Young Christian Pastors Fight Porn
Dec. 3, 2004 -- -- When 18-year-old Michael Godby's secret fascination with online porn sites was discovered by his mother, he decided it was time to check out another triple-X Web site, www.xxxchurch.com.
The Web site, created by Mike Foster and Craig Gross -- two California youth ministers who have vowed to help online porn fans find new hobbies -- offers advice to those seeking assistance in breaking their online porn habit.
The ministers say they created the site and their mobile porn-fighting machine, "the Porn Mobile," because they feel it's their duty as Christians.
'Not What God Has Intended'
"We believe also that it's not what God has intended for us," Gross, 28, said on ABC News' "Good Morning America." "Pornography is accessible to kids, whether through a magazine or the Internet, but with the rise of Internet pornography, American homes have a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week porn pipeline coming in. And those most affected by that are young people."
While the ministers fight much of their battle against porn online, Foster says it's also important for them to reach out to as many people as possible in person. The ministers and other Christians who assist them in their outreach programs often travel in the Porn Mobile. The car features an enormous eye-catching advertisement that says, "www.xxxchurch.com, the No. 1 Christian Porn Site."
"We travel around the country to talk about the issue with youth groups and even adults," said Foster, 33.
Foster says one of the most effective tools he and his partner offer is software, available on their site, that tracks all Web sites viewed on one user's computer. It will even send a friend or family member -- someone designated by the user -- a report listing all of the sites viewed.
Godby said he wasn't upset when his mother found out how he'd been spending his time online because he was ready to give up the habit by the time she caught on.
"After I got caught, I remembered hearing about this [Web site]," he said. "I heard people talking about it at church, and I thought it would be a good thing to download because I knew it would help me."
'Big Brother Sees Where You Go'
Godby has the report of all the Web sites he views sent to his mom. Gross says he thinks it's better for the teen to get help in ending his predilection for online porn. And Gross says he definitely practices what he preaches.
"It's great to have your mom as your accountability report. Mike and I have our wives receive our reports," Gross said. "So it's like a Big Brother sees where you go online and so it's not a dirty secret anymore."
Foster and Gross say they're not looking to outlaw porn, but they want to help young Christians avoid its harmful effects. They say surfing fantasy sex sites all day can hurt teens' expectations when it comes to real-life sex with a partner. They also say it can turn someone into a selfish partner and will inevitably end up hurting Christian couples in the long run.