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I recently saw this topic being discussed, and I thought I would address it here on this blog. Should Christians be friends with Non-Christians? Or should Christians avoid friendships with Unbelievers?

As I really considered this, I realized that it is a bit more complicated than it seems at first. Mainly because first there are those who aren’t Christians, but yet believers in God (but they have a different religion or denomination).

Then, we have a whole other class of those who reject or mock God (the fundamental atheists or others). Then, we even have a class of people who say they are Christians, but obviously aren’t (by their fruits).

Then, we have the question of friendship. When we say friendship, do we mean mere acquaintances? Do we mean people we occasionally see or talk to, but not often? Or do we mean close friends that we hang out with regularly? So I thought I would take the time to cut down the middle of this issue, and discuss all sides & potential scriptures.

Should Christians Be Friends With People of Other Faiths (or No Faith)?

First, I think we can all agree that Christians absolutely need to be the “light.” We need to be loving, kind, and gentle with all people. This means whether they are the nicest people we know, or whether they are terrible unrepentant “sinners” (we are all sinners by the way), we  are supposed to be “like Christ.” We are supposed to set an example and love all. We are supposed to be the light they can see so they can distinguish light from darkness.

So there is no question that we are supposed to be nice, friendly, and loving to all people, regardless of religion, faith, or lack thereof. How else would we show an example? How else would we ever win people over to God? But I think a lot of confusion and disagreement on this topic comes from not defining the word friend. There are certainly different types. When we define friend, we can see this more clearly, and I think people will be more inclined to agree.

Because we all know there are different types of friendships. We have people we see a lot, we have co-workers, we have best friends, etc. So for this article, I will divide the word friend into the 2 main types: Close friends, and Acquaintance friends, and define them:

1. Close Friends–This to me means people you spend a great deal of time with (outside of a job or other forced time). You spend time by choice. This means you call each other often, email often, spend time together often, go out to eat, see movies, etc. These are people you trust, people you care very deeply about and usually have a lot in common with them. You have a serious and deep relationship with these friends.
2. Acquaintance Friends–These are people you merely come across in you daily life. Perhaps it is a co-worker, perhaps it is a friend of a friend, perhaps a neighbor, someone online,  etc. These are people who you like or want to stay on great terms with, but don’t really have enough in common with them, or for some other reason, simply never really spend any time with them. You tend to only see them or talk to them on rare or isolated occasions (unless you work together), and that is the extent of your relationship. These are usually more shallow in terms of emotions and bonds, but still a loving type of friendships in the spirit.

These are the two main types of friendships I will be referring to. If you can visualize a spectrum in your mind, and one extreme is a close friendship, and the other is an acquaintance type (with different levels in-between). 

And yes, almost everyone has these types. Even Jesus had a disciple who he loved a bit more, (note when the bible says, ‘John, the disciple Jesus loved.’).

Should Christians Be Friends with Acquaintance Type Friends?

Again, this to me is an absolute YES! You need to be on friendly terms with any person you come into contact with. Love they neighbor. Who is your neighbor? Anyone you see or come into contact with. Be a friend. Who is a friend? Anyone.

So in this sense of the word, we need to be friends with everyone. So if there is a co-worker of a different faith, you need to be nice, friendly, and loving to that person, even if they disagree with you. The same applies to any person you may come into contact with in your life.

Again, this is a more shallow type of friendship, but it is a friendship nonetheless. We need this type of friendship with all people. This is how we can extend love to our fellow humans. It is how we can even occasionally share the gospel with them. We can also learn a great deal and grow spiritually by having these friendships.

Even if they reject the gospel, we Christians need to maintain this type of a friendship with all people. We must love and respect our fellow humans. Did you ever notice that Jesus had many acquaintance type friendships with sinners? The Pharisees would criticize Jesus about this. They would accuse him of occasionally hanging with a sinner or eating with them.

How did Jesus respond? He replied, “On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” Mark 2:17

Isn’t Jesus so brilliant with his responses? I think so. Anyway, we all need to be loving, set an example, and share the gospel with our friends. And yes, there is nothing wrong with having an acquaintance friend of any or all faiths (or no faith at all). And YES, we need to maintain them even if they do not  convert to Christianity. We should love even our enemies (and isn’t that hard sometimes?).

