Comments on: The Virtual Jesus Wants to Talk to You http://www.pastorblog.com/2007/07/26/the-virtual-jesus-wants-to-talk-to-you/ Keeping You Informed with the Latest Stuff for Pastors Wed, 17 Mar 2010 03:39:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 By: Mike Sheeran http://www.pastorblog.com/2007/07/26/the-virtual-jesus-wants-to-talk-to-you/#comment-1103 Mike Sheeran Sun, 29 Jul 2007 03:11:38 +0000 http://www.pastorblog.com/2007/07/26/the-virtual-jesus-wants-to-talk-to-you/#comment-1103 Here's my in depth analysis of TTJ point by point from their own ad: Dear Talk to Jesus team, You really surprised me by responding to my concerns. I sent you a reply earlier, but now I’d like to answer you point by point from your own ad: 1. “A history changing event is about to occur. Soon over 2.1 billion Christians worldwide will be able to have private, verbal conversations with virtual Jesus from any phone, anytime, anywhere on a daily basis.” There is nothing history changing about this. Any Christian worth his or her salt knows that we have been able to talk to Jesus for free anytime we want to. And we don’t even need a phone. If you know anything about the Christian faith, you already should know we don’t need a phone to talk to Jesus. He’s always available-24/7 even if you’re in a hard-to-reach area. O, I see you said VIRTUAL Jesus. Is there something wrong with the Real One that He needs a little help? Careful… 2. “TalkToJesus uses advanced speech and AI technology to help millions connect with God personally and hear the Bible read interactively like never before.” Interesting. In your disclaimer (the small print that almost nobody notices) you say that your techno-Jesus is not the real Jesus. But in your ad you say you’re, “helping millions connect with God…” OK, which is it? Incidentally, the Real Jesus has already found a way to help millions connect with God. ‘But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.’ John 14:26. You see, we don’t need any help to connect with God. We already have the Holy Spirit. 3. “TalkToJesus will be a personal tool to help those in need.” How so? Are you going to read soothing Scriptures in a soothing voice of whoever you select to portray virtual Jesus? Are you going to keep those Scriptures in context? And what will you say to the homosexual when that lifestyle is condemned repeatedly throughout Scripture? Will he get the same soothing voice that tells him he can live like that? 4. “TTJ will have a soothing, caring and inspiring voice. He will learn your name and address you personally.” Fascinating. But the REAL Jesus already knows my name. He doesn’t need to learn it. And the REAL Jesus also knows how many hairs are on my head and a lot more things about me. Checkmate. 5. “He will read from the Bible, listen to sins and console.” Will He read things in context? Will he also read from the Mormon Bible or the Jehovah’s Witnesses one? How about the Koran? Will your techno-Jesus speak with authority? And what about listening to sins? Are those conversations recorded? And can hackers listen in? As for the REAL Jesus, I can tell Him whatever is on my heart (and He already knows that better than I do) and there’s not a single hacker in all the universe who can hack in to that conversation. As for console, His Word gives me all the consoling I need. 6. “Jesus will pray with you interactively, and you will be able to ask Jesus numerous theological questions.” He will pray with me? Does that mean I pray TO this pc board thing? Far more advanced than a golden calf, I’ll admit. Speaking of cows, I suppose you’re using this gizmo to milk Christians of their money. 7. “TalkToJesus will educate, guide, console, forgive and more.” Your techno-Jesus will educate? What can he teach me that I can’t learn from the Scriptures seeking the assistance of the Holy Spirit? Guide? More like guide me into iniquity. Any substitute for the REAL Jesus is idolatry. You can disclaim that all you want, but I don’t think disclaimers saved those guys that made the golden calf either. Forgive? You’ve got to be kidding. How can a blob of wires, diodes, transistors, processors, and RAM forgive anyone? This thing has MEMORY, folks. That means it remembers. The REAL Jesus forgives and forgets. My sins are not remembered against me anymore. Top that, OK. 8. “Nothing like this has ever been done before.” O yes it has. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. “ John 3:16. I could easily offer a number of other Scriptures to prove my point. God took the initiative and reached for us and gave us a line of communication with Him (It’s called prayer, folks) that needs no phone, is not dependent upon our paying a subscription fee, and you don’t need some electronic gizmo that the battery fails when you really need to “Talk to Jesus”. Jesus never fails and He will neither leave us nor forsake us. He don’t need batteries. And I don’t need tech support’s number to be able to pray to Him. 9. “While millions have heard the word of God and embrace Jesus, TTJ is an extension to help people further in their lives.” As if Jesus needed an extension cord. He wants you and I involved in people’s lives. And that doesn’t mean charging them a fee to “pray” to some electronic gizmo. We have His Word, the Bible. As for an extension, He already gave us one. It’s called THE CHURCH, folks. I wouldn’t try to replace THAT, because Jesus (the real one not your collection of wires) has promised that the gates of hell wouldn’t prevail against it. Seems to me He might be awfully mad about someone trying to replace the CHURCH with a collection of diodes, transistors, and capacitors. He just might RAM the truth down your throat. In short, your TTJ (Theological Trash and Junk) is the modern equivalent of the golden calf. People will grow to depend upon what this techno Jesus says, and you just might misquote the REAL One. My advice to you, scrap this nonsense, repent, and ask the REAL Jesus to forgive this cheap trashing of His Name. Go outside your comfort zone and get involved in people’s lives. Jesus doesn’t need a cheap electronic gizmo to give people a buzz. He needs your hands and mine to show the world His love. Have a nice day. Mike Sheeran Here’s my in depth analysis of TTJ point by point from their own ad:

