Although pornography has been around for centuries, its availability on the Internet has opened the door for more perversion than ever before. Pornography is no longer just photos of nude women, but a major industry with tentacles reaching into every segment of society.

The world of pornography is far-reaching, as seen in the 1986 Meese Commission report. That important study found that pornography was linked to organized crime, sexual violence and civil injustice. Pornography is an $8 billion a year business, and child pornography generates at least $3 billion annually. In addition, there are nearly 900 theaters that show pornographic films and more than 15,000 “adult” bookstores and video stores offering pornographic material.

Adult bookstores outnumber McDonald’s restaurants in the United States by a margin of at least three to one. According to Henry Boatwright, the Chairman of the U.S. Advisory Board for Social Concerns, approximately 70 percent of the pornographic magazines sold end up in the hands of minors.

In order to shape our culture in regard to pornography, the family must be at the forefront, setting the example. Questionable materials have no place in our homes, including exposure to inappropriate sexual themes in our choices of TV shows, music and printed material.

Parents must set an example of purity in front of their children and raise them with a healthy, biblical view of sex. Parental supervision, including software installed on home computers to block pornographic material, is imperative.

Regulating pornography should be a grassroots effort by concerned citizens. Checking state law and city ordinances is the first step to knowing if there is a violation in your community. Many Christians have been successful in closing down porn shops and other offensive establishments by asking elected officials to enforce the laws already on the books. In addition picketing, boycotts and peaceful protests have garnered the attention of other concerned citizens and the media, thereby challenging the legality of the sale of such material.