The Defenders is a cool new oraganization fighting pornography, especially child porno, through encouraging men to avoid it and to speak out against it. They have a cool tv spot, and a book list which includes Joe Dallas’ The Game Plan : The Men’s 30-Day Strategy for Attaining Sexual Integrity and Bill Perkins’ When Good Men Are Tempted, among others. You may recognize Joe Dallas as the author of gay recovery books, including Desires in Conflict: Hope for Men Who Struggle With Sexual Identity.
Bill Perkins came and talked at my church’s Men’s retreat, and his candid, often explicit language and approach to sexual temptation was refreshing and inspiring. His Million Mighty Men campaign is a good one for men wanting to become real, Christian men with integrity.
Of course, these are just a couple of the excellent ministries that are fighting sin in our culture, not through legislation, but through education, inspiration, and encouragement towards personal holiness and responsibility. Others include Promise Keepers, XXX Church, New Man Magazine, and The International Men’s Network (Ed Cole, who has been doing this for over 25 years, and whose books Maximized Manhood and Courage changed my life as a young Christian in 1988).
The "Defender Pledge" includes this verbiage:
As a Defender, I pledge I will…
1) Refuse to be a victim of the commercial sex industry. I acknowledge that pornography, prostitution, and sexual addiction have no place in my life and that it is not only harmful to the women and children involved, but also to myself and those around me.
2) Commit to stand up and speak out — holding other men accountable for their behaviors and actions, being a wingman for friends in my life, and finding tools to help us avoid gateways to addiction and abuse.
3) Educate and protect children from the dangers of online recruitment by predators. Play an active role in monitoring their activity online and report any suspicious behavior.
4) Refrain from looking at, buying, or collecting pornography, knowing it is the gateway to child victimization in the commercial sex industry.
5) Say no to purchasing sexual services. I will not support the devaluation of my sisters, daughters, and friends.
