Jesus Loves Porn Stars, but the American Bible Society Doesn’t

By Linda Orlando

An anti-pornography ministry in Corona, CA, ordered 10,000 customized Bibles from the American Bible Society to hand out at conventions. Sounds like a worthwhile mission, doesn’t it? But when the publisher saw that the order was for covers saying "Jesus Loves Porn Stars," they refused to print them and canceled the order.

The American Bible Society, a nonprofit Bible publishing company, is one of only a few companies licensed to publish the Scriptures. The company sent a letter to the ministry saying that although it appreciates the group’s mission, the words "Jesus Loves Porn Stars" would be "misleading and inappropriate for a New Testament." The publisher offered several alternatives, but pastors Mike Foster and Craig Gross turned them down.

The ministry, XXXchurch.com, was founded by Foster and Gross in 2002 with the specific mission to preach against pornography. Their website targets addiction to Internet pornography, and they also take their message directly to the people involved with adult films, handing out Bibles at adult pornography conferences. They had requested the special cover in the hopes that it would help them triple distribution by enticing people to take a Bible handed to them. According to Gross, the ministry’s slogan doesn’t suggest Jesus loves pornography, just that Jesus loves the people who create it.

In a statement posted on the XXXchurch.com website, the pastors said that they believe the American Bible Society is wrong. "We think this goes with the central message of the gospel and Jesus loves you regardless of your profession," the statement read. "This is not about shock tactics, this is about trying to get the word of God to places most say would be impossible but we have found a way to do it." Foster and Gross are in talks with other Bible publishers, and they are confident that someone will step up and help in the effort to get the Bibles printed. As for the American Bible Society, Gross pulls no punches in his reaction to their refusal to printing the shock-tactic Bibles. "The publisher is hindering the Gospel going forth," he said.