Jesus Christ – Page 5

August 6, 2014January 15, 2024

How To Promote Your Christian Game Via Social Media

Blessedly, if you type the word “Christian” into the iTunes App Store, you’ll receive a boatload of results to choose from. While many of the offerings represent different versions of the Bible, there are also plenty of apps that fall into the games category that arise also, such as a very well reviewed game called “Bible Trivia” that helps people get their Jesus quotes straight and memorize verses in an interesting manner. With the popularity of TV shows like The American Bible Challenge, it’s no wonder people are taking to their iPhones and iPads to continue the fun and test their biblical acumen using mobile device games.

Apparently, the success of that “Bible Trivia” app – with its in-app purchases – along with others like it, proves that the buying public is willing to shell out hard-earned cash in order to beef up on their study of Scripture. This is great news for makers of Christian games, and if you’ve decided your calling is to use this exciting type of medium that is the gaming industry to spread God’s word all over the world, you might be wondering how to actually use social media to help bring about buzz for your new game.

Sign-up: https://godinterest.com

July 31, 2014January 15, 2024

Facebook Has More People than Any Major Religion Except Christianity

Written by Michael J. Coren

The number of Facebook monthly users has surpassed the followers of Islam, and is closing in on the most numerous religion, Christianity. The Pew Research Center reports that Christianity counts 2.3 billion people among its adherents, followed by Islam with about 1.8 billion. By comparison, Facebook reports it now has 1.32 billion daily active users and 2.01 billion monthly active users as of June 2017—all supported by a staff of just 20,658 people.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg believes his platform could fill the void left behind by the decline of religious and civil communities in the US. Americans are becoming less religious, join fewer community groups, and report record low levels of trust in their fellow citizens. “That’s a lot of people who now need to find a sense of purpose and support somewhere else,” he said this June at a Chicago rally for creators of Facebook groups.

Zuckerberg has even approvingly cited religions role in society, perhaps implying a similar goal for Facebook. “People who go to church are more likely to volunteer and give to charity—not just because they’re religious, but because they’re part of a community,” he said in June. “A church doesn’t just come together. It has a pastor who cares for the well-being of their congregation, makes sure they have food and shelter. A little league team has a coach who motivates the kids and helps them hit better. Leaders set the culture, inspire us, give us a safety net, and look out for us.”

Facebook is growing at an order of magnitude faster than any established denomination. No major religion is expected to grow faster than 1.4% per year (Islam) over the next two decades, predicts Pew. Yet Facebook, despite rivaling them in size, has steadily grown its global user base by about 22% each year. Of course, Facebook’s expansion will slow as it increases in size (see the “law of large numbers“), but even a drastic drop in this pace means Facebook users will exceed the number of Christians before the decade is out.

As it grows, Facebook has gone so far as to change its mission statement from its focus on making “the world more open and connected” to “bring[ing] the world closer together,” Zuckerberg said in an interview with CNN Tech this June. The company’s CEO has ramped up his campaign to portray Facebook as a force for harmony, rather than division, in public life after an election season which saw the social network accelerate the spread of inaccurate news and conspiracy theories. The CEO not known for public outreach announced a 50-state US tour in January to “get out and talk to more people about how they’re living, working and thinking about the future.”

Facebook already owns three of the five largest online communities in the world: its own network, WhatsApp, and Instagram. The other two, Chinese services WeChat and TenCent, have about 2 billion users between them. To fuel this growth, Facebook has gone on a relentless acquisition spree of any platform where it sees its future audience heading next. For now, that means Facebook can sustain meteoric growth while counting about a quarter of the world’s population as its users. It shows no signs of stopping.

Godinterest is a work in progress. We do hope we get it right, and we firmly believe that getting it right means using our voice online, even on controversial topics. The Christian voice is important, and silence does no one any good. It’s worth the trouble to figure out how to do this, even if it means stumbling along the way.

We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:14-16)

July 18, 2014January 15, 2024

Teaching Christianity in Christian Schools Is ‘Extremist’?

Updated October 28th 2007 – A Christian organisation has been banned from a church-run primary school following complaints by non Christian parents who claim their children were being “exposed to potentially damaging ideology” and “extremist” views about sin.

Some parents apparently complained that their children were told that if they don’t believe in God, “they would not go to a good place when they died.”

