When Nicole Weider fell in love with Christ, she surrendered everything to Him—including her status as one of the hottest models in the industry. Her experience as a Victoria’s Secret model as well as her time on Maxim have given her the weapons she needs to fight the spiritual warfare in the hypersexualized culture.
With Walmart’s decision to remove Cosmo from their checkout aisles, Weider says it’s time for the church to understand the depths of this demonic root.
“The devil and evil runs rampant in the sexual exploitation industry because the devil knows it negatively affects everyone. Sins from it have lasting emotional, mental and physical scars on people. Sexual exploitation of young women in today’s world is a real threat and is harming them without them even realizing it. And what’s so dangerous is that Cosmo magazine does this subtly—but enticingly—by mixing in hardcore porn tips with fun ‘celeb gossip.’ Really, it’s exposing them to hardcore sex advice when many are still underage, and getting them hooked for more,” Weider tells Charisma News.
“I believe more pastors or people in church leadership positions—if they feel called to and equipped—to handle and talk about this tough subject matter of the hyper sexualized culture we live in today. The effects of sin because of it is crippling to individuals, young people and relationships. Perhaps hold a private Bible study to pray and overcome the addiction together, or maybe youth leaders can create a support group,” Weider says.
Weider, who founded Project Inspired, believes it is high time a Hollywood voice take the best interests of young women to heart.
Weider began campaigning against Cosmo in 2011.
“Jesus put it on my heart to campaign against them, even though many made fun of me, said I was crazy for going up against a huge corporation, and that it would always be sold. If you’re going up against a Goliath—keep going, and be brave—because God will equip you! I wasn’t the only one campaigning against them—I joined forces with Victoria Hearst, and also a woman named Dawn Hawkins from the National Center on Sexual exploitation was involved in the fight. In 2013 I stopped because we had Elijah, and I knew it was time to take a break. However everything is always in God’s timing—and in 2018 it was time ! If God puts a dream in your heart or a plan of action to take—ALWAYS listen to His voice and guiding! It might not be achieved right away (nothing happens overnight!) but if it is God’s Will—it WILL happen!” Weider says in a Facebook post.
As celebrities come forward to discuss their experience with sexual harassment, assault and other forms of abuse, Weider offers a deeper look at what’s really behind the lie of feminism and female sexual empowerment that outlets like Cosmo push.
“The whole ‘female sexual empowerment’ started happening with Helen Gurley Brown, who, before she was the editor-in-chief of Cosmo, first wrote a book called Sex and the Single Girl,“ Weider tells Charisma News.
“And the purpose for that book was to show young women how to have an affair. And so, you have her first book which launched her career, which launched her into the position of controlling Cosmo and its content—to the continuum of decades long of overt pornographic tips, all while showcasing picture perfect models on the magazines. While many might think her as being progressive, I feel her work was actually retrogressive in the sense that she was focusing so much on a woman’s worth in her sex appeal and how she looked, as opposed to her heart. I have read many issues of Cosmo over the years, and I can tell you that they never talk about how to have a good heart. The magazine’s continuous goal is indoctrinating young women that their only worth is in their sex appeal and how great they are in the bedroom. If you really look back in history and see it now in 2018—millions of young women are still subjected to the harmful pornographic sex tips in Cosmo because of her hypersexualized mission and her first book she published,” Weider says.
Weider isn’t the only Christian leader calling attention to the feminist lie.
At TheCall’s RiseUp event for women last October, author and speaker Lisa Bevere preached on women attempting to take on the roles meant for men.
“There are battles for the men to fight, and there are battles for the women to fight, but for way too long, the women have been fighting the men’s battles, and the men have been fighting the women’s battles,” Bevere proclaimed from stage. “And the men and the women have been fighting each other.”
She continued: “We will no longer hide behind the garment of a man, because God has not appointed us to be sons, but God has appointed us to be daughters.”
In an article posted after Hugh Hefner’s death, cultural commentator and radio host Michael Brown called for a new sexual revolution, one that is centered around the Lord.
It’s a trap. It’s a lie. Get out while you can!
And there, in a nutshell, is the bankruptcy of the sexual revolution: It destroys our sons and daughters.
But all hope is not lost. The sexual revolution can be reversed. There is a better way. A much better way. God’s way.
I’ve read a number of studies that all say the same thing: Singles who engage in one-night stands and have multiple sexual partners are the least satisfied sexually. Committed, married couples are the most satisfied sexually.
That’s because we are not just physical animals, fulfilling a bodily function. We are human beings with emotions and values and desires, and sexual intimacy divorced from relational fidelity produces frustration and shame and guilt in the end.
That’s why, in more than 41 years of marriage, it has never dawned on me once to envy the likes of Hugh Hefner, a man who slept with more gorgeous women in a week than most of us have met in a lifetime.
What a pitiful, lost soul, and what a tragic, ugly legacy.
And this brings me back to where we started. I hope he found grace and repentance before leaving this world. I also hope that his death will signify the end of the sexual revolution.
Weider offers practical tips to achieve Brown’s vision.
“First off, the most important thing to do is to always pray for kids. Not only does prayer work, but by modeling prayer your kids will see that you hold your values in what pleases God, not the world,” Weider says.
“The second thing that is so important is being in tune with what your kids are watching, reading and listening to. Strongly discouraging or not allowing them to see sexually explicit movies (and explaining why) will hopefully prevent them from absorbing overt sexual content. Also, make sure certain parental settings are turned on on your child’s phone so they don’t accidentally venture onto a pornographic site. Lastly, model for them and show them that there are healthier media options, such as uplifting worship music, inspiring movies and encouraging books. Also, as best you can (if you don’t know how—learn!), make sure you can either log in from time to time onto their social media (if they’re under 18, you can legally do that) or just keep an eye on what they’re posting. However, the key is to really talk to your kids, explain to them the harmful and overtly sexualized messages and why they aren’t healthy and damaging—(to boys too!) and that women shouldn’t be looked at or treated that way. I can’t stress it enough to stay connected with your kids on their social networks so you don’t get out of touch with what’s going on. If you can take it even a step further, have them turn in their cell phone to you when it’s time for them to go to bed and turn out the lights. That way they can’t be searching endlessly on their phones at night or get into trouble online,” she says.
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