Tag Archives: New Media

Christian Ethics and the New Media – The Local Church and the New Media

Posted on May 10, 2010 by Andrew J. Nicewander| 476 Comments

Christian Ethics and the New Media: Introduction and Media Defined

Christian Ethics and the New Media: Scripture and Communication

Christian Ethics and the New Media: The Christian and the New Media

 

The Local  Church and the New Media

Just as the individual Christian has responsibility for right, ethical living in the realm of social networking and the New Media, local churches also play pivotal roles of responsibility in such a plethora of media.

Over her history, the Church has been fairly consistent in her adoption of various new technologies and media.  Whether it was the use of scrolls, codexes, books, magazines, newspapers, radio or television, the Church has generally done a fair job of keeping up with societal and technological changes and paradigm shifts in the forms and mediums of communication.

According to the Barna Group,

“People within the Christian community are just as immersed in (and dependent upon) digital technologies and social networks as are those outside of it. Both evangelical Christians and other born again Christians emerged as statistically on par with national norms when it came to each of the 15 different areas that were studied. In other words, matters of faith played very little role in differentiating people’s technological habits.”[1]

In a world that is increasingly connected and compartmentalized, the Church is left with a pressing problem.  On the one hand, according to David Kinnaman, “Church leaders have to strike the delicate balance between the spiritual and cultural potential of tech tools without surrendering to the false promise of these tools. Having the means of reaching the masses – for instance, through podcasting – is a good thing.”[2] The New Media, as a paradigm-shifting, conversation changing form of information communication, is precisely poised to be used in powerfully productive ways.  “Yet, nothing matches the potency of life-on-life discipleship. In this respect, social networking and blogs can be effective tools to intimately connect with a small, natural network of relationships. The key is using the technology in a way that is consistent with your calling and purpose, not just an addictive self-indulgence.” [3]

This statement by Kinnaman reveals both the weakness and the power of the New Media.  On the one hand, for its ability to quickly, effectively, efficiently and economically communicate information, the New Media is unmatched and unparalleled in human history.  Yet, this strength is also the New Media’s greatest weakness, for in providing such volumes of information, facades of familiarity and community can be erected and these facades can in fact impede any real attempts at valid, human relationship-building interaction.  For the Church, this means quite simply that there is no replacement for face-to-face, human, organic relationship growth.  Humans are communal creatures.[4] The New Media does not, and cannot satisfy this basic need.

Furthermore, the Church has a moral and ethical responsibility to work through the issues that these New Media present.  Kinnaman goes on to say

“One recent study we completed among teenagers showed that just 9% of church-going teens had learned something helpful about technology in their church during the past year. As each new generation becomes increasingly enmeshed with technology, these discussions and choices cannot be left to chance. Control, image, relevance, immediacy, transparency, purity, truth, stewardship, and escapism are some of the many issues that technology brings to the surface, not always with benign consequences.”[5]

Finally, the Church must understand and engage with the reality of the New Media, namely that it is a two-way conversation:

“Young people, for instance, think of themselves as creators of content, not merely consumers of it. Technology, in essence, gives them a voice and fuels their search for calling. Whether or not you welcome it, technology creates an entirely new calculus of influence and independence. The stewardship of technology as a force for good in culture is an important role for technologists, entrepreneurs, educators, and Christian leaders.”[6]

Local Churches must be equipped to deal with the ethical issues that the New Media bring.  While Media are amoral, they do not exist in a vacuum.  The medium, the agent of transference, not only conveys the message, but it works to shape it.  Ideas are nameless, substance less notions until they are given shape and definition by language.  Language in some sense is modified by the medium through which it is expressed.  The Church, as Christ’s Bride and Witness must be wary of her message being unnecessarily warped by the media she uses to express it.  Just because media are amoral does not mean that they are always necessarily right to use.  Likewise, just because various media are used in terrible, awful and sinful ways does not mean it is wrong to use those same media in right ways.  But one thing is certain: the Church is most assuredly called to remove herself from any naïveté regarding the New Media.  She is called by Her Lord to communicate in a way that honors Him and brings Him renown.  Her use (or misuse) of media will directly affect her ability to do that.

 

Conclusion

In the world of the Information Age, where communication and the New Media are kings, ethical issues abound.  Questions of privacy, idolatry, predation, stewardship, slander and libel are daily conundrums for millions of bloggers, Facebookers and Twitterers every day.  In a world of rapid change, where a massive paradigm shift has occurred in the way people communicate with one another and process information, confusion and fear can often rule the day.

