the I-Pad: should I get one?
A believer's struggle to engage with the consumerist culture
May 28th, 2010. The I-pad is finally available for sale in Canada. Apparently, they’re flying off the shelves. Join me in the upcoming weeks, as I present a believer’s struggle in engaging with today’s consumerist culture. Specifically, whether or not I should buy an I-Pad.
At over $500 Cdn., the I-Pad is a pricey gadget. But lots of things are pricey today. One might not think twice about rushing out to get it. But I want to ask myself the following question. Is spending $500 on a device that exists purely for reasons of entertainment an ethical use of God’s resources? You’ll notice in that question, I’m making the inference that our personal finances are indeed, God’s resources.
Where (if ever) is the line to be drawn? Do the scriptures give us a framework on how to spend our money? By no means is my mind made up about this yet. I currently have an I-pod (given to me in my former career as a farewell present) and the desire to possess an I-Pad is strong. So join with me on this online forum as I delve into the Scriptures, SA Doctrine and theology, and Church history (past and present) to decide whether God has anything to say about the way I spend my money.
Perhaps you have some initial thoughts?
*posts will appear every Friday
Categories: theology
10 Comments »
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May 28th, 2010 at 12:22 pm
Well, for starters I think the iPad can be used for much more than just entertainment. I have read about pastors, photographers, and business people who use it instead of a laptop when they are on the go. You can use iWork on it… and photographers can instantly show photos they just took to their clients.
Here are a couple blogs I follow that posted about the benefits/helps of an iPad
Charles Stone, Pastor: http://www.charlesstone.net/blog/how-pastors-can-benefit-from-an-ipad-part-1/
Scott Bourne, Photographer: http://photofocus.com/2010/03/03/the-ipad-will-change-photography-part-3/
In saying that, for me personally, there is absolutely no need for me to have an iPad. I am saving up for a new Macbook as mine is over 3 years old and will give up the ghost soon I think. I need a laptop, I have no use for an iPad really. It would be a waste. But I think there is a market where it could be beneficial
May 28th, 2010 at 1:40 pm
I wondered about the I Pad as a replacement for my “aging” desktop (4 years and still running well). I am looking at the total cost, also. At the end of the day, I will buy or not based on my actual needs. I have found I actualy only use 10% of any computing capacity in any case. Thanks for the spur into all of our thinking on purchasing computers, or indeed anthing else!
May 28th, 2010 at 6:08 pm
I think that the answer to the question of whether to buy an object or not (such as an I-Pad) depends on a person’s particular circumstances.
What I do, as a Christian, when faced with this dilemma is I ask myself a number of questions. First, is this an object that I am buying because it is fashionable to own it or is it an object that has a real use in my life? Will it make me more efficient in what I do, will it relieve stress so that I can focus better on what I need to do in everyday life – help me complete tasks faster and better? A good laptop/organizer can help someone accomplish a lot.
Second, would I derive a certain constant joy from using it, the kind of joy that would please God? Or am I buying it because I have the habit of buying the latest expensive technology, using it and then moving on to the next gadget. If that is the case, perhaps I am indulging in self-indulgence.
Third, I ask myself – if someone were to come up to me on the street, and demonstrate a genuine need to have the $500 dollars that I am prepared to spend on an I-Pad (or something like it), what would my answer be? Would I say ‘no’ to that person and ‘yes’ to myself? If I think that somebody else’s need is not worth spending as much as my own need/want is, then I have a spiritual flaw that I need to correct.
If I ‘pass’ these three tests but I still feel that perhaps the amount I am paying for the object is a bit ‘too much’, then I make a charitable donation equal in value to the object bought.
May 28th, 2010 at 6:50 pm
It’s iPad not I-Pad.
May 30th, 2010 at 11:20 am
Rob,
You raise some interesting questions and I’m looking forward to where this will go. I realize what you really want to examine is the relationship between our money and our beliefs and in that, the iPad is simply a foil to get things started.