So again, yes, in this sense, we need to be friends with any/everyone. But what about close friendships?

Should Christians Have Close Friendships With Non-Christians or Unbelievers?

This is where the topic gets sticky. On one hand, we can totally have shallow friendships with everyone. On the other hand, should we have deep friendships with unbelievers or people of other religions? Let’s take a look. I will divide this up into 3 sections: Christians, Believers, and then Unbelievers.

First, just let me say that of course all Christians can be close friends. That is a no-brainer. There may be some who label themselves as Christians, and then do the opposite of Christianity. In this case, I think the friendship will suffer, and potentially default to the acquaintance type. But of course all Christians can and should be close friends with one another. We are all in one body of Christ.

Next, we have other monotheistic faiths (such as a Christian and a Jew). Again, I think this is fine as well. There may be some distinctions that arise in doctrine/theology at points in the friendship. There may be also some cultural differences those pose problems over time, but overall, if two people have a similar beliefs, I think a close friendship can definitely be maintained.  However, I think some problems can definitely arise. If this happens, the friendship will probably slowly slide from the “close” type to the ‘acquaintance” type.

Lastly, we have the unbelievers. These would be atheists, agnostics, and any other religions (such as buddhism) that have wildly different views. I think it would be difficult to maintain a very deep or close relationship with a person like this. Why? Simply because there will be too many differences that arise in every area. This is due to a dramatic world-view difference. I am not necessarily saying we should ignore these people and kick them to the curb. But I do think the relationship will naturally slide from close to a non-close over the course of time if both hold fast to their own beliefs.

What Scriptures Are In the Bible Concerning These Things?

Let me divide the scriptures to show how some support the acquaintance friendship, while others tell us to avoid certain close friendships.

Scriptures that Show we Should Be Acquaintance Friends with People:

“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you”  Luke 6:27 ESV

And the Lord’s servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.  Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth…              2 Timothy 2:24–26 (NIV)

In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16 (NIV)

The second is this: ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”   Mark 12:31

These scriptures above clearly show that we are to be kind, loving, and “friends” to all people. We should love everyone as our self. Our neighbors are our friends, and we should love and respect all.

But again, at the same time we must make a distinction between the different types of friends. Should a Christian be hanging out constantly with a person who is not very Godly? Let us see what the scriptures say about this:

Scriptures that Show We Should Distance Ourselves from Inappropriate Friendships or People Who Reject God’s Will:

Can two walk together, except they be agreed? Amos 3:3

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?   2 Corinthians 6:14 (NIV)

Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”    1 Corinthians 15:33 (NIV)

But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. 2 Timothy 3:1-5

Not only are those scriptures crystal clear, but look at what Jesus himself says regarding an unrepentant brother:

“If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

“I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will bed bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will bee loosed in heaven. Matthew 18:15-19

That’s right folks, you have it from Jesus’ own lips. What more scriptures do you need? In the scriptures above, it is very clear that we are to NOT have the very close types of relationships with those who have NO interest in God’s will. This isn’t my instruction either, it is the scriptures’ instructions.

When we develop close relationships with those who reject God, we risk being influenced in a negative way. We risk being associated with certain ideology or beliefs that the other person may have. Let me just give you an example:

Extreme Example of Acquaintance Friendship: Let’s take 2 people on the opposite ends of the spectrum for an example: Billy Graham (the great pastor) and Marilyn Manson (very anti-Christian/Gothic rocker).

Now if Billy Graham was at the same place with Marilyn Manson (say it was some conference or something), he should absolutely be an acquaintance type friend. He should be nice to Marilyn, not rude or ignore him. He should set an example, and be kind and loving. That would be the appropriate Christian thing to do. There is nothing wrong with having a conversation or shaking hangs.

Extreme Example of a Close Friendship: Now let us suppose that Marilyn invites Billy Graham to hang out with him. Okay, no big deal, right? Perhaps Billy can eat lunch and share the gospel with Marilyn (even though Marilyn rips up bibles at his concerts and blasphemes God).

