Former gay porn star Joseph Sciambra was once consumed by an
insatiable appetite for sex but after experiencing only pain and
unfulfilment, he rediscovered his childhood faith and has since written a
book called "Swallowed by Satan" about his experience of the gay
underworld of the early 90s.
It was at the age of eight that Joseph opened his first porn magazine
and he tells of how, as an adolescent and young man, he sought love and
acceptance through sex.
Later, he become a regular visitor to adult
video arcades where he indulged in anonymous gay sex and when this
wasn't enough, he became an amateur porn actor and escort.
In his late twenties, Joseph pushed the boundaries even further by
engaging in sadomasochism and one encounter was so violent that he ended
up in hospital.
Joseph estimates that he had sex with around 1,000 men and says he
had sexually delivered himself to Satan.
But, thirteen years ago, a
near-death experience in which Satan appeared to him as an open mouth
about to swallow him up left him so terrified that he begged for God's
intervention.
One memory that stands out from this moment was seeing his
Catholic mother at his bedside praying for him.
Learning that the love and acceptance he had searched for in sex
could actually be found through Jesus Christ was what made him able to
leave the gay lifestyle and he hasn't looked back.
Today he runs a Catholic religious shop in Napa, California, and has
published his new book to show "just how ugly and dirty the gay
lifestyle is, but also how ultimately sad and tragic it seems to end for
almost everyone involved".
In an interview with LifeSiteNews.com to
coincide with its release, he explained how mainstream media does not
accurately portray the gay lifestyle and the traumas involved.
"It's a deception. And the peace people long for never happens. There
has been a very skewed and untrue picture of the homosexual lifestyle
painted for the American people," he told the website.
He says one of the main recruiting devices to homosexuality is
pornography which gives a false perception of gay relationships and gay
sex.
"Porn preys upon their desires for healing," he says. "What you get,
is a quick fix. That, later on, leaves you more damaged than before."
Being someone who experienced extreme suffering and trauma during his
years in the gay porn scene, Joseph defends reparative therapy - a form
of therapy designed to help people with unwanted same-sex attractions
move on from them and which gay advocates have sought in recent times to
ban.
He told LifeSiteNews: "I know Heaven wept when I had to see so many
young men buried because of disease and suicide. It was a waste. And,
that was evil."
Joseph was asked what message he thinks Christians should be sending
to homosexuals and he suggests one that does not come across as
judgemental but makes them feel welcome.
He responded: "I have seen many unhappy and searching gay men and
women turned off to Christianity because of an over-zealous Christian
who showed them condemnation, but no love.
"As I discovered, when a gay person is contemplating leaving the
lifestyle, they often just want a disinterested friend; i.e. someone
that doesn't want or demand something from them. Therefore, the way to
approach such a person is not with worry or questions, but with
reassurances of love."
According to Joseph, many other gay men have confided in him about
their own tragic experiences in the gay lifestyle. He sees this as an
opportunity to express real Christ-like love for them and share his own
story of how God's eternal love saved him from years of self-inflicted
trauma.
He added: "One must always remember that these are deeply wounded and
suffering people: they need your sympathy, compassion, and prayers."