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Protecting Your Family and Church from Internet Pornography

by Wayde I. Goodall

The devastating news that one of our peers has been involved in pornography is not only shocking, but also heartbreaking. The ripple effect of hurt and disillusionment goes through the family, the church, the denomination, and the kingdom of God. We simply cannot say enough or do enough to protect our lives and the lives of those we love. Ensuring that our Internet online services have filtering abilities is critical.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS AND MONITORING SOFTWARE

We need to ensure that any type of objectionable content is filtered. Not only pornography, but also adult humor, violence, unlawful activities, ethnic hate, questionable chat-room availability, and any other degrading material should be screened out. However, wholesome and edifying information should be easily accessed. Families and ministers should be able to surf the net all day without fear of what they will discover.

People who say they do not visit questionable websites and do not need filtered access do not realize they will encounter objectionable material whether they intend to or not. Unless you know where you are going on the Internet, chances are you will stumble across pornography.

Recent surveys have revealed what many employers and leaders have feared: there is an increasing amount of pornography being accessed on the Internet in the workplace. A recent poll showed that out of more than 9,000 individuals who responded, almost 20 percent (nearly 1 in 5) indicated they visit cybersex sites on the Internet while at work. Steve Barber, executive director of Rated-G Online, adds another dilemma: “Companies and organizations are just becoming aware of the liabilities associated with employees having unlimited access to Internet content. Downloading and possessing some types of Internet content are illegal and prosecutable, and some content is being used to sexually harass other employees. Perhaps the most widespread liability is lost work time due to accessing and viewing pornography and other inappropriate materials from company computers.” Though the Internet is an incredible resource and full of positive information, it is also a dangerous medium that some people use for posting pornography, promoting racial and ethnic hatred, or even starting improper relationships through chat-room conversations.

We desperately need to restrict the reception of pornography into our homes and offices. No legislation will ever protect us or our children from the thousands of pornographic websites in existence and the thousands being added weekly. We must choose to protect our lives, our children, and the precious ministry to which God has called us. If you are going to utilize the Internet, I urge you to set up an account with a quality filtering Internet service provider for your home and/or office.

Listed below is an Internet service provider and several software packages that filter out pornography and other objectionable material:

Rated–G Online. List price: $24.95 per month. Subscribers receive a set-up CD-ROM that installs and configures all the necessary Internet software (Windows or Macintosh) for $25. Information and online sign-up is available by calling 1–888–711–6381.

Cyber Patrol 3.1. List price: On-line registration, $29.95; subscriptions: 6 months, $19.95; 1 year, $29.95. Microsystems Software, Framingham, Mass.; 800–828–2608; 508–879–9000; fax: 508–626–8515; www.cyberpatrol.com.

Cybersitter 2.1. List price: $39.95. Solid Oak Software Inc., Santa Barbara, Calif.; 800–388–2761; 805–967–9853; fax: 805–967–1614; www.solidoak.com.

Cyber Snoop 2.0. List price: $29.95. Pearl Software Inc., Chester Springs, Pa.; 800–732–7596; fax: 610–827–7978; www.pearlsw.com.

Net Nanny 3.1. List price: $39.95; $26.95 if downloaded from website. Net Nanny Ltd., Vancouver, B.C., Canada; 800–340–7177, 604–662–8522; fax: 604–662–8525; www.netnanny.com.

Wayde Goodall, D.Min., is executive editor of Enrichment and national coordinator of the Ministerial Enrichment Office, Springfield, Missouri.