Wayne Harris, national director of the Christian charity Crossteach, denies these allegations and said;

“Wherever possible we work in partnership with local churches and we reflect their teaching, always aiming to be sensitive to the local context, and recognizing that churches vary. We teach mainstream Christianity,” Wayne Harris, national director of the Christian charity Crossteach.”

“In 16 years of Christian schools work no teacher has ever raised a concern that something has been said that could be interpreted as in any way ‘hateful’ or ‘extremist’ and we strongly refute this current parental allegation. On the contrary, schools have consistently expressed appreciation for the contribution that Crossteach has made and for the quality of the work,” Harris added.

As The London Telegraph reported that another parent who wasn’t named said,

“I do know some of the children have been upset by what they have heard. No one minds Nativity plays and Bible stories but considering most of the parents at the school aren’t practicing Christians, I think the feeling is that it’s all too much.”

Furthermore the The Guardian reported:

“We recognize and respect the school’s Christian values but think there is a brand of Christianity that is abusing that respect. The basis of [our] complaint relates purely to concerns over the welfare and safeguarding of children who we believe are being exposed to potentially damaging ideology.”

The headmaster of the school said that he is “deeply saddened” to be cutting ties with the Crossteach Christian group, but that however.

“I do not believe Crossteach has done anything wrong,” Turvey added. “They do not deserve the tarnishing of their good name and allegations of extremism that have taken place over the last few months.”

Although the faith school St. Johns has a mandate to promote the Church of England and Christianity, it’s still has an obligation to follow Department for Education DfE guidelines when it comes to non-discrimination and respect and tolerance for other faiths, The Guardian noted, which in this case presumably superseded the Christian groups biblical bible teachings.

Conservative Christian parents have also clashed with Church of England schools. Nigel and Sally Rowe said last month that they’re considering taking legal actions against a school in Portsmouth after officials dismissed their concerns regarding allowing transgender children.

The Rowes have said that their son was left confused after a boy in his class began wearing a dress to school.

“Our children first said ‘they’re a boy and they’re my friend, and now I’ve got [to] say she instead of he,'” the couple explained.

The school said it must follow guidelines and “acknowledge a transgendered person’s [so-called] true gender”.

The Rowe’s stated that officials “should have provided support for the transgender child in a more discrete way with people who are trained professionals.

July 17, 2014January 15, 2024

The Success of Marketing via Image-Based Websites

First there was MySpace, a fun network that ruled the roost online and captured independent music fans a-plenty. In time, Facebook soon enough came along and blew that old social networking site out of the water and almost off the web. Later, in a near sneak attack, the runaway success of mostly image-based social media sites like Instagram and Pinterest would displace a portion of Facebook’s throne.
The recent major buyouts of various social sites that focused on featuring photos prominently – over and above the words and captions adjacent to them – proved that a picture really is worth 1,000 words, and that loads of pics truly possess the power to draw many eyeballs on the World Wide Web. It is no wonder that many specialized segments of websites using similar layouts and replicated business model designs of these popular image-based sites would also become a hit with users. Take for example Godinterest.com, a website that looks a whole lot like Pinterest, however, the main focus is in providing the type of image-based content that is popular with Christians, from clothing emblazoned with Scripture to inspirational quote memes to sermon videos and beyond.

Marketing via specialized social network sites

It seems natural that like-minded individuals would want to branch off from the free-for-all types of social networking websites into their own specialized interests where they can bond freely with one another over one centralized topic or theme. Expect that momentum to grow, because no one can deny the power of a viral joke, product, or even a story that has been set on fire by web users sharing it with one another.

Even entrepreneurs that appear on popular television shows such as Shark Tank admit that a lot of their marketing success could be directly attributed to social media websites where one photo has been spread of viral nature, which causes even new companies to experience quite an uptick in sales beyond their wildest imaginations. Such was the circuitous path to stardom for a company called “Grace and Lace,” whose photos of their long, thick lacy socks that extended beyond the tops of boots went viral on Pinterest and exploded the startup firm’s sales.

Therefore, taking advantage of the innate desire folks have to share good and pretty things with one another can become s bih part of a viral marketing campaign that might not cost a ton of money – even if it does take time to “pin” or upload various images to your company’s virtual board. Let’s say you’re a maker of faith-based clothing. One good marketing strategy could mean using a site like Godinterest to both gain exposure to your brand and to try and get buzz going for your line of gear for believers. It could take plenty of sharing, re-tweeting and uploading, however it may take only one interesting image or meme to spread like wildfire across the Internet, and make the time well worth the sacrifice.

