The lion and the lamb might not be lying down together, but an anti-pornography ministry is in a booth right across the aisle from Max Hardcore at the AVN Adult Expo.rnrn
Brian Dunn is one of several pastors who operate xxxchurch.com, a Corona, CA-based ministry founded to "aid people who have an addiction to pornography."rnrn
"People here (at the Expo) say there's nothing wrong with pornography. But we're not here to tell them they're wrong; we are here to help them." rnrn
If He came back and walked upon the show floor here, with the strippers on poles, the Big-Dicked Pig, and Vince Neil, what would Jesus do'rnrn
"You can't shock the Shockmaster," Dunn told AVN.com. "Jesus shocked everybody with love. He associated with prostitutes and lawyers."rnrn
XXXchurch.com launched a year ago and has received over a million hits, according to Dunn, though he didn't track how visitors got there. When asked if surfers might have been seeking women in sexy clerical garb, or if they might have been drawn by the attractive woman on the promotional material, he admits to some creative advertising.rnrn
"These people need to be helped. I am sent as a light in the wilderness. This is the wilderness. I am trying to bring people out."rnrn
Deep in this wilderness of porn, Dunn said that Expo guests and exhibitors have been mostly kind to him. "Every now and then someone says, 'I don't come to your church services and show pornography, so why are you here?' But the fact is that pornography is so mainstream now that it visits us daily via e-mails, television and billboards. They don't need to come to my church."rnrn
Dunn's area is simple. A two-person couch for conversation, a stack of "updated, with today's English" copies of the Gospel of John, a bank of video monitors with the xxxchurch.com logo, and a large bunny.rnrn
The bunny is another lure. It is not a Playboy Bunny, but a big, furry rabbit costume. Inside the bunny is the wife of one of the other pastors. She has been handing out postcards with "Jesus loves porn stars" printed on them. She takes off the suit and looks relieved but tired. rnrn
"I can't get these images out of my head, sitting across from Max Hardcore," Dunn said. "Right now I've got 50 people praying for me."rnrn
Visitors to xxxchurch.com find downloadable spy software that will alert an "accountability partner" if a computer user has surfed to, or deleted, sites with adult content. "It keeps people on their toes," Dunn said.rnrn
But does Jesus think porn is wrong'rnrn
"Jesus was not intolerant," Dunn told AVN.com, "He was intolerant of the intolerant, but God wanted us to enjoy sex through monogamous relationships, not sick ones that devalue women. Deep down, all these people here know they've done something wrong."rnrn
Dunn glances across the aisle, where a hardcore Hardcore video is playing. The participants look enthusiastic. "I'm struggling a lot with issues of lust," he said.rnrn
Dunn has "planted the seeds" of salvation in several people this week, and encourages porn-addicted souls to visit xxxchurch.com or call him (612) 595-4711.
