Majority of practicing Christians admit to viewing porn, many comfortable with habit: study

October 22, 2024

A new study finds that a majority of practicing Christians, including pastors, admit that they view pornography and say they are comfortable with the habit.

The Christian Post reports that Barna’s recent study, conducted in cooperation with Pure Desire Ministries, found pornography use is prevalent among all demographics and that the gap between Christian and non-Christian users has narrowed in the past 8 years.

The study titled Beyond The Porn Phenomenon showed that some 54% of Christians surveyed, reported viewing pornography compared with 68% of non-Christians. Overall, 75% of Christian men and 40% of Christian women said they consumed porn at some level.

Researchers reported: “Despite the Church’s stance against lust generally, it seems little progress has been made to deter many of those who fill the pews from pornography consumption specifically. The gap between professed beliefs and actual behavior raises questions about the efficacy of current approaches within faith communities.”

The director of Pure Desire Ministries, Nick Stumbo said, “What may be more troubling is that well over half of Christians who use porn say they are comfortable with their porn use. The reality for those who struggle in the Church is that they, too, often feel like they are alone. When asked, ‘Who is helping you with your struggle with pornography,’ a staggering 82 percent of Christians say ‘no one.’ Isolation is the enemy’s playground.”

Stumbo said the Church needs to be the place where people can get free of the troubling habit that so many Christians have apparently accepted.

According to the Christian Post, the study also highlighted the degree to which people have become comfortable with pornography with only 14% expressing a desire to overcome the habit entirely.

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