(Warning: There is a questionable image in the article linked out)
I’ve been wrestling with the decision to bring attention to this article and its glorification of the porn/sex industry. But as a follower of Jesus, I’ve got to call out evil when I see it. And this recently published article from Time Magazine is just that – evil.
When I was a teenager in the 80s, I subscribed to the print edition of Time Magazine. At that time, the magazine was one of the premier media outlets in the US, highly respected for its journalism. It actually meant something to be named Time Magazine Person of the Year. Some people even make the case today that the magazine still carries influence after nearly 100 years in print. Maybe that’s true. But it’s not the influence we need in the culture today. Not after publishing an article that celebrates pornography and the industry of selling sex.
The writer attempts to portray a career as a sex worker as something glamorous, simply another job in the “gig” economy where people can make money to support themselves like every legitimate content creator on the web today. It doesn’t matter if you post a video on YouTube or your naked body on OnlyFans, you are an artist. It’s all harmless and a great way for you to make money. If I’m reading this article, caught in a dead-end job and in desperate need of money just to pay the bulls, selling images of my body online seems like my perfect salvation.
Unfortunately, what the article fails to mention are the dangers associated with sex work today. Many people are forced it into it – either by someone making them participate (and then stealing the money made) or by their own financial situations forcing them into a need to sell their bodies for cash. The lure and addiction of making fast money often overrides the damage that’s being inflicted.
I can’t address why someone makes the decision to work in the sex industry. All I can do is pray that God finds a way to rescue them from this industry and deliver them from the physical, mental and spiritual pain they might be experiencing.
But here’s what I can address. The demand side of the equation. Because it takes two to tango as they say. The only reason that sites like OnlyFans continue to thrive, or why the sex industry continues to grow, is that there is demand for it. God has called me to try and slow down this demand.
When I share my journey of overcoming a lifelong addiction to pornography – that later morphed into a sex addiction – I talk in graphic detail about the physical, mental and spiritual impact of my behavior on my own life. It nearly cost me my marriage and my family. I wasn’t rescued out of that world until I asked God for help.
But I don’t often talk about the financial impact of my addictions. I wasted thousands upon thousands of dollars on the sex industry, robbing my family of the opportunity to benefit from the resources God was providing. Ultimately, my money was being used to fuel this rampant demand for porn and sex workers in our world today.
And that’s why I’m not staying silent. Our culture is under attack from every angle. The enemy is trying to convince us that pornography is good, the sex industry is normal and that everyone is either looking at porn or producing it.
Men, if you are watching porn, or paying women for access to their intimate pictures online, you are contributing to this dangerous demand that’s impacting you, your family, the sex worker, and our culture. Don’t bring this evil into your life.
My focus in 2022 is not just continuing to share my testimony of the transformation Jesus made in my life. I’m going to do what I can to slow down the demand for pornography and sex workers and help men restore their relationships.
I hope you join me.