Mariska Hargitay on Boyhood Sexual Abuse
Published January 25, 2012 | 
Actress Mariska Hargitay, famous for her role in the television show Law and Order SVU, was published on the Huffington Post today. In the article, she talks about some of the startling statistics on the prevalence of male, childhood sexual abuse. She started a foundation in 2004 called the Joyful Heart Foundation.
In Mariska’s words:
At Joyful Heart, the foundation I started in 2004 to help survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse heal and reclaim their lives, we are proud to share in the vision of one day ending violence against all people. We hope to send this message to all survivors: We hear you. We believe you. We feel for you. You are not alone. And your healing is our priority.
You can read her article, entitled “Personal Fouls” here…
While we may differ in some of the ways to address the issue, faith vs. secular, I applaud Mariska’s courage to take a stand on a difficult issue.
A Serious Issue with a Serious Response
Published December 16, 2011 | I want to bring to you a plan – a somewhat risky plan. Beginning in 2012, we will begin giving 10% of the income of Pure Community Ministries to help eliminate the commercial sexual exploitation of children. In the years to come, we hope to increase that percentage beyond 10% to as much as our budget will allow.
I live in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia. It has been determined that Atlanta, with the world’s busiest airport (Hartsfield-Jackson International) is a large hub of domestic and international sex trafficking. It is estimated that over 375 children per month are trafficked in the state of Georgia alone. Atlanta, Georgia is in the top 10 cities in the world for sex trafficking and is number one in the United States! We cannot stand idly by while this goes on in our own backyards.
So what can we do? There is a local organization called Street GRACE (www.streetgrace.org) which is working in this vital area of ministry. This is from their website:
Street GRACE is an alliance of Christian churches, community partners, and volunteers dedicated to supporting, enlarging, and allying with those individuals and organizations working toward eliminating the commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC). Street GRACE mobilizes the resources within the community — financial, human and material — toward those organizations and individuals who have demonstrated effectiveness in battling CSEC in the areas of advocacy, aftercare and mentoring.Our ultimate goal is the elimination of this problem in the city of Atlanta and duplication of these efforts in other cities across the United States.
We believe this issue breaks the heart of God, and is the far-end of the spectrum for sexually immoral behavior. It is a fitting response for those of us who have been consumers of the sex industry, through pornography or otherwise, to give to such a cause. If you are a 12-stepper, think of it as amends.
Please consider joining us. This is not a gimmick to bring in more donations. Rather, it is a huge step of faith. This plan is risky for us because we usually run “in the red” financially. But, we believe that God cares about the sexual exploitation of children and we can help do something about it, even if it is something small. We trust God to make up any shortfall to bring more resources to bear on this issue.
You can donate online using the Donate button on our website, via check or online bill pay to:
Pure Community Ministries
P.O. Box 586
Lebanon, GA 30146
Thank you for your time, prayer and consideration of extending your generosity toward Pure Community Ministries and ending sex trafficking.
In Him,
John
P.S.
If you need additional motivation, watch the trailer for the film “Stop the Candy Shop” at this link:
http://stopthecandyshop.com/the-film
The film produced with the support of Street GRACE.
The Purity Report for Pastors
Published November 9, 2011 | We are excited to announce a new outreach of The Purity Report.
It is very sensitive for pastors to talk about struggling with pornography or other sexual integrity issues. We provide private, pastors-only forums which allow confidential use of our accountability framework.
The Purity Report offers a powerful way for pastors to begin talking about their struggles with other pastors in a safe environment.
Email us at info@purityreport.com for more information.
Posted in Announcements, News, Purity | 
accountability, character, confession, Grace, healing, News, Pastors, porn, Purity, Purity Report, Recovery, sex, sin | 
Leave a commentHPV Shots for Boys
Published October 26, 2011 | A new recommendation from the CDC released this week advises boys age 11-13 be vaccinated for the Human Papillomavirus (HPV).
(Reuters) – Boys should be routinely vaccinated against the human papillomavirus or HPV in an effort to protect them from oral, anal and penile cancers, and to extend protection of girls from cervical cancer, U.S. vaccine advisers said on Tuesday. (Full Story)
HPV is a sexually transmitted disease which causes genital warts and has been known to cause cancer. This recommendation, as tough as it it to hear, underscores just how pervasive sexual activity is among our youth.
I am more than a bit unnerved by the announcement as the father of two boys. My boys are not school-aged yet, but this announcement gives me a view into the world of their future. It is a world where sexual activity is more dangerous than ever – not just emotionally and spiritually, but threatening their very lives.
