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Search engines. There are so many different ones, but do they all really lead to the same place?
To try and answer this I looked up "Heaven" on three of the top search engines to see what their top results were.
Starting with Google, the first station I arrived at was, "Heaven Nightclub Adelaide." Apparently Belinda Carlisle was right, heaven really is a place on earth!
Jumping over to the next info-train, Bing, this time I was zipped off to a sponsored advertisement, "Cheap Heaven: Visit xyz now and compare prices." Interesting. I wonder which slice of heaven is the best value for money?
Finally, I took a ride on the Yahoo express. The first stop it made was the most interesting of all three. According to Wikipedia, many religions see heaven as "a physical or transcendental place where people who have died continue to exist in an afterlife." Oh, so close to the truth, but still so very ambiguous in its inference that "many" religions hold the same belief.
Now, I'll admit I was not overly surprised by the results. And while it was a bit of fun, it does raise some very real concerns in my mind. For example, could a person truly intent on seeking God go about using the World Wide Web to discover him? Could they sift through the ridiculous ads, misleading links (for companies that have paid to be ranked number one in such searches), and information overload and make an informed decision about spiritual matters? Is the truth of Jesus Christ strong enough to break through the myriad religions available to the internet-savvy souls of today's world?
Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, not to mention the new age Wiccan religion and psychics. All of these attest to having 'the answer' and, on the surface, they do appear to have some merit - that's why so many are drawn into their respective beliefs and practices. What they don't realise is they are being tricked into believing that all religions converge into the same heaven.
This is by no means a new concept, however its influence is perhaps magnified by the volume of information available nowadays, and by the attitude of society to be "politically correct" with regards to tolerating others. Don't get me wrong, I am all for treating others with respect, regardless of their religious beliefs. BUT, I will never be forced into denying the fundamental principal of Christianity - that there is one God, and one path by which humanity can enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
It is imperative for believers today to remember that, regardless of the times in which we live, the Bible is still the only authority on the triune God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They are the true keepers of our souls and hosts of the one and only Kingdom of Heaven. We must remain vigilant in our witness to the truth of Jesus Christ, of his sacrifice and resurrection on our behalf.
It is through the steadfast resolve of Christians clinging to their testimony that the truth of Christ will permeate the misinformation of the World Wide Web. Whether in social media circles or the 'real world,' Bible-believing Christians always have been, and will continue to be, the biggest advertisement for Christ to our friends and family. It's easy to be daunted by the onslaught of information we are up against, but remember God's promise from Isaiah 55:11,
"My word, which comes from my mouth, is like the rain and snow. It will not come back to me without results. It will accomplish whatever I want and achieve whatever I send it to do." God's Word Translation, 1995
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
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