I suppose that it is a natural result of the amazing technology of the iPhone, iPad and other technological wonders, that many Christians find themselves enamored with these devices. I know that I am thoroughly addicted to my iPad and even as you are reading this article today, I am writing it to you on my MacBook Pro. Perhaps you are not one of the Electronically dependent who love their technology, but you have to admit the attraction to come over to the “Tech Side” is very strong.
In one of my weekly studies, I came across an interesting principle that those who do not believe in God, nor are really concerned with spiritual matters find themselves preoccupied with; Materialism.
One of the most common philosophies today is that of Materialism, which denies the existence of God altogether. I have always been of the mind that those who claim to not believe in God were just using that cliam as an excuse to do whatever it is they want to do without any accountability for their moral actions. Jesus said that the reason men do not believe in Him is that they love their sin and do not want to come into a place of repentance.
The basis for the philosophy of materialism is that there is no God, so all that is in the Universe are those material things, so I might as well get as many of those material things as I can accumulate. Most of us have seen the bumper sticker that says: “He who dies with the most toys wins”. The problem with that limited materialistic philosophy is that “He who dies with the most toys…still dies”.
I wonder today if those who call themselves Christian, or a follower of Jesus, and almost all of their thoughts and time are on the accumulation of things, are not also themselves really just “Practical Materialists? As I contemplated this thought I realized that in my own mental condemnation of the atheists and the materialists, perhaps I am really more like them than I had previously considered.
Something to think about as I dream of the next iPad coming out next month…
Rob Robinson
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Hey Rob,
I enjoyed your post. I would like to point out a distinction between the use of the term materialism referring to “liking stuff” and the type of philosophical materialism that atheists subscribe to.
The atheist variety is material reductionism meaning that everything can be reduced to physics and chemistry acting on matter. Thus they deny the immaterial i.e. a soul, spirits, God.
The materialism that we as Christians can fall into is more akin to idolatry. When we put things above the one who made all things. Our culture is based on this and its very easy to get caught up in. However, you never see U-hauls being pulled by herses.