The LA Times story came out today covering the Jesus Loves Porn
Stars Bible controversy. A nice summation of the arguments and points.
We want your opinion and feedback. Let us know what you think. Peace.
Mike.
A Setback for Anti-Porn Pastors
Their Corona-based ministry wanted to put ‘Jesus Loves Porn Stars’ on Bible covers. No way, said a publisher.
By William Lobdell, Times Staff Writer
April 2, 2006
Handing out free Bibles to porn stars and their fans at adult film
conventions isn’t as hard as it would seem. Pastors Mike Foster and
Craig Gross say they typically give away 1,000 copies of the New
Testament at the multiday conferences.
Even so, the founders of XXXchurch.com — a Corona-based
anti-pornography Internet ministry — thought a hip cover could easily
triple their distribution.
But the pastors’ brainstorm to put their “Jesus Loves Porn Stars”
brand on covers of the New Testament was rejected by the American Bible
Society, the publishing company that XXXchurch.com paid to print 10,000
copies of the Scriptures.
The publisher said that while it applauded the outreach to those who
make a living off pornography, “the wording is misleading and
inappropriate for a New Testament,” according to a letter the pastors
received from Barbara Bernstengel, the executive in charge of standards
at the nonprofit Bible publishing company.
Bernstengel offered several alternatives, but the pastors rejected them.
“In this case, we think this is a fight worth having because it goes to the core of the Gospel,” Foster said.
Gross said their slogan isn’t misleading; Jesus does love porn stars
and the message doesn’t insinuate that he loves pornography.
“But that’s why we’re putting the Bible in [the porn stars’] hands —
Jesus is not OK with it,” said Gross, a former youth pastor who works
on the XXXchurch.com website from his Lake Elsinore garage. “The
publisher is hindering the Gospel going forth.”
The number of companies that publish the Bible is limited. Modern
versions of the Scriptures are licensed to publishers by the
organizations that did the translations.
The XXXchurch.com pastors say the rejection of the cover is typical
of the clash between old-school Christianity — with its rigid structure
and traditions — and an emerging brand practiced mostly by younger
Christians who focus on relationships, spiritual experiences and
converting nonbelievers through bold, sometimes edgy marketing.
“This whole religious rule book just needs to be burned, and we need
to reinvent the rules,” Gross said. “Otherwise, Christianity is going
to fade away.”
Roy Lloyd, a spokesman for the American Bible Society, said his
190-year-old organization publishes custom Bibles for a variety of
youth-oriented ministries, including skateboarders and hip-hop
devotees. “It’s not that we’re opposed to what [XXXchurch.com] is
doing,” he said. “But there needs to be a sense of propriety.”
Richard Flory, a sociologist at Biola University who studies new
Christian movements, said it’s not surprising or outrageous that the
American Bible Society would decline to publish the provocative cover.
“I actually see this as a marketing dispute,” he said. “The
XXXchurch.com pastors are trying to market the Bible to a niche market,
and the American Bible Society, while not opposed to their efforts, is
wary of the marketing strategy.”
The society shouldn’t jeopardize its larger mission by publishing a Bible cover that it believes will be divisive, Flory added.
Gross, 30, and Foster, 35, founded XXXchurch.com in 2002 to fight
addiction to Internet pornography, especially among Christians.
Their intentionally confrontational website — billed as the “No. 1
Christian Porn Site” — includes free “accountability software” to flag
questionable sites visited by users, podcasts featuring ex-porn star
interviews, and hate mail from both conservative Christians and porn
lovers.
“We refuse to have this be your typical Christian crap website with
crosses and Bibles all over the place and communicating things that
most in the world can’t relate to,” the pair state on XXXchurch.com.
The pastors say the “Jesus Loves Porn Stars” Bible would help get
the word of God into the hands of those normally shunned by Christians.
“This is about the message of love and grace and compassion to the
people we don’t like in the Christian world,” said Foster, adding that
he is in talks with other publishers to get their Bible printed. “Maybe
we need to think outside the box to maybe help these people.”
Flory, the Biola professor, said if the “Jesus Loves Porn Stars” Bible were published, it would soon become a cultural icon.
“And doesn’t this work at cross purposes with the XXXchurch.com
goals by making it cool for people, who otherwise wouldn’t have
anything to do with this, to appropriate the porn star symbolism?”
Flory said.
Foster said it’s time for Christians to take risks.
“Yeah, the cover’s out there; it’s controversial, it’s provocative,
it’s wacky,” he said. “But it’s to draw attention to the content. If
people have that book in their hands, it’s a good thing.”