But now suppose suddenly Billy Graham is hanging with Marilyn every day. Suppose you see pictures of Billy Graham hugging Marilyn at his house (with big Satanic pictures in the background), and the two are playing Nintendo together. Here is where the problems come in, because 1 of 3 things will happen:

1. Billy Graham will have to compromise his beliefs in Christianity and be “slack” on it in order to fit in with Marilyn Manson’s worldview (religion). Or he will flat out lose the faith.

2. Marilyn Manson will have to convert to Christianity and follow it tightly in order to fit in with Billy Graham’s worldview. Or he will have to be extremely slack on his beliefs to the point where they don’t interfere.

3. Both Billy Graham and Marilyn Manson will each hold tight to their differing religious views on life. In this case, their friendship will naturally (and gradually) slide from a close friendship down to an acquaintance type friendship. Why? Because the 2 will simply disagree on way to many things. They will have little to nothing in common.

Not only that, but even a simple conversation can result in one of the two being offended. If Marilyn starts cursing or saying something inappropriate, Billy will probably be offended (and he should). If Billy starts to talk about God, or talk about a certain behavior as being a sin, Marilyn will probably be offended.

It isn’t too hard to imagine the differences that would arise when a person who rips the bible regularly hangs out with a person who preaches the bible regularly.

Should Christians Be Holier Than Thou? Should We Ignore People That Reject God?

I am certainly not suggesting to have an arrogant or “I am better than you” type of attitude. This is not about being “holier than thou.” Instead, this is merely about following what the scriptures tell us. Don’t we have an obligation to follow the scriptures? Yes indeed.

Didn’t Jesus hang with sinners? Sure, but did not notice something: Jesus only hung with them to share the Gospel. Jesus viewed himself as a doctor trying to heal a “sick” person. He certainly didn’t hang with sinners for the thrill or exposure of sin, or because they had similar interests. He hung with them to try and save them.

Also notice another point: Jesus hung with them long enough to be friendly and share the gospel, and then moved on to other people and other areas. In other words, Jesus wasn’t BFFs (best friends forever) with people who rejected God’s will. In fact, Jesus even says he won’t know these people. He says they won’t inherit the Kingdom of God.

We are certainly all sinners aren’t we? But isn’t there a difference between committing a sin and repenting (and feeling terrible), and committing a sin and enjoying it (with no intentions of repenting)? There is a world of difference between those two. In fact, you might say that that is the difference between a Christian and non-Christian.

Both are sinners, yet one turns from sin and feels terrible. The other enjoys sin and does not seek to correct the sin or remove it. As the famous bumper sticker says, “I’m not perfect, just forgiven.”

Should Christians Just Drop Non-Christian Friends?

I once heard a great sermon by the late Adrian Rogers. He once said something like, “Sometimes when a person converts to Christianity they ask if they should leave their old friends. You won’t have to, your friends will probably leave you.”

This is the sad but often truth in life. When people develop 2 differing world-views (or religions), sharp differences arise and it is often best to simply not spend as much time together (simply because you won’t have as much in common). Either you will not enjoy hanging with your older friends as much, or they won’t enjoy hanging with you.

If you can imagine this whole friendship thing like a spectrum of extremes. On one hand you have a very light friendship, on the other a very close friendship. The spectrum can swing from one extreme to another. Here is simple example below:

Acquaintance——————-O——————-Close Friendship

The idea here is not that Christians should just “abandon ship” when they have non-Christian friends. But I think the scriptures are telling us to not be too involved with these people. So we would move the “O” above closer to the acquaintance type of friendship. This means to limit the time spent with people who are not on the same “page” as you (spiritually speaking). Especially if you tried to convert, and they wasn’t up for it, and still don’t like religion or God.

Again, this is just common sense, and will probably be the natural outcome anyway. If you are a true Christian, will you enjoy hanging out with someone if they are not doing God’s will? For example, if your friends talk about having promiscuous sex, drugs, partying, lying, pornography, music with curse words every 2 seconds, bad movies, going to clubs, and things like that?? Wouldn’t a true Christian feel uncomfortable in those cases?

