Thursday, June 29, 2006


What do you think when you see a picture like this? Just to clarify, what you are seeing is the cover of a special edition paraphrase of the Bible called The Message. Maybe you've seen The Message before. This special edition has been used by a group from xxxchurch.com as a tool to witness to, well, adult film stars...aka...porn stars.

Part of what the guys from xxxchurch.com do is they rent space at the biggest porn conventions in the country and instead of selling, um, porn and porn related merchandise they have materials like this that they hand out to the porn stars and porn connoisseurs as a means of witnessing to them about God and more specifically, about Jesus Christ. Their approach is far different than the approach of most fundamentalists who protest outside these conventions with megaphones and signs that read, "Turn or Burn". They talk with these porn stars. They break down the massive walls that you can imagine exist in the porn culture between them and God. They get passed the stigma of talking to a porn star and they just talk with them like they are human beings...what a novel idea! Do you know that most people in that industry honestly believe that God hates them and so do we? When the people from xxxchurch.com show up and talk with these folks and just treat them warmly and with respect the porn stars and porn fans are honestly shocked.

I think, if Jesus were walking earth today, He would be with the people from xxxchurch.com, speaking with the people in the porn industry and lifestyle. Does that fit your picture of Jesus? Of course Jesus would love them but He would also call them and even demand that they leave that industry and lifestyle and so should we.

What is your opinion of this approach to evangelism? Does Jesus love porn stars? When xxxchurch.com first sought a publisher for this special edition of the Bible they ran into some problems. The American Bible Society turned them down and refused to print it. They finally got a deal with NavPress to print these things. I have still not heard a good explanation as to why ABS turned them down, other than some have said that this special edition Bible might send the wrong impression. And what would that be I wonder? I guess they thought that this Bible cover would give the impression that saying "Jesus loves porn stars" means "Jesus loves porn" or something. Who knows. Even one of my hero's, Dr. Mohler, respectfully disagrees with the printing of this, for basically that same reason.

I think it's a great thing these people are doing and I applaud this ministry. But I would love to hear what you all think. Don't be bashful...leave me a comment and let's get some thoughts and opinions bouncing around here...

While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?" On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Matthew 9:10-13 niv

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think that Jesus does love porn stars, and drunks, and murderers, and liars, and gossipers, and people who can't manage thier money, and people who think they are better than someone else, and well, everyone. We are all pieces of garbage, but Jesus loves us anyway, thank God these people are reaching out to porn stars!

Anonymous said...

Jim Bakker's son spends time in bars getting to know hurting people and sharing Christ with them. He plays pool and darts with the people. The church needs to reach all people with the Gospel. The cover may seem offensive to some, but would a porn star pick up a black leather booklet that has the words Holy Bible on it? Who knows. A banner at the booth may have been sufficient... Truth is, those offended aren't who xxxchurch is trying to reach. They wouldn't understand.

Anonymous said...

Love the sinner, hate the sin. We all have sin in our lives, even though we strive not to. Some people's sins are just more "noticeable" than others.

Anonymous said...

I think it is great. I had to think about your question though about the book title. I might be afraid young kids would take it as Jesus approves of Porn stars. Maybe if the title were Jesus died for Porn Stars or adding to the Jesus Loves Porn stars in parenthesis , "so much that He died for them on the cross) might clarify that. I find that humans look for the smallest thing to justify their unrighteousness so I guess we have to think of that.