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The path that Ian Watkins followed. The lie behind "One look won't do any harm"
I'm writing this because its been on my mind. Thinking about how Ian Watkins ended up where he is now and what this dreadfull story teaches us. This is not ment to be a rant and I may be stating the blingingly obvious, but I belive we have a chance to step back try to see what happened, why it happened and what our reponse should be.
Ian Watkins a very lost prophet
I don't belive that Ian Watkins started of as a teenager to become a pedofile, however like any so many addictions he started some where. Most probably with soft core porn, like other drugs from booze to crack the more he took the more he wanted and the stronger the hit had to become. There was no doubt a thrill at looking at what intialy seemed naughty yet accessible and harmless. He was At home, he felt safe and felt no one was looking.
Some where down the line while digging around on line a few years ago he must have come across some child porn. Having had his fix from most other material this was a new hit. Harder and more thrilling than ever before, an excitement of the illicit and illegal added to his desires. But as far as he was concerned, no one was watching so he was safe. So he keep going back, with each step his heart hardened and he cared less, it was all about the hit. If he heard warning voices, he ignored them, over riding his conscience and the chance to turn back. He no longer cared about who was being harmed or who's life was being destroyed or the true pain behind what he was getting off on. Like a chemical drug addict getting the fix was all that mattered.
Then he needed to go from the image to reality, drawing in other people to get his fix to satisify an insatiable desire. Smug, as to how well he thought he had comparmentalised his life, how well he was managing it all. The public persona vs the private reality. By the time he was crossing the line he no simply longer cared. He no longer cared about who he was hurting, he no longer cared who he dragged in or manipulated, there was even a thrill to seeing how obvious he could be about it.
So where is this leading? Lets not fool our selves about this.
Pornagraphy is a drug, like many other things it affects every one differently, some people can igore it, dislike it, or can manage the level they take in. But we never know, given our circumstances just how far we can fall. Not every one turns to drink when things get rough, but today you can count on it that there are all to many boys, teenagers and men who have conned them selves into beliveing one look won't do any harm. Some have installed the means to gain access to the dark net and given them selves a false sense of security.
If you dig through the news you soon uncover an almost endless list of destroyed lives, destroyed marriages and famalies, shattered reputations even sucides all caused by "One look won't do any harm". Underpinng that are the victims; childern with broken childhoods, wives and girlfriends fearfull of who will see the pictures of them.
So what do we do?
First and formost get your own house in order.
We all know whats on our hard drive or in the hidden bookmarks list. Delete it. Then empty the recycle bin. Even the files on your phone. Delet your access to the dark net. But, if you have gone so far as to have saved child porn, be ready to face the consequences.
Realise that porn doesn't improve your sex life with your wife, it sours it, she just becomes an object, an extension of your on line fantasy. I'd also suggest that if you have written or saved sexually explicit stores that you get rid of them as well.
Pray.
Pray for those who stand on the edge, that when they say "one look won't do any harm" that a voice from God will shout out in their mind "Get away from there now!!!".
Pray
Against the smugness of thinking how well you can manage your life and keep things hidden. We need to remember nothing at all is hidden from the Lord and very little on line is truly hidden from the NSA.
Pray
That those who go on line are aware of the consequences of imbibing of the poisioned chalice.
Pray
As men we need to have our brothers on our hearts, especailly those stuck at home, with too much time on their hands, that the Lord may direct their minds to his purposes and opens their hearts to the good that they can be doing.
Pray
For the pedofile and for those with photos and data storage devices slick with corruption. That they may see what they have become and be horrified by what they see and who they now are.
Pray
Against those who tempt others and especialy aganist those who produce and share illegal images, that they may be tripped up and thwarted, that they may make stupid mistakes that bring them to the attention of the authorities.
Pray
For the lost childhoods and for those who have been scarred and sullied by becomming the subject matter. Let them know there is healing and that they are infinately more than some lurind image.
Face Up To It.
We can't skirt around the subject any more, I belive we need to pray openly in church and in our fellowships, not to shame any one but to let them know that right now God offers a way back and that he wants to set them free.
