not asking for anybody's facebook here, but what are your thoughts on christians using facebook?
i bring this up because there are many, many objectionable things about the environment of the facebook website, there are many concerns about privacy, and it can easily become an addictive waste of time. also i am convinced that "socializing" isn't good for those of us who want to be unstained from the world.
also, regarding the fact that "friendship with the world is an enmity to God" - doesn't that mean friendship with the world makes us God's enemy? so why are we "friending" non-christians on facebook?
what other issues do you see with christians using facebook? do you think that christians should not use facebook or should use it with discretion? should we befriend those who hate our God in their hearts?
James 4:4
New International Version (NIV)
You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.
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41 replies on this topic
Bryan Omega - 7/14/11 @ 6:21 PM
I believe the key is… Can you be IN the world without the world being IN YOU.
To me that verse means: When you are seeking answers and/or solutions who do you turn too [for answers]? God or the world?
Nicole - 7/14/11 @ 6:34 PM
If you look at my facebook page there is no doubt I'm christian. Facebook for me is a way to stay in touch with my family, I don't accept people I haven't met in real life (unless they are from here), I don't put immodest pictures up or say immoral things. I, in fact sometimes use it as a witnessing tool. Facebook is a means of communication, just like cellphones, email, etc. Bryan Omega - agreed!
Alyssa Faith Mark. Rep - 7/14/11 @ 7:08 PM
I use it to keep in touch with family who live out of state, classmates, friends.
Zombie Pickles - 7/14/11 @ 8:31 PM
I've seen many people be led to christ because of FB.
daniel@seekGodnow.org - 7/14/11 @ 9:11 PM
i understand everyone has a reason for going on facebook, and i do believe it that people have come to Christ through facebook before in the past - but these are no reasons for facebook. people come to Christ through false gospels, but not thanks to the false gospels, rather, in spite of them. i myself was raised in the false gospel of catholicism. so should i approve of catholicism because it got me and led me to where i am today? no, i have only God's mercy to thank for that, nothing else.
i would appreciate it if you guys commented more on the questions that i asked in the main post, particularly about the objectionable content that is everywhere on facebook.
thank you guys for posting!
corro13 - 7/14/11 @ 9:42 PM
there are many objectionable things about the envirnment of this world, you cant go outside without seeing them, that doesnt mean you should lock yourself inside though.
KingsKid - 7/15/11 @ 10:11 AM
I personally don't have FB. There are lots of security issues that go with it plus other stuff. I just find that I'm doing fine without it! Besides, I like to send emails anyways.
I don't think there is anything wrong about a Christian having a FB page, but it definitely has to be used wisely. People can get addicted to FB. It's ridiculous!
We need to be a light to non-christians. Otherwise how will they see Jesus and come to know His Love? But we definitely have to use discretion in those friendships, too.
Ariel - 7/15/11 @ 9:56 PM
You need to socialize in order to build relationships and trust with people, when you do that, you can plant the seed of Jesus in them.
I've had so many people tell me that they're so encouraged by my facebook posts, I always post verses and quotes, and some people's days have been turned around by them, some people say they look forward to it every day, that it keeps them going. I think God can do incredible things through facebook.
Ariel - 7/15/11 @ 9:59 PM
Oh, and I think it's just plain dumb that any Christian would think that they are any better than the rest of the world...like, Godtube? REALLY?!?! We needed to separate the Christian society from the rest of the world by creating a different music site just for Christian music? There's the exact same music on youtube!!!!!!!! I've also heard of a different version of Twitter for Christians. Grow up. that is all I have to say. If anyone thinks that just because they are a Christian that they need to use alternative things, they're wrong. Christians use the same toilets as non-Christians, right? Why is anything any different?
Nicole - 7/15/11 @ 10:13 PM
Ariel - I use both lol, But what I honestly like about God tube is that the advertisements don't make me blush. I go there when I want to watch a video and don't want to put up with all the stuff on youtube. However my channel is on youtube, also, scince ive subscribed to Godtube, they give me updates about my favorite bands which is super helpful lol.
Jordan Dean - 7/15/11 @ 11:31 PM
ahhh daniel I missed you. I love your extreme and radical mindset for God. It is exactly what God is looking for right now however, facebook is not of the world although a person's facebook page can be of the world. What it be a sin to witness on a college campus if the college was a big party school? Is it a sin to upload a preacher's sermon on youtube? Is it a sin to go to a country that hates God and give out Bibles? I do believe many "Christians" use facebook for the wrong reasons but as for some, it is really the same as an email or telephone: a method of communication. God can use facebook and the enemy can as well, it just depends on who we let rule our online behavior. As for facebook addictions, that's ridiculous and harmful to your eyes. If a Christian is addicted to facebook, they need to get out of the computer chair and go to church.
corro13 - 7/16/11 @ 12:26 AM
@nicole and ariel, never heard of Godtube, but will look at if i remember because i hate it when i go on youtube and have to see the advertisments to do anything.
KingsKid - 7/16/11 @ 9:56 AM
@Jordan: Agreed!
Zombie Pickles - 7/16/11 @ 9:59 AM
What Jordan said. He put into word what I've been trying to figure out hhow to say.
