{"id":1140,"date":"2025-09-23T08:27:45","date_gmt":"2025-09-23T12:27:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bibleforcatholics.com\/faith-family\/?p=1140"},"modified":"2026-05-11T10:21:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T14:21:10","slug":"catholics-we-have-a-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bibleforcatholics.com\/faith-family\/blog\/2025\/09\/23\/catholics-we-have-a-problem\/","title":{"rendered":"Catholics, We Have a Problem"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>When an oxygen tank exploded on Apollo 13, three astronauts\u2019 lives hung by a thread. Their calm words\u2014\u201cHouston, we\u2019ve had a problem\u201d\u2014sparked a desperate, brilliant rescue. In this 8-minute read, Steve Wood asks: What happens when the Catholic Church faces its own life-threatening crisis? The answer may surprise you\u2014and it may also equip you.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>From the Desk of Steve Wood at the Family Life Center (September 2025)<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><strong><em>Houston, We\u2019ve Had a Problem<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>I was present for the first two moon shots: Apollo 11 and 12. They were unforgettable. For Apollo 11, I stood waist-deep in the Indian River at Titusville, binoculars in hand, watching the American flag painted on the side of the massive Saturn V rocket. At liftoff, the earth shook as if a bomb had gone off.<\/p>\n<p>But as thrilling as those launches were, I believe NASA\u2019s <em>finest hour<\/em> came during Apollo 13. On April 13, 1970, more than 200,000 miles from Earth, an oxygen tank exploded on board, threatening the astronauts\u2019 survival. Their calm report still echoes today:<\/p>\n<h3><strong>\u201cHouston, we\u2019ve had a problem.\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>In the four days that followed, engineers and astronauts worked tirelessly, improvising solutions that brought Apollo 13 safely home. That was NASA\u2019s greatest achievement: solving a seemingly impossible problem.<\/p>\n<h2><strong><em>Catholics, We Have a Problem<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Like Apollo 13, the Church is facing a life-threatening crisis. But unlike that famous mission, too few are speaking up or offering affordable solutions to scale.<\/p>\n<p>The problem? <strong>The toxic spread of internet pornography.<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>30 million Catholic men live in the U.S.<\/strong><\/li>\n<li>Barna Research shows <strong>64% of Christian men<\/strong> (including Catholics) view pornography monthly\u2014that\u2019s <strong>19 million Catholic men<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Among Christian men under 30, usage rises to <strong>65\u201379%<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Even priests are not exempt\u2014Barna estimates <strong>50% of Christian pastors<\/strong> view pornography monthly.<\/li>\n<li>Research shows pornography <strong>doubles the divorce rate for men<\/strong> and <strong>triples it for women<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Fr. Gary Thomas, a well-known exorcist, warns: <em>\u201cPornography is a doorway to harassment by evil spirits.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<p>If you think orthodox Catholic colleges and universities are safe from the porn plague, think again. As the next two stories will show you, porn addiction is a big problem even at the best ones.<\/p>\n<p>One of the most solid Catholic schools of higher learning in America discovered that so many young men were viewing internet porn that the computer room had to be closed at midnight. Even so, one student\u2019s addiction was so strong that he actually broke into a faculty office after midnight to feed his addiction!<\/p>\n<p>A chaplain at one of the very best orthodox Catholic colleges in America said that the college had three major spiritual problems: first, pornography; second, pornography; and third, pornography.<\/p>\n<p>Both of these institutions receive a top ranking in the Newman Guide.<\/p>\n<p>Even homeschoolers aren\u2019t exempt from the porn plague. Some horrible things homeschoolers learned from internet porn led to behaviors that are so awful that I really don\u2019t want to mention them.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>An Apocalyptic Problem<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The modern porn problem is an apocalyptic plague. Note the prophetic warning given in the book of Revelation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnother angel, a second, followed, saying, \u201cFallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of her impure <strong>passion<\/strong> (Gk.<em>porneia<\/em>).\u201d Revelation 14:8<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2026 Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who is seated upon many waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and with the wine of whose <strong>fornication<\/strong> (Gk. <em>porneia<\/em>) the dwellers on earth have become drunk.\u201d Revelation 17:1\u20132<\/p>\n<p>The two uses above of the New Testament Greek word, <em>porneia<\/em>, refer to any and all forms of sexual immorality \u2013 exactly what the porn pushers send in full color at 5-G.<\/p>\n<p>This is not a side issue\u2014it is the <strong>greatest moral and spiritual crisis in our Church<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2><strong><em>Our Apollo 13 Solution<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>At Family Life Center, we\u2019ve developed a practical, pastoral tool: two short booklets called <strong>Breaking Free<\/strong> (for married men) and <strong>Young Men Breaking Free (<\/strong>for single men<strong>)<\/strong>. These booklets outline 12 steps to help Catholics break free from pornography.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>150,000 copies distributed so far<\/strong>\u2014many through priests in Confession.<\/li>\n<li>Countless testimonies from men and families who have found hope and freedom. Here is a small sampling of the feedback we\u2019ve received.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Gary (not his real name) told me, \u201cI struggled with porn addiction for years and could never find a way out. A priest in Confession gave me a copy of your booklet <em>Breaking Free<\/em>. Once I understood that this is spiritual warfare and I put into practice the many suggestions the booklet offered to counter Satan\u2019s darkness, I was home free. That was nine years ago!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Joe (not his real name) said, \u201cSatan used this sin to cripple me. Your 12-Step plan is bulletproof. Thank you a million times.