Introduction:
Religion and rise of Technology
Religion
means belief and worship of a god or gods or any such system of belief and
worship.
E. B.
Taylor defines "religion as the belief in souls and spiritual
beings".
Technology
refers to the application of scientific knowledge for practical use or application
in business or daily life. Technology is also a special method by which science
is used for practical purposes. So basically, whenever we use our scientific
knowledge to achieve some particular purpose, we are using technology.
Technology
has helped religion in many ways and at the same time has gone against
religious ethics that violates the statements of the Bible. There are many
instances where we can count on a good point where technology has helped us
understand religion better. In this article we will discuss their connection as
well as how religion views technology.
Technology
and Religion:
Today's
technologists, in their sober pursuit of utility, power, and profit, seem to
set society's standard of rationality; a woman is also distant dreams, a
spiritual longing for supernatural redemption With the arrival of the new
millennium we are witnessing two seemingly incompatible enthusiasms, on the one
hand a widespread infatuation with technological progress and confidence in the
ultimate triumph of reason, on the other hand a revival of fundamentalist faith
similar to a religious revival. However, the coincidence of these two
developments seems strange if only because we mistakenly believe that they are opposite
and contradictory historical tendencies. The intimate connection between
religion and technology is more apparent than in the United States, where the
people's unparalleled fascination with technological progress is matched by an
equally earnest expectation of the return of Jesus Christ. Most phenomena
usually ignore that these two obsessions are often held by the same people,
they can be alone between these technologies. The connection between religion
and technology was not made in the workshops and worship of the New World.
Rather, the religious roots of modern technological enchantment go back a
thousand years to the formation of Western consciousness, to the time when the
useful arts first became involved in the Christian project of redemption. The
worldly means of survival were henceforth turned to the otherworldly end of
salvation, and in the course of the next millennium the most material yet
humble human activities became more and more transcendent in significance—the
restoration of humanity's lost divinity. The legacy of the religion of
technology is still with us, with all of us. Like the technologists themselves,
we routinely expect much more from our artificial inventions than mere comfort,
convenience, or even survival. We demand deliverance. It is evident in our
virtual obsession with technological development, in our extravagant
expectations of every new technical advance—however each fails to live up to
its promise, and most importantly, in our utter inability to think and act
rationally about what is arguably the most rational of human endeavors.[1]
The
Challenges of a Technological Worldview to Religion
New
technology worldviews pose a threat to our beliefs. First, it diverts much of
the world's interests, motivations, satisfactions, and energies away from the
religious center of any religious center. In Europe this is symbolized by
churches becoming empty shells visited only as objects of architectural
interest, and in the United States by the growing gap between what churchgoers
profess and how they act. Elsewhere in the world, religion functions primarily
in the form of superstition (as in much of Central Africa) or is used as a
means of social or political control (as in Iran, India, and the Middle
East).[2]
A technological
worldview robs real religious vocabularies of their power. The symbols,
rituals, images and references of religion no longer move people. Today most
people in the First World relate to, understand, recognize and think about the
image of "Dallas" and "Dynasty" much more than the image of
Abraham, Moses and Paul. Biblical images no longer have the power to move,
motivate, illuminate, instruct. Rather, they have become odd quirks of relic
that cannot be taken seriously, but only cautiously, as part of a past
culture.[3]
Third,
the new technological environment encourages the growth of a religious interest
that has little or no interest in organized religion. Creative and dynamic
religious forces find their expression not in the context of the organized
church, but in film, literature and art, as well as in some aspects of science
and industry, where people seek ways to give institutional expression to their
basic religious interests while rejecting alliances with institutional religion
. Alcoholics Anonymous, drug rehabilitation centers, coalitions for social and
political reform, therapeutic groups, adult education movements, these and
other activities provide opportunities for people to "get involved"
without the benefit of clergy.[4]
While it is heartening to see religious
concerns permeate secular culture, social reform without a fundamental
connection to religious convictions also tends to end in disillusionment and
cynicism. On the one hand, organized religion must find expression in practical
social services and should support the development of these para-church
activities. On the other hand, such activities require a perspective of
biblical faith that seeks the Kingdom of God on earth without falling into the
illusion that we will bring this Kingdom to life by our own actions or that we
can expect to participate in it. our own time. Without a connection to a
religious community and the theological corrective it brings, parachurch
activities tend to become either self-serving and cynical, or else short-sighted
and naïve in their expectations of bringing about lasting social reform in our
time.[5]
Christianity and Modern Technology:
The modern world is developing rapidly. We
are constantly confronted with new world-changing technologies from the
Internet to heart transplants. There is no doubt that technology has given us
untold blessings. But technology has also been used to cause destruction and
human suffering.
