wfn.org | CRC Faith Alive Book Addresses Dangers of Internet Sex

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Faith Alive Book Addresses Dangers of Internet Sex

August 13, 2009 ? Faith Alive Christian Resources has just released
Behind Closed Doors, a book by two psychologists that chronicles the
problem of addiction to Internet pornography among Christians,
including pastors, describes problems that this type of addiction can
create, and provides solutions for how people can break the cycle of  addiction.

Subtitled Christians, Pornography, and the Temptations of Cyberspace,
the book comes out of the Hope and Healing Institute in Grand Rapids,
Mich. The institute describes itself as ?a non-denominational ministry
that integrates the inspiration of faith with insight from the
behavioral sciences.? It provides, according to its mission statement,
?practical solutions to the problems associated with pornography,
cybersex, sexual abuse, incest, infidelity, and sexual addiction.?
Several years in the making, the book contains real stories, with
names and circumstances changed, that the authors, Robert. J. Baird
and Ronald Vanderbeck, have come across in their counseling sessions.

Both Baird and Vanderbeck frequently do consulting work and offer
advice to the courts, social service agencies, churches, and community
organizations that are seeking solutions to the sexual difficulties
that plague so many people in today?s society.

The statistics are staggering, says Baird, a former Reformed Church in
America pastor. ?Thirty-five percent plus of the Protestant pastors I
was able to include in a study for my PhD thesis have used Internet
pornography. They are not immune and are particularly at risk, since
they often work on their computers and are unaccountable for their
time,? says Baird.

In other studies, the numbers are equally disturbing, say the authors.
Twenty percent of all Internet users deliberately look for sexual
material, they say. Forty-two percent of children and teens report
seeing online pornography, and two-thirds of these young people say
they came across it unintentionally.

?We decided four or five years ago that we needed to bring awareness
of this problem to the faith community,? says Vanderbeck. ?The
Christian family is especially vulnerable. Often out of a strong sense
of shame, parents aren?t willing or able to talk openly and lovingly
and in a kind way about this problem to their children. Partly what we
are doing is trying to open up a dialogue between parents and children.?
Faith Alive, the publishing agency of the Christian Reformed Church,
is working with the authors to try to develop other materials that can
be used in conjunction with the book. These could include study guides
and videos.

?We see this as a global epidemic that is not going to go away,? says
Baird. ?We are trying to rally the faith community across
denominational lines to work together and combat this dark side of
things with useful and real information.?

The format of the book is similar from chapter to chapter. Each begins
with a story of a real situation that someone faced, provides an
analysis of the situation, and offer biblical references that can inspire  hope.
The authors also give advice, arising from their own experience and
knowledge, and offer strategies on how a person can ?renew and restore
a healthy, Christian sexuality,? says the book.

Topics addressed include the temptations of Internet pornography,
confronting one?s sexual addiction, and repenting from it.  It also
looks at the problem of Internet chat rooms, the destructive cycle of
sexual abuse, and how to protect children from Internet sexual predators.
A key construct of the book is for people to put accountability
structures in place. In addition, it suggests methods of helping
people change their ways of thinking in order to change their behavior
and helps them see that an important solution is to put God, and not
the Internet, at the center of their lives.

?We live in a highly sexualized culture and are conditioned to believe
that sexual potency should be a primary function of our lifestyle,?
says Vanderbeck. ?Sex on the Internet is like a drug. It is a very
seductive process and people can become enslaved by it.?
?We believe that the Christian community should obtain all of the
necessary information in order that it can fight back against this and
learn to talk about it in a healthy way,? says Baird.

Another new book from Faith Alive, Preventing Child Abuse: Creating a
Safe Place, by Beth Swagman, director of the CRC?s Safe Church Office,
also addresses some of these topics. Swagman?s book is especially
geared to help churches and nonprofit organizations through the
process of designing and implementing the policies and procedures they
need to keep children safe. For both books, visit:
http://www.faithaliveresources.org/.

> --Chris Meehan, CRC Communications

> -- Chris Meehan
> News & Media Director
> Christian Reformed Church in North America
> 1-616-224-0849