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61 COMMENTS

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Jonathan

What about masturbation? The desire to masturbate? In keeping with the ‘model’ (I know its not a strategy, but more of a paradigm) of John 8:32, what are some of the lies associated with masturbation that can help lead one to freedom?

Also, I must say thanks for your excellent explanation of John 8:32, it has really helped me make more progress in a period of months than my past 7 years put together.

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    David Martin

    Perhaps the biggest lie associated with masturbation is the lie that God forbids masturbation.

    That topic is on our list of FAQs to cover at some point, but I also hope to deal with it as part of a series of articles highlighting the many man-made rules (doomed to fail – Col. 2:20-23) which we have added to our efforts to overcome pornography/sexual addictions.

    The Bible does speak of masturbation, but it is not widely recognized as such because it is clearly not condemned in the passage where it is mentioned. Since so many assume that masturbation must be condemned in the Bible, that passage—they reason—must not be really talking about masturbation, but something else.

    That’s a teaser… I’ll save the full content for later… but I will try to put it a little higher on the priority list…

    Thanks for writing. I hope you’ll subscribe to the blog and share it with others. Please write and tell us more about your experience, too!

    — David Martin (aka Pastor Ed)

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      Gary

      My question about masturbation is this:

      How is it possible for it to be OK?

      1 – If it were purely an act of friction, then it might be OK…if life’s stresses didn’t “drive” one to do it. In the latter case, the better choice would have been to seek God about the stresses instead of trying to give oneself temporary relief through orgasm (or chocolate, a marathon TV session, alcohol, etc,). Masturbation wouldn’t be wrong, but the running to it as a means dealing with stress.

      2 – If masturbation isn’t just an act of friction to produce pleasure, but an act “requiring” outside help to get & stay erect (ie porn or imagining certain individuals in a sexual way), I don’t see how that could be an acceptable practice.

      QUESTION: What about one’s mental state/thoughts would make masturbation OK or not OK?

      One final question. There is an Old Testament passage about the sinfulness of a man “spilling his seed” on the ground — I’m not sure what it means, but I’ve heard it used to condemn masturbation as a selfish act rather than sex with one’s wife/husband.

      What do you think about this?

      Thank you very much!

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Greg

A friend just sent me the link to your website . . . in 45 minutes I’ve read everything except the Articles, and now I need to go to work. But! — I am hopeful in knowing that by the time I am able to come back and read the articles and meditate on the Truth in direct contrast to the lies that have been hidden in my heart since the age of nine, I expect to experience the transforming shift that Pastor Ed and the other founders of this website are telling the world about! Thank you . . .

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    David Martin

    Greg,

    We are thrilled that you’ve found MCAG. Prayerfully read the articles… and let us know how they impact your life. Please feel free to ask any questions that you have!

    David Martin (aka Pastor Ed)

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      Greg

      Let me begin my praise for God and the men who established this website with this:

      Well, the engine in a car I still owe $6,600 on blew up 10 days ago, and the situation is still unresolved (plus our other vehicle needs $850 in repairs and I don’t have the money) . . . normally, this kind of high-anxiety-producing situation would have me lusting/fantasizing continually, almost every minute of every day. But, AMAZINGLY, SURPRISINGLY, I’ve been FREE of lust and sexual fantasy ever since the link to this website was emailed to me 9 days ago!

      Here’s the background story: Prior to this, I’d been praying fervently for my kids and asking God to show them how precious each person is because of how He created each one in His image (what prompted this is that my kids seem to be able to watch the TV show, “Walking Dead” and see these horrid images of “undead” human bodies and not be the least bit disturbed by it).

      Then I found this website, and the moment the Holy Spirit helped me to see the three lies and connect the beauty of God’s Image with the beauty of the naked female body, I’ve been able to look at a beautiful woman (with clothes on, out in my real day-to-day life) and — even in the midst of high stress and anxiety — and not lust! I’m finding I’m able to give myself permission to simply, for a few seconds, appreciate her beauty, but then NOT move into lustful thoughts or sexual fantasy. The words “made in God’s image” flash through my mind, and that completely neutralizes any tendency I might have to move into more lustful thinking.

      I do think that the deep conviction God was already laying on my heart in regards to the zombie issue (because of how it offends Him so much whenever His image is smeared, warped, and trivialized in our culture) has been a key — God was setting me up, in a good way, for the knockout punch that I’ve been praying for (vs. my struggle with porn) over the last 35 years!

      Now I’m finding that I’m FREE, and whereas before I had to expend, say, 76% of my energy to maintain a lust-free thought life (which wasn’t actually possible — I was just white-knuckling it and keeping most of the monster in its cage most of the time), now I feel like I’m expending only about 3% of my energy in maintaining my freedom. I can’t tell you how deeply grateful I am to finally, finally, finally be able to enjoy a lust-free thought life that allows me to give 97% of my thought-energy to other things, including problem-solving, praise, and gratitude-based thinking!

      The timing couldn’t have been better, and (not to wax political here, but I have to say) even if our country goes to pot under another four years of Obama, I now find myself NOT worrying about my faith weakening as a result of increased economic burdens/financial hardships, instead, I find myself feeling ready to lean-in to whatever comes, with my Shield of Faith held in front of me and the Word of Truth becoming more and more alive in my lust-free heart and mind. PRAISE JESUS!

      You might say, “Dude, it’s only been ten days.” You don’t understand — if I’ve been lust-free during THESE most horrific ten days (because for 20 years financial stress has always been my biggest anxiety trigger, and anxiety ALWAYS led to lusting and/or viewing pornography), then I am confident that this freedom is permanent (apart from any future choice to sin apart from feeling triggered by anxiety).

      Thanks for reading — I hope this also might help someone else in some way . . .

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        David Martin

        Greg,

        Thanks for that GREAT report!

        There’s just one thing in what you said that I would offer a caution about…

        I’m able to give myself permission to simply, for a few seconds, appreciate her beauty, but then NOT move into lustful thoughts or sexual fantasy.

