Promise Keepers leader denounces porn use: 'God didn't create you to be that way'
The leader of the men’s ministry organization Promise Keepers denounced the use of pornography, stating that “God didn’t create you to be that way.”
Promise Keepers Chairman and CEO Ken Harrison spoke at the 2022 Promise Keepers Marriage Summit’s two-hour virtual kickoff event, which was live-streamed on Monday.
During his comments, Harrison recounted recently being with a group of men and how, when discussing pornography, they claimed that “they couldn’t help themselves” and “God created them to be that way.”
“I said, ‘no, no, no,’” Harrison said. “God didn’t create you to be that way. God created you to have an intense longing for your wife. For the two to become one flesh. Sin created that same longing for every other woman.”
“The Bible says we must flee from sin. It’s an action. It’s a running in terror from it, because it will separate us from God, from our kids, from our wives.”
Harrison added that “men think that they have to live their lives laden down with lustful thoughts and lust. I’m telling you that you don’t.”
“The Bible didn’t tell you to flee from lustful desires when it couldn’t actually happen,” he continued. “You can’t get there in your flesh, you can’t get there by trying harder, you can’t get there by feeling guilty, but you can get there by giving your life over to Christ.”
Harrison warned that the woman involved in pornography “isn’t doing it because she’s having fun" — rather, "she’s doing it because she’s been sexually traumatized, or abused, or trafficked.”
“Those people who are making that movie are not doing it because they’re your friends,” added Harrison. “They’re doing it because every time you click on a mouse, they make more money to exploit more women.”
Harrison’s remarks came as part of the PK Marriage Summit, which featured several speakers offering advice on marriage, communication and the dangers of pornography.
The event also included a “21-Day Marriage Challenge,” with resources provided by Promise Keepers upon registering that include a prayer guide and activities.
“The challenge is designed to be completed in 3 weeks and includes discussion, a prayer guide, and activities to help build positive habits,” stated the event webpage.
“Even if you're joining after our kick-off date, the challenge is still going strong on the Promise Keepers app. It's not too late to join! Getting started is easy.”
Jimmy Evans, founder and CEO of Marriage Today, was another speaker for the virtual event. He said in his remarks that “marriage is the safest relationship on Earth.”
“Even with all the problems that people are having in marriage today, marriage is the safest relationship on Earth,” Evans noted. “You have a 100% chance of success in marriage when you do it God’s way.”
Other speakers included Al Robertson of “Duck Dynasty,” Dan Seaborn of Winning at Home, comedian Brad Stine, Gary Rosberg of America’s Family Coaches, Pastor Tim Ross of Embassy City Church and Pastor Crawford Loritts of Fellowship Bible Church, among others.
The Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, gave the opening and closing remarks for the online event. He stressed that the institution of marriage is “under unprecedented assault.”
“Arguably, we have never seen the institution of marriage more threatened than in the past few years,” said Rodriguez, who cited pornography as one of the things attacking marriage.
“Healthy marriages produce healthy families, healthy families assimilate and make up healthy churches, healthy churches produce healthy communities, a healthy community will produce a healthy state, a healthy state will be part of a healthy nation.”
Founded in 1990, Promise Keepers seeks to minister to men and foster spiritual revival, stating on its website that it is “one of the biggest movements of God in the history of the Church.”
“Today, we’re on the move again. Under the new leadership of Ken Harrison, we’re praying for massive revival and transformation in our nation by 2025,” said the ministry.
“More than ever, America needs a revival of godly men. Our nation faces problems that can only be overcome when men of integrity — promise keeping men — fulfill their destinies as godly husbands, fathers, and leaders.”