Church Internet site 'a few clicks from pornography'

MEMBERS of the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland have spokenout against their new web site, describing it as being only a "fewclicks away" from Internet pornography.

The church, led by its Outreach Committee, launched itself on tothe World Wide Web last week to allow people across the globe toreadeditions of its magazine.

But, at the church's annual synod in Glasgow yesterday, the RevRoy Middleton, of Barnoldswick, Yorkshire, said he had doubts aboutthe message the church was sending its congregation by appearing onthe Internet.He said: "I am concerned that we as a church, seeing the veryearly stages of this medium, are appearing to approve something that{by comparison} makes cinema, videos and TV look like a tea-party."I believe this is a decision we will live to regret. Two thirdsof all downloads from the Internet are pornographic."Do we want our magazine to appear on something, two thirds ofwhich is for utter depravity?"He asked whether the site meant the church approved of ministershaving Internet access in their homes.He pointed out: "Once you are logged on to the Internet, you arefour or five clicks away from utter depravity. We should wait untilit is possible to do from home what you can in business - and thatisto fully monitor everyone's access on to the web."However, a former moderator, Rev John Goldby, now based at thechurch's mission in Kenya, said the Outreach Committee was wellawareof the concerns about the Internet but the church's web site hadbeenestablished following official approval by the Synod.He added: "This is the most effectual and powerful advertisingtool the church has ever had."Mr Goldby said that within 24 hours of the magazine appearing onthe Internet, 122 people had visited the site - and twotransatlantice-mails had been received complimenting the church on its move.