Is pornography a problem for students at Milligan College? According to XXXChurch founder Craig Gross and campus minister Brad Wallace, the answer is yes.
According to his research, Gross said pornography addictions are prevalent everywhere, even on a Christian campus. Gross spoke to students on Monday night in an effort to shed light on a touchy subject.
“There’s other people out there that have the same issue,” said Gross. “Just go on to the website and you’ll see that you’re not alone.”
XXXChurch is a non-profit organization that works to help individuals that are being victimized by pornography. Gross and his friend Mike Foster launched the group’s website in 2002.
Campus minister Brad Wallace also attended Monday night’s forum. He emphasized that Milligan is not immune to this problem and that Gross’s talks were needed to raise awareness.
“This is a typical college campus with typical college students,” Wallace said. “What that tells me is that this is a significant issue for a significant number of us.”
According to Gross, the average person first views pornography at 11 years old.
Most pornography addicts keep their addiction a secret, which makes it impossible to know the exact number of people struggling.
Last semester, senior Katie Lindner conducted a campus-wide survey on the subject of pornography usage. Her study showed that, out of a sample of 176 Milligan students, over half said they had used pornography at some point in the past, and one-third said they used pornography several times a year or more.
XXXChurch’s website contains blogs and an online recovery program with steps to help those that are struggling with pornography and sex addictions. The site has had over 70 million visitors.
Gross also offered solutions to students that may be struggling with a pornography addiction. He said the best way to combat the addiction is to tell a trustworthy person.
“You’ve got to get people on your hall or your RA involved in the things that nobody knows about,” said Gross. “Don’t keep it a secret.”
Senior Matthew Hicks, vice president of the student government association, said he was glad Gross came to speak on such a sensitive issue.
“I think it is amazing that we are able to break the silence and have an open dialogue about this issue,” Hicks said. “It affects people, so we must offer resources to correct it.”
XXXChurch also offers X3Watch, software that records the websites a person visits while surfing the Web. If the software finds a website to be questionable, it sends a report to an accountability partner chosen by the purchaser.
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