Have you seen the yellow and black books specifically written for dummies? As I see it, when it comes to technology, Christians can be in one of the three main camps. One group can be on the e-dummies side, the other on the Luddites court and the third on the technology-evangelist domain. I have been a computer teacher for some years now and have noticed these three clear distinctions. The question I’d like to pose is: “Which side of the Christian technology camp are you in?”
As for me I am a “technology-evangelist”. I have had a born again technology experience whereby I gave up my old habits and technologies such as the typewriter, the snail mail, queuing up at the bank etc and adopted a new lifestyle based on using computers, electronic devices and the internet. Just a day ago, I went to have dinner at a Christian friend’s home. He is a British trained accountant. I showed him my iMate Pocket PC. He had no idea what it was but was very fascinated when I showed him that this Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) also functioned as my mobile phone, my dictaphone, camera, e-book reader, calculator and I could connect to the internet to search the web or send emails or launch many applications as if I was at my desktop PC. When I told him that it did not have a keyboard and showed him how I could use my stylus and write something on the screen and it simply typed out my handwriting, he was blown away! Basically, he would fall into the category of “e-dummy”, someone who is ignorant when it comes to technology. This Christian friend runs his own business as an accountant and wants more clients. But he does not have a personal or business website. I have taught and know of many Christians who fall into to this group of “e-dummies”. For some reason (including ignorance), they have not adopted or only partially adopted new technology. I still have friends who say they use email but when I send them an email, I never get a reply. So I have to follow up my email with a phone call to ask them to log in and read my email!
The last category is the “Luddites”. These are people who have made a choice not to adopt or use computers or new technology. They cite spiritual, moral, philosophical, ethical, ecological, political, economic, social and a host of other reasons for resisting change. Instead they prefer to use the sledgehammer to break walls, hide their savings under the bed instead of putting it in a bank, send their letter by horse and cart if one was available instead of clicking “Send” on the email screen.
A study undertaken by the Barna Group in 2006 found that only 40% of the born again 90 million Christians in the USA had adopted 14 technological products and services used in that study. The study showed that while Christians did not lag behind non Christians in a number of areas such as owning a computer or TV, non-Christians were more likely to use a wider range of new technologies than Christians.
There certainly seems to be a digital divide between Christians and non-Christians. This digital gap was often thought to be related to socio-economic and generational factors. I agree that there is always going to be the divide between the haves and have-nots. But in this modern day and age, I am challenging Christians to rethink the adoption of technologies for kingdom purposes. So are you a Christian e-dummy, a Luddite refusing to let go your mechanical tools or are you a technology-evangelist wanting to spread the Good News via these new technologies and new media? Ultimately, if Christians don’t adopt such technologies, then the Devil will and already has! It is your call. You don’t have to be a Christian e-dummy anymore. Read the recommended books on this blog and learn from the web. Let me know where you stand or debate this issue with me.
As for me I am a “technology-evangelist”. I have had a born again technology experience whereby I gave up my old habits and technologies such as the typewriter, the snail mail, queuing up at the bank etc and adopted a new lifestyle based on using computers, electronic devices and the internet. Just a day ago, I went to have dinner at a Christian friend’s home. He is a British trained accountant. I showed him my iMate Pocket PC. He had no idea what it was but was very fascinated when I showed him that this Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) also functioned as my mobile phone, my dictaphone, camera, e-book reader, calculator and I could connect to the internet to search the web or send emails or launch many applications as if I was at my desktop PC. When I told him that it did not have a keyboard and showed him how I could use my stylus and write something on the screen and it simply typed out my handwriting, he was blown away! Basically, he would fall into the category of “e-dummy”, someone who is ignorant when it comes to technology. This Christian friend runs his own business as an accountant and wants more clients. But he does not have a personal or business website. I have taught and know of many Christians who fall into to this group of “e-dummies”. For some reason (including ignorance), they have not adopted or only partially adopted new technology. I still have friends who say they use email but when I send them an email, I never get a reply. So I have to follow up my email with a phone call to ask them to log in and read my email!
