ZAHN: Yes, indeed, a romantic sunset to look at tonight. Gorgeous view, looking out at New Jersey this evening. You might want to shoo the kids, though, out of the room right now, because we're going to talk about sex and religion. Volatile subjects, even more so when they're combined.
And that's what a company is doing. It's called Pure Romance, and it has done it by marketing sex toys to Christians. The company says it's made a lot of money that way. Of course, we can't vouch for that claim, but we can introduce you to some very happy customers.
Here's Maria Hinojosa.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARIA HINOJOSA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Born-again evangelical Christians, Dan and Cybil Brawley (ph), solve simple puzzles for their two small kids.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think this one goes over here.
HINOJOSA: But they look to Jesus to solve life's larger puzzles, like how to build a solid Christian family in a not-so Christian world.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is very important to expose kids to the love of Christ and raise them in that knowledge that God loves them, you know, and who Jesus was at a very early age.
HINOJOSA: And how to fill their local Sunday school with baby after baby. They're on baby number three.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Baby's heart rate is about 153.
HINOJOSA: But like millions of couples, they ran into some sexual stumbling blocks. And, like a growing number of devout Christians, they took the surprising step of turning to Pure Romance, a multi-million dollar sex toy company based in Cincinnati.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Every married couple needs one of those.
HINOJOSA: Pure romance markets sex aids and lotions at Tupperware-like parties like this one outside of Charlotte, North Carolina. And they're making big profits, selling the sorts of items usually associated with "Sex in the City" to country folks in the Bible belt.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Christian women want to have fun. The success of pure romance has been that we have been able to make the Bible belt women feel very comfortable about their own sexuality.
HINOJOSA: Pure Romance says its profits grew from $1.5 million to more than $50 million, largely from sales in the South. Cybil (ph) invited us and a few friends over for what she calls a toy party.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How many of you guys have been to a Pure Romance party before?
HINOJOSA: It was hosted by Jodie Ziverink, a top salesperson at Pure Romance, who specializes in religious clients.
JODIE ZIVERINK, SALESPERSON, PURE ROMANCE: It seems to be kind of a myth that if you are a very religious person that you also cannot be sexual.
HINOJOSA: Jodie likes to start with mood creators. I tasted a little bit of "dust-me pink." Then, the toys came out or, as they call them in the business, "relationship enhancers."
ZIVERINK: It has seven different vibrating speeds. So in addition to, like, low, medium, high, it also has that pulsating feature.
HINOJOSA: There is uncomfortable laughter.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Woo. That's good.
HINOJOSA: But just as much straightforward talk.
ZIVERINK: You can also teach yourself to have multiple orgasms. If you've never done it before, it's not any fault of yourself. It's just really hard to do without a toy.
HINOJOSA: Much of what Jodie discusses is educational.
ZIVERINK: Anti-depressants certainly kind of numb all of everything and that makes all the stress of your life more tolerable. But they also decrease your sensitivity and impact your ability to reach orgasm.
HINOJOSA: Cybil and her husband believe these products, this is their new swing, have enriched their Christian marriage.
(on-screen): So some people might say, a swing, oh, my God. And you say?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, you know, some people may have back problems. Some partners may be too heavy to hold.
HINOJOSA: Some people might be pregnant?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Some people might be pregnant.
HINOJOSA (voice-over): The toys, they say, have brought them closer together and closer to God.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's made our marriage more exciting, and I think that just honors God.
HINOJOSA: And, most importantly, encouraged them to remain monogamous.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The consultant that we had, she was very specific with, you know, it was between a husband and his wife. That was one of the things that, you know, she stressed is that, you know, these toys we offer are not for your self pleasure necessarily. They're for you and your husband to use to become closer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was just, oh, yes, baby. You know, I can't wait. This is going to be awesome.
HINOJOSA: This is the first sex toy party for Dawn (ph), who is a single mother. And she's a little uncomfortable with the idea.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're not supposed to sleep with people when you're not married. You know, that's a sin.
HINOJOSA: But after hearing Jodie's sales pitch...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you have a toy to use instead of using a man, I don't think -- in God's eyes, I don't think it's wrong. I mean, that's just my -- there's nothing in the Bible that says, "Don't, you know, pleasure yourself with a toy."
JACK HOMESLY, PASTOR: It's the thoughts, like, that accompany...
HINOJOSA: But that notion raises red flags for Pastor Jack Homesly who preaches at a Southern Baptist Church that Dan and Cybil attend sometimes.
HOMESLY: When I just looked at their Web site, I don't see one mention of Christ. I don't see one mention of anything Christian.
HINOJOSA: Pure Romance's sex aids and toys for partners sound a lot like masturbation and adultery to him.
HOMESLY: The Bible says that sex is great when it is done within God's confines, and that is one man, one woman, married for life. And God created sex, you know, for procreation.
HINOJOSA: Dan Brawley (ph) reads the Bible a different way.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your stature is that like a palm, and your breast like clusters of fruit. I said, "I will climb the palm tree. I will take hold of its fruit."
HINOJOSA (on-screen): So the Bible is saying, you can adore each other as physical...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely. It brings -- you know, this shows that God's intention was for us to enjoy each other, the touch, the experience of coming together as husband and wife.
HINOJOSA: And Cybil believes the sex aids are part of God's plan to help her family grow. And for that, she thanks God and Pure Romance.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0506/20/pzn.01.html
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