Letter to the Editor concerning Pornography

The following letter appeared in the November 1997 issue of Christian Computing Magazine . . . CCMag OnLine! Letters to the Editor Volume | 1197 9 | Issue Nov Help! I'm 16 and struggling with porn . .

. Read the letter and the response! by Steve Hewitt) Article Outline The letter Special Note: The response The letterDear Steve: I got your address from the Take a Stand Against Pornography site. I desperately need someone’s help. I am a sixteen-year-old boy. My dad just got an Internet service and a terrifically fast new computer.

IT’S VERY DIFFICULT FOR ME TO STAY AWAY FROM PORNOGRAPHIC SIGHTS. In fact, about half of the time that I get online, Satan pulls a trick or lure; and I'm at one of those sights and can't get out. Afterwards, Satan turns around and says, “You worthless Christian. You're no good to God. Why should He love you?” It tears me apart.

I know that, “God will not tempt me beyond what I can bear, and that He will always provide a way out so that I can stand up under Satan's temptation;” but, even after praying, talking to others, and trying my best, I still fall very often. What can I do? Am I supposed to struggle through this experience and gradually become stronger, which would eventually help when I leave the house for good? Or, should I get my parents to buy NetNanny or a similar service? The latter option would leave me out in the cold when I leave the shelter of my parents and enter the real world, especially at college, when I’ll be surrounded by temptation. What’s the correct approach? If it means getting NetNanny, are there any free screening services that I can download? So, as you can see, I need more help. I do what I do not want to do. I really want to be faithful to God and be good and feel confident when leading others in the faith; but this one particular temptation, lust, is killing me.

I think Satan’s upped the temptation ever since I started leading a prayer group in school. Please write back and help me out. I really want what God wants, and nothing less. Name Withheld by Request via Internet top Special Note: The following is Steve’s response to this young man. They have been communicating via e-mail, but both thought others might benefit by the publishing of the letter and the response.

top The response Dear Friend: First of all, realize that you are not alone. The easy access to pornography on the Internet is a temptation that most Christian males have to gain victory over. This is why I established the “Take Your Stand Against Pornography” site on the Net. I am not above temptation, and neither is anyone else. The secret is how to win the victory over temptation.

The first step to victory is admitting that we need God’s help to get the victory. If you read the many testimonies at our “Take Your Stand” site, you will see that many fight this battle and WIN. Second of all, do not feel guilty for being tempted. This is the first trick of Satan. If you are tempted, he makes you feel that you have already failed; so why not go ahead with the sin? Jesus was tempted just as we, YET without sin.

Being tempted is a natural part of being a human; giving into temptation is a sin. Third, do not feel that you are a failure IF a temptation is too much to handle alone. Yes, the Bible says that you will not be tempted beyond what you can stand, but it also tells us to flee temptation. I think using blocking software or limited access to the Internet is one of the best ways to flee the temptation. It is not “chickening out” but helping to give you an edge for victory.

. NetNanny is one way to do this. You will have to let your parents set it up with passwords. You can beat NetNanny, however, but not without your parents knowing about it; so it will take some responsibility on their part to hold you accountable. Another solution that really can't be defeated is one of the new Christian ISPs.

CharacterLink (www.characterlink.net) and other Christian ISPs can provide you access to the Internet. These companies BLOCK porn sites at an ISP level, so you simply cannot go to inappropriate sites. It is like accessing an Internet that does NOT contain porn.

Do not feel that by using blocking software programs or Christian ISPs, you are hurting your chances of becoming a mature Christian later when you are “out in the real world.” The fact is that many godly men and pastors are using blocking software or limited ISP accounts because they ARE mature Christian men. (I know of two local pastors who installed NetNanny on each other’s computers so they do not have the password to override a bad site.) I have been using NetNanny myself ever since it first came out, and we are moving to an ISP that provides blocking that is out of our hands. A wise Christian man is not one who places himself in the path of temptation so he can laugh in Satan’s face.

Such a man is full of pride, and soon to fall. It is the humble man who recognizes his weaknesses and seeks God’s help and accountability from his brother, which will stand against sin. From your e-mail, I can see that you have a good understanding of scripture and a deep relationship with your Lord. Get the victory - one day at a time. Seek help from your parents, use blocking software or Christian Internet access, and WIN! Steve Hewitt, editor-in-chief top Copyright � 1988 - 1997 All Rights Reserved by Christian Computing� Magazine P.

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