Australian bishops warn of risks in accessing online pornography
By Dan McAloon (Catholic News Service)
SYDNEY, Australia (CNS) -- Australia's bishops have warned against the availability of online pornography and its ability to wreck healthy relationships by ensnaring users in the "secret, shameful ... fantasy world" of its addiction.
Describing the Internet as "a constantly unfolding entity" that in 20 years "has changed our lives in extraordinary ways," the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference said in a pastoral letter that unfettered access to online pornography puts at risk "the physical, spiritual and emotional safety ... of both children and adults."
The bishops released the letter to mark World Communications Sunday, celebrated in Australia April 27. For the first time, the bishops accompanied the letter with a video on the subject posted on YouTube.com.
"One of the most evil uses of the Internet is the ready availability of pornography. The relative anonymity of the Internet and its private nature means that there is a real danger of Internet addiction," the bishops said in the letter. They noted that "humiliating and degrading" images that would not be allowed on Australia's film and TV system are "commonplace" on the Internet.
The bishops cited in the letter a variety of sources to show the unprecedented impact of Internet pornography on domestic relations. They said almost 57 percent of the Australian population is connected to the World Wide Web; that figure includes more than 6 million households.
"Men in growing numbers are using porn in ways that are secret, shameful and damaging. It is having a damaging impact on intimacy and sexuality. Some counselors refer to an Internet addiction; others label it a compulsion," they said.
Losing a loved one to online pornography is "heartbreaking," said the bishops. The afflicted person "becomes less and less connected to the reality of a loving sexual partnership within marriage and the spouse becomes isolated and stricken with poor self-esteem and feelings of inadequacy," they said, noting that growing numbers of relationship counselors cite online pornography as a factor in their clients' relationship breakdowns.
The bishops also quoted a recent Australian teen magazine survey of teenage girls which found that 70 percent of those surveyed had accessed pornography sites "by accident" and 21 percent "on purpose."
"It is the church's firm view that the Internet should be no more exempt than other media from reasonable limits against hate speech, libel, fraud and pornography -- especially child pornography," they said.
The bishops endorsed plans by the Australian government to require Internet service providers to filter out offensive material "before it reaches home computers."
In the meantime, the bishops encouraged parents and grandparents to be involved in and learn about the Internet, "creating appropriate boundaries, rules and expectations regarding Internet use."
"Christian families should also discuss these Internet dangers with their children when they are discussing the wider issues of pornography and its damaging impact on human dignity and relationships," they said.
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The Australian bishops' video can be found online at: www.youtube.com/ACBCcomms.
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Copyright (c) 2008 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops