THE INTERNET AND IMMORALITY

What is the Internet?

 Is a global network connecting millions of computers and it uses addresses (IP protocol suite) to identify each device. All over the world, millions of people use the internet every day to conduct business, listen to world news, check the weather, learn about other countries, to shop, to bank, obtain travel information or communicate with families and friends. More and more uses are being discovered every day.

But

Apart from all these helps from the internet, the internet is becoming “okumfo dumfo”. Why? Because as much as you can get useful resources and information on the internet , one can also get bad and negative information from this same internet. Just as the saying goes, fire is a good servant but a bad master, so is the internet becoming.

 Bible says in James 3:12: Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.

History

The internet was originally invented during the cold war to enable US forces communicate amongst themselves. But when the threat died down, it was released for public use, and this has transformed the world by way of information and communication since.

Definition of immorality

“Not conforming to standards of right behaviour or living contrary to good/ right principles” or “contrary to conscience or scripture”. eg. fraud (sakawa), fornication, pornography, stealing/ robbery, falsehood, nudity, betrayal, traitors, etc.

Its reliability has eased communication, access to information etc. Even after all this, the internet has increased immorality in society.impacted the society negatively since there is little or no control of it. Internet immorality has been on the rise especially with the many opened social sites and the various social networks. Pornographic, dating, relationship sites are some of the examples of the many sites found on the internet. Such sites have promoted weakened societal moral values. Immorality among the teens and the youth has tremendously increased. In most cases, the internet fuels immorality on this young generation. Many people have also figured out ways through which they can make money by using the internet. This in return has enhanced immoral practices such as stealing of identity, hacking into personal accounts, selling of illegal stuff and goods, fraud among other things. In an effort to cub this immorality, programmes such as filtering and censorship of content information in the internet has been established. State Governments and some organizations have managed at some point with these programmes. However, these programmes have brought about controversies over what information content is good and that is bad. This is so because; censorship programmes may censor both the good and the bad information.

Internet immorality

Although the Internet has eased communication and access to information, it is gradually becoming a master of immorality. Immoral issues arising from the introduction of the internet include:

     1.     Cyber- crime eg. sakawa, fraud (ID and banking). Causing mistrust amongst people

     2.     Pornography leading to Fornication/ adultery (also looking lustfully-matt.5:23), Rape and       pedophilia.

     3.     Increase in Prostitution (‘cos of more secrecy)

     4.     Hacking-  to ruin computer systems

     5.     Viral attacks to make money and run- down equipment

     6.     Perversion

Effect of internet Immorality on Child of God

      1.     Grief the Holy Spirit, thus, affecting your relationship with God

      2.     You can’t do God’s work because of guilt and accusation from Satan

      3.     Shame to your family and yourself (i.e. parents, siblings, loss of respect)

      4.     Shame to church and friends thereby keeping people from becoming Christians

      5.     Bringing great pleasure to Satan, an enemy of God (2sam. 12:14)

      6.     Physical consequences like STDs, pregnancy, AIDS, etc

How to overcome

      1.     Don’t idle on the internet eg. David and Beersheba

      2.     Most Internet service providers have some kind of filtering software that will block access to bad/immoral sites, so use that.

      3.     If you already have a filter but use a password to bypass the blocked sites, have someone else put in a new password so you cannot access some sites unless that friend is there.

      4.     Keep your computer in a "public" place in the house so that others are around whenever you are using the computer.

      5.     Admit to yourself and to God that you are powerless to control this behavior on your own. Ask God for grace to overcome the desire to use the internet for wrong reasons.

      6.     lay a good foundation for the younger people. This can be done by incorporating moral values.lay a good foundation for the younger people. This can be done by incorporating moral values.Flee the site, if unsure (same as an unwanted guest enters your home) and

      7.     Don’t be curious about everything you hear or see, to edge you search more. Satan will always play the bad sites you visited in your mind which a ‘times leads to practice (sin)

      8.     Keep your mind on things of God and Satan will not fill it with sinful thoughts.

Conclusion

Satan is using the internet to win souls for hell, why don’t you use it to win souls for Christ (eg. encouragement series). Accessing the immoral sites start small and innocent—but it quickly becomes an action. And that action stirs more thoughts—which create more actions. And soon, you are no longer controlling your lusts. They are controlling you. Do not be a slave to such things. Do not allow the god of this world (II Cor. 4:4) to shape you in the way he sees fit. You have the choice of changing your path. The facts of this explosion of immorality sits in your hands- to shut it out or allow it in? You are able to make a wise and in-depth choice in your life. The only question left is whether you choose to be led into this canker of internet immorality, or whether you break those chains and choose holiness, peace and joy in our Lord Jesus Christ and His word. The choice is yours to make. Choose wisely!