Due to their curiosity, children are the most vulnerable. Statistics on pornography indicate that the largest consumer group of Internet porn is the 12-17 year-old age group. And such sites are available at the mere 'click' of a button—especially to children whose Internet activities are not adequately monitored!

Provocative sexual images, once placed in the mind, remain there permanently. For this reason, "Pornography addicts have a more difficult time in recovering from their addiction than cocaine addicts, since coke users can get the drug out of their system, but pornographic images stay in the brain forever" (Ryan Singel, Wired News, Nov.19, 2004).

"The Internet is a perfect drug delivery system because you are anonymous, aroused and have role models for these behaviors. To have [such a] drug pumped into your house 24/7, free [via the Internet]—and children know how to use it better than grown-ups know how to use it—it's a perfect delivery system if we want to have a whole generation of young addicts who will never have the drug out of their mind" (Mary Anne Layden, co-director of the Sexual Trauma and Psychopathology Program at the University of Pennsylvania's Center for Cognitive Therapy).

John Walsh, of America's Most Wanted television program, explained in an interview with CNN host Larry King: "The largest buyer of child pornography is the US—and Russia too. It isn't the guy underneath the bridge in a trench coat—it's people like you and me, and doctors and lawyers.

"It's curiosity that draws the little ones in. A ten-year-old can go to the mall to meet another ten-year-old and find that it's a 56 year old creep who is going to hurt them. Only 1 in 5 children tell their parents what they do or see on the Internet.

"I have no forgiveness for the pedophile. We can't cure them and they destroy so many kids' lives. They have to be kept away from children" (CNN, April 19, 2006).

If you have children, you have a responsibility to monitor what they access on the Internet. Be fully aware of all their Internet activity. It is too easy for children whose internet access and activity are not monitored to become the victims of sexual predators.

Businesses are also affected. Many employees spend work-hour time viewing these morally degrading sites. A Canadian news source reported that one local-government audit found that 53% of Internet use at work was actually personal in nature, often with employees viewing websites with nude images and explicit sexual messages (Ottawa Citizen, May 3, 2006).

Why can't this problem be eliminated? A major obstacle is that what is 'legal' or 'illegal' is too blurred by debate.

The prophet Isaiah well described our divisive, modern society by saying, "Cursed are those who give the name of good to evil, and of evil to what is good: who make light dark, and dark light: who make bitter sweet, and sweet bitter!" (Isaiah 5:20, Bible in Basic English).

God hates sexual sin! It wrecks marriages and families. It destroys childhood innocence. It short circuits the potential humans have to become members of God's divine family, His own children (John 1:12; Hebrews 2:9-11).

The apostle Paul gives this excellent advice to all people, young and old, who are struggling with sexual temptations and sins: "Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body" (1 Corinthians 6:18, NIV).

The solution is to draw near to God by asking Him for the courage to sincerely want to change and the strength to resist temptations. This first step in turning to a better way of life is what the Bible refers to as repentance (Acts 17:30; James 4:8-10). And God will hear those who seek to do His will from the heart and sincerely cry out to Him for the personal strength they need to follow His teachings.

As the apostle Paul explained, "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it" (1 Corinthians 10:13).

For a clear and accurate understanding of God's revealed instruction on marriage that can make it both sexually enriching and morally stabilizing, please request or download our free, insightful publication, Marriage & Family: The Missing Dimension.