1. They both mainly offer user generated content.
2. They both publish and even encourage, by their very existence, flagrant copyright violations.

User generated content rarely satisfies anyone but the user who created it. And Christians should be models of propriety when it comes to obeying the law.

Come on, let’s not set ourselves apart, and then produce substandard and unoriginal media.

Peace,
TC

I think we have two mentalities here that probably cause this great debate. I believe it’s based partially on the different theologies of the Protestant divisions. I won’t get into all the meaty details, but I believe it boils down to the target audience. Some of these videos, let’s face it, are targeted towards those who already believe. Whereas other videos are more seeker friendly.

The reason I love GodTube is because it caters to those who are already disciples by feeding their spiritual needs in a nourishing environment. If you equate this to the statement above about whether Jesus would go to a bar or a church, then you must also remember that Jesus frequented the temples quite often to question the religious. I guess my point is that believers need to be fed just as much as those who have not excepted Christ, and I choose GodTube so I won’t be drawn to things that appeal to my worldly desires.

this is just the mindset of the church in north america, or maybe world wide. we have become inward focused, asking the world to come to us. instead of focusing on what Jesus told us to do…”GO”. it more comfortable to just sit and expect the unreached to come to “us”. so people in the church, some of whom are following Christ, have fallen into this rut and for the most part don’t even realize it.

God has really been hitting me hard with this lately and how we can take our “church activities” away from the church and engage people where they are. we’re not told to stay and get cumfy, but to “GO”.

As a “christian podcaster”; when I want to send a message of love, hope, and reconciliation to the world then I post it on YouTube. When I have a message specifically for christ followers; then I post to YouTube AND GodTube.

There is a minuscule population of atheists that go around GodTube looking for a fight. I’m willing to engage with them if for no other reason then to set the record straight on whatever mistaken ideas they have about scripture.

Point in case: Lifehouse is one of my favorite bands. Their first song “Living by a Moment” came out and was a huge hit on the secular radio. To Chrsitians, they were just another secular band writing love songs. Then, it came out that the lead singer was the son of missionaries and was a believer. Then, the song was suddenly acceptable to play on Christian radio.

What changed? Did the meaning of the song suddenly become holy because we found out it was written by a Christian? Was the song suddenly Christian enough to play on Christian radio?

It boggles my mind. I choose to be IN the world. Just because I am in it doesn’t mean I have to be OF it.

Community WITHIN the world.

Ok, I’m being a bit facetious. This thread, and especially the comments, raise some interesting issues. I don’t have any big issues with GodTube at the moment; personally, I don’t see to much value in it. We’ve seen fit to put some of our ministry’s videos on the site, but I’m not sure what the payoff is going to be yet. For me, it’s yet another social network I have to contribute content to.

It’s not a place I would hang out, personally – that sounds a bit snobbish, but I’m going to go where the content is, wherever it is. My hypothesis is that others follow that pattern, too. I guess it does follow a pattern of Christians making their own “mirror universe” – Christian wrestling events, separate education (guilty!), Christian death metal (not guilty), et. al. Back to that whole “in not of” discussion.

One more point, to the “separatism” statement: for content creators, it should be both/and not either/or. Christian media we make goes to Blip.tv, iTunes, blogs, our own site, YouTube, MySpace, del.icio.us, wherever we can get it. If GodTube will take our content too, I’m all for it.