Yet, God has not left the Christian in the dark.  The light of Scriptural truth shines and the Christian is provided with clear teachings and encouragements for how to rightly, morally and ethically communicate to other Christians and to the world around.  Whether it’s in the local church or on in the world of tweets and posts, blogs and vlogs, the Christian is called to rightly live and communicate, making the best use of the time, for the good of all men and for the glory of God.

 

[1] Barna Group, May 26, 2008, “Barna Technology Study: Social Networking, Online Entertainment And Church Podcasts,” http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/14-media/36-barna-technology-study-social-networking-online-entertainment-and-church-podcasts/ (accessed April 27, 2010).

[2] Barna Group, May 26, 2008, “Barna Technology Study: Social Networking, Online Entertainment And Church Podcasts,” http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/14-media/36-barna-technology-study-social-networking-online-entertainment-and-church-podcasts/ (accessed April 27, 2010).

[3] Barna Group, May 26, 2008, “Barna Technology Study: Social Networking, Online Entertainment And Church Podcasts,” http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/14-media/36-barna-technology-study-social-networking-online-entertainment-and-church-podcasts/ (accessed April 27, 2010).

[4] M.K. Smith, “Community,” in the encyclopedia of informal education,  ed, http://www.infed.org/community/community.htm. (accessed April 27, 2010).

[5] Barna Group, May 26, 2008, “Barna Technology Study: Social Networking, Online Entertainment And Church Podcasts,” http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/14-media/36-barna-technology-study-social-networking-online-entertainment-and-church-podcasts/ (accessed April 27, 2010).

[6] Barna Group, May 26, 2008, “Barna Technology Study: Social Networking, Online Entertainment And Church Podcasts,” http://www.barna.org/barna-update/article/14-media/36-barna-technology-study-social-networking-online-entertainment-and-church-podcasts/ (accessed April 27, 2010).

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Christian Ethics and the New Media – The Christian and the New Media

Posted on May 8, 2010 by Andrew J. Nicewander| 2,056 Comments

Christian Ethics and the New Media: Introduction and Media Defined

Christian Ethics and the New Media: Scripture and Communication

 

The Christian and the New Media

This leaves the Christian with a series of questions.  First, the Christian must ask himself what he is communicating.  Is this blog post going to unfairly hurt somebody?  Is this comment on this friend’s Facebook page something that will edify the reader, or will it communicate hurt?  Is this YouTube video God-honoring, or man-honoring?  Is this particular Twitter post about the silly-bird-that-just-flew-past-my-window-for-the-10th-time-isn’t-that-cute intended to be an encouragement to one’s Twitter Followers, or is it simply an exercise in some rather pathetic narcissism?[1]

Secondly, the Christian must ask herself how she is communicating her information.  Does she post a hasty comment on a blog that has greatly angered her, or does she take her time to think (and maybe pray) about what she is close to saying?  Does she post on Twitter so often that her followers “un-follow” her because she has become so annoying?[2] Does she follow thousands of Twitter accounts to satisfy some problematic longing for the approval of complete strangers or to show that she really belongs?[3]

Third, the Christian must ask himself whom he is communicating to.  The openness of information in the New Media can be particularly problematic when it comes to issues of privacy[4], predation[5] and the sharing of sensitive information[6].  While social networks such as Facebook have championed the user’s right to privacy, such claims are often called into question.[7] The problems with predators alone are enough a possibility to cause parents to seriously consider some severe limitations on their children’s internet time.  The issue is a simple one, and is a weak spot for the New Media.  One often never really knows who one is communicating to or why they are receiving the communication.  Whether it’s a blog post that could be read by anybody from China (provided the site is not blocked by government censors[8]) to South Africa to Iceland to California or whether it’s a Facebook Note that “should” only be read by your friends, the question of exactly “who” is absorbing one’s communications is a vexing one.

Finally, the Christian is faced with the ever-slippery question of why.  Why is she is about to post this article or that video.  Why is she writing this blog post?  Why is she following this Twitter account?  Why is she viewing this YouTube clip, that Hulu movie or this message board?  This question cuts to the essence of what it is that she does and often reveals something of who she is.  Does she do it out of thanksgiving to God?  Is she in some small way seeking His honor?  Is she seeking the glory and fame of men?  Does she post this blog post so that she gains a readership so that she will be liked and subscribed to?  Does she comment on certain well-read blogs for the express purpose of people following the links back to her blog?  Does she come up with witty responses to friends’ Facebook posts so that they’ll see how clever she is?  Does she do it for attention?  For acceptance?  For some small measure of love?

