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September 7th, 2010
09:13 AM ET
My take: Jesus loves porn stars
By Craig Gross, Special to CNN I met Ron Jeremy at a porn show. A few years later we were sleeping on top of each other in a bunk bed on a tour bus. My family was with me, at times there were swingers on the bus and on occasion had some other pastors as well. We were on "The Porn Debate" tour of 7 cities in 7 nights. Ron is arguably the biggest porn star in the world with 2,000 XXX rated videos. He claims to have had sex with over 5,000 women. I started XXXchurch.com 8 years ago, created a software called X3watch that is keeping almost 1 million people accountable online and I am most often known as the Porn Pastor. I have only had sex with one woman who happens to be my wife. Ron says we are just alike. He has been with 5,000 women and I have been with my wife of 12 years almost 5,000 times. Just alike… Well not really. Ron is for porn and I am against porn. We are opponents on stage. In fact we have debated each other over 60 times in the last 4 years. We have debated at Yale, Ohio State, University of Southern California, Texas Tech, and in a few weeks we start the school year off with another debate at the University of Tennessee.
We are opponents on stage but off stage we are great friends. That's really what this is about. Jesus dined with tax collectors and befriended prostitutes. I don't want to be known as the guy who debates Ron, I'd rather be known as the guy who loves Ron. Love wins. My old pastor in Grand Rapids said that a lot. I have come to realize not only does love win, but love works and love waits. Last year, Ron was in Vegas for Easter weekend. Before he hit the topless pool at Mandalay Bay, he said he was free so I picked him up in my minivan with my two toddlers in the back, and wife as well, and we all headed to church. Ron loves worship music. If you don't believe watch this YouTube video. He loved the song "Let the Redeemed of the Lord Say So." Ron and I travel quite a bit on for the porn debates. When we see each other at porn shows across the country we go out and when he is in Las Vegas or I am in Los Angeles , we connect up for a meal or just to hang out. Ron and I talk about sex, the Bible, marriage, family, kids, heaven, hell, turtles, and so much more. He is never short on words. He has told me he is afraid to die. What if he is wrong and Jesus is really who he said he was? For the last four years we have hit up college campuses and a few nightclubs with the porn debate. We have never been to a Christian university or a church. Why not? I am always the underdog and I kind of like it that way. Although, I think it would be great to bring Ron into my world just a bit, no one invites us. The great thing about the debate is it is fair. I speak for 20 minutes, then Ron for 20 minutes then we do an hour of questions and answers. Why is the church so afraid to hear the other side? I think it would be a great outreach to bring the debate to a church but every time I pitch it to a church or Christian college they say, "We could never let him on stage at church." I don't get it. But then again, these are often the same people who say I should not even be friends with him, let alone on a tour bus with him. I know Zacchaeus was a short dude in the Bible but how can we overlook that story and see the example Jesus set for us to go after people? Two friends of mine, Miles McPherson and Ryan Meeks have agreed to do the unthinkable. On October 9, Ron and I will do the unthinkable and head over to The Rock, a church in San Diego. A few months later on March 5 we will bring the debate to Eastlake Church in Seattle, Washington. My friend Ryan is a bit out there. That's why we are friends. He traveled with Ron and me last year for a couple of debates. He said he would host the debate but only if Ron came back on Sunday and shared with the congregation about faith, God and his life. Ron does not claim to be a Christian. Why share a church stage with someone that does not claim to be a Christian yet? What can we possibly learn from that? A whole lot I believe. I believe if Christians and others would listen to more people who are not just like us, and give them opportunities in our environments, we both might experience change. What do you think? The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Craig Gross.
