Objection 1. Christians are called to become part of public discourse, to elevate everything for the glory of God. But today much of the public discourse takes place virtually on Twitter. To retreat from a place of virtual discourse would be to fail in one’s duty as a Christian to evangelize. Therefore, a Christian should not quit Twitter.
Objection 2. If a Christian can reach only one soul and help him reject falsehoods and convert to the Christian faith, then his time on Twitter is well spent. Therefore, a Christian should not quit Twitter.
Objection 3. That Twitter steals a Christian’s peace is not a compelling reason to quit it, anymore than it is a compelling reason to quit prison ministry or outreach to the poor because such ministries can also produce anxiety. If we get anxious, we can pray that God brings us peace. Therefore, a Christian should not quit Twitter.
Objection 4. A large following is a sign of God’s blessing of a Twitter ministry, and to quit Twitter would be to abandon what God is blessing.
On the contrary, Twitter is a cesspool, and the occasion for distraction, dispersion, emotional turmoil, temptation, and sin. There are good uses of Twitter, but one must be soooo disciplined about his use of the platform (in order not to waste time or fall prey to the traps just mentioned) that it's not clear to me that it's really worth it.
I answer that, We have to acknowledge the concrete setting and the limitations of human life. It may be the case that you reach someone through Twitter and that Twitter is the only setting in and through which you reach that person. But, by choosing to engage on Twitter, it could be that you fail to reach other people whom you may have met otherwise in person or through other media.
Further, if Twitter poses an obstacle to your spiritual integrity/growth, it may in fact keep you from becoming the evangelist God is calling you to be. It's not just a matter of using every means available. Some means make you less fit to use the other means to which God is calling you.
We should let God’s providence be our guide, for God calls each of us to know, love, and serve him in a particular way. Our vocation is to seek out that way as best we can using the right means at the right time with the right people and for the right purpose. While the potential efficacy of engagement on Twitter is a consideration, it is not the only consideration and certainly not the most important consideration.
Effectively, God is acting in and through the evangelist. He loves those to whom we are sent better than we do. If we want to step into the role of evangelist, it means being honest before the reality of our lives. And part of that reality may be that one experiences Twitter as a hellscape and doesn't want to touch it.
Reply to Objection 1. Evangelization ought to take place in the settings to which God calls us. God promises never to try us beyond our strength. One is often tried beyond his strength on Twitter. This seems to suggest that God is not calling us to evangelization on Twitter.
Reply to Objection 2. Temptation often announces that there are "no other means" to the attainment of a good end than the proposed course of action, that a good end justifies a bad means. This is a falsity told by the Evil One. In the proclamation of the Gospel, our Lord Jesus Christ is the sole mediator of our salvation. He sent us out to evangelize, and our efficacy is based on using good means. Thus, it is better for us not to evangelize through Twitter, lest our efforts be anathema.
Reply to Objection 3. Human communication takes place in many different settings and circumstances, even one such as Twitter. The question is whether it is an effective setting. Engagement on Twitter often produces anger, outrage, sadness, and anxiety. Not everything that produces a strong emotional response should be shunned, but one should ask whether there are more effective means for accessing the pertinent goods at stake. And, in this instance, critics of Twitter rightly point to the benefits of in-person interaction, telephone, and email over social media and its excesses.
Reply to Objection 4. Post hoc, propter hoc. Katy Perry is the third most-followed person on Twitter. Her stardom is premised on a rejection of her Christian faith. Popularity proves nothing.