And what about their political or social views? Should a true Christian be best friends with a person marching for gay rights? Or what about someone who supports abortions? What about a person who thinks there is nothing wrong with frivolous sex, cheating on a spouse, etc.?

At that point, what would the two have in common? They may still have some things in common, but certainly not many things. Also, it is a FACT that you will pick up some traits of your close friends. As the scripture says, “Bad morals corrupt good company.” If you are struggling to do God’s will, do you need extra temptation leading you astray? I don’t think so.

Are All Non-Christians Immoral? Are All Christians Moral?

I am not trying to imply that non-Christians are all immoral people. There are a great many non-religious people who are very nice and relatively moral people. In fact, some non-Christians may even be more “moral” than some self-proclaimed “Christians.” That is certainly true isn’t it?

But the problem that arises is that if a person isn’t following God, what is their moral compass? Society? In that case, it will probably lead to differences in your views, and then, differences in the closeness of your friendship.

Conclusion: Friendship, God, and Love….Oh My!

Taking everything into consideration, I think these things are pretty clear in the scriptures:

1. It is important to define “Friendship.” Once we do that, I think we can see that there are different “levels” of friendship. The scriptures certainly have something to say about having friends.
2. I have divided it up into 2 types “Acquaintance vs. Close”
3. As Christians, we should be acquaintance type friends with all people. Love thy neighbor. There is nothing wrong at all with this, and in fact, is encouraged. So don’t feel like it is wrong to merely carry on a conversation, or even have an occasional dinner with someone.
4. The scriptures warn of being “unequally yoked” with those who reject God or have immoral lives. This is scripture, and this applies to friendships.
5. Close friendships are great, but we must be VERY careful of who we develop close friendships with, as we will rub off on one another.
6. We should share the gospel with all friends, and try to set a Godly example.
7. We aren’t perfect, and must work hard to eliminate arrogance and holier than thou attitudes. Instead, we should have a loving and friendly spirit to all, but at the same time, exercise discretion when choosing close friends. We should NOT spend a great deal of time or have very close friendships with immoral people (and I define moral by God’s standards, not mans).

The main problem that arises is the differences in worldviews. As a Christian,  it is your COMMAND to follow God’s moral code, and not mankind’s.

Do not EVER try to twist the bible to fit in with society or the world. It just won’t work folks (it never has and never will). Instead, twist yourself to fit in with the bible. That is the will of God, and the Christian goal. You must change your life to fit in with God’s will. It is impossible to twist God’s word as to make it compatible with society’s morals. It just won’t happen.

Should Christians Marry Non-Christians?

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Posted under bible questions, friendship

In a recent post, a person asked the question of fellowship at the church and I responded with some of my views. This did spark an interesting conversation, and my friend Eruesso made a great comment. So I thought I would share that, and also add a little more to my views:

This is a brief comment on your recent post entitled “Should We All Belong to A Church for Fellowship?”

The following is a very progressive and partially controversial line you mentioned on the need for church. And I not only love it, but feel this needs to be talked about more among Christians.

“Being in the technology realm, church is getting sorta outdated anyway.”

Church as our parents and grandparents knew it IS getting outdated, the form, but not necessarily the practice. Church is more of a community than a building and if you ask just about any Christian they would agree. The sense of community can be helpful to establishing the borders of Christian belief and behavior but does not necessarily limit one to these constraining borders.

What we may be describing is more of a Digital Church in a digital world. We can worship and evangelize globally from the comfort of our homes. But as our human need for a community of fellow believers may change it will never fade away. The controversy is the need to intensely defend our borders to those inside and out by separating these spheres: us vs. them, friend vs. foe, Christian vs. everyone else.

The feeling of community is more of a spiritual label instead of an actual membership. Christian membership has declined in just about every denomination in the U.S. and more people have chosen not to declare a religion. So as this new Community of Nones (or the Spiritual but not religious) grows we may see new communities expressing themselves in vastly different ways.  Digital Christians as ourselves have found new and exciting ways, through the help of technology, to share our beliefs to the point that we may yet be “attending” church as you have expressed “with people on forums”. We are now part of a global, and increasingly digital, body of believers.

