Should someone be allowed to do ministry in a leadership position (as a pastor or elder or deacon) if they struggle with pornography?
I know that there are at least two very opposing views on this issue. First, what does “struggle” mean? Does it mean that they accidentally look periodically? Does it mean that they struggle with it in their mind’s eye? Does it mean that they don’t ever act out but they wrestle with lust on a daily, weekly, etc. basis?
Again, this is a term that we Christians use very loosely and vaguely to allow some form of communication to occur and to rationalize one’s way through an argument. I know, for me at least, that if I can vaguely define some terms, I can sound like a pretty good Christian. However, I would be decieving the person.
How many times is one too many times for a person in leadership? Is it one view, two views, five views, ten views, etc? How many is too many? How many can be explained away by internet adds, spyware, etc.? When does a struggle become a habitual sin? Is there a line? I am not sure if we can biblically say what the line is. I believe it is more of a continuum, and I also believe that it has everything to do with one’s heart, motive, and intention. One’s heart, motive, and intention beside one’s action can reveal a few things: (1) the person is decieving themselves and thus others; and/or (2) the person is not struggling, their actually addicted; and/or (3) the person is truly repentant and struggling. Now, no one can really know what one’s heart, motive, and intention outside of God; however, with the power of the Holy Spirit one can discern whether a brother is lying or not for God knows the hearts and intentions of men (Heb 4:12; 5:14).
When I first became a Christian, I knew a prominent Christian evangelist. This evangelist was a true evangelist being on the “watchlist” of Mormon leadership and Jehovah’s Witness leadership (anyone found talking to this man will have an immediate meeting with their respective leadership). In the late 1990′s, he told me that no man in that situation should ever engage in leadership; however, almost 20 years later, he has mediated his position. He now believes that it lies in the heart of the leader. Previously, when a leader confided in him, he immediately would give the person the ultimatum to step down or he would talk with whomever to ensure that he would step down. Now, he encourages the person to be open and honest with their appropriate leadership team but does not dogmatically require them to step down. Is this a loosening of morality? Is this evangelist relaxing his standard? I don’t believe he is. I believe he is adapting his style to a better one.
Let’s take a few examples before we come to our conclusion. Both King David and King Solomon, two of Israel’s greatest kings struggled with “pornography,” Solomon more so than David, Ecclesiastes 2 tells us he tried pleasure and found it vanity. King David “raped” and committed adultery with Bathsheba after first watching her (voyeur). King Solomon had a harem of women (orgy, group, etc) consisting of 1,000 women! He had 700 WIVES and 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:3-4). While some of them were surely political, the Lord command him not to multiply weapons, wealth or women (Deut 17:14-17), but instead he was to multiply wisdom and the word (Deut 17:18-20). Both of these men were in great leadership positions. David was even called a man after God’s own heart! Why? How? He struggled with sexual sin! It was because of his heart. It was inclined towards God. He was quick to repent and accept the consequences. But what about Solomon? His heart was turned away from God (1 Kings 11:3-4). He started with great devotion towards God but his heart was turned away by the women. He was the wisest man ever to live and yet he too was victim to “adultery,” sex, and “pornography.”
Now, what about Samson? He struggled with Philistine women, esp. Delilah, yet judged (led) Israel for 20 years. Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, laid with his father’s concubine. Judah had casual sex with a Canaanite woman (Gen 38:2-4) and had sex with one whom he thought was a prostitute (Tamar, his daughter-in-law). While Reuben was rejected for his sin, Judah received the bloodline of Jesus and led his family (became designated as the firstborn). While there is more to these stories than these brief facts, it is interesting that there are leaders in the Bible who struggled with sexual sin.
So, what do you think? Should someone be allowed to do ministry in a leadership position (as a pastor or elder or deacon) if they “struggle” with pornography? What if they are addicted like Samson or Solomon was?