But I can’t resist some push-back at your choice of the frivolous technological gadget. The iPad, like other computers, can be used “purely for reasons of entertainment” but it/they are capable of – and often used for – more redeeming purposes. What seems to me to be utterly frivolous, uni-functional (i.e. passive acceptance only) and is flying off the shelves far faster than iPads are television sets, especially large screen models which are now in the homes of many, many believers.
I think those big boxes are the real icon of our idolatrous age and a fitting battle ground for the “believer’s struggle to engage with the consumerist culture”.
May 31st, 2010 at 11:17 am
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to discuss the purchase on a spiritual level.
I was thinking about one of your comments regarding an examination of scripture as a source of information. There is nothing specific that states ‘thou shalt (not) buy an iPad. However I did find a few verses: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Cor 10:13) and “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”(Colossians 3:17). These two could be used in all we do, for it causes us to ask the questions, does what I do bring glory to God. Can God be glorified by the purchase of an iPad?
Now that’s the scripturel part, from a personal point of view, the question needs to be asked, is there something that does the same as this, but is more economical?
To give full disclosure, I, like you own a ipod touch. So I understand the appeal of the shiny shiny that is Apple. I am also not an apple fanboy, so on one hand I want those things, on the other, I don’t out of principle want another Apple devise.
Thanks for including us in your thoughts and process.
May 31st, 2010 at 12:09 pm
This a great topic for discussion. I am currently in Chaplaincy at a large hospital. At present I use a tablet computer, which gives me the ability to log visits, show videos to patients, interact with staff, record my notes in a popular format, etc. That being said, it is a bit larger than the iPad.
Your dilemma is shared whenever we have a ‘pop’ular item available to us. The danger is in our own ability to justify our wants. Something that can be used for sound application as a ministry tool will almost inevitably slide into personal pleasure. How many pastors ‘needed’ to put their ministry on facebook, twitter and the latest greatest whatever, and now it can occupy their spare time, getting the webpages just right, or worse, having that social networking presence and it is languishing away. A lot of corps websites out there are still on their last set of officers, or showing programs that haven’t existed for a long time, or at a different time.
June 1st, 2010 at 10:58 am
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to discuss the purchase on a spiritual level.
I was thinking about one of your comments regarding an examination of scripture as a source of information. There is nothing specific that states ‘thou shalt (not) buy an iPad. However I did find a few verses: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (1 Cor 10:13) and “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”(Colossians 3:17). These two could be used in all we do, for it causes us to ask the questions, does what I do bring glory to God. Can God be glorified by the purchase of an iPad?
Now that’s the scripturel part, from a personal point of view, the question needs to be asked, is there something that does the same as this, but is more economical?
To give full disclosure, I, like you own a ipod touch. So I understand the appeal of the shiny shiny that is Apple. I am also not an apple fanboy, so on one hand I want those things, on the other, I don’t out of principle want another Apple devise.
Thanks for including us in your thoughts and process.
June 1st, 2010 at 1:20 pm
I noticed my post was truncated – sorry about that but it looks a bit short – here’s what I recall of the rest of it…
I would venture to paraphrase Scripturally: “it’s not gadgets that are the root of all evil, it’s the love of gadgets.’
Regardless of what we might say or think, IMO the fact that you are having conflict in deciding may be your answer. Perhaps subconsciously that still, small, voice is putting you on the path to avoiding the purchase, and your human self is seeking guidance that will justify the purchase.
The good news is that you haven’t already driven to the states to get one. But now that they are on the market in Canada, you too can be part of the crowd. I guess, too, we have to see the long-term picture. How much for the useful features? The apps? The 3G connectivity? The physical keyboard? Do you have small children – they will get ahold of it!
Hey, I want one, too. Still saving pennies for an iPod Touch. But I commend your efforts here. Let us know what happens.
June 3rd, 2010 at 1:57 pm
For me, the issue seems to be whether one’s resources (time and/or money) which are used for entertainment purposes should ALWAYS be purposed for the glorification of God. Let me explain. While I certainly do no think that we, as Christians, should spend ALL of our time and/or money on entertainment which does not necessarily glorify God, I do feel that we are justified in a certain amount of self-indulgence in this regard. The field of psychology tells us that we all have a reward (pleasure) and a punishment (pain) center in our brains. I believe that if we ALWAYS DELIBERATELY strive to glorify God (even with our leisure and entertainment time and resources), then there is never any release from being performance-orientated. This is very unhealthy, psychologically-speaking, especially for those who otherwise take their walk with God and their work very seriously.
