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Review of “Set Free to Choose Right” by Josh McDowell

Set Free to Choose Right

Josh McDowell

Shiloh Run Press/Barbour Publishing

208 Pages

This book was a wake-up call for me:  A quite startling view of our current American culture and mindset.  I knew that America had a problem with viewing porn. I truly didn’t comprehend the depth of it.  I had no idea how deeply it is affecting our Christian young people, even down to as young as age 8.

Josh McDowell clearly makes these points in his book.  He has the research evidence to prove it.  He is a master communicator.  For the last 40+ years, his research on any subject has always been detailed, reliable, and highly respected.  Using information from the well-known Barna Group’s report, “The Porn Phenomenon: The Impact of Pornography in the Digital Age”,  Josh details the epidemic of pornography that has swept our nation and the world.

How does this affect your children?  Consider just these few facts from this detailed report:

  • 63% of teens in America have actively sought porn.
  • Only 32% of teens think that viewing pornography is wrong.  They rate not recycling as wrong on a higher level than viewing porn.
  • 57% of teen boys and 69% of teen girls have received a nude image on their smartphone from a peer.
  • 1 in 5 youth pastors and 1 in 7 senior pastors use porn.  The research among Christian teens surveyed mirror the above percentages.

The research is staggering.

Josh McDowell makes a strong argument that it’s impossible for a Christian parent to completely shield their children from pornography, even as young as ages 8-12. He explains at length how the culture and mindset has changed among young adults and teens in their thinking about the use of porn.  He also uses scientific evidence into how the consistent use of porn changes the brain especially at a young age.

Having set the stage as to why and how pornography has such a stronghold in our culture, he then give solid, Biblical advice on how to talk with your child about sex and pornography.  The standard must go back to God’s very character as found in His Word.

There is a wealth of information in this book and is a great resource to a Christian parent.  It may not be easy or even pleasant reading for you, but it could make a huge difference in the life of your child.

I did receive an advanced copy of this book from the publisher and was not required to post a review.  This is my honest opinion about the book.