        I certainly understand what you’re saying, but just keep in mind that the “few seconds” idea is not a mandate from God. The mandate is “don’t lust” and provided you are free from lust, there’s no time limit on appreciation of a woman’s beauty any more than there’s a time limit on the appreciation of the beauty of a rose or a mountain vista.

        It is “politeness” rather than “rightness” that instructs us to refrain from staring at a beautiful woman in a social setting.

        — David Martin (aka Pastor Ed)

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          Greg

          Thank you for that clarification . . . and yes, I’ve begun to catch a glimpse of how it is POSSIBLE to appreciate a woman’s beauty for longer than a few seconds without lusting, and without staring (in certain contexts). For example, when our family attended a sports banquet last week (long and boring!), I was able to look at the cheerleader’s coach (an attractive woman) for the full duration of time that she was speaking from the podium without lusting, without fantasizing, and without feeling self-conscious about “staring.” In this context, you’re SUPPOSED to “stare” – i.e., maintain prolonged visual contact with the speaker. But — I think I will err on the side of “a few seconds” for now, simply because it keeps me from committing a social blunder in most settings. Thanks again!

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          David Martin

          Hey, Greg.

          A funny thing happens when you finally acknowledge that you are “allowed” to gaze at a woman’s beauty… without lust and without sin… you find that you don’t have to!

          The “allure of the forbidden” phenomenon is very real.

          — David Martin (aka Pastor Ed)

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Chris

I just want to thank all of you who are involved in this website. This website is helping me to see the truth. Removing porn from my life is one of the things at the top of my list. Like your website describes, I have become bound by it and it puts fear into my relationship with God. What I mean by that is I feel guilty for my actions, which I know is the way any Christian should feel when sinning. Porn has giving me much fear in my life. Such as the fear of losing my salvation, and the fear of always being held down by it in the “pit”. I have tried all the different strategies and some of them seem to work for a short time but none of them are permanent. The truth’s you write on this website really make sense to me. I ask that you would pray for me that I would dispose of the lies I believe and replace them with the truth. With God’s help and help from this website I believe that i can truly be free.

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    David Martin (aka Pastor Ed)

    Thank you for your encouraging note! We will pray that God will reveal to you the truth that you need to see and understand so that you will be set free.

    David Martin (aka Pastor Ed)

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    Pastor David RN

    We ARE praying…. Prayer is essential, because we depend on the Holy Spirit to apply these truths in specific situations that we know little about. We’ve tried to expound the truth of “body acceptance” and confront the lies of a pornographic view of the body, but each individual has unique stories and backgrounds. Jesus, Who is the Truth, personally sets people free with truth, and ultimately, our confidence at MCAG is in His power and faithfulness to do just that! God bless you!

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Garry J

I, too, have used various strategies and have been successful for a time. But, the desire to look at pornography is still there, even when I abstain. I have read the articles and believe that the naked body is a wonderful creation of God. In fact, I have looked at lots of men and women at the beach, etc. without any lusting. I still don’t know how accepting the truth about our bodies will free me from the desire to look at people having sex on the internet. Appreciate your thoughts.

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    David Martin

    Hey, Garry. Thanks for writing.

    That’s great to hear that your heart and mind are changing in reference to the nature of the unclothed human form.

    I have a few comments in response to your question about watching people perform sex acts…

    First of all, I remind you that every sin bondage is empowered by a lie. If the bondage remains, then you can be sure that a lie remains. Therefore, your path to freedom will only be by way of rooting out that lie and replacing it with the truth.

    Let me offer some suggestions as to how the truth about our bodies can transform your response to watching sex acts.

    * The people in those images/videos are human beings who are made in God’s image… yet very often, the acts they perform in pornography are very degrading. While loving marital union is a beautiful thing, so much of pornography is just two (or more) people using one another… it’s anything but love. Next time you see it, focus on and see the people in the video… and ask yourself if they deserve the objectification they are being subjected to. Ask yourself if this is honoring to the image of God that’s on display in their nakedness. Think for a moment about Satan’s usages of that imagery to mock, insult, and demean the visual likeness of our God. When you really see it that way, those images will make you sick.

    * I suspect that you may also be harboring a lie about the meaning of sex, itself, too. The sexual union between a husband and wife is designed by God to be a picture of His own trinitarian unity within the Godhead (See Gen. 1:26-27 compared to Gen. 2:24 — both are a plurality expressed as a unity). This gives the sex act much greater significance than simply two people enjoying a biological “high” together.

    On the MCAG website, there’s an audio recording of a talk I gave a few years back which touched on these teachings…

    https://www.mychainsaregone.org/MCAG-audio.htm

    On that page, you’ll find a link to The Incarnation — Scene One. Take a listen and let us know what you think of it.

    — David Martin (aka Pastor Ed)

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Garry J

Thanks for the reply. I listened to your talk on “The Incarnation-Scene One”. I like your statement that “erotic love is a picture of agape love”. At least, that’s what it should be. I do understand and practice the fact that when my wife and I enjoy physical intimacy, there is more to it than just the physical act. There is a spiritual component. Our mutual desire is to experience the oneness that only sexual intimacy together can bring. This cannot be experienced in self-gratification. That’s why we have a strong desire to be with each other.

Your statement about looking at the people in porn as “human beings who are made in God’s image” sounds good. But, it is a little more difficult to experience emotionally. I know intellectually that they are not reflecting sexual intimacy as God intended. I would like it to make me “sick”. Can that happen?

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    David Martin

    Hey, Garry.

    Absolutely, Yes! it can happen.

    Think about it… Emotions don’t drive your beliefs, they reveal them. We as humans always feel emotions as responses to our perception of reality, they are not signals of what is true. Therefore, your lack of “sick” response really only alerts you to the fact that you still don’t see those images truthfully.

    Consider those porn scenes as God must perceive them… here’s a man that is not displaying the kind of self-giving love that God intended him to express. Here’s a woman who believes that it is in her sexual appeal and performance is where her worth is found. Both of them see their own nudity only in terms of sexual impact… the self-revelation of God in that sight is the last think in their minds.

