I think not owning a smart phone has been the best way for me personally to limit the internet's power over me. I use my mom's old iPhone as a camera for RUclips videos but there's no service on it and I don't add apps to it. I will replace it with a camera someday but cameras as I'm sure you know are a small fortune. I do everything digital on an old pc, so when I'm gardening, shopping, seeing friends, etc, etc, I'm in the moment and not distracted by a handheld computer. I also have given up almost all social media because of the ethical problems the present. :)
I attended an old german baptist church, although they use the telephone they do not have smart phones or internet in the home, my friends told me that this is because of the inherit dangers of internet, which I have to agree with them, also I have noticed that they have alot more family time together and spend more time with friends, I am actually thinking of joining my friends church
Jacques Ellul and Neil Postman are good authors to read on this subject. I tend to be very skeptical of technology. Technology is getting way out of hand these days.
Appreciate the talk. Wish it could be a group of elders (old men) who have life and effect wisdom. The topic seems to be are we off the world or are we a little bit of the world. It's also seems like grappling with what kind of spoon do we use to eat the poison soup we feel necessary to eat.? A big spoon for faster death or a small spoon for a slower death. Not once have I heard any words of Jesus on this topic come up. So you probably have already lost the battle. Now you are just trying to feel better about it by making it seem well reasoned. I believe each of you are sincere and well intentioned. It's the human reasoning and the already accepted, being part of the world, that determines your path. Using books from the kingdom of darkness perspective with its standards, value system and dictionary all opposite the the Kingdom of God is the indicator of how far one's fallen incrementally into the kingdom of darkness. Maybe it's the kingdom of darkness government schools? Or maybe some have gone to college but I would recommend seeking the council of Christ and those over 60 in your community for only they have seen how little things over time become unintended big thing addictions. Paul commanded : "DO NOT be in fellowship together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial ? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temples of the living God. As God has said: “I will live inside them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. TOUCH NO UNHOLY THING , and I will receive you.” 2Corinthians6 Do we want God to receive us? Yes, the government of the world has made it hard not to have email or browsers to access their required websites. We might look at the internet the same way as a city. Streets and businesses and people. We chose what and where to go and what businesses do enter and do business with or not and who to talk to and who not. Our purpose is to proclaim the Kingdom of God and warn others to turn from their sin so our activity on the street and commerce is our mission field but not our playground. It's Satan's kingdom.
@@Vettel2011 actually the word fellowship is part of the internal scripture question. Read down a couple of sentences and you'll see it's the exact correct choice.
I really appreciate your comments in regard to accountability. I think we can all agree, at least in our minds, that one not restrict what God can do with Grace. As we have all fallen short of his glory, and standards of 'Good'. I see this as one of the Sins of the Pharisees, who made rules that seemed to put boundaries around breaking the commandments.. so as not to break them, but in doing so breaking the spirit of the Law they sought to protect. Obviously, there is a line that Holy Spirit tells us not to cross.. Especially in regards to technological applications as a whole, and this seems to me to be unique to the individual and the walk our Lord Jesus has them on. This is where I believe that my train of thought separates from some of the Mennonite communities around me. There is a sort of uniformity that accentuates the group, and rightly so to the extent that the bible tells us that we are to live in unity with one another and part of a larger body of those in the Heavenly Kingdom. Though this uniformity seems to me to be taking away from what accountability can do. Making it such that one may not need accountability, due to following certain guidelines.. as if following these guidelines means that you are beyond accountability. This to me can be good, up to and until error arises.. New situations come that can catch us off guard because we have been protecting those fringe lines too much. And, I believe we all live in a sort of error.. Not because we do not have the correct doctrine, but because we all fall short applying these principles in spirit and in truth to the extent that we ought to. It follows that because we all stumble, and no proper uniformity can truly be followed.. that Salvation becomes something unique to the individual and cannot truly be followed as a group even though we ought to have a Kingdom mentality.
@@AnabaptistPerspectives I had to sort of cut the ending short due to time restrictions, but wanted to get some of my thoughts out. Apologies if some parts were less than clear.
I think not owning a smart phone has been the best way for me personally to limit the internet's power over me. I use my mom's old iPhone as a camera for RUclips videos but there's no service on it and I don't add apps to it. I will replace it with a camera someday but cameras as I'm sure you know are a small fortune. I do everything digital on an old pc, so when I'm gardening, shopping, seeing friends, etc, etc, I'm in the moment and not distracted by a handheld computer. I also have given up almost all social media because of the ethical problems the present. :)
Thanks, Norry! You've put some good strategy and thinking into your way of managing powerful technologies.
