Super Bowl Sunday 2011 is Also National Porn Sunday

On Super Bowl Sunday 2011, while millions of sports fans prepare for the biggest professional football game of the year, hundreds of churches across America and worldwide will host events of an altogether different sort. Sunday, February 6, 2011, is National Porn Sunday, a one-day anti-pornography event.

What is National Porn Sunday?

National Porn Sunday (or Internationally Porn Sunday in some parts) designates an entire day for focusing on the effects pornography has had on churches, families and individual human lives.

From Denver to Dover and from Tacoma to Tampa, many churches will host pornography teachings and pornography discussions and support groups. Other congregations may gather to hear personal testimonies of faith from those who have left pornographic addictions behind. Still more may offer special pastoral sermons, adult Sunday school lessons and recovery literature on the subject of pornography.

XXX Church, the organizers of National Porn Sunday, have invited pastors, church groups and individuals to host "Porn Sunday Pre-Game Parties" in their homes and churches on February 6, and encouraged folks to register their gatherings online to receive promotional materials and support. These events are aimed at raising awareness of the problem of pornography and offering help to those who may be trying to break away from it.

"On Super Bowl Sunday, 100 million people will watch the big game; but every day, 40 million people watch pornography," reports XXX Church co-founder Craig Gross. "And so we think this is just a big deal, and we want to talk about it.

In some cities, such as XXX Church home base Dallas (city host to Super Bowl XLV), current and past professional players from the National Football League (NFL) are on-board as filmed or public speakers at National Porn Sunday programs. NFL participants include Eric Boles, Matt Hasselbeck, Jon Kitna, Josh McCown and Miles McPherson.

Ryan Pickett, defensive end for the Green Bay Packers, was expected to participate, but he will be otherwise occupied on Super Bowl Sunday this year, so he committed to contribute a pre-taped message for Dallas' National Porn Day gathering. Ryan Pickett and his wife Jennifer are on the XXX Church board of directors.

"I would love to have been with you guys today," Green Bay Packer Ryan Pickett said on-camera. "But fortunately, I'm a little busy."

List of participating congregations (sorted by state) includes Assembly of God, Baptist, Bible, Catholic, Church of God, College, Community, Lutheran, Methodist, Nazarene, Pentecostal, Presbyterian, Vineyard and other churches.

Why are churches focusing on pornography on Super Bowl Sunday?

Pornography has been called an "elephant in the pew" of the church, as even people of faith are not immune from the temptations of pornography. From obscene internet images to lurid cable and satellite television programs and prurient printed materials, pornography has permeated many areas of modern culture.

"I think often times churches kind of shy away from difficult conversations," explained Craig Gross of XXX Church. "About 75 percent of people view pornography all by themselves. So not only is the church not talking about it, but people in general don't talk about their struggle with this very...private matter."

XXX Church co-founder Mike Foster agreed. "Churches in the past have been accepting of drug abuse, alcohol abuse and these types of addictions," he commented. "But porn in the church is the scarlet letter. We hope [National Porn Day] allows people to discuss i[pornograpny] in a graceful, non-threatening way."

Founded in 2002, XXX Church has been profiled in a documentary film, released in October 2005 and titled "Missionary Positions."