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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Internet filter	Matt	Thursday, November 18, 2004
Question: Dear Brother, Do you know of any FREE internet filters that can't be overrided by a password? To tell you the truth, I'm addicted to porn and it's really gettin to me. What's worse is that I want to be a priest. Please pray for me... I've looked everywhere for one. Thanks a lot. -Matt
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM+ Dear Matt: Any Internet filters that you load onto your computer must have a way to configure settings -- and thus a password. There are Internet Providers who try to block out any pornographic material. A quick search on the keywords "Catholic Internet Provider" I found Catholic Internet Services. There are others. The best solution, however, is one that does not filter pornographic material, but forces a person to be accountable if they go to porno sites or download porn from Newsgroups. This program is called Covenant Eyes. The once the software is loaded on the computer it cannot be unloaded without trashing the whole computer. The only way to unload the program is to get a special password from the Covenant Eyes website. While you can do this whenever you want, and while you can log off the Covenant Eyes system so that it does not record where you go on the Internet, those things cannot be done without an "accountability partner" knowing about it. When the program it set-up any person willing to do it can be designated an accountability partner. There can be multiple accountability partners. This partner will get reports on your Internet activity. Thus, if you are naughty, it will show on the report and the accountability partner can call you on it. If you unload the program, the accountability partner will be notified. If you log off, either log off the Covenant Eyes system, or just turn off your computer, the accountability partner will be notified. In other words, someone is looking over your shoulder and watching where you go on the Internet and even if you turn off the Covenant Eyes system the accountability partner will know about it and can confront you. This system can NEVER be defeated without the accountability partner knowing. This method of accountability I think in the long run is much healthier and much more likely to help a person to overcome addiction to pornography than the Band-Aid approach of blocking software that can, if one knows how, be disabled without anyone knowing. The Covenant Eyes system costs $6.95 per month, but it is worth it. Also, one needs to have an accountability partner. If there is no one you can pick to be an accountability partner, then I may be able to volunteer to be that for you as part of our ministry to people with sexual addictions. Speaking of that ministry, also available to you by the first of the year is a support group on our website for people with sexual addictions. The Catholic Support Group for Sexual Addiction Recovery has been offline for a year or so, but will be brought back on line I hope by January. Another important element in helping to overcome this addiction is to ask your doctor about taking a drug like Zoloft. Zoloft class drugs help to balance chemicals in the brain that are associated with obsessive compulsive behavior. Additions are essentially obsessive compulsive problems. This type of drug can reduce the compulsion to a point that one can more easily deal with the addiction. I know that when I am on Zoloft if I am watching TV and a woman comes on the screen who is the type that I have a high attraction, a thought may begin to cross my mind, but with Zoloft that thought falls into a pothole half way across :) Another little technique is to realize that temptations tend to come in small windows of opportunity. If one can distract themselves for a few minutes the draw toward the temptation can pass. For example, if you feel that feeling coming where you want to indulge in pornography, get up and do the dishes, mow the lawn, watch the 6pm news, jog around the block, do something, do anything that distracts you away from that temptation. By the time you finish the dishes, or finish mowing the lawn, or finish watching the news the temptation will likely be gone. Anyway, we will be in prayer for you. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Internet filter

Matt

Thursday, November 18, 2004

Question:

Dear Brother,

Do you know of any FREE internet filters that can't be overrided by a password? To tell you the truth, I'm addicted to porn and it's really gettin to me. What's worse is that I want to be a priest. Please pray for me... I've looked everywhere for one. Thanks a lot. -Matt

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM+

Dear Matt:

Any Internet filters that you load onto your computer must have a way to configure settings -- and thus a password.

There are Internet Providers who try to block out any pornographic material. A quick search on the keywords "Catholic Internet Provider" I found Catholic Internet Services. There are others.

The best solution, however, is one that does not filter pornographic material, but forces a person to be accountable if they go to porno sites or download porn from Newsgroups.

This program is called Covenant Eyes. The once the software is loaded on the computer it cannot be unloaded without trashing the whole computer. The only way to unload the program is to get a special password from the Covenant Eyes website. While you can do this whenever you want, and while you can log off the Covenant Eyes system so that it does not record where you go on the Internet, those things cannot be done without an "accountability partner" knowing about it.

When the program it set-up any person willing to do it can be designated an accountability partner. There can be multiple accountability partners. This partner will get reports on your Internet activity. Thus, if you are naughty, it will show on the report and the accountability partner can call you on it. If you unload the program, the accountability partner will be notified. If you log off, either log off the Covenant Eyes system, or just turn off your computer, the accountability partner will be notified.

In other words, someone is looking over your shoulder and watching where you go on the Internet and even if you turn off the Covenant Eyes system the accountability partner will know about it and can confront you. This system can NEVER be defeated without the accountability partner knowing.

This method of accountability I think in the long run is much healthier and much more likely to help a person to overcome addiction to pornography than the Band-Aid approach of blocking software that can, if one knows how, be disabled without anyone knowing.

The Covenant Eyes system costs $6.95 per month, but it is worth it. Also, one needs to have an accountability partner. If there is no one you can pick to be an accountability partner, then I may be able to volunteer to be that for you as part of our ministry to people with sexual addictions.

Speaking of that ministry, also available to you by the first of the year is a support group on our website for people with sexual addictions. The Catholic Support Group for Sexual Addiction Recovery has been offline for a year or so, but will be brought back on line I hope by January.

Another important element in helping to overcome this addiction is to ask your doctor about taking a drug like Zoloft. Zoloft class drugs help to balance chemicals in the brain that are associated with obsessive compulsive behavior. Additions are essentially obsessive compulsive problems. This type of drug can reduce the compulsion to a point that one can more easily deal with the addiction.

I know that when I am on Zoloft if I am watching TV and a woman comes on the screen who is the type that I have a high attraction, a thought may begin to cross my mind, but with Zoloft that thought falls into a pothole half way across :)

Another little technique is to realize that temptations tend to come in small windows of opportunity. If one can distract themselves for a few minutes the draw toward the temptation can pass. For example, if you feel that feeling coming where you want to indulge in pornography, get up and do the dishes, mow the lawn, watch the 6pm news, jog around the block, do something, do anything that distracts you away from that temptation. By the time you finish the dishes, or finish mowing the lawn, or finish watching the news the temptation will likely be gone.

Anyway, we will be in prayer for you.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum