This thread is going to be heavy stuff

[☦Marius☦]

Thank you all! I had my first confession today and it went very well. I feel like a great load has been lifted from my mind. I asked for a strict penance and I got one that I think will do me good. Your encouragement and wisdom has helped me greatly as I fight this battle.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Glad to hear today went well. Glory to God!

Continued prayers.

 

[ArmyMatt]

continued prayers!

 

[SaNcTaMaRiA]

Thank you all! I had my first confession today and it went very well. I feel like a great load has been lifted from my mind. I asked for a strict penance and I got one that I think will do me good. Your encouragement and wisdom has helped me greatly as I fight this battle.

This is great news man! Do your penance and continue to follow Christ. You are in a great tradition my friend. The orthodox church won't let you down.

Lord have mercy!

 

[SeraTaru]

Do we call the police when someone on here is, let's say, a heroin addict, and posts desperately seeking prayers and deliverance? No! Come off it! We don't know what it is or isn't that he is referring to. Pray, don't scare or threaten. He's young.

There's a world of difference between being a heroin addict and being involved in illegal porn. To say "we don't know what it is or what he is referring to" is an excuse for not thinking. I was into hardcore porn for years and the only "type" that is illegal involves either our canine friends or children. (Depending on the country - in 2017 for instance Canada approved legislation that made it legal to be intimate with your pet as long as there is no penetration - the abominable ruling can still be read online as part of an official government disclosure).

I sincerely hope that this "young" person IS scared. They should be. If he or she lived next door to me and posted this, I'd march them down to the police station myself. The fact that they are "young" has nothing to do with it. Try using that excuse in a court of law and see where it gets you. Try explaining to a victim that "its not so bad you know - they're young you know....they need help and have asked for prayer you know".

Really?

I'm not trying to be confrontational, but there's too much sugar coating applied to certain things like this when tough love is needed. I would have been WELL within my rights to take a snapshot of the post and take it to the authorities for investigation.

If you read my post again you'll actually see I was giving a very practical piece of advice that could in reality prevent further serious action from the authorities. I consider that to have been a very loving, patient and wise piece of advise under the circumstances when I or anyone else could have taken an alternate course of action.

But I sincerely hope that he or she is scared enough to consider the innocent victims of their crime every time they put the computer on and the reality that they could spend a considerable time in jail if they don't cease and desist.

 

[☦Marius☦]

There's a world of difference between being a heroin addict and being involved in illegal porn. To say "we don't know what it is or what he is referring to" is an excuse for not thinking. I was into hardcore porn for years and the only "type" that is illegal involves either our canine friends or children. (Depending on the country - in 2017 for instance Canada approved legislation that made it legal to be intimate with your pet as long as there is no penetration - the abominable ruling can still be read online as part of an official government disclosure).

I sincerely hope that this "young" person IS scared. They should be. If he or she lived next door to me and posted this, I'd march them down to the police station myself. The fact that they are "young" has nothing to do with it. Try using that excuse in a court of law and see where it gets you. Try explaining to a victim that "its not so bad you know - they're young you know....they need help and have asked for prayer you know".

Really?

I'm not trying to be confrontational, but there's too much sugar coating applied to certain things like this when tough love is needed. I would have been WELL within my rights to take a snapshot of the post and take it to the authorities for investigation.

If you read my post again you'll actually see I was giving a very practical piece of advice that could in reality prevent further serious action from the authorities. I consider that to have been a very loving, patient and wise piece of advise under the circumstances when I or anyone else could have taken an alternate course of action.

But I sincerely hope that he or she is scared enough to consider the innocent victims of their crime every time they put the computer on and the reality that they could spend a considerable time in jail if they don't cease and desist.

It's not child porn.

Either way if I was arrested I would well deserve it as I have in fact broken the law. Take that how you will.

 

[☦Marius☦]

On the same note in reference to children, it is technically illegal in the US to have drawn images of children engaged in sexual acts. I remember a story a few years back of a guy who had some comic magazines from Japan, and just because the characters "looked underage" he was thrown into jail. Obviously in this situation there were no victims, and while I'm not saying its right either, I don't see the need for that kind of strictness in the law unless there is actually a child being harmed. Some of the current legislation is persecution of borderline thought crimes.

Just to reiterate, I'm not saying I approve, I'm just saying lets not throw it all in one boat.

Also just because you only know of two, doesn't mean there aren't more.

 

[~Anastasia~]

I will only say that I thought I read "bordering on illegal" so whatever that means - I do not care to speculate - since the OP was asking for help I rather took it to say that - I don't know - maybe whatever he was using was hinting toward something that would be illegal if pushed, and perhaps he FELT pushed by what he was using. Sort of a temptation into something illegal. That's further than I went pondering in my mind, but since I read bordering on, I took it that the imagined line had not been crossed. Maybe it's for the best that it was brought up directly, and the OP could say it is not involving child porn. I admit, that's a situation I would have a hard time passing over if I knew of it, because when my daughter was small - thank God nothing happened, but an individual in her life was collecting such images, storing them easily accessible (one click) on a computer she used, and talking to children online posing as a minor. Unfortunately the authorities didn't take it seriously. But it was enough of a scare that she was protected and none the wiser.

But since the OP has said that's not what it is, and has come for help, and is doing better with his struggle, I think we need to let that part go.

No hard feelings to anyone, I hope. Some good points have been made about warnings and possible consequences.

Lord have mercy on us all - I know we all struggle with something, or many things.

 

[☦Marius☦]

I would actually feel more comfortable now if the thread were removed. Since its come to this point I would rather just forget about it. It has served its purpose so If a mod removed it I wouldn't complain.

 

[ArmyMatt]

I would actually feel more comfortable now if the thread were removed. Since its come to this point I would rather just forget about it. It has served its purpose so If a mod removed it I wouldn't complain.

if it were me, I'd ask for it to just be closed. you clarified what was said, but I think it is good for folks to always see prayers offered and that all of us are here when one needs help with a struggle.

for what it's worth, I applaud your guts for this thread.

 

[~Anastasia~]

I can close it. I will put in a removal request if you like, but they rarely do that.

You can also edit your post, and request others to do so. I will remove any reference if you like.

Let me know what you want to do. I think you can still edit your posts even if I close it, just members would not be able to make new posts.

 

[~Anastasia~]

if it were me, I'd ask for it to just be closed. you clarified what was said, but I think it is good for folks to always see prayers offered and that all of us are here when one needs help with a struggle.

for what it's worth, I applaud your guts for this thread.

I'm in full agreement with this.

 

[☦Marius☦]

I suppose just close it then. It will drop to the bottom eventually anyway.

 

[~Anastasia~]

I suppose just close it then. It will drop to the bottom eventually anyway.

Done. Continued prayers!