No shame
January 9th, 2007
Yet another example of mainstream Christianity missing the boat: GodTube. In the 1970’s, newly-educated pastors were encouraged to do “ministry in the bars,” since that’s where the people were. In the 2000’s, the ministry is online. And instead of using the power of the mass media, let’s make our own. C’mon. We can do better.
Does this chair come with an air sickness bag?
On one hand, I’m continually impressed at how the evangelical movement is growing. Generally speaking, it is our fundamentalist brethren who are creating such services as GodTube (along with copy-cats for MySpace and every other social networking site under the sun — or should that be Son?) and they are the fastest-growing subsect of Christianity. But their growth isn’t sustainable, and eventually the floor will fall out from under them.
In the fifth chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, we hear the beginning of Christ’s Sermon on the Mount, that his followers “are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored?” This analogy is generally accepted as a commandment to be in the world — not of the world — and witnessing through our lifestyle. So what does it demonstrate, then, in the creation of these Christian ghettos on the Internet?
What I think of in the midst of all of this is a young woman from a local church in my hometown when I was in high school. The church was independent fundamentalist, and many of the members were known of withdrawing from mainstream society. While growing up, the young woman was home-schooled, never permitted to listen to the radio or watch television, was forbidden from watching secular films or media. It was a completely sheltered environment. She made friends with this new young man who moved to town and joined her church — and I think some of you can figure out where the story goes from here. Since she had never been instructed as to what dating or sex was, she had no idea what was going on until she was pregnant. Her parents went into meltdown, they were cut off from their church home, and here she was — 17 and pregnant, about to be a single mother in her late teens.
“Pray to God, but row away from the rocks.” -Chinese proverb
