It may seem to some Adventists, far removed from the General Conference, that administrative leadership is a bit retrograde when it comes to progressive ideas. This is understandable when seeing some of these folk sporting 19th century-style beards. But looks are deceiving and, with some intrepid investigative reporting, Spectrum has uncovered multiple technology projects underway in Silver Spring. Because some members might consider them controversial, they have not been publicized and are in various stages of development, with the possibility of further modifications going forward. So it is understandable that the church is reluctant to keep us informed. But, just as people like to peek into the ongoing R&D of technology companies, we felt that, given all the time and costly effort Spectrum has invested in learning about these projects, it was worth revealing some preliminary details. So here is our exclusive ârevealâ of what the church is up to â technologically.
the Virtual Pastor â
Rich you are not far from a Wonderful Idea.
Where one pastor has several churches â TELEVISE on the Internet.
There are several platforms where a camera and microphone can televise
around the world. Just need a projector and sound system to receive the
presentation. And the pastor can be in ALL the churches at the same time
and present the same message to all members at once.
Now this WILL force the pastor to have a NEW sermon each week. Instead
of the characteristic 2 or 3 a month.
This would also work for the Mid-Week services.
I have listened to church services on Sabbath from LLU, from SanFrancisco,
and LaSierra around 2pm to 3pm Eastern Time here in Georgia. Enjoyed
being able to do that.
YES! It is already possible.
Can there be any doubt that the message focus among Seventh-day Adventist leadership at all levels is fully open to every one of these concepts? Seriously.
Actually, I just heard that the GC is so excited with the ideas that they are going to offer you a job! Just ask how much and they will pay the salary! The main reason is that all your ideas will give them more means to fully control the membersâ brains and conscience electronically from the great comfort og their building.
I am serious about my opinions above. Just imagine a GC with such tools in their hands. All women would probably lose their membership; just becauseâŚ
"Of course, the illusion would be revealed if any member actually were to try and touch the projection, so it is expected that this model would only be deployed in predominantly white churches, where the likelihood of someone wanting to give the pastor a hug, or even a handshake, was minimal."
How about âVirtual Pastorsâ??? The potential is unlimited and savings would be tremendousâŚwow! They could have Doug B clones to do all of that propaganda work and never leave the comfort of their religious Ivory TowersâŚwin/win!!
Sure, those pastors will be able to also bring to the church many âvirtual believersâ as wellâŚ
Not sure how attractive will be their âvirtual tithe,â thoughâŚ
Amazing âfactsâ!!
Almost as good as that (in)famous letter of apology to the pope by the GC president,
as posted on Spectrum.
What gives the âgameâ away is that Rich Hannon credits the GC with
too much CREATIVITY.
Whereas they tend to think mostly in terms of COMPLIANCE.
I heard that the GC ordered 200 grinders to utilize along with the âcompliance project.â
They are naming them âCompliance Encouragers.â
Those who donât comply will be granted with âfree passesâ through the âEncouragers.â
Looks like one of those 19th century clothes
wringers/mangles, George.
And it would certainly squeeze any spirituality or non-compliance
out of any believer. Shudders.
Iâve actually been involved with formal research on various aspects of Second Life (SL). Suffice it to say, itâs a very unique placeâŚgood, bad, and everything in between. Kind of like real life, I suppose.
Technically, SL is a âvirtual worldâ and not âvirtual realityâ (VR). VR requires a head mounted display (HMD) such as the Vive or Oculus Rift that enables the user to view and move in a 360x180 degree environment. There are a number of true VR âworldsâ similar to Second Life, such as Sansar and High Fidelity. The former is owned by the same company that owns Second Life. Most, if not all, of these VR worlds are in âopen betaâ development. Translation: They have a long way to go.
Second life does have a SDA presence, but to my knowledge, each of those simulations (sims) are courtesy of local churches. Obviously, I have not visited them all, but the ones I have seen tend to be poorly maintained and staffed. SL users tend to have a short attention span. If a sim does not immediately grab the users attention, they tend to move on in a matter of seconds. And then thereâs the issue of âgrieversâ. Grievers are mischief makers, probably adolescents with too much time on their hands. However, some grievers are likely adults and can be downright abusive.
Where true VR could play a meaningful role is in live streaming or recording church services. There are video cameras (and related software and hardware) capable of broadcasting video with a 360x180 degree view. The hardware requirements for the end viewer are nothing more than a smartphone mated to a $100.00 USD headset and a set of earbuds. This might be a more immediate solution than a holo projector. A 360 degree view from a pew might give shut-ins (and others) more of a feeling of community and/or actually being at the service than watching a service on a laptop.