The truth is, we all need a certain amount of CAREFREE pleasure! In fact, if we do not “treat” ourselves in a fairly consistent fashion, eventually we “burn out” and become unable to give to others anymore; our inner spirit dries out just like a dug well that no longer produces water due to the lack of rain. We need to keep our souls moistened with a certain amount of self-pleasure.
Yet, as Christians, I think we need to make a distinction between the ACTIVE and PASSIVE glorification of God with our lelsure time and/or money. While I do not feel that we should necessarily set out to ACTIVELY glorify God with our leisure activities, I do believe that our faith dictates that we must glorify God in our entertainment choices in a PASSIVE way. By that, I mean that we cannot just go out and do “anything” we want. If one of our leisure activities is sinful or becomes a stumbling block to others, then it behooves us to quit that specific activity. So, I believe that we have to PUT LIMITS on how we choose to recreate so that we can honor God in a PASSIVE way by not doing things which dishonor Him or lead others astray..
I might add here that what might constitute “sinful” leisure activities for one person, may not necessarily be true for someone else. For example, some Christian denominations frown upon dancing as a leisure activity.
For some, this might be a sinful activity because they have a weakness regarding appropriate sexual conduct, smoking, drugs, or drinking. While I do not agree that dancing, in itself, is sinful, it can lead some into other types of sin. For that reason, dancing can be “sinful” for some people.if they have a specific weakness which dancing seems to evoke.
In addition, I feel that we should be very cautious about the ways in which we judge others for their choices regarding entertainment. As I said before, for some, various activities can be a sin because it can lead them into things which are definitely sinful. Some people love to have a good “tummy full” at the taverns because they do serve good, inexpensive food. However, if going to the tavern tempts them to feed their addiction to alcohol, then going to a tavern for a meal becomes a sinful habit for that person.
I also believe that we need to be careful how we “judge” others for their leisurely forms of pleasure which are actually sinful. For example, I knew a woman who smoked and died of lung cancer. While it is true that her choice of smoking was sinful, it was the ONLY PLEASURE she was getting from life. She was trapped in a miserable marriage, had no home of her own, was too uneducated to find a decent job, and lived in a very isolated area without even a reliable car in which to escape her four walls once in a while. While I do not condone her form of leisure, my feelings of compassion for her situation far outweigh my concern that her form of leisure did not glorify the Lord. I especially like an expression of Marva Collins, the famous Chicago teacher. She said, “When you point a finger at others, you have three other fingers pointing at yourself.” Or as Jesus said it, “Judge not, lest you be judged.’
For those of us Christians who prefer to glorify God in a PASSIVE way by not dishonoring Him with the way we spend our recreational time and/or money, there is often a positive spiritual bonus. While one may not set out to glorify God, often this happens in a subtle way. Speaking from personal experience, my thirst for the natural world (especially animals and birds), and certain types of music will commence as an “entertainment only” event but evolve into a real time of personal worship for me. And, to be honest, I think I worship God much more intently in these times that I ever do in a church service. Why? Perhaps John Eldredge has the answer in his book entitled, “Waking the Dead”. In it, he discusses how we can become rejuvenated by engaging in non-sinful activities which our hearts and souls are screaming to do. The problem is, we can become so busy with all the things in life we are “required” to do–and do well–in life, we cease to hear the cries of our OWN hearts and souls. And, when we ignore our own hearts how can God possibly find a fertile dwelling place in our souls?
So, let’s not ALWAYS DELIBERATELY aim to glorify God with our time and/or money in an ACTIVE fashion. But, let’s be satisfied to PASSIVELY honor Him by not “dragging Him into the mud” with our unwise choices. And, let us become so absorbed with listening to our own hearts’ needs that we can offer the Lord souls which are full of rich soil–too fertile to judge others who seem to us to be wasting their time and/or money in recreational activities that do not glorify God.