    Consider those porn scenes as Satan must perceive them… Here are two of God’s crowning creations… souls for whom Christ gave His life… acting in ways that are horrifically dishonoring to the One whose image they bear… and turning the beautiful gift of sexual union into a mockery of the 3-in-one God who gave that gift.

    When you really see it as God sees that porn, you will be sickened by it.

    Unfortunately, you’ve been in the habit of thinking very different thoughts than God’s thoughts whenever you’ve viewed it in the past. You’ve been practicing a very different physical and emotional response to it. But this is precisely the point where you need to renew your mind…

    Pray that God will give you His perspective on it. That’s when you’ll be set free… because His perspective is truth… and the truth will make you free.

    — David Martin (aka Pastor Ed)

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      Garry J

      Thanks, Pastor Ed. I am praying that God will renew my mind as you said. I Corinthians 10: 3-6 tells us about “taking every thought captive”. Romans 12:2 tells us about “renewing our mind”. I have been trying to apply these scriptures to my life. Pray that I really start believeing the truth. God bless you.

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        David Martin

        Garry, it sounds like you’ve turned the corner… recognizing that it is truth that will set you free, not some sort of strategy.

        About “taking every thought captive”… this verse is misused in many “plans” for fighting porn. It is generally used to tell guys to “make sure you control your thoughts!” I don’t believe that’s what it means… This verse is not teaching that we must, by brute force of will, tame our minds so that we never dwell on “sinful thoughts.”

        I think it means that every thought that comes through the gate of your mind gets “arrested,” and you have guards on duty to “search him” with a pat-down looking for any concealed weapons (lies) that are attempting to infiltrate your mind and influence your behavior. Or put another way, incoming thoughts are “guilty until proven innocent.”

        This is very important because the enemy has one and only one tool against us… a lie. He will never cease to attempt to infiltrate our minds with lies so that he can influence our behavior. It’s very easy to see how successful he is at that strategy these days… just look around you at how people are doing such incomprehensible things because they have such goofy ideas about reality… He can and will plant thoughts in our heads that sound utterly plausible and “wise,” but which conceal a deadly untruth under the surface.

        “Taking every thought captive” is about rejecting lies and affirming the truth… which means it is in perfect harmony with John 8:32 and Rom. 12:2. Understood that way, it underscores everything we’re trying to teach at MCAG. Understood incorrectly, and that verse itself because a vehicle of the self-effort lie that will keep people in all sorts of bondage.

        — David Martin (aka Pastor Ed)

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          Garry J

          Very helpful, Ed. I know that self-effort alone does not work. Keep me in your prayers.

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Garry J

Would like your perspective on masturbation. Thanks.

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    David Martin

    Hey, Garry.

    That has to be our most frequently asked question among our frequently asked questions.

    I commented briefly to another blog reader where I made a few comments, but I’ll wait until a full blog post (or a series!) to address it more completely.

    Thanks.

    David Martin (aka Pastor Ed)

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    Shawn P

    Here is one of the better websites I’ve found on masturbation.

    http://boysunderattack.com/index.html

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      Pastor Bill

      First I apologize for approving your post so late. I’m a klutz at this blog thing. I’m learning. Thanks for the link. The article on this website on about masturbation is good and essentially concurs with our thoughts on the matter. – Pastor Bill

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Anonymous

I would also recommend those afflicted to consider a 12-step group like SA (Sexaholics Anonymous) or SLAA (Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous). There are many in there dealing with pornography, amongst other issues. It provides a great way to take a hard look at yourself, past and present, and further defend against inappropriate ways of thinking and acting. The more that participate will reduce the taboo nature of such groups and bring the issue more into the light. I will take this website and thoughts to our group. Thanks.

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    Pastor Ed

    Hey, Anon.

    We at MCAG are not very eager to recommend such groups as you have mentioned. The reason is that they typically assume the core lie that empowers porn bondage to be true, so their strategies never challenge that lie, but instead end up affirming it.

    It is a good thing to take that “look at yourself, past and present” because we can learn so much about our current behavior that way.

    Thanks for taking our message to the group, though. If the truth which MCAG teaches could be combined with that past/present evaluation of our lives, it would be a powerful combination.

    Let us know what the response is. If I had to predict, though, I would suspect that the first time they catch wind of the fact that we teach that men are NOT hard-wired to “automatically” become aroused at the mere sight of a naked woman, they’ll laugh us to scorn. But make no mistake, that’s the core lie of our culture that binds so many men to porn.

    — Pastor Ed

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justin

I have been addicted to pornography for over twenty years, it has hurt or ruined every relationship I have ever had. I have tried stopping maybe 50 times or more in my life, I do not know if this will work, but I hope that it does. I just don’t know where to start.

I know that I love porn above all else, because I have put it above all else, I just wish I was strong enough to do this by myself. How do I even begin?

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    David Martin

    Justin,

    Welcome to MCAG.

    I myself struggled with pornography for over 30 years. Pastor Bill struggled with it for even longer!

    When I came to understand the truths we present on MCAG, my addiction stopped almost instantaneously. The same was true for Pastor Bill.

    Honestly, everyone I know who has truly embraced the teaching of MCAG has experienced that same—very sudden and very permanent—liberation from their bondage.

    This doesn’t happen because we have such a good “strategy” at MCAG… we really have none. It happens for one reason, and one reason only. Jesus said that the truth would MAKE us free. It doesn’t help us get free, and it doesn’t empower us to break free. It doesn’t even send us in the “right direction.” It simply makes us free!

    So, all we offer here at MCAG is the same truth that we came to understand, believe, and apply in our lives. And when we did, our chains of addiction simply fell off.

    How do you begin?

    Easy. Read through all the articles on the MCAG main site (https://mychainsaregone.org).

    Then, read them again. Read them until you really understand… then live as if the things you read are genuinely true.

    Feel free to write us with any questions you have. We’re all very eager to help, so we respond personally.

    Keep us posted!

    David Martin (aka Pastor Ed)

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Wes

Ed, Bill and David,

First I want to say, thanks to your efforts I have been free from porn for about two months! I had to read and think through much of the material more than once, so this is to encourage others: Yes, it’s a lot to read, print it out if you have to, but keep praying, reading and thinking through these pages and let God renew your mind (Rom. 12) and set you free! You have to keep making the choice to believe the truth.

