Using the theme "Leader, Protector, Provider," members of The King's Men, an Oreland-based pro-life Catholic men's organization, will explain their mission on national television Thursday. Mark Houck, president, and Damian Wargo, director of operations will appear on Eternal Word Television Network's (EWTN) program Life on the Rock at 8 p.m. They will discuss their commitment to end pornography and support men's masculinity.

"The root cause of sexual promiscuity begins somewhere," Mr. Houck said, noting that 12 to 17-year-olds are the largest consumers of pornography. "[Pornography] is a multi-billion dollar industry that contributes to rape, incest, sexual abuse, sex crimes and abortion. Our goal is to convert one heart, one soul at a time."

Given the statistics that pornography is a $99 billion industry worldwide, of which $3 billion is child pornography, and most of the 600,000 sexual offenders in the United States are men, The King's Men has their work cut out for them.

"It's an epidemic," Mr. Wargo said. "Fellowship [alone] is not the answer to the crisis in masculinity. We need to be challenged as men to take our faith in action in a serious way against some of the grace evils in our culture and in our own lives."

In addition to mentoring and weekly formation groups that are "virtue-oriented," The King's Men has monthly protests outside of strip clubs and adult bookstores. Holding signs that say "Real Men Don't Exploit Women," and "Help Us Fight Porn," members work toward four goals: raising public awareness, engaging the community to evoke change, ministering to men and women entering the businesses and affecting the lucrative porn industry.

"The management at Adult World [in Montgomeryville] said they lose hundreds to thousands of dollars while we're there for four hours," Mr. Houck said. "The place empties out; guys have shame."

During Thursday's show, Mr. Houck and Mr. Wargo will share success stories, talk about their mission and "basically call men to action," Mr. Wargo said. He hopes other men would start their own groups after viewing the program.

"About 24 million boys are growing up absent their biological father," Mr. Wargo said reiterating the purpose of The King's Men. "Some fathers are around physically, but not emotionally and a lot of boys grow up not understanding their true role as men.

"We have a situation where men have checked out, are not involved with church life or civic life and are not leading, protecting and providing like they should - maybe through no fault of their own; they may not have seen it from their own fathers," he said. "Pornography is a symptom of the crisis; we need to eliminate it from society."

Members of the King's Men pledge, "Under Christ the King's universal call to serve, we as men, pledge to unite and build up other men in the mold of leader, protector, and provider through education, formation and action."

To learn more about The King's Men, including their upcoming events, visit www.thekingsmen.us.

Erin Maguire can be reached at emaguire@thebulletin.us