If you are involved in any way in your Information Technology (IT) department or ministry, you must be concerned with the issue of internet pornography. There is no doubt that this is a problem in your organization. Statistically, we know that 60% of men professing to be Christ-followers also view pornography at least "occasionally". That means 6 out of 10 men in your church are looking at porn, occasionally. Sound like a problem to you?

Nobody likes to talk about this issue, but it's a tremendous threat to the thought life of the believer. Often pornography is viewed with a "don't ask, don't tell" mindset, much like smoking or tobacco use, in that we rationalize that it does no harm to anyone other than the user. This is neither truthful nor biblical. Why is porn sinful?  I'll start with at least four reasons:

• It does not conform us to the image of Christ.
  
  
• It attacks that thing which is most closely associated with our personal relationship with Christ--the mind.
  
  
• It requires a level of dishonesty with those around us and close to us, which is itself sinful, as almost all pornography habits are hidden by those who participate.
  
  
• It objectifies sex in a way that God's Word did not intend, focusing on physical pleasure alone while ignoring the intimacy and sacredness of sex within the marriage covenant.

I have seen pornography wreak havoc in the lives of church staff members, ministers and pastors as well as individuals. We pretend this is not a problem, but it is the elephant in the room, and it will affect you and your church at some point.  A public revelation can destroy reputations and leaders. A private sin can eat away at relationships and marriages from the inside out for years, even decades. All IT staff must plan for, confront and increase accountability on this issue.  Here’s how to guard yourself and your staff.

Have a written policy for dealing with pornography. The foundation for any response on a moral issue is clearly stating your policy and standard. Does your organization have a written policy outlining its stance on this (and other) moral issues as they relate to employees? You cannot allow "I didn't know" to be a valid response when it comes to a moral issue. We live in an age of relativism, where many try to justify actions based on their own experience and circumstances. Largely we are a society who preaches moral absolutes but tolerates just about anything. This is why a clear, concise, written policy on an issue like pornography sets a benchmark on which to base staff accountability.

How strict a policy? I would suggest very strict, even allowing termination upon the first offense (perhaps not a definite "one strike and you are out" policy, but one where the authority to do so if leadership believes that to be the proper response is clearly outlined). In this way, you are guarding the church at large from issues created by an individual. At the same time, the possibility of harsh punishment at the first offense allows you to extend grace where possible.

You can always back off of a policy to give a second chance when an employee comes clean and accepts help and accountability. It is much more difficult in the middle of a situation to "make an example" of someone in an especially harmful instance if a strict written policy is not already in place. Remember too that a policy must separate the consequences of actions (punishment) from the redemption of the person (grace). It is possible to restore the person but at the same time terminate the employee--and in many cases this may be necessary.

Filter staff internet content and email. You must have strong and reliable internet and email filtering protecting your organization's network. This will not keep out all unwanted content, but it will keep out the majority of it. This is expensive, but it is a fixed cost you must be willing to bear. I recommend Barracuda filters, which filter both internet browsing and incoming email. There are several excellent solutions available for content filtering. Filtering is setting up a basic electronic "fence" around your computer systems. I often think of it like the Pack-and-Play I have for my daughter--it's telling everyone, "This is a relatively safe place to hang out."

More important than a barrier, filtering is also setting a benchmark for your staff, allowing the IT leadership to set up a threshold of what is acceptable and what is not. Remember that this benchmark goes beyond pornography to include file-sharing, pirated content, gaming and other areas that are detrimental to the purpose of the computer network. By filtering, you are drawing a line for staff as to what you will accept as appropriate content. When someone tries to access inappropriate content through your office network they will be stopped. More importantly, they will also be more informed as to the extent of your content policy.

Randomly and regularly check staff computers. There really is no substitute for accountability within your staff team. It cannot be faked or assumed. Remember that statistically, even among professed believers, about 6 of 10 men are seeing some kind of pornographic content online regularly. Though you cannot control their access outside the office, within your borders it is essential to do routine checks for questionable content. If you have never performed a random check of staff computers, there is about a 100% chance of inappropriate content being on your network and/or individual computers within the organization. It’s a certainty. And it's your responsibility.

Random checks can seem like they promote distrust. In the short-run that will be the perception, but in the long-run they will actually build trust. The worst stance you can take is to start by assuming your network and your staff are clear of pornography, because at some point you will be faced with the fact that is just not true. Be wary of staff members who exhibit an extra sensitivity to having their computer looked at, or who pull the "invasion of privacy" card. Remind them that the computer and networks are the property of the organization and open to inspection at any time.

Also be wary of staff who would rather provide their own computer for work use. This is something I have dealt with in my organization because of budget constraints, but my preference over time is to eliminate personal computers and provide all staff machines so that we can increase the level of accountability--not just regarding pornography, but other inappropriate content like illegally downloaded songs and software. Remember that with the advent of the internet almost all pornographic content access is electronic. Where magazines and videos might have been lesser issues in the past, today we look at the computer and the internet as the primary portal for illicit activity.

Provide education and opportunities for amnesty and counseling. Men and women who have an attraction or addition to pornography are living with a very dark secret, and most will do just about anything to keep that secret from being revealed. In order to minister to these individuals and ultimately help them break the habit of pornography, you will need to create opportunities that allow them an honorable "out". Among the options you could make available would be an amnesty program, where admission to an issue in private saves major repercussions and gains free counseling. Another option is to offer mandatory counseling and follow-up on the first offense, but to deal more harshly with successive offenses.

Counseling goes hand-in-hand with solving a pornography issue within your staff ranks. This deep-rooted problem is not one that most people can walk away from "cold turkey." There’s also the issue of family, including spouse and children, involved in many of these situations--often where other family members have no knowledge of what the husband or wife has been doing. Tackling this mental spaghetti is the job of trained professionals who will maintain confidentiality as they talk through the biblical principles and life adjustments involved.

The biggest step for any organization, especially the church, in dealing with pornography, is crossing the hurdle of addressing the elephant in the room. We must move from assuming we are clean and in the clear to assuming there is a problem. Statistically we know this to be true in any church, but if we fail to admit that we must act in response to pornography we are in a sense endorsing it.

About the Author. Eugene Mason has more than two decades of experience in ministry communications and technologies. More...