Technological Advancements and Biblical Illiteracy

1 Technological Advancements and Biblical Illiteracy as Challenges to Modern Age Christianity Mount Royal University RELS 3360A-001: Landmark Moments in Christianity Laura Jurgens December 8th, 2022 2 Throughout its twenty centuries of existence and history, Christianity has faced certainties that have posed significant challenges and prompted it to provide certain responses or take a particular stance. Most people in the current world claim to be Christians but fail to live or admit the values of their Christian faith beyond Christian circles. Most people are regarded as "Sunday Christians” since their behavior throughout the week from Monday to Saturday resembles that of non-believers. This is closely tied to the differences and changes that the modern era has brought forth in human life. Based on the current state of the world and future directions, it is becoming increasingly important for Christians to protect their identity and not lose it to anything other than Christ1. Family, technology, education, politics, and church traditions are all examples of factors in society that may greatly drive people away from who they are in Christianity. Technology is growing at a rapid pace, providing individuals with new alternatives for issues that did not previously exist. Most things that were not issues because they were impossible to achieve have now become issues due to technological advancement. One significant danger that Christians face today is the increased number of options that may lead to them straying into forbidden territories by disobeying God's commandments or usurping prerogatives that belong to God alone2. Individuals must maintain a close eye on moral concerns associated with technological advances and not get swept away by the tide of progress. Individuals, for example, must reject any methods of childbearing that do not include the 1 Beougher, Timothy K. "Challenges and Encouragements for Evangelism Today." The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology 23, no. 3 (2019): 23-40. 2 Gay, Craig M. Modern technology and the human future: A Christian appraisal. InterVarsity Press, 2018. 3 combination of cells from a living woman and a living man married to each other. Technology has enabled advanced approaches, such as in-vitro fertilization using the cells of an unknown donor. Human cloning techniques contradict important Christian beliefs by bypassing the sacred institutions of family and marriage. Christians who do not object to the technique may violate the fifth commandment1. Some technological advancements place Christians in positions where they may be enticed to break the commandments, posing a threat to Christianity2. The world of technology poses significant and undeniable risks to Christians’ spiritual lives, which is why individuals need to consider ways of monitoring and to utilize technology in their lives3. Technology persistently instills secular cultural values, endangering Christianity. Social media is a technical advancement that many people throughout the world have embraced2. Everyone has access to social media platforms that expose them to misleading, ungodly, and immoral information. Increased social media connectivity exposes people to secular worldviews, which have affected Christians' views on certain critical societal issues. Furthermore, the media continues to portray sex, violence, and drugs, which has a significant impact on individual behaviors. Technology exposes people to diverse forms of immorality that are contrary to Christian beliefs. Most people, even children, cannot imagine life before social media. Over the last decade, the number of social media users has grown dramatically, with even children being users of some form of social media2. However, there are some serious issues in social media that influence the Christian faith. For instance, social media allows the users to present the best versions of themselves. The users are usually vulnerable to falling into the temptations of discontentment, comparison, idolatry, and self-glorification, which are against the values of 3 Lowe, Stephen D., and Mary E. Lowe. Ecologies of faith in a digital age: Spiritual growth through online education. InterVarsity Press, 2018. 4 Christianity3. In the world of technology, information can be spread over the world within a short period. Christians can consume a variety of information, including fake news and conspiracy theories, which can have an impact on their faith. For instance, the well-known QAnon conspiracy theories significantly impact the behaviors of Americans, especially Christians. When Christians consume this information subsequently, it has the potential to shift their viewpoint on the world from Christian ideals to conspiracy theory believers4. It is quite challenging for people to profess their Christian faith when they are part of other belief systems. Christianity is currently facing many challenges, including Christians' ability to interpret the teachings of the Bible. Even though it is completely solvable, Bible illiteracy is a major challenge in the modern age. Most individuals do not read the Bible, which is ascribed to biblical illiteracy. People not reading the Bible is not just a cause of biblical illiteracy but a key cause. A Christian who does not bother to read their own scriptures can resemble an athlete who fails to train. The great irony is when an athlete complains of a lack of physicality and exercise when they have access to training facilities. Biblical understanding is an issue that most Christians may be unaware of, yet they have access to the Bible5. Many people across the world professing to be Christians understand the scriptures that are pieced together from the sermons they have heard, books they have read, or Facebook memes they have seen. It is very challenging to find Christians who are spending more than 20 minutes reading their Bibles. Most Christians' behavior is contrary to Christian values and beliefs due to a lack of knowledge that can only be acquired through reading the Bible5. 