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Dawny, I am so sorry for your terrible chcruh experience; I understand what it feels like to be cast out and spit on. I have not had the best of histories with the chcruh either and it has caused me a great deal of pain. I cannot imagine what you are going through or what it is like; I cannot begin to feel your pain. At the same time, I have come to the conclusion that the best way to help is to do what I can where I am. I can raise awareness (as so many countless others are doing) but they and I, at this moment, do not have the influence or the position to change things, even though we are speaking out and we are trying to nudge our older, not always wiser leaders in that direction. I do not think it is helpful to drag the Body through the mud, nor is it helpful to return the same amount of vehemence which they have often shown me. She is still the Bride for whom Christ died and perfect or not, she is filled with my brothers and sisters whom I care about deeply. I will pray for you; I promise I will and I will ask God to help you heal and find a chcruh body where you are loved and supported and yet it remains faithful to his word. I know that if you give your hurts, pains, and sorrows over to the Lord that he will help you and he will heal you it has happened for me and it can happen for you. May the Lord bless you and keep you, may he cause his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you, may the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
Also. Notice Craig Gross's appearance. He looks wicked. Notice how appearances have become so very important today? So much that it is overshadowing the inside. This is living proof that the more importance you put on appearances, the more empty you will be on the inside. People who are secure in their faith and their self, have no need to worry about how they look. Sometimes I don't even brush my hair when I go in public. Especially if I don't have time. There is a limit on how "good" you need to look in the eyes of others. To create an impression in others is in itself a sinful act. You are supposed to carry God's way without putting yourself in a position of glory or credit. If this happens to you, then it is your responsibility to repent your actions and take a different approach. But today's "believers" consist of many wicked people who are oblivious to their wrongdoings. I fine example of this is so-called Christian artists who bake in their glory and attention on stage. They thank God for making them "feel good". This is not God's work. GOD IS NOT PRETENTIOUS. The author of this story and the majority of others scream "i am important...i am important". Now maybe you will understand why many cultures cover up their women and dress down to eliminate any temptations of sin. The world is not meant to be as pretty and glorious as people are trying to make it. The only ones who will ever see God are the ones who detach themselves from society and live their life without putting up a billboard or writing a best seller novel.
Holy belated post Batman!
I respect this Pastor. It takes guts and real love to do what this man is doing. I keep these people in my prayers and if we can all come down off our religious "holier than thou" high horses, we'd win a lot more souls for Christ.
he is sick
http://apostlestoday.net/
Amazing how Satan feigns his own brand of righteousness as truth. All Satan wants to do is to sow his seeds into the imaginations of those church people and then visit their homes on a follow-up program. I am sure sales of this kind of nature increased for the curious minded. Do not be ignorant of Satan’s vices but don’t study his bad habits. A warning to His people.
It's awesome that Craig is doing all this stuff. hmm...The form is off. That's an abstract calculation, but eventually he's going to sleep with someone else besides his wife. I suppose that's okay too. It's just unfortunate that everyone's going to write off everything he did and said for his being a human organism.
The writings on the Scriptures.
Matthew 7: New Living Translation (©2007) 22 On judgment day many will say to me, 'Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name New International Version (©1984) 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!
Proverbs 13:20 He that walks with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. Self Explanatory. Think of David the King. It took one look and he did not keep company with wicked men.
James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (Almost Bed Buddies)
2 Corinthians 6:14 Don't team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness.
1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows
2 Corinthians 11:14 But I am not surprised! Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light 15 So it is no wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. In the end they will get the punishment their wicked deeds deserve
2 Peter 3:16 As also in all [his] epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as [they do] also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction
Almost all of that scripture is taken out of reference, eisegesis isn't the best way of reading scripture. Make sure that scripture is influencing your views and not your views influencing how you are reading scripture.
What does Ron Jeremy have in common with Jesus?
A: They were both hung like this (arms outstreched). 😀 (They also come again)
Seriously, though, Ron seems like a nice guy. We are not the judge and cannot even say for certain, that even what he does for a living is a sin (I can see some good in it). And even if it is, it doesn't matter, because Christ died for us while we were still sinners. God doesn't ask us to shape up our lives in order that He can love us.
And to get back to Ron being a nice guy, a person cannot be nice or good-only God alone. People are born again(John 3:8), whether they realize it or not, and they DO believe in God, whether they say they do or not. Just look at their actions-they are hypocrites in a good way, since they say they do not follow Christ, yet do the same good deeds He did. What a beautiful thing it is to know that the Judge is also the Justifier!
two points to make.first ron jeremy is jewish,2nd the guy who wrote this article needs a new barber.