Christian Women Increasingly Suffering From Sexual Addiction

Posted by Pam Spaulding at 2:00 PM on October 17, 2007.

This post, written by Pam Spauding, originally appeared on Pam's House Blend

Sexual addiction is a serious matter; up to 16 million Americans are affected by this disorder .

In the bible-beating world, prayer and going to church don't seem to be providing quite enough strength to avoid temptation, as Christian women are getting hooked on porn. The fundies, however, are still proponents of the pray-away method of treatment. One couple is stepping forward with their solution -- for $11.19 on Amazon.

There is a crisis brewing in the Church: a growing epidemic of sexual addiction among women. A new book from Pure Life Ministries by authors Steve and Kathy Gallagher, Create in Me a Pure Heart, explores the scope of the problem and provides biblical answers for the church and the struggling woman.

For twenty-two years, Kathy Gallagher has been helping women cope with their husbands' addiction to pornography, strip clubs and prostitutes. Now she is responding to a growing number of women addicted to porn, chat rooms and online sex. "Thirty years ago," remarks Gallagher, "you never would have thought that the woman sitting next to you in Sunday school might be viewing porn. But with the growth of the Internet, the gap between what men and women do in secret has been drastically reduced."

According to Nielsen NetRatings, nearly one-third of the visitors to adult websites are female. Today's Christian Woman reported that 34 percent of their online newsletter readers admitted to intentionally accessing Internet porn. Women are also twice as likely as men to visit online chat rooms, according to Internet Filter Review.

The couple says that they are "uniquely qualified" in this area because of their battle to overcome Steve's 15-year sexual addiction. Pure Life Ministries, also has a a residential facility (a six-month live-in program) for Christian men "to find God's answers to sexual addiction."

The 6-month live-in program at the ministry headquarters in Kentucky is the most powerful option available to overcoming habitual sexual sin.

...The staff spends long hours in prayer which creates an intense spiritual atmosphere most men have never experienced. It is in that environment that struggling men have the encounter with God they so desperately need.

Well, if Ted Haggard can pray away the gay in three weeks, then certainly sex/porn addiction can be conquered (for a time) at Pure Life's camp out in the middle of nowhere without access to porn. It will set you back $150 per week after a $1500 Induction Fee, with the first four weeks' rent ($600) due when you check in.

By the way, masturbation is out too.

Apparently there's no program of this type for all the women suffering out there; they only have the book to help them out. pam ::

Tagged as: sex, religious right, pornography, sexual addiction, chrisitianity

Pam Spaulding blogs at Pam's House Blend.