What I am now struggling with and wondering about is this: What are some of the practical implications of your teaching? And what will help reinforce the truth? I know it will likely be different for each person, but perhaps you could give some examples in your blog posts, or comment on some of these ideas:

* Not covering up/hiding so much in public change rooms (as discussed in Bill’s post about the gym), nor in the home.

* Display artwork (including photography) in the home that contains non-sexual nudity (I would be interested in your thoughts on how to define non-sexual nudity, and whether erotic art is ever appropriate. My observation is that some artists don’t make a distinction.).

* Participate in life drawing classes featuring nude models (for those interested in drawing).

Thanks.

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    David Martin

    Wes,

    Thanks for your encouragement. That’s great to hear about the transformation that’s already taking place in your life!

    And, yes, we’ve heard from more than one that sometimes the articles have to be read multiple times before they really begin to sink in.

    In answer to your question about “how” to reinforce the truth, all of the ideas that you’ve mentioned would be fine.

    When we reject the pornographic view of the body, we’ll find that many different “rules” that we have been slavishly following in hopes of maintaining our moral purity are really just reflections of (and only reinforce) that pornographic view. We can—and should—reject those rules… even choosing to live and act in defiance of them… such as in the ways you suggested.

    When we make day to day decisions that are contrary to the lie but in harmony with the truth, that is when we will find that the truth will make us free!

    Thanks for writing!

    David Martin (aka Pastor Ed)

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Denise

Hi. I really like your site but I have a question. Above you told a man he could look at a beautiful woman as long as he wanted to as long as there was no lust. Are you a married man? Because it would hurt me to know or see my hubnd staring at other beautiful women for lengths of time. Just wondering about that n if your wives agree with that.

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    David Martin

    Hi, Denise. Thanks for writing.

    I certainly understand your question. Let me see if I can cast the issue in a different light and see if it makes more sense.

    Ultimately, the point is that God does not forbid us to gaze at any sort of beauty. At the same time, the Bible prohibits sinful lust. Therefore, the conclusion must be that, scripturally speaking, so long as there is no lust, the appreciation of beauty is not sinful.

    A few examples:

    I love the mountains. I love to gaze at their beauty, and when given the chance, I can look at them a long time. And my wife doesn’t mind at all.

    Of course, a beautiful woman and a mountain scape are not the same, right? But what’s the difference? Well, the difference is the fact that we are relational, and since the beauty of a woman is the expression of a person, there’s now a personal component to the equation. Yet, that by itself does not change the morality of gazing. The problem is that there is a potential for comparison and displacement. It’s a real potential for the guy, and it is manifest as a fear in his wife. She may fear that her husbands admiration may be greater for the other woman than for her. And she may fear that that other woman could displace her in her husband’s heart. This potential and fear are very real–and must not be denied or ignored–yet they do not render the gaze wrong. The wise man will exercise deference towards his wife so that her fears that he might admire and be drawn to another woman more than her would be allayed.

    Yet, there can be contexts where a man might gaze for a long time at a beautiful woman without his wife having any fears. I have two daughters who are blossoming into womanhood in a gorgeous way… My wife and I both can just sit and stare at them and wonder at their beauty. And she has no problem with me gazing at them that way, for there is no “comparing” going on, nor is there any danger of displacement.

    Another context might be that of an artist. I have a good friend who loves and fears the Lord. He’s also an amazing artist. He has on many occasions painted nudes. In this case, he must gaze at and study every nuance of her beauty, with the aim to faithfully enhance it and capture it on the canvas. His wife has no problem with him doing that. There is no issue of “comparison” to his own wife. Nor is there any danger of displacement.

    My wife fully understands our beliefs and she trusts me to be able to see and acknowledge the beauty of another woman without it being a danger to her personally. Yet at the same time, I don’t exercise that freedom without a thought of her feelings. She is more important to me than my freedom to gaze at beauty. So, I act in deference to her (and to the woman I may observe) and don’t just gaze.

    I hope that helps.

    — David Martin (aka Pastor Ed)

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Denise

Hi Ed. Thanks for writing me back. While I’m not sure i completely agree 🙂 I LOVE what you said at the end, “Yet at the same time, I don’t exercise that freedom without a thought of her feelings. She is more important to me than my freedom to gaze at beauty.” Thats beautiful and truly loving. My husband would say the same thing. Again, thanks for your response. Praise God for victory and freedom in Christ! Denise

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captain mombasa

Hello Ed,
Your story about chains – super. When I read it yesterday I thought – that’s about me and my struggles ( as you over 30 years). Yes , your KEY is really THE KEY. The truth will set you free ( all the tenits of faith put into the practice). But I really have experienced recently (I’ve been sober for 44 days) that frank prayer with faith really helps at the time of temptation. When urge comes or my will weakens and there is even the smallest possibility to choose porn /masturbation I pray best I can and 5,10, 15 minutes are enough so that Lord could give me rescue ( He extinquishes my cravings every time even befor prayer when I simply prepare to it). After such prayer I win over temptation almost effortless. because Lord gives graces by the means of prayer. So the truth sets free because Jesus said – “Watch and pray, that you enter not into temptation” (Mt. 26,41) , “Ask, and it shall be given you “( Mt. 7,7 ) and when I apply consistently the two utterances of Lord in addition to living in the state of grace I must win the battle because Jesus promised that to me. So dear Ed you can’t write or say – prayer doesn’t help in porn addiction because such a statement is against the truth (e.i. – (Mt. 26,41), ( Mt. 7,7 ) . For many many years my failure with prayer was that I prayed for liberation from porn/mast. but never did it at the time of temptation – Then I never put into practise the following ancient teaching of my church- “it is especially to be remarked that no one can resist the impure temptations of the flesh without recommending himself to God when he is tempted. This foe is so terrible that, when he fights with us, he takes away all light; he makes us forget all our meditations, all our good resolutions; he makes us also disregard the truths of faith, and even almost lose the fear of the divine punishments. For he conspires. with our natural inclinations, which drive us with the greatest violence to the indulgence of sensual pleasures. He who in such a moment does not have recourse to God is lost The only defense against this temptation is prayer”
Faith without practise is a dead faith (consequently it is no faith but pipe dreams about faith or living practically with lies). Or else – theoretical faith doesn’t set free.

