How about us Christians? Are we doing any better on the internet than the rest of the world? What is our responsibility? What are we called to? I think the following verses make it quite clear:

EPH 4:17 So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. [18] They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. [19] Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.

EPH 4:22 You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; [23] to be made new in the attitude of your minds; [24] and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

EPH 5:3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. [4] Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. [5] For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person--such a man is an idolater--has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. [6] Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. [7] Therefore do not be partners with them.

2COR 7:1 Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

ROM 6:19 I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.

So how are we Christians doing on the Internet? The answer is not good! In fact, it appears that we are no different than the rest of the world. Shouldn’t we be different? Shouldn’t our statistics reflect the holiness that we are called to by Jesus whom we profess as God? Here is some interesting data:

In four informal polls taken at past Christian World View Conferences, 85%-95% of families by our polling have access to the Internet, however less than 12% have filtering of any kind. These are Christians that care about their families, their country and their culture and yet less than 12% have any kind of Internet protection for themselves and their families!

AFO research has indicated that 9 out of 10 Internet victims are adults! Of those Christian families that do not have filter, 10% are not aware of the dangers on the Internet, 25% know the material is there, but they believe their family will not use that material or be harmed by it. The largest group, 65% simply doesn’t want to give up some material or feature of the Internet that they perceive a filter will deny even though they know it may not be good for them.

Statistically speaking, every major destructive behavior in this country is the same for Christians as it is for the secular world. And it is adults that are refusing or neglecting to set the moral standards within their homes. Further evidence of this is the letters we get every week from victims of Internet material. These letters are tragic and they break our hearts. Why are we Christians a victim to this? I wish I knew, but it seems that Christians either don’t know or won’t admit there is a problem as evidenced further by the following Statistics:

• 51% of pastors say cyberporn is a possible temptation. 37% say it is a current struggle (Christianity Today, Leadership Survey, December 2001). 4 in 10 pastors have visited a porn site (Christianity Today, Leadership Survey, December 2001).
• 17.8% of all "born again" Christian adults (in America) have visited sexually-oriented Websites (Zogby survey conducted for Focus on the Family, 2000).
• 63% of men attending "Men, Romance & Integrity Seminars" admit to struggling with porn in the past year. Two-thirds are in church leadership and 10% are pastors (Pastor's Family Bulletin, Focus on the Family, March 2000).
• 1 in 7 calls to Focus' Pastoral Care Line is about Internet pornography (Pastor's Family Bulletin, Focus on the Family, March 2000).
• "If you think you can't fall into sexual sin, then you're godlier than David, stronger than Samson, and wiser than Soloman" (Pastor Bill Perkins).
  

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