A new study has revealed that a significant number of practicing Christians, including pastors, admit to viewing pornography, with many expressing comfort in their habit.

The research, published by Barna in collaboration with Pure Desire Ministries, highlighted the widespread prevalence of porn use across all demographics, with the gap between Christians and non-Christians narrowing over the past eight years.

The study, titled Beyond the Porn Phenomenon, found that 54 per cent of practicing Christians reported viewing pornography, compared to 68 per cent of non-Christians.

While Christian men were found to engage in porn use more frequently (75 per cent), 40 per cent of Christian women also admitted to viewing pornography.

Researchers noted a trend: despite the Church’s stance on lust, there has been little progress in deterring congregants from consuming pornography.

“The gap between professed beliefs and actual behavior raises questions about the efficacy of current approaches within faith communities,” the report stated.

The report also found that over half of Christians who use porn are comfortable with their consumption.

The study further noted the increasing normalisation of porn use, with 62 per cent of respondents, in general, expressing comfort with their level of consumption, and only 14 per cent expressing a desire to quit.

Gen Z Christians were found to be less comfortable with porn use compared to older generations, though the statistics for their overall usage were worse.