The church has made a serious mistake. The Christian Sex Addiction Industry is dangerous to women. Here’s why.

In the church is a man lies to his wife, has a deceptive character, and exploits women, they call him a sex addict. But there’s already a word for this type of behavior: abuse.

If your husband has been labeled a “sex addict”, you need support. Attend a Betrayal Trauma Recovery Group Session TODAY.

Here’s Why The Christian Sex Addiction Label Is Wrong

Sex Addiction Already Had A Name: Abuse

The term “sex addiction” provides a clinical label for behaviors rooted in manipulation, deception, and exploitation.

Some Christian sex addiction groups describe such abusive actions as an inevitable “struggle” faced by men, misrepresenting clear emotional, psychological, and sexual coercion as merely part of this struggle, rather than identifying it as abuse.

When a man possesses an abusive character, viewing the world through a lens of exploitative privilege, it isn’t a struggle he faces; his character itself embodies the struggle.

Teaching men to be feminists, to treat women as equals rather than objects or subordinates—is the way out, not focusing on their “understandable” consumption and disrespect of women.

Minimizing the Impact of Domestic Abuse

The label of addiction minimizes the severity of abuses women endure. Framing her husband’s abuse as the symptoms of an uncontrollable disease, rather than choices he makes due to his blatant disrepect for her as a person is harmful to her.

There is no excuse for manipulating an abuse victim to have sympathy and support for the man who is harming her.

Portraying wives as unable to understand their husbands’ supposed “temptations” further promotes the idea that men are hard wired to be abusive to their wives.

Rather than focusing on why a woman can’t comprehend her husband is abusive, the men should focus on why they can’t comprehend treating a woman with respect and dignity.

Christian Sex Addiction Is A Mass Spiritual Manipulation Of Women

Using “sex addiction” as a euphemism for abuse in religious spaces creates an environment where women don’t understand their own reality.

The focus on treatment programs for sex addicts, where the community protects the man from any negative consequences fails to provide emotional, psychological, or sexual safety for his wife – the victim of his abuse.

Christina Sex Addiction Industry Is Just Rampant Misogyny

Some Christian’s teach that men and women have different roles, with men being more important. This can make people think it’s okay for men to behave badly.

Such teachings ignore shared humanity and ignoring the dignity and agency of women.

Pornography fuels destructive gender norms, depicting men as entitled to women’s bodies.

Real Consequences:

Online forums dedicated to discussing sex addiction often echo with toxic misogyny and lamentations over wives who allegedly fail to meet impossible standards and won’t submit to their sexual coercion and abuse.

Tragically, some individuals, like Robert Aaron Long, have cited sex addiction as their reason for murder, showcasing the manipulative use of this concept.

Dropping The Label Sex Addiction & Just Calling It Abuse

The Christian sex addiction industry doesn’t educate women about abuse. But instead labels obviously abusive behaviors as every man’s struggle. Reframing the conversation around sex addiction needs to include:

Empowering Women To Reject The Christian Sex Addiction Euphamism For Abuse

Give women the language and tools they need to identify all types of abuse, and protect themselves from it.

Foster communities where women’s voices and experiences are amplified.

Recognize that healthy relationships must be grounded in respect, equality, and mutual agency.

To learn if your husband is abusive, take this free emotional abuse quiz.

Educate Women About Domestic Abuse, Not Christian Sex Addiction

The Church needs to understand that no matter what they call it, abuse is abuse.

Women can listen to The Free Betrayal Trauma Recovery Podcast to become more educated about domestic abuse.

Stop calling abuse “sex addiction.” Acknowledging and addressing the abuse as it truly is—without embellishment or euphemism—can pave the way for men to actually see women as people rather than an object that all men are tempted by or addicted to.