You’re invited to join the fight against pornography this weekend
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IDAHO FALLS – Citizens for Decency, a nonprofit fighting against pornography, is partnering with the city of Rexburg and many local businesses for the Unite to Fight Porn Conference on Saturday.
Craig Cobia, the chairman and co-founder of Citizens for Decency, tells EastIdahoNews.com the conference stems from his decade-long research about pornography’s impact on people’s lives.
“About 10 years ago, a lady approached me and told me her husband had killed himself as a result of his pornography addiction. She asked if I would help create something to protect other families and individuals from a similar fate,” Cobia says.
When Cobia started Citizens for Decency, he says he wasn’t aware of anyone who struggled with a pornography addiction. But now, he says it’s a pervasive problem that plagues society.
The National Center on Sexual Exploitation says 64 percent of people age 13 to 24 actively seek out pornography at least weekly.
Research also indicates pornography is linked to negative body image and sexual dysfunction, marital infidelity, prostitution and human trafficking.
Josh Peters is a 22-year-old Brigham Young University-Idaho student who just released a video sharing his experience as a porn addict.
RELATED: Why this young man is unashamedly sharing his experience as a porn addict
Peters says he began looking at porn when he was 11 years old and instantly became addicted.
“I remember waking up at 5 in the morning, and the fan on our computer was really loud,” Peters says. “I would put a blanket over the computer tower to muffle the fan so I could watch porn.”
Peters says he had a system to hide his addiction from his parents.
“I would clear my browsing history. When mobile phones came out, my parents trusted me to have a phone. That made it a lot easier, more damaging and more free for me to use,” he says. “I was a creative little bugger … kind of hard to admit that.”
Now Peters wants to help others dealing with pornography addiction, and he hopes his video touches others.
Cobia says 83 percent of all pornography viewed is accessed on phones and tablets.
“The time has come for parents to realize there are some things they can do, instead of standing hopelessly by and watching the devastation of those closest to them through exposure and time spent viewing (pornography),” Cobia says.
Saturdays’ Unite to Fight Porn Conference will be broken into two sessions. The first is a training for ecclesiastical leaders and professionals to help others overcome a pornography habit or addiction. It will be a question-and-answer format where experts will answer questions. The second session is for anyone age 14 and up aimed at providing education, hope and healing for addicts and their families.
Those who attend will hear from several keynote speakers, including Utah State Sen. Todd Weiler, who sponsored a proposal for declaring pornography a public health crisis. Other speakers include Clay Olsen, the founder and president of Fight the New Drug, a nonprofit raising awareness of pornography’s harmful effects.
Dr. Donald Hilton, a neurosurgeon and author, and Cobia will also speak.
Both sessions will be held at the Rexburg Tabernacle at 25 N. Center Street. The first session is happening from 9 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. and the second session is from 2 to 5 p.m. Admission is free.
“My hope and desire for people who are either struggling with a porn addiction or those who are responsible for helping, is for them to get one or two takeaways (from this conference) to help them overcome and be the person they want to be,” Cobia says.
The conference will also be streamed online for those who aren’t able to attend. You can watch the stream on the conference website or the Facebook page.