If you have been keeping tabs on this series of posts that I have been writing, you may have noticed that I tend to believe that God gave us minds and the ability to be creative and to invent technologies that can aid and assist us in life. I firmly believe that these abilities are gifts from God, and that He does intend that we grow and expand our knowledge and understanding of this world we live in, and thus, that we also expand our ability to examine that world and the life we live.
However, you don't have to look very far to see that not all Christians believe this. Take, for example, the Amish. They believe that a lot of modern day technology is counter to their faith. So they live fairly simple lives without the hassles and pressures that electrical devices and the like introduce into life. And many people applaud them for such a stance. I, however, would point out that even simple things like clothes are technological innovations. After all, Adam and Eve weren't created with clothes, but they came later. I could also point out how it was a technological innovation to work with metal and steel, to make plows from the wood of trees, and the like. So much for a technology-free society.
I would also, however, argue that technological innovations can cross the line and go too far. Anytime we start to cross the line to deciding how life is created, or how to extend life beyond the limits that God has set, I believe that we start to "play God" and break the first and foremost commandment, that of not having any other gods. You can rest assured that I will be talking about some of these in upcoming posts, so I won't get into specifics today.
In a way, this isn't really about technology. It's about us humans deciding that we can do things either without God, or better than God, or in the place of God. Technology simply happens to be the instrument or tool that we use to gain such control. If we can't do it naturally, then why not go beyond what is natural? That's the mindset of many people today, and I have to say that it is frightening if we follow that line of thinking out.
To wrap this up, I also think that it is difficult to determine where this line gets drawn. Plus, trying to get two or three people to agree on where exactly that line should be drawn is a process that leads only to frustration. But we will take a look at some of these questions and engage in discussion in coming posts.
However, you don't have to look very far to see that not all Christians believe this. Take, for example, the Amish. They believe that a lot of modern day technology is counter to their faith. So they live fairly simple lives without the hassles and pressures that electrical devices and the like introduce into life. And many people applaud them for such a stance. I, however, would point out that even simple things like clothes are technological innovations. After all, Adam and Eve weren't created with clothes, but they came later. I could also point out how it was a technological innovation to work with metal and steel, to make plows from the wood of trees, and the like. So much for a technology-free society.
I would also, however, argue that technological innovations can cross the line and go too far. Anytime we start to cross the line to deciding how life is created, or how to extend life beyond the limits that God has set, I believe that we start to "play God" and break the first and foremost commandment, that of not having any other gods. You can rest assured that I will be talking about some of these in upcoming posts, so I won't get into specifics today.
In a way, this isn't really about technology. It's about us humans deciding that we can do things either without God, or better than God, or in the place of God. Technology simply happens to be the instrument or tool that we use to gain such control. If we can't do it naturally, then why not go beyond what is natural? That's the mindset of many people today, and I have to say that it is frightening if we follow that line of thinking out.
To wrap this up, I also think that it is difficult to determine where this line gets drawn. Plus, trying to get two or three people to agree on where exactly that line should be drawn is a process that leads only to frustration. But we will take a look at some of these questions and engage in discussion in coming posts.
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