone, and there is hope." I pray that men
and women are able to break free from pornography and other habitual
sins. I also pray that marriages are saved, families are restored,
fewer people are sexually abused, and that Christians will become
stronger in their faith.
5) Do you feel this is a problem that is widespread in church leadership? Why or why not? Yes I do believe this is a widespread problem within church leadership. All of the polls and statistics show that a large portion of pastors and church leaders struggle with pornography and sexual temptation. In March of 2002, Pastor.com website conducted a survey on porn use among pastors. 54% of the 1351 respondents claimed they had looked at a pornographic website within the last year. 30% said they had visited an internet porn site within the last 30 days. 
6) Is porn addiction something that can be combated only with
prayer or are there other things that need to be done for porn addicts?
Prayer is a very important part of the process, but will probably not be
enough in the fight against pornography addiction. I prayed about my
own personal struggles for years, with no real impact. In fact, I was
being drawn deeper into addiction even as I prayed. But then, by
growing in my knowledge of the Bible, help from my wife, and practically
applying the truth, I was able to find freedom.
7) Do you feel viewing
porn falls into the "lust" category that Jesus equated with adultery?
Why or why not? Yes, without any doubt, viewing
pornography is lust, and lusting after anyone who is not your spouse
fits into the category of adultery according to Jesus. Ultimately,
the Bible tells us to avoid all forms of immorality. (1 Thessalonians
4:1-8; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20) Someone may try to justify viewing
pornography by saying it is harmless, and they may say it is not
technically adultery, but I believe scripture teaches us otherwise.
At the very least we must classify it as immoral.
8) Do you find there are
similarities in people who view porn? I.e. Their upbringing;
relationship with father, etc. No, this problem seems to
strike people from all walks of life, social-economical levels, and
all other categories. With that said, there are certain situations
that seem to cause someone to be more likely to become addicted to
porn. Those who have been sexually abused at an early age, or who are
exposed to other sexual stimulation while they are young seem to have
a greater risk of pornography addiction. As far as I know, this seems
to be the only real link I have seen with those who share their
stories. The thing that makes this so frightening to me is the fact
that the majority of our children are now being exposed to greater
amounts of sexual imagery. Television, movies, video games, and of
course the internet have really saturated our youth with the wrong
message about sex. I believe we are going to see the impact of this
in major ways.
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