Discipled by algorithms?

Romans 12:2 is a life verse for me.  You probably know it well, too. 

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is, his good, pleasing and perfect will."

In Matthew 22:27, Jesus called on believers to

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”

These verses, and many others, challenge Christians to think.  We are to use our minds to discern God’s will, learn and study his word, and step back from mindlessly following the pattern of this world.  We have been gifted with the ability to think and reflect.  We are called to assess and discern. 

Our culture, media, and technology are designed to mold us into images of this world.  We live in a society that would drown us in a sea of gossip, trivia, and irrelevance. 

I was a professional librarian for 31 years and taught students from high schools through doctoral programs about assessing and managing misinformation.  Critical thinking involves identifying needed information, analyzing the credibility of available information, recognizing bias, assessing personal assumptions, and using information in an ethical manner (i.e., giving credit to authors).  These are life-long skills as we daily face a tsunami of trivia, news, opinion, critique, and falsehood. 

For the Christian, critical thinking is the practice of using our God-given minds to assess information, think about the source of that information, and consider seriously whether that information fits into a Christian worldview.  Those of you who attended the Sunday School Series based on Brooks’ Precious Remedies against Satan’s Devices may recall that one of the author’s warnings was that Satan would “pollute and defile the souls and judgments of men with dangerous errors.” (p. 64) Brooks could not anticipate today’s technologies or social divisions, but he was confident that Satan will continue to work until the 2nd coming.  We have a grave responsibility to seek out the truth, discern what aligns with the word of God, and use information in a way that brings him glory.

Guarding our worldview

We shape the algorithms that fill our feeds by our clicks and likes, but eventually, those algorithms shape us. Technology enables each of us to end up in an echo chamber where all opinions align with ours, all fears are reinforced, and all information feeds our sense of ‘right’.  This presents a real danger for the church in 21st-century America.  We could easily fall into the errors Paul identified in the church at Corinth: 

“I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.” (I Corinthians 1:10, NIV)

The title of this post comes from an article by Justin Giboney, where he challenges Christians to build on our unity in Christ rather than our political and social divisions. 

Guarding our faithfulness

We have been gifted with minds to enable us to discern the truth. We are called to pray without ceasing and to know the word of the Lord.  The media is rife with false teachers peddling heresy and conspiracy theories.  Adhering to or following such personalities leads to error and confusion. 

In 2 Peter 2:1, he warned:

“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them, bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their depraved conduct and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with fabricated stories.”

Conclusion

How do we do feed our minds in this mindless culture?  We can start with the array of opportunities provided by Hope Presbyterian Church.  Sunday School and the Worship service are obvious choices.  Sunday School is a chance to learn about and discuss topics important to Christian living.  The worship service is full of readings and exhortation from the Bible as well as hymns based on scriptural teaching.  During the week, men’s and women’s Bible studies are times dedicated to careful study of portions of the scriptures.  The programs at Hope are safe zones for questioning and considering God’s word.

The internet provides rich resources that teach and edify our Christian lives and practices.  The Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) features an online bookstore with titles that have been vetted for correct doctrine. Ligonier Ministries offers a similar service.  The Gospel Coalition offers free online courses on theology and Christian living.  Gospel in Life provides sermons and tests by Tim Keller.  The Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals broadcasts The Bible Study Hour featuring sermons by James Boice.  These resources are linked in the list of sources below.  This is just a sampling of thoughtful and useful sources available.

Occasional mindless scrolling on the internet or binge-watching shows can be a welcome distraction from day-to-day life.  But is it good stewardship of our time and our minds if we spend long portions of the day focused on our screens? James Boice stated it this way, “We are to be many things as Christians, but one requirement that is certainly high on the list, if not foundational to everything, is to be a thinking people.” (p. 84).

Resources