This is especially a good method for entrepreneurial individuals who have a whole lot more time than money to throw at their marketing strategy.

Sign-up: https://godinterest.com

July 5, 2014January 15, 2024

Author Sees Growing Religious Censorship in U.S.

America’s religious believers are facing a growing government push to censor expressions of faith and should prepare to put up a fight, a prominent Christian leader and author told the Family Research Council Tuesday.

Too often, religious beliefs are now regarded as “toxic waste” — something to be contained and kept at bay or underground by official policy, Dr. James Tonkowich, former president of the Institute on Religion and Democracy, told the District-based traditional-values organization.

Recent examples include: Houston city officials seeking subpoenas for pastors’ sermons to scrutinize their stands on sexuality; colleges harassing or ejecting Christian ministries from campus for their faith; and courts and officials forcing Christian business owners to participate in same-sex weddings.

Christians and other believers should “recognize that the world is sinful,” expect problems, and prepare to respond with “holiness, virtue and heroism,” said Mr. Tonkowich, author of “The Liberty Threat: The Assault on Religious Freedom in America Today,” from St. Benedict Press.

Don’t allow “people around us to blow us off as haters or behind the times,” he advised.

But instead be prepared to suffer, even while “taking heart” that God has taken over the world, said Mr. Tonkowich, who worked with the late Chuck Colson and his BreakPoint Radio and leadership-building Centurions Program.

This article was posted on Jan 3 2013 at Washington Times

Godinterest is a work in progress. We do hope we get it right, and we firmly believe that getting it right means using our voice online, even on controversial topics. The Christian voice is important, and silence does no one any good. It’s worth the trouble to figure out how to do this, even if it means stumbling along the way.

We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:14-16)

June 21, 2014January 15, 2024

Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?

The name Halloween derives from the Roman Catholic holiday All Saints’ Day, The Feast of All Saints, or All Hallows’ Day (hallow means “to make holy” or “consider something sacred”), celebrated on Nov. 1.

All Saints’ Day commemorates the saints who have not been assigned a special day in the calendar of the Roman Catholic Church. The day before All Saints’ Day was called All Hallows’ Eve, from which Halloween is derived.

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, the origin of Halloween goes back to a festival of the Druids, an order of pagan priests in ancient Gaul and Britain, in pre-Christian times: “In ancient Britain and Ireland, the Celtic festival of Samhain was observed on Oct. 31, at the end of summer.

This date was also the eve of the new year in both Celtic and Anglo-Saxon times and was the occasion for one of the ancient fire festivals when huge bonfires were set on hilltops to frighten away evil spirits. The date was connected with the return of the herds from pasture, and laws and land tenures were renewed. The souls of the dead were supposed to revisit their homes on this day, and the autumnal festival acquired sinister significance, with ghosts, witches, hobgoblins, black cats, fairies, and demons of all kinds said to be roaming about. It was the time to placate the supernatural powers controlling the process of nature.

The Celtic festival of Samhain, which signaled the commencement of winter, consisted of the eve of the feast and the day itself (Oct. 31 and Nov. 1). It remained popular among the Celtic people even after the Christianization of Britain in the fifth century. The Christian church in Britain adapted the feast of Samhain by adding the Christian celebration of All Saints’ Day to the festival. Until the eighth century, the Feast of All Saints was celebrated on May 13.

It seems that because the British custom to celebrate All Saints’ Day on Nov. 1 had spread to other countries, Pope Gregory IV (827-844) transferred the feast of May 13 to Nov. 1.

The New Catholic Encyclopedia claims the reason was, “because provisions were inadequate for the numerous pilgrims coming to Rome in May,” but it acknowledges that some believe “the November feast originated in Gaul and was immediately adopted in Rome.”

Irish and Scottish immigrants introduced All Hallows’ Eve observances to the United States, and after the massive immigration of the Irish during the potato famine (1845-1852), Halloween became a national festival.

The custom for children to go trick or treating from door to door also goes back to the ancient Druid priests, who would go from house to house demanding food for their own consumption as well as for offerings to their deities. If the people in a home would not provide them with food, they would speak a demonic curse over the home, and, history claims, someone in the family would die within the year.

Halloween and its customs have no roots in Scripture or in the Christian church. They are firmly rooted in the occult and in pagan practices. These connections, however, are today forgotten or made light of. Nevertheless, any practice derived from the occult is incompatible with the teachings of Scripture (Leviticus 20:6).

