10.04.2011

Is Facebook the Devil?

My cousin's husband recently inspired me when he asked the question on his status, "Is Facebook the Devil?" Knowing his sense of humor I laughed, but this did get my wheels spinning, so thanks Darrin! Also, I chose this for the title just to pick at him. LOL


For quite some time I've been on Facebook now. The blog you are reading now has a Facebook page promoting it, and my wife and I share a Facebook page. Prior to Facebook we were on MySpace. This was where I first was introduced to the creative outlet of blogging. 


I've always liked playing video games too and my sons, now grown men, but then teens, got me into an online game called Runescape and I've played it on and off since 2001. 


What is Runescape?


RuneScape is a fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) released in January 2001 by Andrew and Paul Gower, and developed and published by Jagex Games Studio. It is a graphical browser game implemented on the client-side in Java, and incorporates 3D rendering. The game has approximately 10 million active accounts per month, over 156 million registered accounts, and is recognised by the Guinness World Records as the world's most popular free MMORPG. - (Courtesy of Wikipedia.)


My boys have moved on to World of Warcraft, Everquest, and other games, but I've stuck to the same one. My character's name is "John Baptist" and yes, I chose that name for a reason. It often provoked other people playing to ask questions about why I chose the name. This sometimes would open the door for witnessing to them.  Most of the time I'd just work the skill levels such as woodcutting, fishing etc, but when the opportunity would arise I would share Christ with the other Gamers. 


Some would say it is a time killer, and yes, it can be. I now log on probably once or twice a month, but when my boys played I was on it daily. I talked my wife Ann into playing it and she got pretty good at baking pies, but she eventually got bored with it and quit playing. Apparently it was too high a level of geekdom for her. 


Like Facebook, MySpace, World of Warcraft, or anything other forum on this media we call the internet, it can be used for evil and it can be used for good. Simply put, all of these things are tools. A friend of mine not long ago was talking about his college professor making a statement, "A hammer is a tool. I can choose to use the hammer to build a Habitat for Humanity home, or I can use it to bash a person's skull in." 


In the same manner, the internet as a whole is a tool. People can be reached with the Gospel, or people can be reached with Satanism. The television can be used to watch a dirty movie, or a person can watch a classic Billy Graham Crusade. The radio can be used to listen to music with explicit lyrics or one can listen to Moody Radio. 


What it comes down to ultimately is WE make the choices in our daily life, regardless of what is in front of us. If a person fills his or her self with garbage, then this is what will come out of them. 


To some people the internet has been a blessing. I know thanks to Facebook I've located my sister Faith. Were it not for the help of this powerful tool I may have never found her. I also keep in touch with my family much better now than I did before. I can also share the truth of God's word much more effectively through my blog and impact people in a positive manner.  When I pastored Living Stones Ministries, myspace and facebook were highly effective in promoting it. 


All of these are good examples, but I've also met people who have lost their marriage, have abandoned their Christian faith, and have sunken into levels of depravity due to the choices they made on the internet. I've known a few people who had a marriage destroyed due to an affair that started over the internet. 


So is Facebook (and other sites on the internet) the devil? I don't think so, but the devil certainly has plenty of subscribers on them. In fact, anywhere he can fit a temptation in, he will do it. This is why it is important for us to purposely seek out the things of good virtue, the Godly things on the internet. Blogs like mine and others, GodTube or GodVine. Various ministry websites, and Christian music, and movies, and so many more Christian sources are all over the internet. A person can read the word of God in any translation they wish to. Too lazy to read? Not a problem for some sites will read the Bible to you!


The bottom line is WE have the control, and not the devil. Choose Jesus no matter where you are, for He won't lead you astray.