SOCIAL MEDIA
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Nov 17, 2022: Relevant: 15 Things Christians Should Stop Doing on Social Media
What you do and say on social media actually matters. While many Christians carry themselves with kindness and grace at church, once they tap that social media app they transform into some kind of snarling beast.
Christians are called to be Christ’s ambassadors: “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us” (2 Corinthians 5:20).
But for some reason on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, many times, it seems like Christ is completely absent from our minds.
Here are some tips to help us better represent Christ online — by addressing common pitfalls of Christians on social media: image, attitude, discernment, distractions and nastiness.
What you do and say on social media actually matters. While many Christians carry themselves with kindness and grace at church, once they tap that social media app they transform into some kind of snarling beast.
Christians are called to be Christ’s ambassadors: “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us” (2 Corinthians 5:20).
But for some reason on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, many times, it seems like Christ is completely absent from our minds.
Here are some tips to help us better represent Christ online — by addressing common pitfalls of Christians on social media: image, attitude, discernment, distractions and nastiness.
Dec 2, 2022: Cold Case Christianity: How To Be “In” The Social Media World But Not “Of” The Social Media World
Mainstream media outlets (now sometimes referred to as the “Legacy Media”) used to decide who was a celebrity and who was not. That all changed with the invention of social media. You don’t have to be a movie star or politician to gain the attention of the culture anymore. Many of us now have large social media platforms that rival the notoriety of celebrities in the past. This is reflected in the rise of social media influencers. The lure of popularity tempts all of us; few people wish they had fewer followers. But the next time you find yourself tempted by celebrity, remember the words of Jesus. If we are truly following Him and speaking His words into the world around us, we shouldn’t expect to be popular:
“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.” (John 15:18-21)
Mainstream media outlets (now sometimes referred to as the “Legacy Media”) used to decide who was a celebrity and who was not. That all changed with the invention of social media. You don’t have to be a movie star or politician to gain the attention of the culture anymore. Many of us now have large social media platforms that rival the notoriety of celebrities in the past. This is reflected in the rise of social media influencers. The lure of popularity tempts all of us; few people wish they had fewer followers. But the next time you find yourself tempted by celebrity, remember the words of Jesus. If we are truly following Him and speaking His words into the world around us, we shouldn’t expect to be popular:
“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me.” (John 15:18-21)
Politicians no longer offer quips to be funny but to do damage, inflict harm, humiliate others. The real purpose of the quip is to have it replayed on Twitter, Instagram or the news channels.
Now quips live in the gutter. Politicians throw out quips like a short-order cook pitching out garbage from the back of a Waffle House. For generations, democracies have relied on social capital (extensive social networks with high levels of trust), strong anchor institutions, and shared stories. Jonathan Haidt says, “Social media has weakened all three.” Quips are now poisoned arrows dipped in the vitriol of a brew of anger, resentment and disdain. There’s no humor, just a mean-spirited determination to inflict damage to opponents. Even a casual study of the quips, tweets and slogans reveal words reeking of ugliness: “crazy,” “sick,” “stupid,” “loser,” “socialist,” “communist.” -Baptist News Global |
Today’s social media culture, coupled as it is with such easy access to information and literature, has created a vast network of armchair theologians. This reality comes with both positives and negatives. We are all theologians to some degree, whether we realize it or not. More people thinking about theological issues and getting involved in those conversations is a good thing. But the situation presents a few risks as well.