Since many people no longer believe in the existence of a personal devil and his demons, they feel there is no harm in making fun of these “religious relics of the past.” The children are taught that there are no such beings as witches and evil spirits and that it is fun to dress up as ghosts or goblins. The modern denial of the existence of Satan and demonic forces is clearly contrary to Scripture. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible affirms the existence of Satan and demonic spirit beings (Genesis 3:1; Job 1:6; Matthew 8:31; Revelation 12:9).

We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love. (Ephesians 4:14-16)

May 30, 2014January 15, 2024

Getting started with Godinterest Community

Whether you’re new or a seasoned pro, we’ll help you make the most of the Godinterest Community. All you need to use Godinterest is an internet connection or a mobile phone.

Getting started

Let’s walk through the basics.

Create account: Accounts can be created and accessed by linking Godinterest to Facebook, Twitter or Linkedin profiles. You can also signup using a valid email address.

To create an account on the web:

Go to http://my.godinterest.com and find the sign up box, or go directly to http://my.godinterest.com/sign-up.
Enter your full name, and a password.
Click Sign up for Godinterest.
In order to verify your account, we will send you an account activation email message with a link. Click on this to authorize your account.
Once you’ve clicked Sign up for Godinterest, you can login, click on your username at the top tight hand side of the page, scroll down to settings and select a username (usernames are unique identifiers on Godinterest) — type your own. We’ll tell you if the username you want is available.
Double-check your name, password, and username.

Login: You can then log in using your Facebook, Twitter or Linkedin account, or you can just use your email address.

Posts: It all begins with a Post. Most posts you see on Godinterest links back to the site it came from, so you can learn more.

Click on the the “+” button at the top of the page to upload a image or file, post a link to a website or video or simply start a new topical conversation. Pick an image to upload, and give your “image or video” a name and a good description.
Paste a link (URL) to your photo in the Photo Link box. A thumbnail of the photo will appear. If for some reason a thumbnail does not appear then you do not have a valid photo link.
Click on the “Upload a photo” link. Click on “Choose file” and select the photo you want to upload from your computer or mobile device.
Give your photo a “Title”. It’s always good practice to give your posts a title as it distinguishes it from other posts.
Write a “brief description” about your photo. This can be added in the last box.
Select a “Category” for your photo from the drop down box. This will help other users of the site to find your post.

Search: To search for something, click the search bar at the top of any page on Godinterest, enter what you’re looking for and choose from the results. While typing something, you may see suggestions for what you’re looking for. If you see what you’re looking for in these suggestions, click it to save time searching.

Follow members: Like what you see? Make it a full-time thing. Follow members accounts to see all their Posts. Following people is how you fill up your home feed with good stuff. Like Twitter, it’s an open network, so follows don’t require permission to follw, and you don’t have to follow anyone back.

Comments and mentions: You can join conversations on Godinterest by replying to others and by mentioning them in your own Posts. A reply is a response to another person’s Post. When two people are replying to one another, only relevant people, such as those who follow the person who replied and the person in the conversation, will see the reply in there Notifications tab..

How to post a comment:

Find the Post you want to reply to.
Type in your message and click or tap Reply to post it.

Mention overview:

A mention is a Post that contains another person’s @username anywhere in the body of the Post. We collect these messages, as well as all of your replies, in your Notifications tab. If you include multiple @usernames in your Post, all of those people will see your Post in their Notifications tab.
Visiting another account’s profile page on Godinterest will not display Posts that mention them. However, you can search Godinterest for Posts mentioning their @username.

How to post a mention:

Type your message in the Post compose box.
Type the “@” symbol before the username(s) when addressing a particular account(s).
Example: “I’m Posting on @Gointerest!”
Click or Publish to post.

Categories: Explore Godinterest using the categiories menu or search box at the top of the page to search for members or discover more beautiful, interesting, and inspiring posts. Get inspiration from our category feeds, like Bible or Christianity.

Like and Comments: Like or Comment on photos or videos that strike your fancy.

Feed: Your home feed is just for you. When you first log in to Godinterest, you’ll see your home feed empty. Once you follow people your homepage becomes a collection of Posts from the people you follow including your own. You’ll find lots of new ideas from your home feed, or by browsing through categories or doing searches.