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Tony

I have noticed that no new posts have been made on either the MCAG Blog or the MCAG Facebook page. Please don’t give up on this important ministry!

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    David Martin

    Thanks for the encouragement, Tony.

    We have not forgotten the effort, I assure you. We all tend to be pretty busy, though.

    I do hope to reinitialize an active presence with the site and the blog soon, however…

    David Martin (aka Pastor Ed)

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Bryan

I don’t understand what actualyl enables me to remove the chain from around my neck. I think I understanding my believing pornography has a hold over me or is a part of me is me what keeps the chain on my neck. How do I come to the conlusion, the belief in my heart, that this is not so which enables me to simply remove the chain from my neck?

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    David Martin

    Hey, Bryan. Thanks for asking

    (For others reading this comment, Bryan is alluding to the imagery in the allegorical story called, The Chain which is posted on the main MCAG site.)

    In short, Bryan, the “collar” is the belief that a man’s sexual desires are automatically aroused by the simple sight of a woman’s body. Men are not designed by God to be aroused visually any more than women are. This is a lie that almost everyone believes. Entire books have been written based upon this lie being assumed true. Counselors tell both men and women that that’s the way God made them, and base their counsel upon it.

    But it is a lie… and I believe that it is THE lie that keeps people bound to pornography… it keeps the chain connected to the person.

    And it is the collar–that everyone will tell you is “just a part of you–you can’t take it off!!”

    As a trigger for sexual desire/lust/arousal, it is a conditioned response, and it can and must be deactivated. You can take it off!

    I recommend you keep reading the MCAG articles–multiple times–to let the new mindset about the human form to really sink in. Pay special attention to the following pages:

    The Chain – Annotated
    Corollary to Lie #2
    The Renewed View

    Please stay in touch!

    By HIS Grace,
    David Martin (aka Pastor Ed)

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Pastor Bill

Thanks. Great to hear this.

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bobby

Do you guys do seminars or do you have anything on DVD?

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    webadmin

    We are working on a study course, but have not yet produced any video materials. Stay tuned.

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elmcal

So, when confronted with a pornographic image, what response do you suggest? Turn tail and run? Or take it in and thank the Lord for His beautiful creation?

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    David Martin

    Elmcal, Thanks for writing.

    There’s usually more than just two options to such a situation! I think the answer to your question would be in asking you this question…

    How would Jesus have responded to a woman who threw herself at Him… sexually objectifying herself in an effort to elicit a sexual response from Him? Would he have run away? Or looked away from her?

    One thing for sure, He would not “ratify” her sexualization by allowing lust to take root in His own heart. But how would He respond? How would He think about that woman?

    Would He not still see her as a person? Would He not recognize that in that display of her body seeking a sexual response actually evidence of a deep need for love and acceptance deceived into seeking a counterfeit version of “love” in the form of sexual interest from men?

    Once the truth has taken root in your heart, you’ll find that pornographic images sadden you rather than entice you. You’ll find that you turn away from it in repulsion in the same sort of way as you would turn away from images of some other form of abuse of that woman.

    The image of a man striking a woman in the face would incite compassion in your heart for her… and anger towards the man striking her. And it wouldn’t make any difference if you knew that the woman was being well-paid for submitting to that abuse or that she actually welcomed and invited it. Such an image would testify to her mistreatment by that man and her deep need for real love and acceptance.

    When you think about it, the very same thing is happening with that provocative image. Men are abusing her by rejecting her personhood and in favor of the mistreatment of her body for their own pleasure.

    Those images–seen correctly–are not about the beauty of her body, but the abuse of her person… and it’s not a pretty sight at all. This is what Jesus would see. He would reach out to her, that’s what He would do. Perhaps the best response we can have when seeing such an image is to pray for the woman… and stand against the treatment of women that way.

    Make sense?

    David Martin

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      elmcal

      Thank you for giving such a sensible answer. You have helped me a great deal. 🙂 Your website is very good and I pray that God will continue to use to liberate more men and women from this pernicious evil. God bless.

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Christopher Lupo

Thanks for the site. You’ve really revolutionized how I understand the body. I understand in my mind I don’t need to covet/lust after attractive bodies. I don’t harbor and dwell on sexual desires. However, my penis doesn’t seem to agree. Just a half second look at a pretty person get’s the juices flowing down there and it’s distracting.

Here comes blunt question>
You’ve taught nudity doesn’t equal erotic. But how can you make nudity doesn’t equal automatic boner?

    comments user
    David Martin

    Christopher… Thanks for writing.

    The experience you’re having is entirely conditioned.

    Remember the post where we talked about the dogs who salivated at the sound of a bell? Because the ringing of the bell always accompanied the delivery of food, they soon got to the point that they would salivate when the bell rang even if no food was provided.

    For you, while you have mentally assented to the fact that the bell (nudity) doesn’t automatically mean food (sexual excitement), your conditioned response is still automatic. It would be that way and remain so for the dogs… for a LONG time… if they only periodically rang the bell. So, how would you UNcondition the dogs? Easy. Ring the bell a lot more… when it’s NOT food-time. In a short amount of time, the conditioning would be broken, because a dog can’t salivate all day long every day. In like manner, more frequent exposure to non-sexual nudity would utterly break the “automatic” response you still have. You can’t have an erection all the time… you’re body cannot sustain it.

    How do you get more frequent exposure to non-sexual nudity? Well, that’s a question for you to decide before the Lord. However, here are some things you can think and pray about. We have recommended a trip or two or three to an art museum… with the express purpose of gazing at the nudes there. Pray about it, and ask the Lord to help you see those images as HE sees them, and to respond to them in accordance with that truth. You might find that spending more time unclothed yourself will help you transform your “automatic” responses. Some have pursued some sort of non-sexual social nudity opportunities (many fear what you believe you would experience there, but the actual experience almost never matches the fear.)