4 Wood, Michael, and Karen Douglas. "Are conspiracy theories a surrogate for God?." In Handbook of conspiracy theory and contemporary religion, pp. 87-105. Brill, 2018. 5 5 Another significant issue that contributes to biblical illiteracy in the present world is people who do not digest pieces of scripture. The inclusion of verses and chapters in the Bible has offered significant convenience for quoting or finding passages, but these verses and chapters are not scripture6. The addition of headings in the Bible has made it easier for people to discover their life verses and quickly identify the passages that they want tattooed on their chests. However, it can erode their biblical understanding. Memorizing or reading a few verses does not increase one’s literacy if they do not understand how those verses fit into the broader framework, argument, or narrative of the Bible5. The inclusion of verses and chapters influences people to read the passages in the Bible differently. Most of the original thoughts and arguments of the authors do not end when the chapters do. When Christians fall into the mental trap of completing a particular thought and starting a new one after the chapter break, they may miss important information regarding Christian values. Christians' lack of awareness of essential principles and beliefs poses a challenge to Christianity. Another significant cause of biblical illiteracy is topical study, which is not actually Bible study. Most Christians would understand the Bible if they took part in serious Bible study7. 65 Kushner, Mario. "Do You Understand What You’re Reading? Lasting Religious Education as a Response to the Contemporary Challenges in Reaching the World for Christ." Kairos: Evangelical Journal of Theology 14, no. 1 (2020): 85-96. Matties, Gordon H. "What Does the Bible Say? A Critical Conversation with Popular Culture in a Biblically Illiterate World ed. by Mary Ann Beavis and Hyeran Kim-cragg." The Catholic Biblical Quarterly 80, no. 4 (2019): 721-723. 7 Coleman, Christopher L. Biblical Literacy: Developing a Habit of Personal Bible Reading Among the Members of Contending for the Faith Christian Fellowship. Liberty University, 2020. 6 When describing what the Bible says about a societal issue or current event, most Christians or church leaders seek passages. When passages from the Bible are pulled to answer questions, biblical understanding is not strengthened; instead, people's ignorance may increase. Christians continue to misinterpret the relevance of the scriptures due to a lack of understanding of the culture within which the scriptures are wrapped1. Even if the scriptures appear to directly address some current events or issues, the context may heavily influence modern Christians' interpretations. The most crucial thing for Christians to comprehend in the scripture is the author's intent6. Misinterpretation of the Bible as a result of shallow Bible study endangers Christianity because most people do not understand the values of the Christian faith. In conclusion, While Christianity has experienced significant growth over the past twenty centuries, it is confronted with modern-age challenges, including technology and biblical illiteracy. Christians are expected to respect and adhere to the values and beliefs defined by the Christian faith. Through Bible literacy, values and beliefs can be understood effectively. Most Christians around the world do not read the Bible correctly and interpret the author's intent. The problem of biblical literacy is solvable, yet those who need to read the Bible do not. When Christians are unable to interpret the Bible in-depth, Christianity is jeopardized. Another factor that has profoundly impacted Christianity in the contemporary era is technology. Christians may be tempted to utilize technology in ways that are contrary to the commandments. The issue of technology is quite complex, but Christians need to remain strong and avoid being swept away by the progressive tide that may extend beyond breaking God’s commandments. 7 Bibliography Beougher, Timothy K. "Challenges and Encouragements for Evangelism Today." The Southern Baptist Journal of Theology 23, no. 3 (2019): 23–40. Coleman, Christopher L. Biblical Literacy: Developing a Habit of Personal Bible Reading Among the Members of Contending for the Faith Christian Fellowship. Liberty University, 2020. 8 Gay, Craig M. Modern technology and the human future: A Christian appraisal. InterVarsity Press, 2018. Kushner, Mario. "Do You Understand What You’re Reading? Lasting Religious Education as a Response to the Contemporary Challenges in Reaching the World for Christ." Kairos: Evangelical Journal of Theology 14, no. 1 (2020): 85–96.Evangelical Journal of Theology, 14(1), 85–96. Lowe, Stephen D., and Mary E. Lowe. Ecologies of faith in a digital age: Spiritual growth through online education. InterVarsity Press, 2018. Matties, Gordon H. "What Does the Bible Say? A Critical Conversation with Popular Culture in a Biblically Illiterate World ed. by Mary Ann Beavis and Hyeran Kim-cragg." The Catholic Biblical Quarterly 80, no. 4 (2019): 721-723. Wood, Michael, and Karen Douglas. "Are conspiracy theories a surrogate for God?." In Handbook of conspiracy theory and contemporary religion, pp. 87-105. Brill, 2018.