A majority of Christians are not only viewing pornography but are also shifting their attitudes toward it.
A new study from Barna Group and Pure Desire Ministries reported that 62% of Christians now believe someone can regularly watch porn and still lead a sexually healthy life. This evolving perspective coincides with a notable rise in porn consumption among religious communities—more than half of practicing Christians (54%) admit to occasional use, while back in 2016 only 13% of practicing Christians admitted to watching.
The study highlights a gender shift as well, with 44% of women reporting they regularly view porn, a significant increase from 2016 which reported only 12% of women regularly viewed it.
“At Barna, we’ve seen significant changes in the use of pornography and its impacts since we last studied the issue eight years ago,” said David Kinnaman, CEO of Barna Group. “The rise in porn has been fueled by the shift to daily life online during the pandemic, increased loneliness, anxiety, and depression; the spread of sexualized content on social media and growing cultural acceptance.”
The study also showed that 44% of U.S. adults believe pornography has little impact on other aspects of life, but countless studies prove otherwise. Research shows that regularly viewing porn contributes to a decline in mental health and strain in relationships.
However, despite this shift in attitudes and behaviors, the church has largely remained silent, leaving many Christians to struggle without guidance. Only 10% of Christians reported that their church offers any programs to help. The majority of porn users (84%) say they have no one helping them avoid it, and nearly half say no one knows about their use.
“The changing landscape requires the Church to step in and respond,” Kinnaman said. “For both porn users and betrayed spouses, we want to see the Church come alongside those struggling and provide hope to those looking for freedom from porn.”
