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Is Technology Anti-God?

by Dorcas Daboni, 07/11/2017

While my parents were on vacation recently they visited a church on Sabbath for worship. This church was in a popular tourist destination, so one would suppose a good portion of the attendees were visitors. The pastor asked everyone to lift their Bibles at the beginning of his sermon. My mother, lifted up her smartphone. The pastor followed up by saying it was a shame that so many people would come to church without their Bibles and that some would even dare to put up their phones. Cellphones and technology altogether were a tool of the devil, he continued, and were ways to distract us from God, so they should not be brought to church. My mother was uncomfortable the remainder of service, as she felt a spotlight had been pointed at her.

Cellphones and technology altogether were a tool of the devil, the pastor said, and distracted us from God.

When my parents returned from their trip, my mother recounted this story to me. I asked, “What do think about what the pastor said?” I remember when we were growing up my mom was always adamant about us bringing our Bibles to church and she even keeps one in her car, so I was surprised to hear that this time she had left it at home. She said that even though she likes to read a physical Bible every day, she felt having her Bible on her phone has helped her read it even more, and has made it easier to carry God’s Word around. “I wish more Adventists realized that technology doesn’t necessarily replace spirituality,” said said, “but can be very helpful for a Christian walk.”

Though my mother is not a young adult, her experience is one that many young adults can identify with, including me. I too have felt shamed for using a phone as opposed to a paper Bible. Growing up in a world of technology, it seems rather parochial to be told that technology is “the devil’s tool.” Some Adventists would say that technology has made millennials (or, as they say, “the young people”) selfish, shallow and indulgent.

Growing up in a world of technology, it seems rather parochial to be told that technology is “the devil’s tool.”  

I was reminded of a comment made by Ellen G. White about bicycles, something that was considered top-notch technology in her day; “When Satan is defeated in one line, he will be all ready with other schemes and plans which will appear attractive and needful, and which will absorb money and thought, and encourage selfishness, so that he can overcome those who are so easily led into a false and selfish indulgence.” Testimonies to the Church.Vol. 8, pg. 52).

This sounds little different than what the pastor in the church my parents visited felt about mobile phones. But when we take a closer look at what Ellen White said, we realize her issue is not with the technology itself, but rather with the idolization of technology. Only a page earlier she said “A bewitching influence seemed to be passing as a wave over our people there, and I saw that this would be followed by other temptations. Satan works with intensity of purpose to induce our people to invest their time and money in gratifying supposed wants. This is a species of idolatry (8T 51).”

What that pastor was saying about technology taking people away from God can be true. But what my mom was saying about it helping her Christian walk was also true. So who is right? Both are. Technology is like a knife. It makes cutting lettuce and chicken easier, but used by someone else, it can also make committing murder easier as well. It depends if you are interested in making Sabbath dinner or in killing another human being. Technology can be used to bring glory to God and lead people to Christ, or it can be worshipped as an idol and lead people to be lost.

So to help with those who want to enjoy technology and use it to grow spiritually, but aren’t sure how to keep it in check so it doesn’t take over, here are some tips that have helped me:

  1. Put your phone on airplane mode or do not disturb when you are in church. This helps minimize the temptation to respond to text or to receive anything that can distract you from the blessing God has in store for you. Plus, it’s annoying and distracting to others when your phone rings during a prayer, song or sermon. 
  2. Set daily alarms to remind you to pray during the day. In the note section, you can add a prayer request or a specific subject you would like to pray about.
  3. Subscribe to the Bible app or follow Bible quote groups on social media. So every time you see your feeds, it will inspire you to stay in a prayerful spirit throughout the day.
  4. Share these Bible quotes on your wall and with your friends and followers. This is a good way to witness and takes little to no effort.
  5. Take a picture of a Bible verse and make it your screen saver for the week. This will help you meditate on this verse and even memorize it.
  6. When you come across an interesting verse, look it up in various versions. It helps to have a better understanding of what that verse is trying to say.

I like using a physical Bible for morning and evening devotions. But this doesn’t mean that a book is the only way to read Scripture. Our cellphones, tablets, and laptops can all help us draw closer to God, and to draw more members to our churches.

Technology can be an amazing blessing, but we cannot explore the full extent of that blessing if we are too busy waging war against it.


Dorcas Daboni is nurse and a student. She is passionate about serving youth and young adults, and also empowering communities to make better health decisions. She writes from Wintersville, OH.

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Adventist Tomorrow: Fresh Ideas While Waiting for Jesus, by Jack Hoehn

ADVENTIST TOMORROW by Jack Hoehn has become the best-selling book that Adventist Today has published, selling over 850 copies so far (480+ in the paperback and  370+ in the electronic Kindle version).  It is being read by Adventist College and University students.  It is being read in Canada, in Australia,  in South Africa, in Kenya and in Spain, Germany, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.

Who is reading Jack’s book?  Jonathan Butler said it is on his reading list.  Smuts Van Rooyen says he is enjoying it.  Pastors John Hughson and Kenneth Preston have highly recommended it.  Pastor Kevin McGill in Seattle quoted from the book in one of his sermons.   Carmen Lau has read the book.  Jennifer Ogden, Beverly Beem, Linda Nottingham,  Cherri-Ann Farquharson, Gina Olberg have all read it with positive reviews.

Even Clifford Goldstein told Jack he liked the chapter on Intoxicants and got a new idea from the chapter Not a Rib, “but not much else.” (Jack accepts this as good a review from Cliff as he could ever hope for!)

You too don’t have to agree with Jack to read the book.  The ideas discussed in the book are important for all caring Adventists to carefully consider.  It is up to you to decide what you want to do about these issues.  Is there a future for Adventism as well as a past?  And what might that future look like?

Readers who like the book say:   It’s a good read.  I have enjoyed it immensely.  A very valuable piece of work.  Once I started it, I could not put it down.  Very well written.  An unprecedented and transformative rescue of Adventist thought.  A genuine pleasure and a relief.  Added very richly to my heart, soul and mind.

The book is good for individual consideration.  It can be even better as the basis for group discussions — Sabbath School classes, book clubs,  classrooms, workers’ retreats focusing on the challenges of tomorrow.  After you read your copy share it with someone else, or gift them their own copy.   There are 92,000 SDA congregations in the world, most of  them should be having  discussions on important topics like these.

HOW TO GET YOUR COPY–

USA and Canada:  CLICK HERE for Amazon.com   who will print and mail you a paperback copy for $US 20.00 or send you an electronic Kindle copy for $US 9.00.  All profits go to support Adventist Today.

UK:  ADVENTIST TOMORROW from www.Amazon.co.UK is available for GBP 14.64 paperback or GBP 6.47 Kindle.

Australia and New Zealand:   ADVENTIST TOMORROW from  www.Amazon.com.au for $AUD 28.38 for the paperback or $AUD 11.57 for the Kindle version.

Europe:  For example Germany has www.Amazon.de  where ADVENTIST TOMORROW (in English) is available for EUR 17,41 paperback  or EUR 7,42 Kindle. You should be able to do the same with Amazon.[fr/es/it].

Japan:  Try www.Amazon.co.jp. where paperback is offered for JPY 2,309 and Kindle for JPY 948.

Kenya:  A few copies have been imported to your country, contact us for information.

Other Countries: If not close to one of the above sources, Amazon does ship to other countries.    You can go here:  https://www.amazon.com/International-Shipping-Direct  and find out if a printed book could be shipped directly to you, and what shipping costs would be.  Kindle electronic versions have no shipping costs.

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