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."