I attended an old german baptist church, although they use the telephone they do not have smart phones or internet in the home, my friends told me that this is because of the inherit dangers of internet, which I have to agree with them, also I have noticed that they have alot more family time together and spend more time with friends, I am actually thinking of joining my friends church
Thanks for sharing your experience. The German Baptists I know are delightful people. Keep pursing Christ and his will for you.
@@AnabaptistPerspectives oh most definitely
Jacques Ellul and Neil Postman are good authors to read on this subject. I tend to be very skeptical of technology. Technology is getting way out of hand these days.
I've read Postman's "Amusing Ourselves to Death." Which title to you recommend from Ellul?
@@AnabaptistPerspectives Ellul's book, "The Humiliation of the Word" is thought provoking. Postman's book, "Technopoly" is probably his best.
Most “technology” is unnecessary.
@@AJMacDonaldJr we watch some of the same videos, my friend
@@BiblicalStudiesandReviews 😺
Internet can be used for both the good and the bad
This is true.
Appreciate the talk. Wish it could be a group of elders (old men) who have life and effect wisdom. The topic seems to be are we off the world or are we a little bit of the world. It's also seems like grappling with what kind of spoon do we use to eat the poison soup we feel necessary to eat.? A big spoon for faster death or a small spoon for a slower death.
Not once have I heard any words of Jesus on this topic come up. So you probably have already lost the battle. Now you are just trying to feel better about it by making it seem well reasoned. I believe each of you are sincere and well intentioned. It's the human reasoning and the already accepted, being part of the world, that determines your path.
Using books from the kingdom of darkness perspective with its standards, value system and dictionary all opposite the the Kingdom of God is the indicator of how far one's fallen incrementally into the kingdom of darkness. Maybe it's the kingdom of darkness government schools? Or maybe some have gone to college but I would recommend seeking the council of Christ and those over 60 in your community for only they have seen how little things over time become unintended big thing addictions.
Paul commanded :
"DO NOT be in fellowship together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial ? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temples of the living God. As God has said: “I will live inside them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.” Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. TOUCH NO UNHOLY THING , and I will receive you.” 2Corinthians6
Do we want God to receive us?
Yes, the government of the world has made it hard not to have email or browsers to access their required websites.
We might look at the internet the same way as a city. Streets and businesses and people. We chose what and where to go and what businesses do enter and do business with or not and who to talk to and who not. Our purpose is to proclaim the Kingdom of God and warn others to turn from their sin so our activity on the street and commerce is our mission field but not our playground. It's Satan's kingdom.
Certainly so.
"in fellowship together" is a poor translation tho. "Unequally yoked" is correct.
@@Vettel2011 actually the word fellowship is part of the internal scripture question. Read down a couple of sentences and you'll see it's the exact correct choice.
@@newbirth7616 I don’t think we disagree😎
@@Vettel2011 I agree with you brother
I really appreciate your comments in regard to accountability. I think we can all agree, at least in our minds, that one not restrict what God can do with Grace. As we have all fallen short of his glory, and standards of 'Good'. I see this as one of the Sins of the Pharisees, who made rules that seemed to put boundaries around breaking the commandments.. so as not to break them, but in doing so breaking the spirit of the Law they sought to protect.
Obviously, there is a line that Holy Spirit tells us not to cross.. Especially in regards to technological applications as a whole, and this seems to me to be unique to the individual and the walk our Lord Jesus has them on. This is where I believe that my train of thought separates from some of the Mennonite communities around me. There is a sort of uniformity that accentuates the group, and rightly so to the extent that the bible tells us that we are to live in unity with one another and part of a larger body of those in the Heavenly Kingdom. Though this uniformity seems to me to be taking away from what accountability can do. Making it such that one may not need accountability, due to following certain guidelines.. as if following these guidelines means that you are beyond accountability. This to me can be good, up to and until error arises.. New situations come that can catch us off guard because we have been protecting those fringe lines too much. And, I believe we all live in a sort of error.. Not because we do not have the correct doctrine, but because we all fall short applying these principles in spirit and in truth to the extent that we ought to.
It follows that because we all stumble, and no proper uniformity can truly be followed.. that Salvation becomes something unique to the individual and cannot truly be followed as a group even though we ought to have a Kingdom mentality.
Thank you for these thoughts, Ezra.
@@AnabaptistPerspectives I had to sort of cut the ending short due to time restrictions, but wanted to get some of my thoughts out.
Apologies if some parts were less than clear.
No worries. It's all good. We appreciate you sharing your thoughts.
Do you find it ironic that not only is this a video made for the internet, but people are finding it because they spend so much time on the internet?
Yes. There's a way in which we do find it ironic.
Absolutely ironic....
😅