No link here

[Bobtheduck]

Well, there is something that every guy should know, and I found a good website on this issue, but because of the name, I can't link it here...

The issues of integrity and purity are things that can't be dealt with "delicately" because the other side isn't delicate in the least... It's very in-your-face and there is a website that deals with this, and it's the "sheep in wolves clothing" being featured on "Martin Sergent's Unscrewed"

For anyone who has TechTV, you know what kind of crap usually ends up on that show... It's all about the undercurrent of the net and technology... The low brow, the dirty, the wrong... It's the sorts of people that watch this show, who I'm sure many Christians are in that group, who need to get that message... When I first heard the name of their web site, I was totally shocked... I flipped by Martin's show when he was interviewing them, and found that Martin's hook was quite off, and that's a good thing... A good thing he used the hook like that, because I'm sure it got the attention of a lot of people who needed to watch this particular episode of Martin's show.

This website is very on target. It takes no prisoners and doesn't care about offending the people who get a wrong idea about it, because they only care about the millions of Christian men who are addicted to pornography and lust.

I'm going to sign up for their accountability software, and if any guys want this, you can PM me (sorry, girls, this site won't help you much... Someone needs to make a version for Women, since women are at least half as likely as men to get involved in this stuff)... It's a very important thing, and just as I'm sad to have this problem among christians and in me, I'm sad that I'm unable to talk about it openly...

Even when I memorize ideas or verses, I never remember where they came from, so forgive that, but in James it says to confess your sins one to another, and I believe it should be an every day thing, if possible... Also, if someone's confessing to you, you need to support them in stopping their sin, not aid in them commiting the sin...

If you stay in "the razor light" (a great song by Waterdeep, by the way) it's not going to be as easy for you to screw up as it is when you stay in the dark... Don't love the dark! Walk in the light, letting your darkest moments get out in the open and continually letting your life flow... Let your life be an open book! Don't hold on to secret sins! They'll destroy your life! Secrecy is suicide spiritually...

Also, I hope that for those of you who haven't had this problem, please don't be passing judgement... The Church's desire to keep itself squeaky clean is what has helped it get so dirty... Everything is done in secret, there's no accountability, people do their own thing and it's nobody's business... This issue really needs to be dealt with because it's destroying us... It's destroying me... My life is getting destroyed by secrecy...

EDIT: Sorry, I guess there is some stuff in here for women too... Hmm... This one is really important, there are so many people with problems in this line right now, it's important we all work to stop it...

[shooraijin]

> The Church's desire to keep itself squeaky clean is what has helped it get so dirty...

There are many people in the church who refuse to focus on such issues, or blindly condemn rather than seek a solution and try to redeem people who have fallen into this trap.

I think in the anime world, with it being as wide ranged as it is, the need for God's strength to resist hentai as well as any other kind of non-God-honouring material is highly relevant.

Rather than post the original link (trusting your judgement that it would be inappropriate, and thank you for being mindful of it), if others have serious, --non-flippant-- suggestions of ways that struggling members might find help in Christ, including that all important accountability, this would be a good place. Please keep links family-friendly.

[Bobtheduck]

Rethinking it, I really should have said "the church's desire to keep it's IMAGE squeaky clean"

I think that the first step to get rid of any sin is openness... A denouncing of secrecy. If we make it a pattern to confess to other people the things we've done wrong, there is no room for things to build up in the dark. Without openness, there is no way you can stay clean...

"They loved the darkness, for their ways were evil"

Don't have a Bible handy, but there is a particular verse i'm thinking of in I John about staying in the light... Can't think of the exact wording...

Christians, by nature, are not going to remain private... Because we are meant to be salt and light, if we hide under bowls and blankets, we're going to eat and burn through our coverings eventually... And, by that time, we would have done damage where we should have brought help...

EDIT: I also think that mentioning Martin's show is probably worse than if I were to mention the site, actually...