    Pastor David Martin

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Christopher Lupo

Where can we see your peoples’ work outside of this website? What churches, publications, books, social media accounts, etc. are you guys involved in? Or even just other people you recommend as leaders who could serve as a source of reliable teaching (people who might also hold the views of MCAG but also publicly talk about other issues)? It would be nice to see other work not necessarily related to the purpose of MCAG. I saw one of you guys recommended “Centerfold Syndrome” but I haven’t seen another cases where a MCAG writer referenced a contemporary source that wasn’t the Bible or a MCAG article. Thanks

    comments user
    David Martin

    Christopher,

    That’s a very good question. I wish I had a more satisfactory answer for you.

    You are going to have to wrestle with this issue before the Lord–as we have–and determine if you are prepared to believe that just about all of contemporary Christendom has actually embraced falsehoods about our bodies… and perhaps he will lead you to be one of the voices for truth as he has led us.

    Take note that I am not asking you to “take our word for it… we’re right and everyone else is wrong.” I’m telling you to consider that as a possible reality, research it well yourself, and ask God to reveal to you what the truth is.

    We’re pretty upfront here at MCAG about the fact that what we teach is quite radical and revolutionary… not because it is a departure from the Scriptures, but because it denounces a deeply held belief about our bodies–and nudity–that have practically become part of the fabric of Christian theology, despite the fact that the biblical evidence for the generally accepted ideas are completely lacking or based upon very flimsy biblical exegesis and historical understanding. Those false views are so deeply held and rabidly defended in Church culture today that if a well-known bible teacher or Christian organization ever dared to refute the lies and declare the truth, they would likely face severe condemnation by the Christian community and a complete loss of the financial support upon which they depend.

    Upton Sinclair once said, “It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.”

    When it comes to Christian leaders and organizations, that seems to me to be very apt relative to the things we teach. It should be noted that not one of the MCAG authors receives any payment for what we have written here, nor does MCAG seek or receive donations of any sort. We write what we write because it is truth.

    Having said that, I’ll see if I can offer some evidences in others’ writings that resonate with our message.

    One really good article that is very much in keeping with our message is this blog post by Pastor Nate Pyle called Seeing a Woman.

    Josh McDowell preached at Moody Bible Institute’s Founder’s Week a message about pornography that was very good… and in keeping with our message (although he didn’t go as far with the implications of how to “show our kids the truth” as we have) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOSbUjmupWE

    I have yet to find a pastor or theologian who could refute what we teach here from the Bible… and I’ve tried. I consider the meaning of the Imago Dei to be core to what we teach here, and no one has ever given an answer to my study on that topic as it relates to our physicality. If you have not read my papers on that point, I encourage you to do so. Examining the Physical Nature of the Imago Dei – Part 1, Part 2a, Part 2b

    Finally, perhaps the most comprehensive theological work ever written that is in harmony with the MCAG teaching is the seminal work of Pope John Paul II called “The Theology of the Body.” Many evangelicals may dismiss this work as having come from a Catholic, but the truth is that this work does not rest upon Catholic doctrinal tradition alone for its position… rather, the Pope uses the scriptures extensively to support his statements. It has literally been the most significant theological work that I as a baptist PK have ever been exposed to. Before he became the Pope, he also wrote an important related work called “Love and Responsibility.” You can research those resources online… there’s a lot of information out there.

    Consider this… since we are created “in God’s image”–and if we take it that the very shape of our bodies is part of that “image”–what is the Evangelical church’s teaching on what God revealed about Himself through our bodies?

    The Catholics have JPII’s work to point to… but Evangelicals have nothing to say in answer to that question.

    This means that we have a hole in our Theology! God has revealed something about Himself through our bodies, but we are completely clueless as to what it is. Furthermore, we have a hole in our Anthropology! The very meaning of our own bodies is a theological doctrine that is foreign to our thinking.

    Rest assured however, that Satan knows what our bodies mean… and into such a vacuum as this, he has only to eagerly inserted his own “theology.” It is the porno-prudish view of the body that we have talked about–and the church seems so eager to promote and defend.

    May the Lord bless your study and lead you into truth. If you get a chance to write back sometime and give us an update, please do.

    Pastor David Martin

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Al

This website is very valuable. The focus seems to be on men who have become bound to pornography. There are some other categories that I think deserve attention.

1. How do we raise children so that they can deal with the lie of pornography?
2. I am loathe to demonize and condemn masturbation but truly orgasm is addictive and experiencing it as conveniently as one can alone can create a bondage that doesn’t need ( but frequently welcomes) pornography. How do we teach youth to learn how to reserve these sacred feelings?
3. Men with a masturbation habit (whether or not they end it at marriage) can make demands on their spouses that are not sustainable and paradoxically put distance between them when sex should bring closeness. How can we teach men to prioritize their relationship over their orgasm?
4. I find social nudism (at private AANR naturist resorts) to be healthy and liberating. But I came to it late. My wife is supportive but does not participate. Talking to other nudists, it doesn’t seem that they were raise their children to enjoy social nudism. What are the opportunities and pitfalls of raising a family in a social nudist environment? One thing is certain: it cannot be done without including Jesus Christ in the family.

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    David Martin

    Thank you for your comments. Let me briefly address your 4 points.

    1. Pastor David Hatton has offered a couple of blog posts that address the topic of raising children. https://mychainsaregone.org/porn-proof-your-children-part-1/

    2. Many things (food, alcohol, adrenaline) are addictive when misused. The fact that something can be addictive does not mean that it should be avoided at all costs. Also, you call orgasm a “sacred feeling,” but I’m not sure how you can assert or assume that. Oddly enough, the experience of orgasm is not even mentioned in the Scriptures! I believe we have to be very careful “adding to” God’s Word when God obviously chose to be silent on the matter.

