And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.

Matthew 18:9

Jesus taught us that any area that allows sin to enter into our lives must be removed. If spending time with certain people causes you to sin, don't spend time with them. If certain activities take your mind away from God, don't do them. If looking magazines, television shows, or the Internet causes you to lust after the opposite sex, don't allow them into your life.

With the Internet, there is an ever-present, easily accessible, gateway into every sin imaginable. We have access to it and our children have access to it. With just a few clicks of the mouse lustful desires and sexual exploitation, perversions and blasphemy are brought right into our home. Sometimes it is even done accidentally.

For anybody struggling with temptation, or worried about their spouse or children lured into the sins of the Internet, it needs to be removed. You can simply cancel the Internet all together. Or you can install an Internet filter device. I have found and tested one called the I-Boss from Phantom Technologies. It is a hardware device, and it works very well.

The I-Boss is a small box the plugs in between your modem and computer. Or, if you share the Internet between multiple computers, it will plug in between the modem and router. It only works for broadband access, so if you are still using dial-up, the I-Boss will not work for you.

The I-Boss works by filtering categories. Using a browser-based configuration menu you can allow or disallow certain categories such as adult (pornography), violence, illegal, hacking, drugs, dating, gambling, shopping, and many more.

It works by comparing the website you are accessing against a database. The database is constantly being updated to include new sites. The subscription price is currently $7.95 a month or $59.95 for a year. Because it is a hardware device and no software has to be installed, the filter does not slow down your Internet access.

I was very skeptical at first. With so many websites out there I didn't expect it to be very effective at catching the ones I wanted to block. I am happy to say that it works extremely well. Trying to find a website to access that falls into a blocked category is almost impossible. Someone would have to try very hard, for hours on end, to find a site that wasn't allowed.

Every attempted access to a block category is logged. If the device is disconnected in an attempt to bypass the filter, it is logged as well. The logs can be set to automatically email to a parent, accountability person or spouse. I believe this is an excellent way to protect your children from information you do not want them exposed to. Or, to remove the temptation to look at pornography, gambling or other websites that lead to sin. With the e-mail logs you can set up an accountability system that can help keep you on the narrow path into the Kingdom of Heaven.