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Dangers To Our Families #2 The Internet Almost all houses today are wire for the internet. Up until the 1980’s the internet did not exist as it does today. Earlier it was used by the military and universities. In the 1980’s technology advanced so computers can link up together and communicate with each other.. I do not know the percentage of houses with computers but it is high. Like most things it can be used for good or evil. The internet is almost totally unregulated. This is because it does not belong to one nation but is a world wide web. People in Hong Kong can email people in London. A web site can be developed in India and viewed in Kentucky. Therefore it is hard to stop many activities. It is also an impersonal and inexpensive way to communicate, do business, and post material. Some people do not truly understand the seriousness of what they say or post on the web. For instance, a family on eBay actually posted their picture with an offer to auction themselves to the highest bidder. They may have thought this to be a practical joke but there are people in other places that will consider it an invitation. One family allowed their daughter to post pictures of herself in various stages of dress. She was charging people to view her pictures. The parents said they thought it was a way to raise money for her college. Tragedies and near tragedies have happened due to the internet. Young girls have been propositioned and convinced to meet people they have never met. On many occasions they are taken by force and raped. Some have been killed. Consider the following numbers: ? 24 million children ages 10-17 use the Internet regularly? 70% use the internet at home? 56% use the internet at school? 4.5 million children are sexually solicited each year? There are 2.5 pornographic email each day, that accounts for 8% of all emails? Child pornographers and pedophiles use the internet to recruit victims. Chat rooms allows predators to solicit unsuspecting young people by first allowing pedophiles to pretend to be another young person. A thirty year old man can say he is a 14 year old girl. They build up friendships and little by little get personal information. With a little patience they can find out where a person lives, their name, and other personal information. Some young people are talked into a meeting and surprised at who they are seeing.Young people are not the only ones endangered by the internet. Pornographic web sites total 4.2 million, or 12% of all web sites are of this nature. Twenty percent men admitted to accessing pornography at work. Forty million U.S. adults view pornography on the web "regularly." Forty seven percent of Christians said it is a major problem in the home. Women are not immune from these temptations. Seventeen percent of women struggle with pornography addiction. One out of 3 visitors to such web sites are women, and women are far more likely to act out their behavior in real life than are men. I have talked with people whose spouse left them after meeting someone in a chat room. I have known preachers to get caught up in viewing and downloading pictures. Most of the time their marriages were ruined by their behavior. James 1 points out the way sin works. James 1:12 "Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God"; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. " Pornography by its very nature lascivious. Lasciviousness by its nature intends to entice and create lust. Lust is not content to just remain lust, by its nature it desires to be fulfilled. Also lust by definition is unlawful desire. Since it is unlawful then fulfilling it is sin. Just one example from the Bible is enough to show how dangerous it is to look at someone unclothed that is not your spouse. David saw Bathsheba bathing, 2 Samuel 11.2. He called for her and "he lay with her" verse 4. This resulted in a child being conceived, and a husband being murdered. Can anyone argue that David was not affected by what he saw? He was enticed, it produced lust, and lust when fulfilled resulted in sin. Young people need to stay away from web sites that states you have to be 18 years old before entering. There is only one reason for such an age limit and it is not good. If you find yourself at a questionable web site, back out immediately. If you have trouble leaving the site, turn your computer off. Some sites are able to place charges on your phone bill, they make money by keeping you on their site. Tell your parents if you find yourself at adult web sites. Only chat with people you know on line. Never give out personal information such as your age, name, or residence to a stranger. Parents listen to your children. Call the police if someone is trying to gain personal information from your child. Keep the computer in a high traffic area in your house. This will allow you to see what is going on. Purchase a program to filter web sites. Some key warning signs are: pictures download and placed in folders so as to try and hide them. Children having numerous email accounts, this could be to cover up what they are doing, and refusing to be on the computer when you are around. Finally, if your child becomes compulsive about an email friend. To quote Benton County, Arkansas investigator, Paul Carter — "When I was growing up, the bogeyman was in the bushes. Now he’s in our computer, in our home. We allowed the bad guy into our home." —D.T. |