Guest Blog - Luke Gilkerson (Covenant Eyes)

Luke Gilkerson from Covenant Eyes, who writes the Breaking Free Blog kindly wrote the following for Homileo, I would encourage you to check out Covenant Eyes and the help that it offers in both software etc and in the blog posts.


Pornography is a global corporate giant. The adult entertainment industry entered the mainstream of capitalism when Playboy magazine hit newsstands in 1953. Today, tens of billions of dollars are generated from the adult industry, and according to the Free Speech Coalition, the fastest growing segment of the adult market in the U.S. is on the Internet. Internet porn is a $3 billion dollar a year business.

There is a rapidly growing segment of the population that is coming to realize the devastating effects that pornography consumption can have on individuals, families and society. This segment isn’t merely made up of the Moral Majority or the Religious Right, but psychologists, marriage therapists, neurobiologists, feminists, politicians, and big business owners.

Is Filtering All There Is?

Various organizations are doing their part to combat the harms that flow from the adult industry’s products: Covenant Eyes is just one of those organizations. Covenant Eyes recognizes that there is an expanding segment of the population that desires self-censorship. Internet filters have their place, especially in protecting families and children, but they often aren’t the best technology for adults. (Even the best filters tend to over-block or not block enough, and at any rate, most adults hold the passwords and overrides to their household filters.) This segment of the population not only understands some of the potentially harmful effects of pornography on an individual, but they also understand the allure of porn. These people desire new tools that can help them stay away from Internet pornography.

Accountability Software
Psychologist Al Cooper believes that the three main factors that draw people into online sexual activity are (1) Accessibility, (2) Affordability, and (3) Anonymity. He dubbed this the “Triple-A Engine” of Internet porn. These three factors work like three legs on a stool: remove just one of the legs and the stool will fall (or at least make it awkward to sit on). Covenant Eyes equips people to take way the ‘A’ of ‘Anonymity’ and replace it with ‘Accountability.’ In other words, Covenant Eyes takes away the secrecy of Internet use by providing a platform by which people give a full and honest account to others about where they go online.

In March of 2000 Covenant Eyes pioneered the concept of “accountability software.” The concept is simple. Download the software to your personal computer. This software will monitor everywhere you go online. It won’t block anything: you can go where you choose to go. The program then assigns a score to every part of every Web site based on objectionable material. This information is then compiled into easy-to-read reports that are sent to people of the user’s choosing. These people can then become effective accountability partners.

How does this help people? First, as we’ve already noted, this takes away the anonymity of Internet use. For many the lure of pornography is its secrecy. When you choose to give an account of where you go online—to a trusted friend, counselor, pastor, or spouse—you remove the secrecy, thus, you remove much of the temptation.

Secondly, because the software only monitors without blocking, it preserves your freedom to surf the Web, which helps you build self-control in how you use the Internet.

Thirdly, for many who are addicted to pornography, this software has been a great first step in bringing them into healthy relationships with others that can help them get to the root of their addiction. Covenant Eyes is a tool used by many pastors and counselors in helping people find freedom from their habitual and compulsive pornography use.

How to Use Covenant Eyes Effectively
In a recent interview, Christian counselor Paul Mavrogeorge talked about how to use the Covenant Eyes program:

“Let’s say Dad has two or three men that he is in accountability with. They get reports on where he goes and what he does on the Internet. In addition he’d get their [reports]. So now when they’re meeting or when they’re in conversation, they can have some conversations about, ‘Where did you go?’ and ‘Why did this happen?’ and ‘What went on?’ It isn’t ‘Oh wow, I gotcha!’ It’s, ‘Hey, let’s talk about this. Did you drift? And if you drifted, let’s talk about it.’”

Covenant Eyes accountability software has very little usefulness outside a community context. The software is a tool to help people who want to bring their Internet use “into the light” and cultivate a healthy, safe, transparent community where others can confess their downfalls and talk openly about the temptations they face. As one reviewer wrote, Covenant Eyes is about “creating what will ultimately be a network of like-minded people that include parents, family, trusted friends, mentors, coaches, husbands, wives, pastors, clergy, counselors, and other trusted and concerned individuals who are equally committed to helping each other with the same goal of filtering pornography and other undesirable material.”


For More Information
You can download the Covenant Eyes software from the Covenant Eyes website: www.CovenantEyes.com

See the Covenant Eyes Blog for more thoughts on Internet pornography and the need for accountability:
· Internet Accountability and Porn Addiction – Thoughts from a Professional
· Why Accountability? – Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4
· Podcast: “You Can Make It” – The Testimony of a Recovering Porn Addict
· Podcast: Radio Interview with Covenant Eyes President
· Myths About Pornography
· Husbands Who Watch Porn – What Are Their Wives Saying?
· Mark Hall of Casting Crowns Speaks About Internet Temptations Among the Youth
· Repenting of Porn Addiction, Part 1 & Part 2
· Character Building Accountability Questions
· Accountability Software vs. Spyware – What is the Difference?