The last category is the “Luddites”. These are people who have made a choice not to adopt or use computers or new technology. They cite spiritual, moral, philosophical, ethical, ecological, political, economic, social and a host of other reasons for resisting change. Instead they prefer to use the sledgehammer to break walls, hide their savings under the bed instead of putting it in a bank, send their letter by horse and cart if one was available instead of clicking “Send” on the email screen.
A study undertaken by the Barna Group in 2006 found that only 40% of the born again 90 million Christians in the USA had adopted 14 technological products and services used in that study. The study showed that while Christians did not lag behind non Christians in a number of areas such as owning a computer or TV, non-Christians were more likely to use a wider range of new technologies than Christians.
There certainly seems to be a digital divide between Christians and non-Christians. This digital gap was often thought to be related to socio-economic and generational factors. I agree that there is always going to be the divide between the haves and have-nots. But in this modern day and age, I am challenging Christians to rethink the adoption of technologies for kingdom purposes. So are you a Christian e-dummy, a Luddite refusing to let go your mechanical tools or are you a technology-evangelist wanting to spread the Good News via these new technologies and new media? Ultimately, if Christians don’t adopt such technologies, then the Devil will and already has! It is your call. You don’t have to be a Christian e-dummy anymore. Read the recommended books on this blog and learn from the web. Let me know where you stand or debate this issue with me.
1 comments:
Christians and technology?!?
The haves, the have nots!
There a Christans today that are in two schools of thought.
1) We Must embrace technology: Their reasoning- God is a God that gave man intelligence therfore and he built a computer. Technology is of God.
2) If we don't embrace it then we as Christians will somehow be transported to the stone age where we will be communicating with two paper cups and a very very long piece of string.
Is there a happy medium? Between these two?
Or then you have the Christian computer extremists that say no, no, no if we don't use it then Satan will.
Before we get carried away and given the fabled horned devil credit he doesn't deserve lets take a look at the big picture.
Do Christians have to think so black and white that it hurts.
If they do think like such then that dirty word Compromise is mouthed from people's lips.
The question really at the root of this debate is how far do we take this?
Technology is ever increasing and expanding to make our lives easier.
I know of a person who recently bought a GPS system for his car. Technology in it's wisdom has decided you can't think for yourself and read a map. Instead lets look at a small digital device and listen to a computer's voice tell us where we live and how to get there. "Turn left...Give the finger to the cyclist...Turn right at roundabout... Park car..."
Upon hearing about the person who bought the GPS system, I was then informed that he doesn't even keep it in his car as it might get stolen. Where does one keep it?
Who knows? Does he use it? How often does he use it to warrant it's use in the first place?
Who knows?
If technology is making our lives easier then where does that leave us as people?
Lazier...?
We should embrace technology remember...
What's next an electronic nose picking machine, so we don't have to blow our own nose?
Who are the E- Dummies really?
The ones that find a healthy
balance in the use of technology or the ones that go overboard?
The things you own end up owning you. It's only after you lose everything that you're free to do anything.
Is technology really the devil?
Is it really going to be used against us as Christians by the hands of the enemy if we don't embrace it?
Is a blog article like this one justifying the fact that Christians can spend up on material goods and through six degrees of seperation somehow bring it back to God.
Where are the Christian testiomonies on the site?
Where are the stories of faith and technology.
Or are we as Christians running the race, taking our eyes off the prize instead to look at the sideline to see what computer equipment the umpire/ referees are using.
Did Romans 12:2 say something like
" And do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may provewhat is good and acceptable and perfect will of God"
Whose will are we trying to do - the world who tells us we have to have everything in it. Or the will of the father who we are supposedly trying to be transformed and renewed to.
Maybe we can be renewed in our mind inbetween buying the new computer, GPS system, a imate PDA
Who's the real e-dummy?
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