My parents found me on an Internet porn site the other day, and now they've started monitoring every Web site I visit. I admit I'm a bit bummed, because I was just curious. It's not like I was doing anything immoral, was it? — J. McF.

I have a friend who says that pornography is like the slime left behind by a snail or slug, because it leaves its traces on your mind long after the original image is gone. It is one of our greatest scourges today, and it needs to be labeled for what it is: a great moral and spiritual evil.

I know you probably resent having your parents tell you what to do on your computer—but the truth is, they love you and they don't want you to fall into pornography's trap. They know its allure, and they know also how destructive and addictive it can be. Pornography treats people as mere objects to be used for our own selfish gratification. Pornography also destroys the meaning of true love. The Bible is clear: "But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity" (Ephesians 5:3).

Never forget that what goes on in our minds eventually influences the way we act. Jesus warned, "I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:28). Make it your goal to keep your mind pure, as well as your body.

The most important decision you will ever face, however, is what you will do with Jesus Christ. He loves you, and He wants to help you fight temptation and become the man He created you to be. Ask Him to come into your life today.