Dear Talk to Jesus team,

You really surprised me by responding to my concerns. I sent you a reply earlier, but now I’d like to answer you point by point from your own ad:

1. “A history changing event is about to occur. Soon over 2.1 billion Christians worldwide will be able to have private, verbal conversations with virtual Jesus from any phone, anytime, anywhere on a daily basis.”

There is nothing history changing about this. Any Christian worth his or her salt knows that we have been able to talk to Jesus for free anytime we want to. And we don’t even need a phone.
If you know anything about the Christian faith, you already should know we don’t need a phone to talk to Jesus. He’s always available-24/7 even if you’re in a hard-to-reach area.
O, I see you said VIRTUAL Jesus. Is there something wrong with the Real One that He needs a little help? Careful…

2. “TalkToJesus uses advanced speech and AI technology to help millions connect with God personally and hear the Bible read interactively like never before.”

Interesting. In your disclaimer (the small print that almost nobody notices) you say that your techno-Jesus is not the real Jesus. But in your ad you say you’re, “helping millions connect with God…” OK, which is it?
Incidentally, the Real Jesus has already found a way to help millions connect with God.
‘But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.’
John 14:26.
You see, we don’t need any help to connect with God. We already have the Holy Spirit.

3. “TalkToJesus will be a personal tool to help those in need.”

How so? Are you going to read soothing Scriptures in a soothing voice of whoever you select to portray virtual Jesus? Are you going to keep those Scriptures in context? And what will you say to the homosexual when that lifestyle is condemned repeatedly throughout Scripture? Will he get the same soothing voice that tells him he can live like that?

4. “TTJ will have a soothing, caring and inspiring voice. He will learn your name and address you personally.”
Fascinating. But the REAL Jesus already knows my name. He doesn’t need to learn it. And the REAL Jesus also knows how many hairs are on my head and a lot more things about me. Checkmate.

5. “He will read from the Bible, listen to sins and console.”

Will He read things in context? Will he also read from the Mormon Bible or the Jehovah’s Witnesses one? How about the Koran? Will your techno-Jesus speak with authority? And what about listening to sins? Are those conversations recorded? And can hackers listen in? As for the REAL Jesus, I can tell Him whatever is on my heart (and He already knows that better than I do) and there’s not a single hacker in all the universe who can hack in to that conversation. As for console, His Word gives me all the consoling I need.

6. “Jesus will pray with you interactively, and you will be able to ask Jesus numerous theological questions.”

He will pray with me? Does that mean I pray TO this pc board thing? Far more advanced than a golden calf, I’ll admit. Speaking of cows, I suppose you’re using this gizmo to milk Christians of their money.