But without defending our borders that which is not like us may enter, infect, change and possibly splinter the community. This is what I believe Jeff is attempting to get across (even though I personally believe we should transcend our borders, both internal and external). Without borders how can we establish what it is to call oneself a Christian? Most, if not all, say that this can be done by following God and his Holy Word, but misinterpretation and mistranslation is a major cause of division.

With the vast myriad of possible interpretations how do we really know that we’re NOT the ones misinterpreting scripture? If everyone feels the Spirit of God speaking to them through the word in different ways how do we determine the borders of Christianity? These questions are not meant to challenge your views (which I agree with ALOT of them), Ben, but to help stir up questions within ourselves and in our digital Church.

Peace and Blessing be upon you and yours,

Eruesso

Which is Better: Digital Church or Physical Church?

First off, it was great to hear from you Eruesso! You really brought up some interesting points to consider. I have to say that I agree with a lot of what you said.

I have really taken some deep thoughts on this since reading your comment, and I have to say, I think that digital church by far will win this. That isn’t to say that local churches will vanish, but I certainly think there will be (and should be) more of a reduction and combining of churches into larger units (as opposed to literally hundreds within one city!).

Just thinking of the differences between digital and physical churches, it is almost overwhelming the benefits of digital. Here are some reasons why digital fellowship is better (in my opinion, than physical):

1. We can fellowship at any time. There is no need to do it on Sunday only. We can do it every day, or only a few days. It is completely up to us.
2. Less Traffic/Time Wasted–In a world where gas and traffic is getting unbearable, it is much easier to connect to the entire world from your PC. It saves gas, it ensures you won’t get in a wreck on rainy/snowy days, and so forth. Also, rather than wasting 10-45 minutes driving, you can use that time for something more productive (studying scripture, praying, etc).
3. Objectivity–It ensures a more objective approach to scriptures and doctrine. Rather than only hearing 1 perspective, you can literally tap into a wealth of resources on any given topic. This is great because how would you ever know if you were in a cult or not, unless you could objectively look at all scriptures and compare the different denominational views?
4. Super Efficient Evangelism–When we go to church what happens? Usually we sit there and hear a sermon about being saved (hint: we already are). So the same members get preached week after week about repentance, and so forth and so forth. This can be great to keep us in line or help new believers, but for others it gets redundant. Also, the message is limited to only those who attend church. On the other hand, when I write a blog post, it may be viewed hundreds, thousands, or even millions of times over the course of my life. WOW! Spending 1-2 hours writing a post and having it viewed by millions is certainly more efficient than spending the same amount of time talking to a few hundred people (most of which aren’t paying attention because they already heard the sermon countless times).
5. Less Corruption–People can still accept money online if they were to use it for ministry related actions. If they do accept money (by using a paypal.com donate button for example), then they have a clear paper trail of all funds they have received. This holds people accountable! I often wonder how many pastors, treasury members, etc. perhaps stick some cash into their pockets from the collection plate and fail to record the money on the books or use it for Godly purposes! Even Judas did this in the bible. So by raising funds with a paper trail, it reduces potential fraud and ensures accounting and financial integrity.
6. Almost No Overhead Expenses—Think of how much of the collection plate offerings go to pay that hefty mortgage! Instead, with an online site or community, the costs are next to nothing! We are talking maybe $8 per month or less for the average site (and you can start blogs for free, or visit forums for free).  That is HUGE when you consider some mortgages may be hundreds or thousands of dollars per month for churches. That money can instead go straight to Godly causes. Again, this is especially true for the churches that sit empty 6 days per week (and perhaps not so much for the ones that actually do something 7 days per week like shelter the homeless).
7. Deeper Spiritual  Dialogue–Who really wants to ask their pastor personal questions such as “should married couples use birth control?” and questions like that? Yet how many Christians need guidance for those things? The great thing about an online community is that not only can you ask this and get an answer, but you can hear multiple views on it. You can then weigh the scripture, pray, and so forth and arrive at a decision. So it removes the “embarrassing factor” and allows for a deeper understanding of God and biblical views without inhibitions that may interfere in a face-to-face situation. Especially when you consider some pastors can actually get defensive or upset if you question doctrine or something.
8. Deeper Spiritual Enlightenment & Education–Churches often preach to avoid the “other crazy Christian denominations on the other side of town.” But what I have found is that while some certainly have some wild views, they often have interesting and deeper understandings on some issues. I don’t agree with any 1 denomination 100%, but at the same time, every denomination has at least 1 thing I do agree with (in most cases)! Furthermore, I believe that by remaining objective and non-denominational, you have the opportunity to hear all views, weigh all scripture, reason, and then pick the doctrine with the best scriptural and logical evidence. I think this leads to a better and more accurate understanding of the scriptures. For example, I can not only jump online and look at every translation for a verse, but I can hear what every denomination views it (from their religious viewpoint). This enables me to not only to gain better insight myself, but it also allows me to debate more efficiently with members of other faiths (since I understand why they believe what they believe).
9. Less Financial/Social Pressure–Some people may be struggling and feel uncomfortable not putting enough (or anything) into an offering plate. Therefore they may neglect going to church. Or perhaps someone has done something they regret. They may fear the church people will gossip and ridicule them (and this happens often these days). This can actually backfire and force people away from God, rather than TO repentance. Instead, online communities allow people to repent in their own privacy, without fear of condemnation from others. This also weeds out gossip in a big way, and let’s face it, what church doesn’t do that?
10. Dealing with Health Problems– So many people have medical problems that make church a serious frustration and challenge. Some elderly people may be feeble, sick, or have bladder problems and cannot stand a 1-2 hour event. Others may have some other unknown or rare condition which makes it difficult for attendance. So online church bypasses this completely.
11. You Can Have Tons of Pastors–Some of my “online pastors” include Adrian Rogers (now passed), John Hagee, Joel Osteen, Billy Graham, Charles Stanley, Rick Warren, and countless other ministries or people who I have heard on Youtube, or read an article on a website. So this ensures I have a constant supply of pastorship (even if I disagree with some points, and I do). Not only that, I can type into Google 1 question, and literally read for hours. It is like my own personal pastor team on call 24/7 there to answer my religious questions with well thought up articles. This, I feel, leads to rapid and objective education in the scriptures, and also helps keep you straight.

