Technology

Jaron Lanier: “Whatever you say will be contextualized and given meaning by the way algorithms, crowds, and crowds of fake people who are actually algorithms mash it up with what other people say.” - CToday

“The Church of England says 16,000 religious sites now have access to portable card readers. In the U.S., hundreds of churches have installed kiosks where the faithful can swipe a card to donate. Others are popularizing smartphone apps where money can be sent over at any time.” - RNS

“Teens who report high-frequency digital media use are twice as likely to develop attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association reports.” - BPNews

“We all know that social media platforms amplify the voices of ‘trolls,’ those extraordinarily wounded psyches who seek out such venues to vent their inner demons with anger.” - Russel Moore

“A Barna study published July 10 found that nine in 10 Americans say they prefer to read the Bible in print form.” - BNGlobal

Book review: A Silicon Valley pioneer highlights the dangers of social media.

Transhumanism: A Wail of Despair in the Night

“Nashville’s Mt. Zion Baptist Church has broken ranks with other churches alleging an anti-conservative outlook of Facebook. The church has partnered with the social media giant to better connect with their community and their congregation. This partnership has been active for several months now.” WRNews

“A top bishop in the Church of England issued his “Ten Commandments of artificial intelligence,” during a major policy debate in London last week, based on the importance of trust and ethics in the evolving technology.” CPost

“Attend a real church in virtual reality,” says the website of a VR church established by Los Angeles, California-based Pastor D.J. Soto and whose mission is “to explore and communicate God through virtual reality, augmented reality, and next generation technologies.” CPost