The head of the Southern Baptist Convention's public policy arm is calling for the complete abolition of the pornography industry.
Brent Leatherwood, president of the SBC's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), published a statement this week on the ERLC website titled "Outlaw pornography now," citing a New York Times report revealing Pornhub's alleged complicity in profiting from exploitative content.
The Times article, which cites internal documents from Pornhub showing the adult site "knowingly hosting and profiting from videos of children suffering nonconsensual acts," is "irrefutable evidence," Leatherwood wrote, that the "commercial pornography industry is predatory, lawless, and deeply dependent on abuse."
"Pornography isn't merely immoral," he added. "It's exploitative. It's violent. It's corrosive to relationships, harmful to children, and toxic to a culture that claims to value consent, freedom, and human dignity."
Explaining that "our freedoms require moral boundaries," Leatherwood outlined several reform measures that would ultimately work toward "the complete dismantling of the pornography industry," including "robust" age-verification laws, criminalizing the "hosting or monetization of nonconsensual, trafficked, or abusive material," and classifying commercial pornography as a public health threat.
Acknowledging that the "political will to abolish pornography outright likely doesn't yet exist," Leatherwood highlighted a bill introduced by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, that would update the current definition of obscenity under the Communications Act of 1934 for the internet age.
Under the Interstate Obscenity Definition Act (IODA), the definition of obscene content would be expanded to content lacking literary, artistic, political or scientific value that "depicts, describes, or represents, an actual or simulated sexual act or sexual contact, actual or simulated normal or perverted sexual acts, or lewd exhibition of the genitals with the objective intent to arouse, titillate, or gratify the sexual desires of a person."
Far from being a "moral panic" reminiscent of the 1980s, Leatherwood said this effort is about defending women and children from degradation and abuse.
"This isn't about nostalgia for a bygone era or imposing religious rules on secular society," he added. "This is about whether we'll defend the vulnerable, preserve the dignity of the human person, and build a culture worthy of our children.
"We cannot claim to care about women while tolerating an industry that degrades them. We cannot say we value children while giving predators free rein. We cannot speak of freedom while sanctioning enslavement," Leatherwood added.
Citing studies that link pornography consumption to sexual aggression and increased levels of depression and anxiety, Leatherwood believes the industry is beyond redemption.
"No version of this industry can be baptized, cleaned up, or redeemed. It mustn't be tolerated, accommodated, or reformed — it must be dismantled," he wrote. "It's time to ban pornography."
It's not the first time the SBC has spoken out on the topic.
In 2015, the convention passed the resolution "On Pornography and Sexual Purity," in which the nation's largest Protestant denomination resolved to "call on government authorities to enact and enforce laws that restrict all forms of pornography, particularly those that include and exploit minors."
Leatherwood's urgent call comes as the ERLC itself faces questions about its relevance and future in the SBC.
Ten former SBC presidents signed a May 22 letter defending the work of the ERLC, saying it "steadfastly defended our Southern Baptist commitment to religious liberty." The letter — signed by past SBC Presidents Bart Barber, Ed Litton, J.D. Greear, Steve Gaines, Fred Luter, Bryant Wright, James Merritt, Tom Elliff, Jim Henry and Jimmy Draper — referred to the commission's work in opposing Roe v. Wade as well as pornography and transgender ideology, and promoting life, marriage and family values.
"For decades, the ERLC has steadfastly defended our Southern Baptist commitment to religious liberty. They forged a path forward fighting abortion, helping pave the way to see Roe v. Wade overturned and now Planned Parenthood defunded. They are continuing to battle transgender ideology and pornography and to promote biblical values regarding marriage, family, and sexuality. All Southern Baptists owe a debt of gratitude to the historical work of the ERLC."
Last week, Pastor Jack Graham, who has led Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, since 1989, wrote on X that he does "not support the ERLC and believe[s] the organization has been the single most divisive entity of the SBC since the days of Russell Moore," adding, "I believe it should be de-funded."