I'm writing this because its been on my mind. Thinking about how Ian Watkins ended up where he is now and what this dreadfull story teaches us. This is not ment to be a rant and I may be stating the blingingly obvious, but I belive we have a chance to step back try to see what happened, why it happened and what our reponse should be.
Ian Watkins a very lost prophet
I don't belive that Ian Watkins started of as a teenager to become a pedofile, however like any so many addictions he started some where. Most probably with soft core porn, like other drugs from booze to crack the more he took the more he wanted and the stronger the hit had to become. There was no doubt a thrill at looking at what intialy seemed naughty yet accessible and harmless. He was At home, he felt safe and felt no one was looking.
Some where down the line while digging around on line a few years ago he must have come across some child porn. Having had his fix from most other material this was a new hit. Harder and more thrilling than ever before, an excitement of the illicit and illegal added to his desires. But as far as he was concerned, no one was watching so he was safe. So he keep going back, with each step his heart hardened and he cared less, it was all about the hit. If he heard warning voices, he ignored them, over riding his conscience and the chance to turn back. He no longer cared about who was being harmed or who's life was being destroyed or the true pain behind what he was getting off on. Like a chemical drug addict getting the fix was all that mattered.
Then he needed to go from the image to reality, drawing in other people to get his fix to satisify an insatiable desire. Smug, as to how well he thought he had comparmentalised his life, how well he was managing it all. The public persona vs the private reality. By the time he was crossing the line he no simply longer cared. He no longer cared about who he was hurting, he no longer cared who he dragged in or manipulated, there was even a thrill to seeing how obvious he could be about it.
So where is this leading? Lets not fool our selves about this.
Pornagraphy is a drug, like many other things it affects every one differently, some people can igore it, dislike it, or can manage the level they take in. But we never know, given our circumstances just how far we can fall. Not every one turns to drink when things get rough, but today you can count on it that there are all to many boys, teenagers and men who have conned them selves into beliveing one look won't do any harm. Some have installed the means to gain access to the dark net and given them selves a false sense of security.
If you dig through the news you soon uncover an almost endless list of destroyed lives, destroyed marriages and famalies, shattered reputations even sucides all caused by "One look won't do any harm". Underpinng that are the victims; childern with broken childhoods, wives and girlfriends fearfull of who will see the pictures of them.
So what do we do?
First and formost get your own house in order.
We all know whats on our hard drive or in the hidden bookmarks list. Delete it. Then empty the recycle bin. Even the files on your phone. Delet your access to the dark net. But, if you have gone so far as to have saved child porn, be ready to face the consequences.
Realise that porn doesn't improve your sex life with your wife, it sours it, she just becomes an object, an extension of your on line fantasy. I'd also suggest that if you have written or saved sexually explicit stores that you get rid of them as well.
Pray.
Pray for those who stand on the edge, that when they say "one look won't do any harm" that a voice from God will shout out in their mind "Get away from there now!!!".
Pray
Against the smugness of thinking how well you can manage your life and keep things hidden. We need to remember nothing at all is hidden from the Lord and very little on line is truly hidden from the NSA.
Pray
That those who go on line are aware of the consequences of imbibing of the poisioned chalice.
Pray
As men we need to have our brothers on our hearts, especailly those stuck at home, with too much time on their hands, that the Lord may direct their minds to his purposes and opens their hearts to the good that they can be doing.
Pray
For the pedofile and for those with photos and data storage devices slick with corruption. That they may see what they have become and be horrified by what they see and who they now are.
Pray
Against those who tempt others and especialy aganist those who produce and share illegal images, that they may be tripped up and thwarted, that they may make stupid mistakes that bring them to the attention of the authorities.
Pray
For the lost childhoods and for those who have been scarred and sullied by becomming the subject matter. Let them know there is healing and that they are infinately more than some lurind image.
Face Up To It.
We can't skirt around the subject any more, I belive we need to pray openly in church and in our fellowships, not to shame any one but to let them know that right now God offers a way back and that he wants to set them free.