    3. When you call it a “masturbation habit,” I take is that you are referencing someone who has imbalance in their life with reference to masturbation. Most likely in such a case, it’s been engaged with pornography with all its false representations of sex and women. I submit that it is THIS that will engender unrealistic or demeaning “demands” upon a spouse. The message of MCAG is that sexual fulfillment is based upon relationship rather than sight. If this truth is embraced and lived, then I think it addresses your concern as well.

    4. We are careful at MCAG not to actively promote social nudity, but you are right about the fact that it can be a healthy thing and God may indeed lead a Christian to engage in it in righteousness. To be sure, such an experience will tend to accelerate the comprehension and solidification of the truths that we proclaim at MCAG.

    Thanks for writing.

    Pastor David Martin

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      Al

      Hmmm, The articles on MCAG are nothing if not body positive. Perhaps you never said it explicitly but if the body is a gift of God then it’s feelings and functions have their ordained place. If childbearing is a godly thing, ejaculation must be as well. Is sacred much of a stretch?

      To be sure, I believe that it should be reserved for the marriage bed absolutely and exclusively and I would suggest, without necessity or constraint, that couples who consider all the implications could choose to reserve ejaculation to the intention of procreation.

      I don’t suggest that we condemn youth with a masturbation habit to hell. But I do think that masturbation is as false as pornography. Young men typically find that orgasm with masturbation is more pleasurable than orgasm in sexual intercourse. They have more control of every aspect. They also can summon the feeling on demand rather than wait for the interest and availability of a partner. Thus in marriage they become demanding and they become sensation seekers. Excessive demands by one spouse poison a relationship and many of these demands were cultivated by youthful habits.

      Christians cannot condemn pornography and wink at masturbation. But we must not cultivate shame either. Until we are willing to talk about the godly management of sexual feelings , we condemn our youth to ambiguity and sha

      You are doing a good work here but I urge you to take it a step or two further.

      I would also encourage you to obtain Alice Stockham’s book on Karezza.

        comments user
        David Martin

        Al, Thanks for your comments.

        For what it’s worth, I believe that it is MUCH more destructive to require adherence to man-made rules for righteousness than it is to masturbate.

        The bible does not forbid masturbation. It does not regulate ejaculation. It does, however, warn us against adding to God’s word and creating man-made behavioral rules and call them “God’s rules.”

        For you to personally determine that you will reserve ejaculation to your time with your wife is fine. But to assert that it is God’s will for all men is something I cannot endorse.

        David Martin

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Al

Wrong on ejaculation. A seminal emission in the Old Testament is called uncleanness. Paul condemns uncleanness along with fornication. Now because Paul does a good job of explaining intention as a basis for sin in other places and he also extols marriage, I am confident that he does not include nocturnal emission or marital ejaculation in his definition of uncleanness.

I cannot take anyone seriously who condemns pornography but won’t acknowledge masturbation as an issue that drives away God’s Spirit.

    comments user
    David Martin

    Hey, Al.

    I don’t think that you’ve satisfactorily made your point. There are many, many things in the OT that are called uncleanness. Yes, among them is a seminal emission, but it must be acknowledged that the bible does not distinguish degrees or types of “uncleanness”–as you have–between when it happens spontaneously during the night, or when a man is in bed by himself, or when he’s making love to his wife. All three make the man “unclean.” But there’s no sin indicated by God’s word for any of the three contexts.

    Furthermore, many other instances are described where someone becomes “unclean” but there’s no sin:

    – If a person had leprosy, they were perpetually unclean, but not in sin.
    – If someone touched a dead person (caring for the body of a lost family member), they would be unclean. Again, no sin.
    – For two weeks every month, a woman is considered “unclean,” but her cycle is not sinful.
    – Every time a man and wife have intercourse, they are “unclean until evening. Yet this marital act is blessed–even commanded–by God. No sin.

    “Unclean” was a designation which would exclude someone from entering the temple or participating in other formal religious rites… it was not about sin.

    I agree, that Paul is not referring to Nocturnal emissions or marital sex when he says we should avoid “uncleanness,” but you have absolutely NO biblical basis to claim that masturbation IS the sort of “uncleanness” that Paul was referring to.

    Again, I urge you to stop and ask yourself why God chose not to address and forbid masturbation in the bible. It is without dispute that He did so on purpose. God had a reason for omitting that “rule”… and no man has the authority to add it in where God left it out, no matter how compelling an argument he can make.

    In short, I trust God’s wisdom in *not* giving that rule more than I trust any man’s “wisdom” in adding it to God’s Word.

    As I said before, man-made rules of righteousness are much more destructive… and absolutely drive people away from God’s Spirit… no matter how wise they seem to be. The Apostle Paul literally tells us to reject such rules:
    ————
    If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.
    ————
    Col. 2:20-23 (NASB – emphasis mine)

    Al, I have no doubts that you desire to promote the righteousness of God and help men avoid “fleshly indulgence,” but creating additional rules–based on human wisdom–can never work, else God’s Word would be proven untrue. God will never bless any such effort, no matter how well-intentioned, or how “wise” it seems to be.

    Pastor David Martin

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Simon

Thanks guys for putting all your exegesis and reasoning into this website. I too have found freedom when I realised its my marital love relationship that’s truly arousing. Sex inside a loving relationship is far more satisfying than anything I’ve experienced.

Rather than being ashamed of nakedness in and of itself (which there is a lot of here in continental Europe), it’s the thinking that naked = porn that is part of the problem.

I will keep this short and say everything I’ve read so far, I already agree with, though I haven’t taken the time to put it into words myself. So thank you and I hope more men find freedom and gratitude in how God made us.

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    David Martin

    Thank you, Simon.

    Please take what God has been teaching you and challenge those around you with the truth. When you are confronted with the evidence of the lie in your conversation with other believers, step up and call it out. God is working in those around us to break down the lies that most Christians believe today. You never know when He will use you to bring confirmation to God’s voice in their hearts, much like MCAG has done for you.