Those are probably the “big ones.” Of course, there are lots of disadvantages to the digital church:

1. NO Access–Not everyone has or can afford Internet access.  This will prevent them altogether to being able to join the “digital church.” This is where a real church wins.
2. No face to face interaction–While the web can be great for allowing yourself to be more open and direct, it also has a downside, you cant hug someone! Support from church members can be excellent when you have a hard time in life, lose a loved one, etc. Of course, you can always meet somewhere in small groups, and things like that. But it will likely be less frequent if you focus only on a digital community.
3. Some Churches Do Good–For those few churches that actually do make good use out of their buildings, this is a huge advantage. You cannot provide a roof over a homeless person’s head with a website. You cannot cloth someone with a website. You cannot feed someone online. So a church can be great for this. Again, my only concern is that I find a very small minority of churches (at least in my area) that actually use their buildings 7 days a week for these things. Most sit empty until Sunday morning.
4. Reduces Local Community Events & Services–Face-to-face environments are also a great way to team up. You can build friendships, romantic relationships, have fun, meet people, gain career contacts, and more at a real church. You can do some of these things online, but it seems to work better in a face-to-face fellowship environment. Also, many churches provide childcare on a weekly basis and other vital services that really help a local community thrive in a Godly way.
5. Baptisms, and Religious Celebrations–I have yet to find a way to be baptised via the web, lol. Of course, local churches are great to celebrate religious holidays and celebrations. The web loses out here as well.
6. It Provides a Light of Hope–Sometimes churches can function like a lighthouse–they can steer you through rough patches in life with the support of a “real” community. It is great to have support in the online capacity, but it isn’t quite the same as the face-to-face thing.