7. “TalkToJesus will educate, guide, console, forgive and more.”

Your techno-Jesus will educate? What can he teach me that I can’t learn from the Scriptures seeking the assistance of the Holy Spirit? Guide? More like guide me into iniquity. Any substitute for the REAL Jesus is idolatry. You can disclaim that all you want, but I don’t think disclaimers saved those guys that made the golden calf either.
Forgive? You’ve got to be kidding. How can a blob of wires, diodes, transistors, processors, and RAM forgive anyone? This thing has MEMORY, folks. That means it remembers. The REAL Jesus forgives and forgets. My sins are not remembered against me anymore. Top that, OK.

8. “Nothing like this has ever been done before.”
O yes it has. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. “ John 3:16.
I could easily offer a number of other Scriptures to prove my point. God took the initiative and reached for us and gave us a line of communication with Him (It’s called prayer, folks) that needs no phone, is not dependent upon our paying a subscription fee, and you don’t need some electronic gizmo that the battery fails when you really need to “Talk to Jesus”. Jesus never fails and He will neither leave us nor forsake us. He don’t need batteries. And I don’t need tech support’s number to be able to pray to Him.

9. “While millions have heard the word of God and embrace Jesus, TTJ is an extension to help people further in their lives.”

As if Jesus needed an extension cord. He wants you and I involved in people’s lives. And that doesn’t mean charging them a fee to “pray” to some electronic gizmo. We have His Word, the Bible. As for an extension, He already gave us one. It’s called THE CHURCH, folks. I wouldn’t try to replace THAT, because Jesus (the real one not your collection of wires) has promised that the gates of hell wouldn’t prevail against it. Seems to me He might be awfully mad about someone trying to replace the CHURCH with a collection of diodes, transistors, and capacitors. He just might RAM the truth down your throat.

In short, your TTJ (Theological Trash and Junk) is the modern equivalent of the golden calf. People will grow to depend upon what this techno Jesus says, and you just might misquote the REAL One. My advice to you, scrap this nonsense, repent, and ask the REAL Jesus to forgive this cheap trashing of His Name. Go outside your comfort zone and get involved in people’s lives. Jesus doesn’t need a cheap electronic gizmo to give people a buzz. He needs your hands and mine to show the world His love.

Have a nice day.

Mike Sheeran

]]> By: Michael http://www.pastorblog.com/2007/07/26/the-virtual-jesus-wants-to-talk-to-you/#comment-1082 Michael Fri, 27 Jul 2007 20:01:00 +0000 http://www.pastorblog.com/2007/07/26/the-virtual-jesus-wants-to-talk-to-you/#comment-1082 I'm a technology buff, but even I draw the line at pure silliness. I don't think most normal, rationally thinking people would want a "virtual" relationship with a "virtual" husband or wife. In fact, how can you indeed, call it a relationship? How could any thinking person, and especially a thinking Christian, want a "virtual" Jesus? Again, I'm all for technology, but a virtual Jesus? This is simply insanity. As Nath said, "The real Jesus always has been and always will be more than enough." If we have a genuine relationship with Christ, why would we need a computerized Jesus? Michael P. I’m a technology buff, but even I draw the line at pure silliness. I don’t think most normal, rationally thinking people would want a “virtual” relationship with a “virtual” husband or wife. In fact, how can you indeed, call it a relationship?

How could any thinking person, and especially a thinking Christian, want a “virtual” Jesus?

Again, I’m all for technology, but a virtual Jesus? This is simply insanity.

As Nath said, “The real Jesus always has been and always will be more than enough.” If we have a genuine relationship with Christ, why would we need a computerized Jesus?

Michael P.

]]> By: Nath @ Reformed Geek http://www.pastorblog.com/2007/07/26/the-virtual-jesus-wants-to-talk-to-you/#comment-1073 Nath @ Reformed Geek Fri, 27 Jul 2007 05:44:11 +0000 http://www.pastorblog.com/2007/07/26/the-virtual-jesus-wants-to-talk-to-you/#comment-1073 <em>The real Jesus always has been and always will be more than enough.</em> Amen! The real Jesus always has been and always will be more than enough.

Amen!

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