Response to "Christian Apps… ‘There’s an App for That’"

Here is a response to Valdy’s recent post “Christian Apps… ‘There’s an App for That’”:

Valdy’s post:   
http://theinternetisthemessiah.blogspot.com/2012/03/christian-apps-theres-app-for-that.html

When I read the title “there’s an app for that”, as a smartphone user, it really caught my eyes. There is an app for Christianity, what function is it? Is it free?

After reading the post, Valdy talked about both Catholic and Non-Catholic Companies make these apps, and it is difficult to base the authenticity of these organizations in a commercial consumer culture structured around capitalism. It is true you will feel different about the app when you know the background of the developer, does he develop the app because he is a pious Christian? Or does he make it because he knows pious Christian will purchase it?

I use my phone more than any electronic devices in my everyday life, and all the apps installed in my phone are free, although some good apps in apple store only cost $0.99, but I am always struggling with whether it is necessary in my daily life? Is it worth the $0.99? When there comes the Christian app, the question elevates to whether religion is necessary for daily life and whether religion should become commodity?

In these research results, I found one really interesting, the “confession” one, confess to your smartphone instead of confessing to the priests, if the app goes popular in the future, will smartphone take place of church? When Christian all read bible on Iphone, will it change how we feel about our faith? It does change my feeling when I see these apps, religion becomes more convenient right at my finger-tip, it becomes more digital, but it also becomes more commercial.

Christianity is penetrating into people’s daily life through different kind of popular culture, radio, TV, music, and now even smartphone applications. It further interprets that Christianity and popular culture never separate from each other, they always intertwining together. But this intimate relationship between them can always seen as a double-edged sword.