Yesterday, I pointed out how Martin Luther made use of the new technology of the printing press in order to let people know more about God, about the Bible, and how to teach the basics of the faith in people's houses. He wrote a great many essays, letters, and treatises on matters of faith, as well as small books (called catechisms) which were widely distributed to households throughout Germany, and are still widely used in Lutheran congregations still today.
Making use of a new technology to do something like sharing the message of good news through Jesus is a good thing. In Luther's day, people could now read the Bible on their own rather than just hearing small portions of it every so often. They could have small booklets to help learn more about their faith, and the important parts of that faith to teach their children. All good uses of technology.
However, this same technology could also be used for less than desirable purposes. If you wander into most bookstores these days, not only will you find sections like the kids section and the Christian section, but you can also find those shelves with books that may, on occasion, need to be wrapped in plastic to keep prying eyes from looking. The same technology that could be used for good can also be used for less than desirable purposes.
Is this the fault of the technology? No. In and of itself, the technology is not good or bad. Books are neither inherently good or bad. However, the use of the technology can be bent to purposes that may not necessarily be for good. That will be a theme that you may notice as we go through this series on faith and technology.
In a way, this also relates to our Christian faith. One of the things that God reveals about us as humans is that we have a sinful nature. All of us have it, and it leads us to do things that are not necessarily for the good of ourselves and others. When we add technology to that sinful nature, we see that the opportunity to bend that same technology to sinful uses is a possibility, and one that crops up very frequently.
This means that we recognize the potential for good in technology, but we also don't fool ourselves to its potential to be put to bad or evil uses. Books that grow us in our faith or that show us better ways of living together in peace are good. Books that focus on sinful actions and activities, and make these seem common or acceptable, are not good. Both make use of the technology, and that means that we must also use wisdom when it comes to the use of technology and matters of our faith.
Making use of a new technology to do something like sharing the message of good news through Jesus is a good thing. In Luther's day, people could now read the Bible on their own rather than just hearing small portions of it every so often. They could have small booklets to help learn more about their faith, and the important parts of that faith to teach their children. All good uses of technology.
However, this same technology could also be used for less than desirable purposes. If you wander into most bookstores these days, not only will you find sections like the kids section and the Christian section, but you can also find those shelves with books that may, on occasion, need to be wrapped in plastic to keep prying eyes from looking. The same technology that could be used for good can also be used for less than desirable purposes.
Is this the fault of the technology? No. In and of itself, the technology is not good or bad. Books are neither inherently good or bad. However, the use of the technology can be bent to purposes that may not necessarily be for good. That will be a theme that you may notice as we go through this series on faith and technology.
In a way, this also relates to our Christian faith. One of the things that God reveals about us as humans is that we have a sinful nature. All of us have it, and it leads us to do things that are not necessarily for the good of ourselves and others. When we add technology to that sinful nature, we see that the opportunity to bend that same technology to sinful uses is a possibility, and one that crops up very frequently.
This means that we recognize the potential for good in technology, but we also don't fool ourselves to its potential to be put to bad or evil uses. Books that grow us in our faith or that show us better ways of living together in peace are good. Books that focus on sinful actions and activities, and make these seem common or acceptable, are not good. Both make use of the technology, and that means that we must also use wisdom when it comes to the use of technology and matters of our faith.
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