Technological Means of Spreading The Gospel

[cardero]

In the New Testament, one of Christ’s imperative purposes for an earthly existence was the importance of speaking and spreading the gospel. Yet when we look at the history of Jesus and the Apostles we see that Jesus’ heavenly father could not even comprehend the creation of a Mead five subject notebook or afford to give his authors or his son Bic ballpoint erasable pens.

Almighty God would continually face primitive challenges by relying on humans to document and preserve the word all the while waiting for human intelligence to discover and build an operating printing press (which still did not insure that the word was given or taught to everyone). It would be over 1900 years for the advent of the car and the ability for missionaries to cross great distances to spread God’s gospel quickly and efficiently. It would take even more years before the invention of television and the brilliant advertising potential that this technology provides. The internet and the world-wide-web (now considered a technological breakthrough in both the storage and communication of information) would not be available for close to 2000 years.

We know that the spreading of the gospel is not a timely understanding that was to be stored in a capsule to be sprung on future generations because in the New Testament Jesus was encouraging the importance of the word and assigning the apostles to missionary work. So why wasn’t the technological means provided to the authors of the Bible to make the world-wide distribution of this information easier and more functional? God can provide the power needed to part the Red Seas, the miracles needed for healing, turning water into wine and divine inspiration but he couldn’t see the practicality that a ATV quad would be faster than a camel? How important was the Word of God and how imperative does this Word need to be spread under this kind of human dependency and logic?

[Bware]

Originally Posted by cardero

It would be over 1900 years for the advent of the car and the ability for missionaries to cross great distances to spread God’s gospel quickly and efficiently. It would take even more years before the invention of television and the brilliant advertising potential that this technology provides. The internet and the world-wide-web (now considered a technological breakthrough in both the storage and communication of information) would not be available for close to 2000 years.

And for all these years the whole world who didnt' have access to this stuff was dieing and burning in hell because they didn't know Christ's name..sounds pretty cruel to me.

[MSizer]

I once attended a pentacostal service (yikes) and I was shocked when I saw all of the props, including power point, video, electric instruments, the whole shebang (and this was when power point was not so well known by the average person). It struck me as very "un-church-y". Growing up in a catholic family, I always thought of being a christian as somehow valuing the simplicity of life, and ignoring material possessions. When I saw the pentacostals using video and electric drums, it just struck me as too fake to be true. Why didn't Jesus say anything about the great technology that would come, which could be used to spread the word? I'm sure they'd argue that there's no sin in using technology to promote, but even so, it just seems as though it was more of a circus, aimed at people's weakness for excitement to get them all rapt up into the whole thing. It was very much like the clips I see on TV from megachurch ceremonies. It made me think of "get rich quick" rallys where they get a bunch of wishful people together and get them all riled up in hopes of great promises. I hated it. (of course I hate traditional church too).

[Bware]

Originally Posted by MSizer

I once attended a pentacostal service (yikes) and I was shocked when I saw all of the props, including power point, video, electric instruments, the whole shebang (and this was when power point was not so well known by the average person). It struck me as very "un-church-y". Growing up in a catholic family, I always thought of being a christian as somehow valuing the simplicity of life, and ignoring material possessions. When I saw the pentacostals using video and electric drums, it just struck me as too fake to be true. Why didn't Jesus say anything about the great technology that would come, which could be used to spread the word? I'm sure they'd argue that there's no sin in using technology to promote, but even so, it just seems as though it was more of a circus, aimed at people's weakness for excitement to get them all rapt up into the whole thing. It was very much like the clips I see on TV from megachurch ceremonies. It made me think of "get rich quick" rallys where they get a bunch of wishful people together and get them all riled up in hopes of great promises. I hated it. (of course I hate traditional church too).

Yeah my mom goes to a church like this. I was raised going to this church but when I was a kid it wasn't quite to the extent that it is now. Back then it was a non denominational church with a pastor that was raised pentacostal. They still had people dancing and "speaking in tongues" and stuff, but not nearly to the extent that it is nowadays. It is now a full pentacostal church and all I can say is "WOW"..