Do Internet Meetings Count?

[Libertarian_FL]

Matthew 18:20 For where two or three gather together as my followers,* I am there among them." [NLT]

Here is a simple question do meetings over the internet by Forum, Chat Rooms or other forms of internet communication count as where two or three or gathered together and having Jesus among them?

My case to make is it does after all your together even if its over the internet since God can be and is everywhere, and a virtual church or ministry is a place of God.

 

[prodigalson12]

Don’t confuse technology for reality. The internet and how we communicate to each other is just a faster, easier way of writing essentially letters. We don’t actually meet “together”, we are far apart from each other and unless God decides to jump in the conversation from his own terminal, I can’t see these as any kind of a true gathering with him being able to take an active part. Just my 2 cents on it.

 

[Nine_Two]

Christ may still be present, but the experience is nowhere near as uplifting as the real thing.

 

[Big_Ro]

I think this a very interesting question. I got into an argument with my boss the other day on a similar topic. I was trying to debate her, but she insisted on arguing. You see she’s a techie and her husband is still in the field. Personally, I think she was being defensive. The simple observation I made was that the internet and social networking sites are dehumanizing. The internet held great hope that it work to build human connections and be a democratizing force in society. Unfortunately, I believe it is reducing real communication. The internet and social networking sites, in my opinion, allow people to shut out voices that they disagree with and actually is creating more isolation.

I know this might be off topic, but it’s a related question. In short, no I don’t think internet meetings count. I think God intended us to interact in person. I’m not saying that the internet and social netwrking sites are all bad or represent an inherent evil. I’m just saying that they reduce real human interaction and are thus dehumanizing.

 

[4Squarebaby]

Yes it does count. God doesn’t change but man does. It counts just as much as radio and TV counts when people unable to attend in person use those services.

Is it the same as gathering in fellowship? No but in many ways it is better then a local Bible study because of the different views given and the time to expand on thoughts is there if you wish to use it.