Should Christians use email?

[Katz68]

I have a really good friend that keeps telling me that she doesn't believe that Christians should use email. It was not made by Christians and it does not glorify God. I said that there have been lots of things not made by Christians and we use them every day and they might not glorify God but they may be needed and useful. For instance I don't know who created the toliet and I do not know if he is a Christian but if he wasn't should we stop using toliets? If so where should we go to dispose of our waste? She did not have an answer for that one. So if anyone has a good reply for her on why email is not bad please let me know. Or if you also think email is bad tell me why.

Thanks

 

[seebs]

It's a tool. That's like arguing over whether or not a steak knife was made by a Christian.

What glorifies God is not "email" or "steak knives" or "toilets", but how we live our lives, and if we use tools to better serve God, then great, we use tools.

 

[LightHearted]

Originally posted by seebs
That's like arguing over whether or not a steak knife was made by a Christian.

I agree. If a person wants to take it to that extreme, why not become Amish?

 

[aaron]

a

 

[Katz68]

I agree with you both. I have thought about telling her to become Amish as she is trying so hard to take away everything not made by God or blessing God. I think that she is losing focus of what God wants for us. I mean after all he gave the brains to the people who made things even if they don't give praise to God for that. Well hopefully she will see things clearly soon. I miss talking to her.

 

[bigat]

E-mail, by itself, cannot be good or evil.  E-mail is just a tool.  It's how it is used that makes it good or evil. 

What does your friend say about the internet?  There is obviously some really bad stuff out on the web.  But there is also some really great websites that are reaching others for Christ.  Again, the web itself is not bad....it's how you use it. 

As to who created it or anything?  I don't really understand that argument.  I'm sure, but really can't prove, that a majority of stuff we use on a daily basis were not created by a Christian.  It does sound like the Amish lifestyle is what your friend is looking for.

Back to my corner.

 

[Katz68]

She thinks the internet is basically bad too. She says that she knows that there is good on it but sooo much bad that it makes it not worth it. For instance I wanted to pull up a songs lyrics the song was called "Jesus I heard you had a big house" well the only thing it hit on was the word big and brought up all kinds of immoral sex stuff. She was here that day. She said see I told you that even when you put in Christian stuff kaka comes out. She says though that she is not ready to give up electricity yet. Could still happen.

 

[Sharky]

Email is a tool. Full stop. It can be used for both evil and good.

Don't worry too much about Email being evil. Of course it can be evil. Everything in the world can if you abuse it. Christians shouldn't start thinking like this. Decernment comes in here which properly tells you what's wrong and what's not.

Your friend needs guidance. I do have a grudge for websites and internet stuff but i don't push it aside because it isn't all bad and i use it to my advantage to be fruitful.

Again decernement is the key word here. With wisdom you will know what's right and what's not. Email isn't evil. It's a tool, jsut like knives forks, electricity, washing powder and hammers.

 

[naomi_b]

Ummm? I'd say it's really okay.
That's all.
Naomi

 

[Gabriel]

Spam email is evil. So is paying 35 cents to wait a week or more for a reply.

 

[Lacey0nes]

I agree with Bigat... Email can be either used for good or evil... it is the person writing the emails that makes it that way.  I personally love my email... why?  Because I have family that is across the country from me, and I am able to talk to them and also to witness to them through emails.

 

 

[Mr.Cheese]

Hmm...does she read the bible? Were books invented by Christians? Was Gutenberg a christian? He invented the printing press so she's going to have to throw away all books and only use handwritten books to read. But wait, who invented the pen and pencil? Who invented paper?
Who invented cars? Who invented the English script to write with?
Who came up with the idea to build houses with certain kinds of cut wood? Who invented the saw to cut the wood? Who invented silverware? Who invented ovens and stoves and refrigerators?
Who invented the bathtub? Who invented soap?
I helped lead a girl to Christ on the internet just the other day. I have an opportunity to love a lot of people by means of the internet.
The apostle Paul used tools to make tents in order to provide for himself. He used parchment and writing tools to write his letters. He used the roads built by the Romand to travel and plant the first churches. If it wasn't for the Romans, Paul wouldn't have been able to do very much. The Romans cleared the sea lanes of pirates so maritime trade and travel could develop. The Romans brought peace to the whole Mediterranean area which helped facilitate the spread of the gospel.

I commend the girl's zeal, but her thinking is flawed.

 

[Beckijhn]

I thought Guttenberg was a Christian. I'll have to look at that again! LOL

I get three or four devotions via email each day, I communicate with some wonderful Christians that I couldn't call daily, I am on a prayer chain that has seen many miracles through prayer.

I don't see a problem with email.

 

[DeputyDan]

Duh.

 

[jayebrownlee]

As has been said many times and appears to be the overwhelming feeling if you look at the graph above (at least at the time of going to press!!) E-mail is fine. Yes therre is some inappropraite stuff out there, but that is the case with anything. I receive inappropraite snail mail letters, that doesn't mean I never want to wrote or receive a letter ever again.

As with Mr.Cheese (hello) I commend her willingness to do this in Christ's name, however I think the thinking behind it is flawed.

Your sister in Christ

Jay

 

[lucypevensie]

Does she have other strange beliefs other than internet/email being evil? It looks to me like her biggest problem is not her strange ideas about email. What's her relationship with God like?

 

[blerg1234]

I take it she wants to turn away EVERYTHING that was not invented by a Christian?

In that case, she better disallow use of FIRE or anything invented/discovered/used before Christ was born, because Christians weren't even around then.

Have you brought up that point? I suggest you do so.

 

[Katz68]

Ok first I believe that fire was a gift from God. But that is just me. She has some interesting views on things. She says that she is reading her Bible everyday and that is all that she is reading. She is not watching tv as it has nothing but kaka on it. (kaka being my word no her word is not a cuss word )She doesn't listen to the radio because she said there is not a good Christian radio station. There are Christian radio stations just they all have flawed humans in charge. She will use the phone if she is the one calling. She never answers if you call her. She doesn't like caller id. Please don't ask why I don't know. She is going to college to become a minister. I have some issues with that as she says that only men should be in charge of a church but she wants to be in charge of a church. Again please don't ask I don't know the answer. Some of her ideas seem to me to be flawed. She said that she gave her life to Jesus and she has changed but now is very legalistic.

 

[sbbqb7n16]

Jesus was a Jew... would she throw Him away too??

Love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans13:10). So send loving emails...

Ask her this too... if someone sent an email to someone and led them to Christ, should they be condemned for it?

 

[GraftMeIn]

I don't see email as being much different than regular mail, only difference is email is faster. We can use it to Glorify God