A US pastor is using the smut-laden pop culture phenomenon, ‘50 Shades of Grey’ to preach against gay marriage.

Since last Sunday, February 15, Rick McDaniel, pastor of the Richmond Community Church in Virginia, has been using the film version of EL James’ novel to preach against – aside from gay marriage – pornography, divorce, cohabitation and adultery.

“God just sort of dropped an idea in my head,” McDaniel told the Christian Post. “Within minutes I had five topics to speak on, so I called my media director at the church and said, ‘Hey tell me when that 50 Shades of Grey movie is coming out’.”

“[This] can have a national impact and raise the cultural questions … to try to get people to talk about morality and sexuality,” McDaniel said. “I hope that it will have several levels of impact. First of all I hope it will have an impact right in my own church. Secondly I hope it will have an impact in my community [and] it can have a national impact and raise the cultural questions… to try to get people to talk about morality and sexuality.”