    Pastor David Martin

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Daryl

I read the chain sometime back, today I have read most of the site and I must say you have said much of what I have come to believe for decades. From God having a “body” to skin is not sin, and looking is not lusting. I have been fascinated with nudity all of my life, and indulged in Playboy (Mr. Hefner made an empire from these lies from the Judaeo-Christian beliefs) as a teenager
to enjoy the beauty of the female form and relieve my sexual desires. I am a born again Christian raised in a strong Christian, yet family nudity was accepted but not outside those bounds. I have lived and believed the lies (still asking God to confirm they are lies) all my life. So many men struggle with the guilt of lust when they are not really lust. These truths are hard to accept and harder to teach in the church. To many in the Church we should follow the Muslim’s and put our women in burkas.

    comments user
    David Martin

    Thanks for your comments, Daryl.

    You’re right… the problem with “Playboy” images was not the exposed skin, but the sexualized presentation and perception of that exposed skin. And yes, Hugh Hefner capitalized on the church’s insistence that the exposed body be treated as a “sexual” sight.

    Pastor David Martin

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Zac

How, during quarantine, can I safely expose my eyes to non-sexually nudity to help rewire my brains conditioned responses. All museums are closed, and we don’t have any communities within 20 hrs distance I’m assuming.
I’ve considered viewing some nonsexual content online but I don’t want to fire past-addictive neurotransmitters, so I’ve avoided doing so. Thank you.
Thank you.

    comments user
    JB

    Zac,

    I’m not an owner or contributor on this site, but like you, it seems, I discovered this site at a point when they are less actively monitoring it. While there are some nudist websites that show pictures of non-sexual nudity, I must say that after reading the articles here and trying to really take the concepts to heart, I have found that I don’t necessarily need to view non-sexual nudity in order to appreciate the human body. In short, I don’t think you have to see non-sexual nudity in order to appreciate the lie of porn.

    I have enjoyed reading some nudist blogs that have helped reinforce the non-sexual nature of nudism/naturism. I’d recommend The Biblical Naturist and the Fig Leaf Forum. Neither one regularly updated now, but there’s a lot of good content at each one.

    I want to wish you good luck on your search to be free from porn!

    God bless,
    Jim

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Norman Lowell

Hey! Great stuff here. I have a few questions.

1 – What would you say the difference is between attraction (appreciating a woman’s beauty), lust, and sexual arousal? Someone distinguished between sexual attraction, (finding someone sexually appealing), sexual arousal (blood rushing through the body to the genitals, which can happen in the absence of any sexual stimuli), and finally sexual desire or libido (a desire to ACT ON or fantasize about acting on sexual attraction). I may have read wrong, but it seems that you are saying sexual arousal is linked with lust? Isn’t it possible to notice an attractive woman or man AND become aroused, yet not lust after her or him? I’ve found it interesting that the Bible says that Rebecca was “very comely to look at” (Genesis 24:16), that Rachel was “comely in features (or had a lovely figure or was shapely) and comely to look at,” and that her son Jospeh was also “comely in features and comely to look at” (Genesis 29:17, Genesis 39:6). In Deuteronomy 21:10-11 God apparently says if a man “sees…a woman of comely features…” and (separately) if he “desires” her he can marry her. And then obviously there’s the song of Solomon. What I’m pointing out is that if noticing that someone’s body is attractive was sinful, these verses shouldn’t exist, lest God put sexual thoughts in our minds.
2 – How can someone “practice” seeing women this way? I’ve faced a long struggle with pornography, yet grew up in the “purity culture” and in a fundamentalist background (can’t even go to the beach lest you see a woman in a bikini or see a couple kissing in a movie). All along I’ve known something wasn’t right, and the more things like what you guys talk about I read and learn, the more that is confirmed for me. However, the struggle remains. I want to start practicing viewing women in this light. Someone on this blog talked about how he took up nude figure painting as a part of that? I wonder how I could do something like that? This is akin to “exposure therapy.” Obviously not exposing yourself to porn but to non-pornographic nudity and learning to disconnect nudity from pornography. I’m trying to think of practical ways to do that, yet in a way that also doesn’t fuel my porn addiction. Psychologists who do believe that porn is a problem don’t see it as an addiction to nudity, but rather as an addiction to actively seeking out arousing screen novelty. It’s all about the arousal (unnatural dopamine spike) one is addicted to as they deliberately “hunt” and “pursue” by typing in keywords, clicking from picture to picture, screen to screen, video to video, etc. The issue is the arousal associated with browsing a device and searching through online content, even if what’s on the screen technically wouldn’t “count” as pornography or even as nude or explicit. The person has taught their brain to “pornify” their device and whatever is on the screen. Anyway, I don’t want to practice in a way that continues to train my brain to “hunt” for artificial arousal. That is, I feel drawn to porn even thinking about looking up nude painting, or nude yoga, or nudist events, stuff like that, if that’s even helpful for exposure therapy. Moreover, it’s complicated by the fact that I’m married and my wife, though very supportive in my journey, is not totally open to this new “nude”-positive approach. If I did any exposure therapy, it’d be in secret, and that doesn’t feel right. That feels like training my brain in secrecy, which inadvertently fuels addiction. I don’t know. Yet I feel that exposure therapy really is key to re-training my brain to view non-pornagraphic nudity as exactly that.

    comments user
    Jason

    Hi Norman, I’ll try to answer your questions.
    1. In short, lust is a neutral word. It simply means desire. You can rightly or wrongly desire something. If something is permitted to be desired, then that’s great! Lust for it! If something is not permitted to be desired, that’s not great. Turn that desire to Jesus and allow Him to heal the root of it. What society calls “addictions” are really the results of something deeper. What is actually driving that decision? What is the root of it? What pain is causing that particular fruit to grow? So, you’re right about what Deut. 21 says. Since the man is scripturally allowed to pursue the woman as a wife, then there’s no problem with desiring her. Sexual arousal is not the same as lust. It is not automatic. It is a decision based on situation and choice. Before exposing yourself to non-sexual nudity, I would definitely recommend spending some time with Jesus and looking at the “whys” as to why you’re “hunting” for nudity. Ask Him why you are “seeking out arousing screen novelty.” And definitely keep your wife in the loop. She is your wife because God knew that you needed her in your life! Do this journey together if at all possible. Blessings my friend and feel free to reach out if you have more questions or comments.

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