Some Other Thoughts on Digital (Online) Churches and Real Churches

I totally agree with you Eruesso! There is a need for both, and always will be. But I honestly feel that the digital church needs to expand much more, and the local churches should be combining into larger (and more non-denominational) and reducing their numbers. Or, here is another thought: having mega churches in each community, but having separations for each “denomination” to encourage Christian unity.

What is more efficient: Having an online community with all of the benefits above (which can be both local and international), and also have maybe 2-5 LARGER & Combined churches per city?

Or having almost no online community (as is often the case now), and having to rely on as many as hundreds of small churches per city? I think most Christians would agree that a reduction in the denominations and church buildings (that are left vacant) would be a GOOD thing. But only if it is enhanced with a strong online community fellowship and worship routine.

Did the Early Church Use Technology? What Should the Future of Christianity Bring?

The interesting thing to consider is that the early disciples used technology! They used letters (as we have from Paul to the Romans, etc.). Not everyone could read and write, and not everyone could deliver letters. So right there we see them really “thinking outside of the box” to spread the gospel and utilizing their technology.

They also used the latest travel means (boats) to get to other countries to spread the gospel. So they took full advantage of nearly every technology they had for both communications and travel (which sadly, wasn’t much).

And yet these men did the unthinkable: They managed to spread this in such a way that it captivated the world. Christianity rapidly spread, and all people came to know God, the Christ, and the prophets, and it continues to this day.We need to take a lesson from them!

We Christians need to be on forums. We need to be blogging. We need to be texting. We need to be on youtube. We need to be using our phones. We need to use emails. In other words, we need to really get a little more aggressive. We need our voices to be heard. Instead it seems like all I hear are the more liberal and secular views on the web and on news articles. Our voice needs to be heard too. 

Every day on forums, it seems the secular atheists out-number the believers. Not only that, but many believers are very unrehearsed in apologetics of the scriptures and doctrines. So it is somewhat a shame to me that it happens to be that way at this point in time.

And what I see is that a lot of people that are on the fence about religion, have deep questions, and are not satisfied with the explanation by their pastors. So they go online, and then get bombarded by atheists trying to convince them no God exists. What do you think becomes of this person? I tell you, I suspect many people get lost this way, and that is sad. If they had a logical explanation that was well thought out and reasonable, they would probably increase in faith, not lose it.

I hope and pray that they do eventually see the fallacy of atheism and “science only” ways of thinking and come back to see the total objective view of religion (especially when science certainly doesn’t provide all of the answers). But we need science, we just need the full objective scientific picture, and we often don’t get that from the secular side.

Conclusion: We Need to Embrace Technology, Restructure the Church

The church needs to change. They are way behind in terms of taking advantage of the technology. I think the following would really boost the Church, and increase its numbers:

1. Reduction of the number of churches. Instead, churches need to join into larger churches and have only a few per city/community. It would be interesting to see the inter-denominational thing, but it doesn’t have to be that way. I would like to drop denominations altogether and just be “Christians” with individual beliefs.
2. Focus on online evangelism & community via the web (with online sermons, questions, dialogue & support, and so forth).
3. Very strong teaching of apologetics and defense for the average  Christian. Instead of preaching for us to be saved week after week (when we already are), instead let us see more in the way of deep questions each week. Educate the entire congregation on the evidence which supports God. Answer those hard bible questions logically and effectively. Reveal weaknesses in evolution and other secular ideologies and theories.
4. Drop the denominations! With nearly 22,000 Christian denominations, it is almost embarrassing. We need to reduce this number DRAMATICALLY.  Let us join into one “church.” In the very least, I would hope that we get the number closer to the double digits!  So what if people have differing views, we always will until Jesus himself returns to set it straight. So did the disciples sometimes disagree. But they stayed together in general and worked it out. We need this desperately. More unity, less segregation. Join together in God and Christ, and focus on that! The devil is in the details anyway (as the saying goes).

Thanks again for the great comment Eruesso. I would like to hear your thoughts on the future of the church if you ever get the chance on your blog. God Bless!

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Posted under bible questions, reflections