One significant risk for any theologian is that of absorbing a wealth of knowledge without putting it into practice. Several years ago, I saw the Disney movie Meet the Robinsons. I really don’t remember a whole lot from the film, but one part stuck with me. A young boy is huddled in a corner, trapped by a massive T-Rex. Fortunately for the boy, the dinosaur cannot reach him because its head keeps getting in the way. The T-Rex turns to the main villain and says, “I have a big head and little arms. I’m just not sure how well this plan was thought through.” The moment offers a bit of on-screen comedic relief but also serves as a word of caution for believers today. If we fail to practice what we believe, we become just like the T-Rex in the film: big heads but totally ineffective in carrying out our mission. While it ended up being a good thing in the movie that the beast couldn’t use its arms, the same cannot be said for us who are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus in a broken world. -BLOG: T-REX THEOLOGIANSPosted by Carissa Jones | May 2, 2022 |
The Evangelicals Calling for War on Poor People
A new, antisocial strain of the prosperity gospel is making its way into pulpits and breeding new hostility toward the least fortunate Americans. For all of its certainty, social media algorithms favor muscular Christianity. During the pandemic, when people couldn’t go to church, the preachers who had the online infrastructure in place to broadcast sermons—and accept donations—found a whole new audience: members of “mom and pop” churches who had nowhere else to go. Those who ended up getting their Christianity from Facebook rather than the pulpit found it all too easy to fall down into some extreme theological rabbit holes. And without anyone to bounce new ideas off, they had no mooring—there was no congregation to moderate radical ideas. Scott McConnell believes that this bombardment of new ideas has disrupted conventional Christian teachings. “We have access to so much knowledge and so many information sources,” he says, and unless believers are intentionally returning to the Bible, few have the time to “check their credibility.” (Elle Hardy/ New Republic 10/23/23)
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A new, antisocial strain of the prosperity gospel is making its way into pulpits and breeding new hostility toward the least fortunate Americans. For all of its certainty, social media algorithms favor muscular Christianity. During the pandemic, when people couldn’t go to church, the preachers who had the online infrastructure in place to broadcast sermons—and accept donations—found a whole new audience: members of “mom and pop” churches who had nowhere else to go. Those who ended up getting their Christianity from Facebook rather than the pulpit found it all too easy to fall down into some extreme theological rabbit holes. And without anyone to bounce new ideas off, they had no mooring—there was no congregation to moderate radical ideas. Scott McConnell believes that this bombardment of new ideas has disrupted conventional Christian teachings. “We have access to so much knowledge and so many information sources,” he says, and unless believers are intentionally returning to the Bible, few have the time to “check their credibility.” (Elle Hardy/ New Republic 10/23/23)
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Over the years, I’ve had a few Facebook “friends” (people I never met but who professed to be Christians) who trafficked in slandering some of my friends. Some of the accusations leveled against my friends were not only false, but ridiculous.
As soon as I became aware of this, I immediately unfriended them (and unfollowed them on Twitter).
If a person — even a professing Christian — defames a brother or sister in Christ, they are slandering us, for “we are members of one another.”
According to the Bible, the sin of slander is just as serious as murder, theft, and adultery. Scripture exhorts us to “have nothing to do with” such people, until they repent (see Titus 3:10 and Romans 16:17).
Feeding slanderers is to participate in their sin and listening to gossip is like drinking poison:
“The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts.” (Proverbs 18:8, 26:22) -Frank Viola
As soon as I became aware of this, I immediately unfriended them (and unfollowed them on Twitter).
If a person — even a professing Christian — defames a brother or sister in Christ, they are slandering us, for “we are members of one another.”
According to the Bible, the sin of slander is just as serious as murder, theft, and adultery. Scripture exhorts us to “have nothing to do with” such people, until they repent (see Titus 3:10 and Romans 16:17).
Feeding slanderers is to participate in their sin and listening to gossip is like drinking poison:
“The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts.” (Proverbs 18:8, 26:22) -Frank Viola
gab
Aug 13, 2022: Raw Story: Far-right platform Gab veers into overt antisemitism — and only some Republicans back away
On Friday morning, Andrew Torba, founder of the far-right social media platform Gab, issued a seeming ultimatum to the Republican Party: "Gab is becoming the litmus test for candidates. Many have passed the test and doubled down. Some have lied and disavowed to gain points with the enemy. A truly great service to the American people to see who has a spine and who does not."
On Friday morning, Andrew Torba, founder of the far-right social media platform Gab, issued a seeming ultimatum to the Republican Party: "Gab is becoming the litmus test for candidates. Many have passed the test and doubled down. Some have lied and disavowed to gain points with the enemy. A truly great service to the American people to see who has a spine and who does not."
Jan 9, 2023: Religion News: Evangelical TikTok worship parodies bring unexpected healing
Using exact quotes from the Bible, Prezleigh and Joshua Colburn write and record worship parodies under the names Sayge and Trysten. A former creative arts pastor (Joshua) and music pastor (Prezleigh), they departed their respective churches in 2019 over issues they say include the exclusion of LGBTQ folks, inadequate responses to mental health and the doctrine that non-Christians go to hell.
Using exact quotes from the Bible, Prezleigh and Joshua Colburn write and record worship parodies under the names Sayge and Trysten. A former creative arts pastor (Joshua) and music pastor (Prezleigh), they departed their respective churches in 2019 over issues they say include the exclusion of LGBTQ folks, inadequate responses to mental health and the doctrine that non-Christians go to hell.
tik tok
Are You Too Ugly for TikTok?