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A father of three told me, \u201cThanks to you and God\u2019s grace, I stopped viewing porn on the internet and in magazines. Praise God!! Thank you!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fred (not his real name) told me, \u201cI\u2019ve been addicted to porn for decades, and it nearly destroyed my family. Thanks for throwing me the lifeline to save my marriage.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>A priest from Washington D.C. wrote, \u201cWe hear confessions six days a week here at our parish, and believe me, internet pornography is an epidemic. Your booklets <em>Breaking Free<\/em> and <em>Young Men Breaking Free<\/em> are the best help we can give these men.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But here\u2019s the challenge: <strong>150,000 is less than 1%<\/strong> of the millions of Catholic men who need help.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why we\u2019re now offering <strong>free digital downloads worldwide<\/strong>\u2014instant, private, and accessible to anyone, anywhere.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve also created <strong>business cards and bulletin inserts<\/strong> with QR codes that link directly to the free downloads.<\/p>\n<h2><strong><em>How You Can Help <\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>We don\u2019t have an advertising budget. But you have something better: <strong>personal influence.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why I\u2019m asking you\u2014not for money\u2014but for <strong>your help in spreading the word<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s how you:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/bibleforcatholics.com\/faith-family\/blog\/2025\/09\/09\/breaking-free\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Give sample cards<\/a> to your parish priest.<\/strong> Encourage him to download a copy and read it for his approval.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Request a starter kit with more cards:<\/strong>\u00a0Email Jamie@BibleforCatholics.com<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Yours in His Majesty\u2019s Service,<\/p>\n<p>Steve Wood<\/p>\n<p>P.S. We are experiencing difficulty in getting Catholic youth leaders to use <em>Young Men Breaking Free<\/em>. We even did an expensive mailing to a national list of Catholic youth leaders and had a pitiful response. We\u2019ll be glad to send you extra cards to share with youth leaders in your community. Young men\u2019s need for this info is critical.<\/p>\n<p>P.P.S. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/bibleforcatholics.com\/faith-family\/donations\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">If you\u2019re able to send a little support financially, it would mean a great deal<\/a><\/strong>. And know this: we pray for our donors by name\u2014but above all, please join us in <strong>sharing this resource<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>P.P.P.S. Already, following the assassination of <a href=\"https:\/\/luke21.com\/blog\/episode\/theyve-had-enough-charlie-kirk-martyrdom-and-a-new-great-awakening\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Charlie Kirk<\/a>, there seems to be a worldwide awakening of youth desiring to return to God. Your assistance in helping overcome the porn plague will greatly assist in making their pilgrimage successful.<\/p>\n<h2><strong><em>Take the Next Step\u2014Resources to Help You &amp; Others Break Free<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/bibleforcatholics.com\/faith-family\/blog\/2025\/09\/09\/breaking-free\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Click here to access free downloads, video, and parish tools within our Breaking Free Resource hub<\/a>.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Watch:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=AuIHYRxYpUY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Screwtape\u2019s Strategies for Entrapping Young Men<\/a>\u2014a powerful foreword to Breaking Free.<br \/>\n<strong>Announce:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/bibleforcatholics.com\/faith-family\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/07\/Breaking-Free-Bulletin-Announcements.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Download our ready-to-use bulletin insert<\/a> to help spread hope and healing.<br \/>\n<strong>Share:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/bibleforcatholics.com\/faith-family\/blog\/2025\/09\/09\/breaking-free\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Request or print sample cards<\/a>. Share them with a friend, or request more for your parish or ministry.<\/p>\n<p><strong><em>\u201cYour eye is the lamp of your body; when your eye is sound, your whole body is full of light; <\/em><em>but when it is not sound, your body is full of darkness.\u201d &#8211; Jesus \u2013 Luke 11:34<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When an oxygen tank exploded on Apollo 13, three astronauts\u2019 lives hung by a thread. Their calm words\u2014\u201cHouston, we\u2019ve had a problem\u201d\u2014sparked a desperate, brilliant rescue. In this 8-minute read, Steve Wood asks: What happens when the Catholic Church faces its own life-threatening crisis? The answer may surprise you\u2014and it may also equip you. From [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":1141,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[176],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1140","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-newsletters"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bibleforcatholics.com\/faith-family\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1140","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bibleforcatholics.com\/faith-family\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bibleforcatholics.com\/faith-family\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bibleforcatholics.com\/faith-family\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bibleforcatholics.com\/faith-family\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1140"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bibleforcatholics.com\/faith-family\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1140\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bibleforcatholics.com\/faith-family\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1141"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bibleforcatholics.com\/faith-family\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1140"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bibleforcatholics.com\/faith-family\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1140"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bibleforcatholics.com\/faith-family\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1140"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}