Hashtag: Wondering what everyone’s talking about? Click on a hashtag and find out. Hashtags connect Posts that talk about the same thing in one place. Find more tips in our Using hashtags on Godinterest article.

If you post with a hashtag anyone who does a search for that hashtag may find your post
Don’t #spam #with #hashtags. Don’t over-tag a single post. (we recommend using no more than 2 hashtags per post.)
Use hashtags only on posts relevant to the topic.

What are @, # ?
Confused by our lingo? Don’t worry, check out the Godinterest glossary and become a pro in just minutes.

Direct Messages: DYou can use Direct Messages to have private conversations with people about Posts and other content. You can start a private conversation with anyone who follows you. Anyone you do not follow can send you a Direct Message if:

You have opted in to receive Direct Messages from anyone or;
You have previously sent that person a Direct Message.
Anyone in a conversation can send Direct Messages to the group. Everyone in a group can see all messages, even if everyone doesn’t follow each other.
In group conversations, anyone in the conversation can add other participants. Newly added participants won’t see the prior history of the conversation.

To send a Direct Message

Tap the the profile icon at the top of the page. You’ll be directed to your messages.
Tap the message icon, scroll down and select private messages to create a new message.
In the address box, enter the name or @username(s) of the person you wish to send a message to.
Tap Send.

Who reads my updates?

Your followers read your Posts. Anyone who runs a search for a keyword in your Post may be able to see that message. Your Posts are public by default.

Blocked accounts: If your account is blocked you won’t be able to like images, add tags to images or follow more users. You will still be able to log in and browse images on the site. Your account may be blocked due to:

nudity / pornography content
discriminative, xenophobic or racist content
sensitive, disgusting or upsetting content
spam / scam
child abuse
tag abuse
fake profile
posting in the wrong categories
trolling

May 22, 2014January 15, 2024

CRAFTS AND CHRIST

The Washington Times | By Meredith Somers

If you want to make adorably tiny cupcakes or get ideas for charming engagement photos, Pinterest is your source. But what about people who are looking for an inspirational Bible verse, ironic religious T-shirt, or a picture of a holy site — all in one place?

Head to Godinterest.com!

“In today’s busy world, I believe that Christian ministries need to engage the public with social media and that there is added value in doing so,” said Dean Jones, project manager for Godinterest, in a press release posted to Digital Journal.

Godinterest, he said, “will enable our users to share within a Christian Social Network.”

Mr. Jones said his hope for Godinterest is that users find it easy to connect, share, and post information, all within a “safe, family-friendly Christian alternative” to its (apparently) sinful sibling Pinterest.

Read more here!

May 22, 2014January 15, 2024

Pinterest Just Got a ‘Religious Makeover’

Pinterest Just Got a â€˜Religious Makeoverâ€™

The Blaze | By Billy Hallowell

Move over Pinterest. There’s a new social media platform on the horizon — and it has a strikingly similar name and design to its predecessor. It’s called Godinterest.

A description of the website explains that it’s a hub that assists Christians and churches with event organizing, while offering them a place to share inspirational quotes and recipes, among other faith-based sentiments.

“Savvy Christian business owners could use this social media site to market their business,” according to Godinterest’s about us page.

Similar to Pinterest, individuals can become members, create “boards” and then share images and items with their friends and followers.

Godinterest claims to have “taken the idea behind Pinterest and given it a religious makeover.”

Considering that its logo and design bear a striking resemblance, the faith-based alternative certainly did borrow some elements from its predecessor.

There are a number of testimonials from members who use the site. Watch one of those endorsements below — and see them all:

Visit Godinterest for yourself and see what you think.

Read more here!

May 22, 2014January 15, 2024

Sin Can Make God Go Viral

London Mayor Boris Johnson has said Â£1.3tn of investment is needed over the next 35 years in order for London to retain its world class status

London Evening Standard | By Rosamund Urwin

Pinterest is often described as an online scrapbook, only it offers more bragging powers than the paper kind, a way to flaunt your perfect wardrobe/wedding/life. Now, though, it has a spin-off that’s more eternal than ego. Godinterest is for those who are up on “pinning” pictures and down with Jesus Christ. So far, there are quotes from Corinthians, photos of dolphins (“testament to His creativity”) and some divinely inspired slogan T-shirts (“Radiate positive vibes”). It’s not exactly a winning ad for the big G.

