Pure Life Ministries in KY?

[nett]

He went there just oozing bitterness towards the church, he did not respond well to the traditional disciplinary action of the old order system.

Is your brother old order, or is PLM old order? What about the old order system didn't work for him at first?

[steve-in-kville]

... or is PLM old order?

Its my understanding they're not.

[Sliceitup]

I'm not sure I've ever heard of "culturally unacceptable" sexual behaviours that are not out and out sin. If it is absolute sin, I don't know that it matters much what else it is called as long as there are people willing to come alongside to help a person be free.

I'd say there is a bigger tendency to not call habitual sexual sin addiction, rather than over using the word addiction, in my interactions.

I do know that PLM had a rigorous screening process to get in. I'm sure everyone in their program experiences very legitimate sexual bondage when they arrive. But they start at the core of the issues. For my brother the first 2 months were spent working on his attitude and getting him to stop feeling sorry for himself and hating everyone around him. He went there just oozing bitterness towards the church, he did not respond well to the traditional disciplinary action of the old order system.

The biggest asset today from his stay there is that he can look all those people in the eye with no hard feelings. He learned to forgive and not let it eat him up.

I think their program works, but Satan works harder than ever on a graduate with a clean slate. There needs to be a very secure accountability network in place afterwards. Unfortunately that was not done well enough for my brother.

It could be that is the case. I don’t have experience with people who are said to be sex addicts, I’ve just heard the phrase used in ways that left me with questions.

But as for habitual sins being addiction, I’m not sure they’re the same. I personally know two men who drank a lot during their youth. It was frequent, habitual thing. But one was able to quit with no trouble, while the other is a true addict and has never been able to quit long term.

Same with tobacco. Some people can smoke for a season and then never again with no effort, while others return to the habit countless times after trying hard to quit.

[Ken]

I’m curious whether some of these people really have a sex addiction, or just sexual behavior that is considered culturally inappropriate. I don’t doubt that it’s a real thing. But often when I hear the term used in conservative circles it feels like they use it even in situations that are not even close to addiction.

It is considered “culturally appropriate” in the mainstream world these days for men to be addicted to pornography and consume it multiple times per week whilst engaging in indecent acts the scripture teaches against.

If someone can’t stop consuming pornography and engaging in wickedness as they do so, I would say they are addicted. These behaviors will prohibit entrance to the kingdom of heaven, and also really hurt a man’s wife and children. When a man gives in to being a pervert, it deeply hurts everyone around him.

I consider it a form of abuse.

Is this Pure Life Ministries program about sex addition or porn addiction? They are two different things.

[steve-in-kville]

Is this Pure Life Ministries program about sex addition or porn addiction? They are two different things.

I think they cover about any sexual deviance. That's my understanding from their website. As far as the above, I'd think one would follow the other, at least in the people I've known to have problems.

[Ken]

Is this Pure Life Ministries program about sex addition or porn addiction? They are two different things.

I think they cover about any sexual deviance. That's my understanding from their website. As far as the above, I'd think one would follow the other, at least in the people I've known to have problems.

This isn't my area of expertise. But my understanding is that they aren't the same thing. Plenty of people read or watch porn but are otherwise celibate or faithful to their spouse. While sex addicts seek out anonymous sexual liaisons and may not actually use porn at all. But probably spend their internet time seeking sex partners on sites like Tinder or out in hookup bars.

[GaryK]

Is this Pure Life Ministries program about sex addition or porn addiction? They are two different things.

I think they cover about any sexual deviance. That's my understanding from their website. As far as the above, I'd think one would follow the other, at least in the people I've known to have problems.

This isn't my area of expertise. But my understanding is that they aren't the same thing. Plenty of people read or watch porn but are otherwise celibate or faithful to their spouse. While sex addicts seek out anonymous sexual liaisons and may not actually use porn at all. But probably spend their internet time seeking sex partners on sites like Tinder or out in hookup bars.

I'm doubtful Jesus would agree that it's possible to watch porn and be faithful to one's spouse.

[Ken]

I think they cover about any sexual deviance. That's my understanding from their website. As far as the above, I'd think one would follow the other, at least in the people I've known to have problems.

This isn't my area of expertise. But my understanding is that they aren't the same thing. Plenty of people read or watch porn but are otherwise celibate or faithful to their spouse. While sex addicts seek out anonymous sexual liaisons and may not actually use porn at all. But probably spend their internet time seeking sex partners on sites like Tinder or out in hookup bars.

I'm doubtful Jesus would agree that it's possible to watch porn and be faithful to one's spouse.

Some people watch porn with their spouses.

I don't want to get into a big argument about porn. I was only curious about this particular program because commenters here are talking about both porn addictions and sex addictions interchangeably and it seems pretty extreme to drop your life and family and move into a 9-month residential program because of a porn habit. But maybe not if you have an overwhelming compulsion to sleep around constantly. They are two different behaviors.

[ontariomartin]

He went there just oozing bitterness towards the church, he did not respond well to the traditional disciplinary action of the old order system.

Is your brother old order, or is PLM old order? What about the old order system didn't work for him at first?

My brother was old order at the time. PLM is nondenominational as far as I know. It was quite a stretch to get family support to go there, since the rest of the family besides me is still OO today. He was being mentored by non old order at the time (a man he still greatly respects today), that found PLM and did the interceding to get him in there.

The old order system that didnt help him went something like this....

He went to leadership to confess his sins and to get help. The first thing that happens then is immediately excommunicated, put in the ban and made to feel like such a sinner as yourself needs to sit in a corner and think about what you've done, alone, until we decide you can come back in.
He told me just last week, to this day nobody in old order leadership has ever acknowledged that they appreciate he came of his own accord, or that getting help for him was the most important. It seems the disciplinary action was the most important thing.

[steve-in-kville]

It seems the disciplinary action was the most important thing.

That's really sad. A church should be all about recovery and rehabilitation.