Recently, people are so addicted to gadgets that they barely stay off the screen, from a computer screen to phones, tablets, PlayStations etc . That’s okay! But you must have seen those people in church, who, as soon as the preacher starts preaching, they take out their gadget and start using their thumbs to text on the keypad, their eyes are fixed on their screen all through the sermon. That is alarming, but if you challenge them, they will definitely tell you they are using bible apps on the gadget.
Most churches make use of gadgets in the church, including the pastor, why some frown at it, if the ushers see’s you using your gadget irrespective of the purpose, they will ask you to put it off. Personally, I prefer using the bible app on my iPad to using my physical bible because it is more flexible and fast to navigate with access to different versions and ability to drop some notes along.
I was in a church where the pastor asked someone to read a passage in the bible, a guy stood up with his phone to read and the pastor asked him to stop and someone with a physical bible should read. Today in the church I saw a girl busy punching her gadget’s button, a lot of question got to my mind.
What is she doing on the device? :
- is she texting a friend?
- 2going, BBMing?
- is she reading the bible on his phone?
- is she tweeting/facebooking the sermon?
- is she playing angry birds?
- May be checking her mails.
The answer to that question can be any of the answers above. Below are my personal reviews.
Firstly, to be biblical, Romans 14: 20-21– do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a person to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall.
Here I think going to church with your gadget is okay, but if by any chance it will distract anybody or make anybody to fall, either by getting oppressed or feeling inferior, its a sin. so if you can use it in a very humble manner, its okay.
Secondly, I know a lot of people go to church with gadgets to flaunt and show them off, probably because you just bought them or they are new stuff in town.
Also some do go to church with them because they can’t stay off the internet, they want to tweet about everything in their life, comment on Facebook status, even post bible scriptures while in church. Mind you some churches provide WIFI in the church.
So in conclusion of my review, I think it’s okay to use gadgets in the church only if it’s on flight mode (no call, internet and on silent) and the user is being respectful of others around them.
Please, make comments below.