The Blessings of Technology:
Modern technology has given Christianity a
voice to reach a global audience. Historically, as technology progressed, so
did Christianity.
First, it has greatly amplified the voice
of those who preach the gospel. Instead of reaching hundreds or even thousands
when preaching, the pastor now has a potential audience of millions.
Second, it enriched the message of the
Cross by giving more information to more people in less time.
Third, the number of channels for
spreading the gospel has increased.
Fourth, it provides assistance in
encouraging, empowering, and educating the saints through technology tools and
discipleship materials.
Fifth, it enables Christians to provide
grace to a world that is distracted and burdened, using tools that people know
and expect to see in everyday contexts.[6]
The curse of technology
There are a number of ways that technology
has damaged Christianity.
First, it failed to fulfill its promise to
help create stronger generations of committed Christians.
Second, technology has made worship an
experience of isolation and entertainment rather than an experience of
reverence and participation.
Third, technology has been allowed to
redefine and reshape Christianity to fit the mold of our culture. It is true
that we have allowed it, but we cannot deny the overwhelming influence of the
standards of technology on Christianity.
Fourth, we have become a culturally obese
society due to the availability, ease of use, convenience, and affordability of
technology. The goals of technology are safety, convenience, efficiency,
prosperity, freedom, productivity and control. If people can use technology to
ease the inconvenience in their lives, they won't hesitate to do so. It is
inconvenient to dress for church, fight traffic on the way to church, get on
the bus to get into the building, and interact with others in a "Sunday is
a beautiful day." Although we may physically attend in person, it is
easier, more convenient, safer and more efficient to attend church online or
watch church on TV or listen to the radio.
Fifth, technology provides a distraction
that takes us away from the main message of Christianity, the idea of these
two immortal things, God's Word and human souls, coming together to change this
world. Technology brings consensus, integration and harmony to culture.
Christianity requires adherence to God's standards, not technological
standards. Christianity is not a religion ruled by an anonymous consensus of
group will or philosophy. Rather, they are people who, as free moral agents,
surrender to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Christians hold to the main
tenets of the faith as expressed in Scripture, not as expressed on blogs or TV
shows.[7]
Conclusion:
Our technology will keep moving forward.
Through them we will inevitably change our world, ourselves and our
understanding of what we are and what we want to become. Today we see how
technological culture threatens itself with lies to the point of destroying it.
The goal of technology should not be to disintegrate in order to be controlled
and controlled, but to evolve and cause it to flourish. Therefore, for a
healthy relationship between religion and technology, we need to care for the
environment and respect the culture of others, so as not to create enmity or
limit each other, the preservation of life and well-being is more valuable than
material well-being.
[1] David F. Noble, The
Religion of Technology: The Divinity of Man and Spirit of Invention (New
York: Random House, 1997), 1-5.
[2]
William F. Fore, “Television and
Religion: The Shaping of Faith, Values and Culture,” https://www.religion-online.org/book-chapter/chapter-two-the-technological-era-and-its-threat-to-religion/,
accessed on 24-05-2021.
[3]
William F. Fore, Television and Religion: The Shaping of Faith, Values…, accessed
on24-05- 2021.
[4]
William F. Fore, Television and Religion: The Shaping of Faith, Values…, accessed on
24-05-2021.
[5]
William F. Fore, Television and Religion: The Shaping of Faith, Values…, accessed
on 24-05- 2021.
[6] Dale B. Sims, The Effect of Technology on Christianity: Blessing or Curse? PDF File, https://www3.dbu.edu>pdf, accessed on 24-05-2021.
[7] Dale B. Sims, The Effect of Technology on Christianity: Blessing or Curse? PDF File, https://www3.dbu.edu>pdf, accessed on 24-05-2021.
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