One minute a pig meanders through the mountains; the following adorable puppies clamor for food until three teens doing a funny trick involving their mouths and a credit card demand your attention. Let’s face it, TikTok is fun, like bubble gum for your eyes. And that is precisely how the video app has danced its way into Gen Z’s hearts, taking over Instagram as the second most popular app in 2020 among US teens and raking in a cool $34.3 billion. (Christine Vann/Good Men Project 1/24/22)
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One minute a pig meanders through the mountains; the following adorable puppies clamor for food until three teens doing a funny trick involving their mouths and a credit card demand your attention. Let’s face it, TikTok is fun, like bubble gum for your eyes. And that is precisely how the video app has danced its way into Gen Z’s hearts, taking over Instagram as the second most popular app in 2020 among US teens and raking in a cool $34.3 billion. (Christine Vann/Good Men Project 1/24/22)
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Computer-generated TikTok ‘Jesus’ promises divine blessings — and a potential jackpot for its creator
The TikTok profile Daily Believer (@believerdaily) has 70 videos with computer-generated Jesuses looking directly at the viewer, beseeching them to stop scrolling and watch the next minute’s worth of content.
All these Jesuses are long-haired and bearded, recalling artist Warner Sallman’s ubiquitous 1940 painting “Head of Christ.” Some wear the crown of thorns, some look alarmingly like the actor Jared Leto. Nearly all promise a surprise or “good news soon” in exchange for the viewer liking, commenting “Amen” or sharing it with their friends and family. With this digital outreach, the Daily Believer has gained, as of Nov. 13, 2023, 813,200 followers and over 9.2 million likes.
(Brandon Dean/Study 11/15/23)
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The TikTok profile Daily Believer (@believerdaily) has 70 videos with computer-generated Jesuses looking directly at the viewer, beseeching them to stop scrolling and watch the next minute’s worth of content.
All these Jesuses are long-haired and bearded, recalling artist Warner Sallman’s ubiquitous 1940 painting “Head of Christ.” Some wear the crown of thorns, some look alarmingly like the actor Jared Leto. Nearly all promise a surprise or “good news soon” in exchange for the viewer liking, commenting “Amen” or sharing it with their friends and family. With this digital outreach, the Daily Believer has gained, as of Nov. 13, 2023, 813,200 followers and over 9.2 million likes.
(Brandon Dean/Study 11/15/23)
Read More>>>>>
Oct 30, 2022: Eurasia Review: American Exorcist Starts TikTok Channel To Help Souls Navigate ‘Dangerous Territory’
Monsignor Stephen Rossetti, a 71-year-old Catholic priest, started a TikTok channel last month when it came to his attention that the popular social media platform was introducing kids to something other than harmless videos of lip-syncing, viral dance challenges, and funny things caught on home security cameras.
As the chief exorcist of the Archdiocese of Washington, Rossetti was concerned when he learned that videos with hashtags like “WitchTok” and “Folk Catholicism” had become popular on the TikTok app.
Monsignor Stephen Rossetti, a 71-year-old Catholic priest, started a TikTok channel last month when it came to his attention that the popular social media platform was introducing kids to something other than harmless videos of lip-syncing, viral dance challenges, and funny things caught on home security cameras.
As the chief exorcist of the Archdiocese of Washington, Rossetti was concerned when he learned that videos with hashtags like “WitchTok” and “Folk Catholicism” had become popular on the TikTok app.
Jan 24, 2022: Good Men Project: Are You Too Ugly for TikTok?
The viral app filters our kids’ faces with a beauty algorithm straight out of Black Mirror while we’re busy focusing on Facebook’s misdemeanors.
The viral app filters our kids’ faces with a beauty algorithm straight out of Black Mirror while we’re busy focusing on Facebook’s misdemeanors.
youtube
May 15, 2022: Religion News: Tennessee preacher and MAGA celebrity Greg Locke claims YouTube has banned him
Greg Locke, a Tennessee pastor known for his viral videos about COVID-19, election conspiracies and witchcraft, claims another social media giant has given him the boot.
Locke, pastor of Global Vision Bible Church just outside of Nashville, Tennessee, was in Ohio, getting ready for a preaching gig on Tuesday (Nov. 15), when he got word his YouTube channel was gone.
Greg Locke, a Tennessee pastor known for his viral videos about COVID-19, election conspiracies and witchcraft, claims another social media giant has given him the boot.
Locke, pastor of Global Vision Bible Church just outside of Nashville, Tennessee, was in Ohio, getting ready for a preaching gig on Tuesday (Nov. 15), when he got word his YouTube channel was gone.