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7 Reasons Christians Should ‘Just Say No’ to Social Networks (Not!)

Okay, now that we’ve got your attention: Here are some eye-popping stats that affirm exactly WHY Christians NEED to be speaking into the online conversation…and a little humor (in red) to help you stay mission-focused.

Here we go!

1. More than 500 million people are on Facebook.* More than 175 million are on Twitter, and YouTube attracts more than 2 billion people a day. This patch of virtual land is prime real estate where our collective psyche now lives. It’s where the enemy finds unlimited joy multiplying lies, division, and confusion—at warp speed. So just say no: We can’t stop this train, and no one is listening anyway. Why not just let the enemy have that whole digital, cyberspace thingy? (Oh, and pass the remote, while you’re at it—The Bachelor is coming on!)

2. People share more than 30 billion pieces of content (Web links, news stories, blog posts, notes, photo albums, etc.) on Facebook each month. There are 95 million tweets a day and more than 24-hours worth of video content uploaded every minute. So just say no: Why should the flood of information include life saving, eternal truth? People can go to church if they want to hear about God stuff. Can we just keep things light online? (Hey—wanna meet me in Farmville and brush my baby calf?)

3. Among the most “liked” fan pages on Facebook in 2010: Lady Gaga, the Twilight Saga, Starbucks, Southpark, and Mafia Wars. So just say no: Haven’t the people spoken? Don’t rock the boat—I say live and let live.

4. Among the “least liked” fan pages: Religious organizations ranked No. #1; others include education, pharmaceutical companies, health, and libraries. Enough said.

5. Among the Top 10 status updates for 2010 on Facebook: movies, the World Cup, the iPhone, and Justin Bieber. So just say no: C’mon, isn’t that enough fodder to ignite people’s hearts to the things of God?

6. People now spend 110 billion minutes a month on social networks. That’s nearly 2,000 collective years each month (walk backward and that puts you in the years right after Christ walked the earth). So just say no: With all that clicking and surfing, do you really think people have time—or the attention span—to talk about spiritual things? Anyway, I really don’t want to get defriended.

7. About 70% of Facebook users are outside the United States. Two of the regions embracing social networking the fastest: The Middle East and China, countries traditionally hostile to the gospel. Just say no: Do you really think I need to “add” more friends to my life? And those people in other countries—aren’t there missionaries for that kind of thing? (Hey, have I ever shown you a picture of my World Vision kid…)

Okay—we’re sure you get the point. We wrote this blog in
jest to make the very sober point:
If not us, believers, then who?

The numbers don’t lie: time spent on social networks jumped 24% in the past year, and those numbers continue to climb. The world is officially and irrevocably connected in online social communities. For Christ followers, it’s a time of answered prayer. As we determine to share the gospel, we now have the Internet, which is fast proving to be the main communication artery to people’s hearts and minds.

And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. – Romans 13:11 NIV

The gospel clearly outlines our charge. No more excuses. Wake up, believer. It’s time to go here, there, and [digitally], everywhere. So are you in?

Does your faith fold into your online conversations? Why or why not?