The biggest problem, though, is its name. Why not call it Sinterest, I thought, to bring all the Doubting Thomases to the virtual yard? Of course, this being the internet, someone has already had that idea days ago.

Original Article: http://www.standard.co.uk/comment/rosamund-urwin-give-us-an-app-and-well-all-cast-our-votes-9418574.htmlOriginal Article:

May 21, 2014January 15, 2024

The Christian Pinterest? ‘Godinterest’ Launches, Gives Users an Outlet to Share Religious Content

AL | By Alex McDaniel

A new Pinterest-inspired social network aims to give Christians an outlet for sharing religious content in a family-friendly environment.

At first glance, Godinterest could pass for a genuine Pinterest spin-off with its modular, navigable design and similar logo.

But London project manager Dean Jones developed the website as an original product, an answer for those who use Pinterest, but long for a exclusively Christian content-sharing experience.

The product is also aimed toward Christian organizations as an engagement tool.

“In today’s busy world, I believe that Christian ministries need to engage the public with social media and that there is added value in doing so,” Jones said in a press release.

So far, Godinterest’s trending content mirrors that of its secular inspiration, including event planning, inspirational quotes, home decor, children’s activities, wedding planning and recipes, all with a Christian focus.

Read more here!

May 21, 2014January 15, 2024

Godinterest Is Christian Pinterest

The Huffington Post | By Yasmine Hafiz

Wishing that your Pinterest was just a little more Christian?

Well, Godinterest is now here to fill that need, with a very dramatic promo video and a family-family friendly social media platform based on Christian values.

The site was developed by Dean Jones, a 35-year-old project manager from London who said in a press release, “The popular photo-sharing Web site Pinterest is known for allowing its users to post a wide range of content. However, we are mindful of the values that we as Christian’s are bound by. Godinterest will enable our users to share within an Christian Social Network.“

If you’re interested, Jones has a disclaimer to share. He wrote, “Godinterest Christian Social Network is a fun way to put all of your favorite Godinteresting in one spot, but be aware, it is very addictive!”

Read more here!

May 3, 2014November 29, 2018

Christian Social Network

London, UK – The Web as a medium is so broad that for any person it can be ‘what you want it to be’. For some, it is merely best way of keeping in touch with friends and family by email. For others, it can be any or all of: finding new friends, seeking information and doing research, hearing news, playing online games, networking with others about a hobby or interest, sharing opinions, asking questions, making choices about purchasing, publishing their writing, photographs or videos, and much more. And so the opportunities for online evangelism are equally wide. And it is, in many ways, an ideal mission field.

Godinterest Christian Social Network allows members to upload and share photos from across the web with other users and create boards.

For those who love the social media site Pinterest but want to share within a Christian environment Godinterest could be a safe family friendly Christian alternative. A new online photo-sharing platform which strives to have Christian content, the site has been developed by Dean Jones a devoted Christian.

[waveplayer ids=”12677″]

Jones, a 35-year-old Project Manager from London said, ” The popular photo-sharing Web site Pinterest.com is known for allowing its users to post a wide range of content. However, we are mindful of the values that we as Christian’s are bound by. Godinterest will enable our users to share within an Christian Social Network.“

“On Facebook you see a lot of violence and pornography,” explained Dean Jones. “That’s why we thought of creating a network where we could talk about God, love and spread His word.”

However, should Christians use social media?
Jones said, “In today’s busy world, I believe that Christian ministries need to engage the public with social media and that there is added value in doing so. However, learning even the basics of social media can be a daunting task that’s why like Pinterest and Twitter, Godinterest was designed with the beginner in mind, this means that people can easily create an account that they can use to market and brand their business.”

Godinterest Christian Social Network is presently being used for organising ideas including Church events, travel planning, inspirational quotes, home decorating ideas, meal planning and advice, wedding or event planning, activities for children, or any combination of ideas one’s heart desires.

Godinterest virtual meeting place at a whole range of levels. Users can contact other people, post blogs, videos, and pictures, or discuss issues and interact in many other ways. Of course, it has long been possible to do these things online – but the Godinterest Christian Social Network combines them together in an easy coherent whole.

