Pastoral Internet Regulation & Control

[Traci]

Besides being a control freak, he most likely is the one with the problem. I guess some pastors believe if they have a problem with something everyone else must also.

PS No, I would not sit under someone like that. I have control issues

[MissBrattified]

Well, look, to be fair, there could be a PROBLEM in the church regarding internet use that we are unaware of.

I don't fault the pastor for trying (over-zealously) to protect his constituency from the internet, which is much more dangerous than television.

An accountability program is good, IMO. However, it should be a voluntary program. Lots of churches have accountability programs for the internet--or is that a surprise to everyone? Ever heard of Covenant Eyes, Safe Eyes or XXX Church? They function by emailing an accountability partner an unaltered copy of your visited websites on a regular basis. You can't edit the results, and the only sites that will show up on the email are questionable sites.

The only part I disagree with here is the mandatory nature, but like I said--we may not know the whole story.

[Cindy]

I have inadvertantly gone to a website while doing a search for something entirely innocent. What if you refuse to do this? Do you get your church membership taken away? Big invasion of privacy. If the government was doing this most people would be very upset.

[ManOfWord]

This pastor has SERIOUS control issues. Who does he think he is demanding that people in HIS church, (I assume he takes ownership) hand over their private lives to him? The only acceptable solution would be for him to do the same thing publicly for his life for all the congregation to see. I'll bet there ain't a "snowball's" chance of that happening.

If he really believes he has that many problems, I guarantee you that those same people will find a way around it!

[Rico]

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

Well, look, to be fair, there could be a PROBLEM in the church regarding internet use that we are unaware of.

I don't fault the pastor for trying (over-zealously) to protect his constituency from the internet, which is much more dangerous than television.

An accountability program is good, IMO. However, it should be a voluntary program. Lots of churches have accountability programs for the internet--or is that a surprise to everyone? Ever heard of Covenant Eyes, Safe Eyes or XXX Church? They function by emailing an accountability partner an unaltered copy of your visited websites on a regular basis. You can't edit the results, and the only sites that will show up on the email are questionable sites.

The only part I disagree with here is the mandatory nature, but like I said--we may not know the whole story.

I don't care if there is a problem in the church or not. I'd tell him exactly what he could do with his monitoring program and it wouldn't be pretty.

[MissBrattified]

Originally Posted by Rico

I don't care if there is a problem in the church or not. I'd tell him exactly what he could do with his monitoring program and it wouldn't be pretty.

I agree with you, Rico. I do think that voluntary accountability programs are a very good thing. Making it mandatory defeats the purpose.

Hopefully he is not excluding himself from the program, at the very least.

You can't force morality. It just burdens those who are already doing right, and forces those who are immoral into hiding.

[Traci]

I just believe that I have got to take personal responsibility for my walk with God and if I have a problem than I should go to the Pastor or someone or maybe no one--sit myself out of being involved and work it out. I don't think I should have to report to a Pastor about anything or less I'm one of his department heads and that would only be reporting about church related stuff. To me, we should be adults--we know if we are doing something that is against the Bible. To me, a pastor is to teach me the Bible, my husband has the last say and we must all answer to God.

[Rico]

Originally Posted by MissBrattified

I agree with you, Rico. I do think that voluntary accountability programs are a very good thing. Making it mandatory defeats the purpose.

Hopefully he is not excluding himself from the program, at the very least.

You can't force morality. It just burdens those who are already doing right, and forces those who are immoral into hiding.

If someone wants to do something like that it's entirely up to them. If I can't control what I am doing on the internet then I need to get off the computer and go find a place to pray. Believe me, there was a time when I had to do just that and thought I was going to end up taking a baseball bat to my computer, tv, and vcr, all at the same time. Once I realized the problem wasn't the computer, tv, or vcr, but me, I found the strength I needed to overcome.

[A.W. Bowman]

I have to throw in my lot with Miss Brattified. What we ae hearing is a simple report of what a pastor instituted. We have nothing of the specifies, justifications, background, or even if this was originated within the assembly as a "universal request". Judging by appearances (partial information, omitted or slanted opinions and/or viewpoints, etc.) can lead us into errors in judgments.

Having said all of that, I simply would not comply. If it becames truly "mandatory" for fellowship, I would leave. That kind of environment is not a fellowship. It does not support mutual trust, respect, or honor among believers. Rather, it has become a jail where suspicion and doubt replaces love and compassion as the assembly's defining characteristics.

[Sherri]

Someone has WAY too much spare time on their hands! You cannot legislate morality. If it's in a person's heart to do evil, they will get around the "police state" mentality and do it anyway.