These questions drive the Christian to pursue solution of the ethical quandaries that the New Media provides.  Christians are not given a Biblical roadmap showing how to particularly navigate through the Internet wilderness.  They are provided with some fairly clear principles dealing with communication, though, and in reality, communication of ideas and information is what the New Media is all about

[1] David Sarno, “Don’t fear invasion of the mindcasters,” LA Times, March 11 2009, http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2009/03/on-twitter-mind.html. (accessed April 26, 2010).

[2] Nitrozac and Snaggy, The Joy of Tech, Comic, Picture http://www.geekculture.com/joyoftech/joyarchives/1202.html. (accessed April 26, 2010).

[3] Wefollow.com, “Home Page,” http://wefollow.com// (accessed 26 April, 2010).

[4] Daniel J. Solove, “Do Social Networks Bring the End of Privacy?,” Scientific American, September, 2008,, http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=do-social-networks-bring/ (accessed April 26, 2010).

[5] John Kreiser, “MySpace: Your Kids’ Danger?,” CBS News, February 6 2006, Video and Article http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/06/eveningnews/main1286130.shtml/ (accessed April 26, 2010).

[6] Liz Gannes, “U.s. Military Turns To Social Networking To Encourage Sharing Official And Sensitive Info,” Gigaom, January 22, 2010, http://gigaom.com/2010/01/22/u-s-military-turns-to-social-networking-to-encourage-sharing-official-and-sensitive-info// (accessed April 26, 2010).

[7] Doug Gross, “Sharing Vs. Your Privacy On Facebook,” CNN, April 1, 2010, http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/ptech/04/01/facebook.developers.privacy/index.html. (accessed April 26, 2010).

[8] Tania Branigan, “Google Raises Stakes In China Censorship Row,” Guardian, March 22, 2010, http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2010/mar/22/google-china-shut-down-censorships/ (accessed April 26, 2010).

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Christian Ethics and the New Media – Scripture and Communication

Posted on May 7, 2010 by Andrew J. Nicewander| 451 Comments

Christian Ethics and the New Media: Introduction and Media Defined

 

Scripture and Communication

“Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time.  Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.” (Colossians 4:5-6)

A primary, driving force behind any Christian’s ethic is going to be Christ’s dual command, to love God with all the faculties of one’s being and to love one’s neighbor as oneself (Matthew 22:37-40).  Furthermore, this command is given flesh for the Christian be remembering what Christ did for him on the Cross.  He shows His children much love and much patience.  As such, He expects their ethics to follow that same, Grace-driven trajectory.  The Christian is called in Colossians by Paul to be gracious in her speech.  His communication is to be seasoned with salt.  Her actions are to be wise and time-redemptive.

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.  Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:29-32)

Secondly, the Christian is called to communicate in such a way that grace is given to those being communicated to.  Christ-followers are not to be causes of unbiblical division and strife.  They are called to be “kind”, “tenderhearted” and forgiving.  Blog Battles and Flame Wars[1] are to be “put away”.  Meanness and a harsh spirit have no place within the Christian community.  Christians have been redeemed by the Holy Spirit, in Christ and by God’s kind Grace.  To use the New Media to communicate in such an evil, wicked way is to grieve the Spirit.

“Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.  But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.  Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers.  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” (James 1:13-17)

Finally, the New Media is not wicked in and of itself.  Media of all types can be used for much good.  When Johann Gutenberg created his printing press, it created untold (and at that time, unparalleled) possibilities for spreading the Word of God to men and women all over the world.[2] Yet, that same technology has also been used for much evil over the centuries.  Likewise, the New Media, those vessels of that ever culturally-precious commodity, information, can be used for much good and much evil.  The rightness is not in the thing itself, but in the use of it.  It’s not the medium in which the ethical question lies but in the use of the media.  Such abilities to spread information should be viewed as gifts from God.  The problem lies within the human heart and its propensity towards evil and unethical actions.

[1] Stephen Leahy, “The Secret Cause of Flame Wars,” Wired, February 13, 2006,, Blog Post, http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2006/02/70179.

[2] Heinrich Wallau, “Johann Gutenburg,” in The Catholic Encyclopedia, 7th ed, http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07090a.htm. (accessed April 26, 2010).

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