When asked what’s special and about Godinterest Christian Social Network? Jones stated the following points: ”

Visual Imagery – “Imagine getting to do window-shopping of all the best and most creative things in the Christian world without having to go to the mall. Would you rather browse a beautiful shop or a list of items in a catalog? It is the use of visual imagery that sets Godinterest apart (in an important way) from traditional (text based) bookmarking sites.”
Organised Sets – “Godinterest has a way to organise these single images into sets. This adds a layer of value (Christian quotes, books, music and so on) to an otherwise Godinteresting photo.”
Self Expression – “Another innate human trait, there is a need to leave our mark on the world, to show how we see and experience God worlds. This shows up in how we decorate homes and trips we’ve been on, restaurants we have enjoyed, putting our spin on another person’s picture.Godinterest boards are a form of this self-expression, whether in the topics that interest users, or how they choose to fill a godinterest board to make it inspirational!”
Social Sharing – “Once we create something, we naturally want to share it with others. In this respect, I think Godinterest (just like Pinterest) lends itself better to social sharing far more than other services do. Think about how all the distasteful stuff that ends up in the news feed in other sites. But, contrast that with something created by someone else that you might find personally relevant, or at the very least simply amazing.”
Simple User Interface – “Want to increase participation in something? Lower the bar on what’s required.”
– Discovering New Sites – “Use Godinterest to discover more Christian sites and products.”
Posts – “Unlike the posts on other sites, the posts on Godinterest have no expiry date.”

Godinterest could also offer both parents and teachers an easy, engaging way to share resources with other parents.

Jones said, “Did you ever notice all of the bulletin boards and posters covering the walls of most classrooms? Teachers have been part of the bulletin board culture for ages. Godinterest gives teachers the ability to do the same thing in a virtual environment. Boards provide a virtual space for teachers to share activities, lesson plans, and ideas.”

“Savvy Christian business owners could use this social media site to market their business.”

Jones said, “Godinterest Christian Social Network is a fun way to put all of your favorite Godinteresting in one spot, but be aware, it is very addictive! If you serve a congregation, educators or families, you could have a great friend and outreach tool in Godinterest. ”

Free registration includes access to all of the website’s features, including sharing images with friends, following friends’ updates and creating boards.

May 1, 2014January 15, 2024

Organ Trafficking: a Deadly Trade

One January night in 2004, Susan Sutovic was woken from her sleep by a persistently ringing phone. “It was an international call from Belgrade,” she says. “Telling me my son Petar was dead.” Twenty-four-year-old Petar Sutovic was, at the time of his death, staying in his mother’s holiday apartment in Belgrade and studying law. Petar’s body was allegedly discovered in his bed late at night by his flatmate.

The demand for organ transplants is so high that people are willing to pay a large sum on illegal organ trafficking. The growth of illegal transplants has risen due to the decrease of legitimate organs available. Fewer young people die in vehicular accidents on the road. The transplant waiting list continues to grow each year and as a result, unscrupulous organisations harvest kidney, heart and pancreas for rich clients.

Groups involved in illegal organ trafficking have set up websites where poor people can sell their organs to a broker, who in turn will deal with the traders. According to a study made by the World Health Organisation, traffickers unlawfully obtained around 7,000 kidneys in 2013.

In some instances, healthy individuals are kidnapped and forced to give up an organ. Other cases showed that some people were made to believe that they need an operation and didn’t know that the organ was removed during the surgery. Some people were just desperate to make ends meet and resorted to selling an organ or two.

Organ trafficking takes place at a rate of one per hour. This was according to an estimate made by the WHO. The practice has led to five to ten per cent of the total kidney transplants around the world. Majority of the victims of organ trafficking are children from poor backgrounds or children with disabilities.

Organs sold in the black market vary in prices. A heart can cost up to £1 million.

It is not only parts for transplant that are sold illegally. There is also a market for hip, knee and whole cadavers. In the UK, it is illegal to sell any organ but that doesn’t stop desperate people offering their kidneys, lung, or a piece of their liver in exchange for a large amount of money.

Organ trafficking is an organised crime that commonly involves a recruiter, transporter, medical professionals, contractors, buyers and the banks where the organs are stored before the actual transplant. The seller usually receives the smallest portion of the take as the largest portion of the money goes to the broker, medical professionals, and towards travel expenses.

Patients who are on the transplant waiting list are tempted to buy organs illegally on the black market.

Some people who sold their kidneys have stated that they do it for the money and said that what they did save lives.

Organ trafficking should be stopped. The EU has stepped up its efforts to curb the practice in Europe. One way of doing so is to promote legal organ donation. More people should be willing to donate their organs. This is the only way to finally end the practice of illegal organ selling.