Stand for Purity

Grab your blue blindfolds, Shakers:

When the Pure Life Revolution's disciples scouted out a staging location for a full-frontal assault on what they call the "pornographic plague" and its threat to Nashville, the sidewalk outside Hustler Hollywood seemed ideal.

…These folks on the sidewalk — "prayer warriors," they call themselves — are on a campaign to purge pornography not just from stores but from their hearts and those of other church people.

"We want for the church to come clean, get real, get honest," says pastor Scott MacLeod. The first targets are the Christians who sample such wares while claiming higher moral ground. He doesn't think churches should be finger-pointing if pew-sitters are "entangled in pornography."

McLeod picked the location for the 21-day “Stand for Purity on Church Street” for more than just the ironic name of the street serving as the address for the Hustler Hollywood sex shop outside which they’re holding vigil. There are also gay clubs nearby, which are, apparently, part of the “pornographic plague.”

Kudos to these folks for not being aggressive or threatening in their demonstration (although, prayer warriors?—why is it always war imagery with these people?), and for pointing out things like “When the Christian conferences come to town, the (in-room hotel) porn rentals go higher than at any other time.” But I’m not sure I understand the idea behind setting up camp outside a shop selling the porn, sex toys, lingerie, etc. to which they object, since, by the store employees’ admission, it’s been good for business. Seems a bit self-defeating, if you ask this dildo-owning heretic.