Sand Springs Church's 'Porn And Pizza' Event Aims To Curb Addiction

A Green County church is fighting addiction in a unique way.

The first ever, "Porn and Pizza" gathering was held in Sand Springs Saturday.

Sharing your struggles over a slice of pizza is a simple concept, but something that Church That Matters, in Sand Springs, hopes will have a profound effect.

"Better marriages, better relationships, and just better men in general," said Pastor Rusty Gunn.

Many of the men have gathered to get support for their addiction to pornography. It's a touchy subject, but something that Pastor Gunn said needs to be brought to light.

"Our spiritual enemy, Satan, really works in darkness and secrecy, and so if we can get things out into the light, he loses power," Gunn said.

Saturday, he was joined by keynote speaker and Army veteran, Ben Sledge, from XXXChurch, who said he knows all about the addiction.

"I was viewing it up to five to seven times a day. A lot of that had started early on in life, with the boom of the Internet."

He said 70 percent of men struggle with online pornography.

It's a dangerous addiction that not only affects the individual, but can also influence relationships.

"It's neurological, re-wiring men's brains, to experience intimacy with pixels on a screen, as opposed to a real person," said Sledge.

Sledge said he's sharing his story, because he understands the importance of having someone who can relate to pornography addiction.

"It is essential, you cannot do this alone. It's the same as an alcoholic or a drug addict," Sledge said.

"When you have someone else saying, 'How you doing in the battle, brother,' that's something that really helps you take the next step that you need to take," Gunn said.

That's a step many of these men have chosen to take in hopes of conquering an addiction and leading more fulfilling lives.

"We just want to see people free, we want to see people set free from this, and so that they can begin to experience life fully, instead of being enslaved behind a computer," Sledge said.

Gunn with said they had a great turn out, and he hopes to make this an annual event.