Jordan Dean - 7/16/11 @ 1:18 PM
All things (including facebook) work together for good to those who love God - that's a fact
Christina - 7/16/11 @ 2:18 PM
You're just as bad as "Alpha", when we would comment on here. Facebook is nothing bad, as long as you're using it for the right reasons.
daniel@seekGodnow.org - 7/16/11 @ 7:22 PM
thank you again everybody for responding! however, i believe that i am far from understood, so i will reply and try to explain what i am talking about.
yes there are objectionable things everywhere. but that is no excuse for setting them before our eyes.
Psalms 101:3 NKJV,
I will set nothing wicked before my eyes;
I hate the work of those who fall away;
It shall not cling to me.
now i realize that in order to go to walmart to get some groceries, i have to pass by a lot of immodest people and some horrible magazine racks and sometimes other advertisements. however, do i allow myself to look at these things? no, what about looking in the direction of these things? never. what about even facing them? no because i hate it, and this should be everyone's attitude regarding the disgusting world's advertisements and images and such. i do not believe that any of this is an excuse to then set before myself facebook ads and youtube ads and other disgusting things.
going to the grocery store is a highly necessary thing. however, going to youtube and facebook is not.
basically my point is that most people on facebook (speaking of non-christians and fake christians alike) post a lot of bad content, whether it's swearing or posting bad links or bad youtube videos or bad photos, and this is all over facebook. in addition to that, there are advertisements on the sides of almost every page, and they are so bad that even though i've only seen them a few times in my life, i am unable to forget some of them because of how much they have marred my mind. but this is the case with other images on facebook. and yes, i understand this is the case with a lot of websites on the internet, including yahoo and msn and such. but the worst part about facebook is, in order to use facebook, you have to drag others to facebook, and in order for them to use facebook, they have to drag others to facebook, etc. so in the end, everybody's on facebook, and everybody's seeing those disgusting ads because those people who put the ads up know that they only have half a second to get your attention.
in addition to the advertisements, as i was mentioning before, there is the matter that a lot of the time, people's friends are not really christians, and therefore, they share a lot of inappropriate content. so for example, when i used to actually use facebook, i always had to click past the newsfeed page because there were always disgusting things being posted by my 290+ "friends." there is also the matter of them sharing photos, and setting a primary profile picture that will show up everywehre that they show up. these profile pictures are often times immodest, and they change frequently, so if it's not immodest today, it may be tomorrow, and if it's not immodest yet, it could be soon. sometimes though, the images are just plain disgusting and "immodest" is a light word to use.
so my point is that facebook is a horrible environment. yes real life is a horrible environment too, but you cannot compare the necessity of living in the world with the social pleasure of being on facebook.
but lets not talk about me, or about you, we should just talk about the topic, which is facebook.
also i have not proclaimed that facebook is a sin, so please will nobody suggest that i'm making such irrational claims?
also some mentioned using facebook for "the right reasons" - what are those reasons? to send people messages about when to hang out next? to post/comment on people's stuff? to keep in touch with other people? you do not need facebook for any of this stuff at all.
i think someone also mentioned using facebook to witness to people. that's great, please do that, but if you are "friends" with someone who is of the world, then you are friends with the world. the Bible says it, not me. i really believe it when the Bible says that if we are friends with the world, we are the enemy of God. i really believe that no christian should ever be caught being friends with atheistic people, especially on such a shallow level like facebook friendship.
but who uses facebook as a witnessing tool, and not for the sake of socializing? i think that the social networking going on on websites like facebook is just terrible, because it's all so shallow and usually meaningless.
Jordan Dean - 7/16/11 @ 8:13 PM
I really don't get where you're seeing all these horrible ads and things people post. If someone swears on it, you can either unfriend them or block them. Same goes for posting bad pics. As for ads, they're on the sides of the screens and you do not need to ever look at them. I do not try to shield my eyes from every immodest or ungodly thing because it's impossible. I can see a girl in a bikini and not think disgusting thoughts. I can see an ad for a bloody game without thinking sinfully. I can read a curse word without ever cursing myself. Jesus went out of His way so He could surround Himself with sinners. He had meals at the sinner's houses, not the saved because he knew they could not influence Him or overcome the Spirit within Him. Being friends on facebook with a nonchristian is not being a friend of the world, that is twisting scripture to your own mindset. Being a friend of the world means being a part of it. I have many unchristian friends and if you believe christians should just delete them all, you are a fool and have an ungodly mindset. We are no better than them. Paul even said he changes himself so he can be around certain unbelievers but never become like them. It is all about whether you comform to them or not. Completely isolating ourselves from the lost is not the will of God. This is not some elite, secret society, this is just a truth we have dedicated our lives to that we believe others should as well. However, if the ads and posts and pics cause you to sin, you need to pray and fast that God gives you the strength to overcome those weaknesses in you. I am in this world but not of it.
Ericka - 7/16/11 @ 9:44 PM
I agree with Jordan Dean. You said it brother.
Thirst - 7/16/11 @ 10:58 PM
Hey, Daniel, nice to see you're still posting.
I think the issue of communication here is that you are looking at Facebook and seeing one thing, and most everybody else is seeing another thing.
Now, I'm fairly certain there are people out there who use Facebook as a witnessing tool. In my personal experience, though, most of the Christian side of Facebook is in either the Christian communities on Facebook (IE, I know one church where everybody has friended the pastor and each other, so the church can connect even when they aren't all able to attend), or where a specific person will continually post mini-sermons as their status.
However, that's simply my personal experience with Christian Facebooking, take it or leave it.
As for ads of sinful nature, when I do have the misfortune to see them it's not on Facebook. Again, that's just my personal experience.