Are You Saying 'NO' to Internet Pornography?
A commentary by Graemme Marshall
United Church of God pastor, Ottawa, Canada
In
recent hearings before a U.S. Senate committee, clinicians and researchers
have been testifying that Internet pornography is the new crack cocaine,
leading to porn addiction, misogyny and pedophilia.
Due to their curiosity, children are the most vulnerable. Statistics
on pornography indicate that the largest consumer group of Internet porn
is the 12-17 year-old age group. And such sites are available at the
mere 'click' of a button—especially to children whose
Internet activities are not adequately monitored!
Provocative sexual images, once placed in the mind, remain there permanently.
For this reason, "Pornography addicts have a more difficult time
in recovering from their addiction than cocaine addicts, since coke users
can get the drug out of their system, but pornographic images stay in
the brain forever" (Ryan Singel, Wired News, Nov.19, 2004).
"The Internet is a perfect drug delivery system because you are
anonymous, aroused and have role models for these behaviors. To have
[such a] drug pumped into your house 24/7, free [via the Internet]—and
children know how to use it better than grown-ups know how to use it—it's
a perfect delivery system if we want to have a whole generation of young
addicts who will never have the drug out of their mind" (Mary Anne
Layden, co-director of the Sexual Trauma and Psychopathology Program
at the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Cognitive Therapy).
John Walsh, of America's Most Wanted television program, explained
in an interview with CNN host Larry King: "The largest buyer of
child pornography is the US—and Russia too. It isn't the
guy underneath the bridge in a trench coat—it's people like
you and me, and doctors and lawyers.
"It's curiosity that draws the little ones in.
A ten-year-old can go to the mall to meet another ten-year-old and find
that it's a 56 year old creep who is going to hurt them. Only 1
in 5 children tell their parents what they do or see on the Internet.
"I have no forgiveness for the pedophile. We can't cure
them and they destroy so many kids' lives. They have to be kept
away from children" (CNN, April 19, 2006).
If you have children, you have a responsibility to monitor what they
access on the Internet. Be fully aware of all their Internet activity.
It is too easy for children whose internet access and activity are not
monitored to become the victims of sexual predators.
Businesses are also affected. Many employees spend work-hour time viewing
these morally degrading sites. A Canadian news source reported that one
local-government audit found that 53% of Internet use at work was actually
personal in nature, often with employees viewing websites with nude images
and explicit sexual messages (Ottawa Citizen, May 3, 2006).
Why can't this problem be eliminated? A major obstacle is that
what is 'legal' or 'illegal' is too blurred by
debate.
The prophet Isaiah well described our divisive, modern society by saying, "Cursed
are those who give the name of good to evil, and of evil to what is good:
who make light dark, and dark light: who make bitter sweet, and sweet
bitter!" (Isaiah 5:20, Bible in Basic English).
God hates sexual sin! It wrecks marriages and families. It destroys
childhood innocence. It short circuits the potential humans have to become
members of God's divine family, His own children (John 1:12; Hebrews
2:9-11).
The apostle Paul gives this excellent advice to all people, young and
old, who are struggling with sexual temptations and sins: "Flee
from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his
body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body" (1 Corinthians
6:18, NIV).
The solution is to draw near to God by asking Him for the courage to sincerely
want to change and the strength to resist temptations.
This first step in turning to a better way of life is what the Bible
refers to as repentance (Acts 17:30; James 4:8-10). And God
will hear those who seek to do His will from the heart and sincerely
cry out to Him for the personal strength they need to follow His teachings.
As the apostle Paul explained, "No temptation has overtaken you
except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow
you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will
also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it" (1
Corinthians 10:13).
 For
a clear and accurate understanding of God's revealed instruction
on marriage that can make it both sexually enriching and morally stabilizing,
please request or download our free, insightful publication, Marriage & Family:
The Missing Dimension.
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