It doesn’t make sense to offer an opinion regarding the vaccine itself. I am not a health professional, nor well-researched. I am just grieved by the need for such a vaccine, especially in the likes of 11-13 year old boys. I would like to say that statistically boys and girls in the church are more abstinent and therefore safer, but that is not the case.
We are in a sad state…Lord Jesus, have mercy!
That being said, there is always hope in Christ. God is not rocked by STD’s, regardless of how young the victim. His Kingdom will see the eradication of them all. God’s prescription for sexual intimacy in marriage still stands as the best chance for “safe sex.”
I know the sadness I feel is His sadness at the harming of His children. I hope this will be a wake-up call to parents to talk to their kids about sex. When should that be? I recommend while they are still in single-digits. When their doctor will be talking about these vaccines just a couple of years afterwards, it only makes sense.
These are just random musings, but I felt compelled to write about the issue.
XXXChurch on Porn Sunday
Published February 5, 2011 | Our good friend, Michelle Truax, from XXXChurch was interviewed this weekend about Porn Sunday. You can view the media interview below. Michelle was instrumental in the founding of our site for women, Partners for Purity.
The Porn Sunday event is being held on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 6 and more than 300 churches from all over the U.S. are participating. The churches will play a 40-minute video simulcast featuring Jon Kitna, Matt Hasselbeck, Ryan Pickett, Josh McCown and a few other NFL players and founder of XXXchurch, Craig Gross.
The goal for the event is to get churches talking about the “elephant in the pew” and get people help that are struggling with porn and sex addiction.
The Porn Sunday video will be available to watch on the website on Sunday, Feb 6th all day.
Free Filter for iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad
Published February 5, 2011 | 
K9 Web Protection has announced the release of new filtering products for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad. The best part is that their products are all completely free!
With the popularity of iPad, iPod Touch and iPhone mobile devices as gifts for children this holiday season, the door is wide open for them to fall victim to the dangers of the Internet,” said Steve Daheb, chief marketing officer and senior vice president, Blue Coat Systems. “The K9 Web Protection Browser leverages the power and intelligence of Blue Coat’s leading Web security technology to keep children and families safe online wherever they access the Internet.
Here is the link to K9′s full press release.
Teens Against Porn Relaunched as Br3aking Porn!
Published January 16, 2011 | 
We are really excited about this announcement! Our website for teens, Teens Against Pornography, is officially no more. It has been rebranded, retooled and relaunced as Br3aking Porn.
What is Br3aking Porn?
Br3aking Porn is designed to help teenagers who struggle with pornography and sexual purity. It is a place where teenagers can come to seek help in a safe, anonymous, Christ-centered community.
We provide 3 Distinct sets of tools to help with this journey:
- Blog – to teach about sexual purity and entertain
- Forum – to facilitate safe discussions, accountability and entertainment where teenagers learn from people who have been there, done that, and can aid them in their journal toward sexual purity
- Resources – to inspire sexual purity through recommended books, articles, programs and links
If you are a teen in need of help or know of one, go to Br3aking Porn.
Break the Silence, Break the Cycle and Break Free!
Posted in News, Purity, Recovery | accountability, addiction, Br3aking Porn, porn, Purity, Recovery, teens | Leave a commentThe Purity Report Vimeo Channel
Published January 4, 2011 | We wanted to let everyone know we have a new channel on Vimeo. In it we will be sharing bits and bytes about The Purity Report and how it all works. Check it out and leave a comment!
“Eyes of Integrity” and “Pure Eyes”
Published September 4, 2010 | 
Craig Gross, founder of XXXChurch.com, just released two books on sexual integrity, “Eyes of Integrity” and “Pure Eyes“. the first is a general book about porn, how it affects us all and how to get help. The second is a man’s guide to sexual integrity.
The exciting thing is that our ministry is featured in the Resources section of both books. In their online resources, they provided the link to Higher-Calling.com, a ministry of ours for those struggling with sexual sin. Higher-Calling.com was re-branded as The Purity Report at the beginning of this year.
We highly recommend these new books and look forward to the opportunity to help a lot of people through these referrals.
Teens Against Porn – Reloaded
Published July 24, 2010 | 
One of our sites, Teens Against Pornography, has been relaunched on a new platform. The team there is really excited about building out content and improving the look-and-feel now that the upgrades are complete.
If you are a teenager, stay tuned to Teens Against Porn. A lot of new, cool features should be popping up!
If you aren’t a teen, but know one who struggles with porn and wants help – send them our way. Teens Against Porn is a great place where teens are empowered to Get Real, Get Honest and Get Free!
Keep In Touch