Has Filming in Churches gone too far? Isn't the main camera set to film the event as a whole from a control room enough or do you need the floating camera men taking individual photos of people even while praying!, at a rate of more than ten pictures per person without their consent? is it necessary in this world of today that has been taken over by internet and photos can be abused online, being posted with inappropriate content, all for one to earn out of internet hits?. While this is now common in most churches as a show, even the smallest churches with a handful of a congregation refuse to be left out! and its even more risky to attend these small churches as most have completely gotten so emmersed in filming and have lost the whole purpose of this get-together day to Worship God. Just how far are your pictures taken in Church going?. This filming has caused so many people to want to dress up for the occasion and ensure that they are looking good to apppear infront of the camera. Who wants to look bad on camera after all?. But, is it such a good idea? to have no more privacy even in church when worshiping!?.
Anyway, while some of us are happy to set some time aside to worship God, it is now difficult to find a decent place to do so, as some of these modern churches had lost the purpose of Church. Most Christian Churches have gone astray and fallen away. I have read and seen on facebook, youtube and other social networks that people in Church are being posted all over the internet for reasons that are nothing do with worshiping God and comments that are nasty are displayed to go along with the posts. One wonders how someone manages to take a personal photograph of someone IN CHURCH!. Most people are unaware they are going virral on the internet because probably as they sat down in church their dress rolled up by mistake and unfortunately some Christian photographer managed to catch it on camera and posted to get some internet hits. Is that how Christian life should be? Brothers taking pictures of individuals in Church?, making a collection? what else could they use the photographs for? Isn't just one to five pictures of the Church as a whole enough and everyone worships in peace?.
I went to a local nearby Christian Church, after looking for a decent Church for a while, to attend in my new neighbourhood. The minute I walked in I really wished I had carried a pair of dark shaded glasses. It was like a red carpet event with a photographer taking pictures of the church as a whole so many times from every possible angle. Now the nightmare issue was that after taking the church photographs as a whole so many times, the photographer continued to take personal upclose photos of people individually, full body, portraits, without asking!. I thought it would stop but it only got worse. He approached me and took pictures from every angle, which I didn't find necessary and appropriate as I was only a first time visitor and the pictures were being taken without my consent or explanation. I don't mind appearing in a photograph with the church as a whole, but to take individual pictures? upclose and personal?. What would they use my photos for? why would they need my photograph from all angles for, full body etc when I'm just visiting for the first time? and they don't even know me, not even my name!?.
I thought I would bear with it for a few minutes as it was now nearly Worship time and I was sure the camera man would respect the time and stop. I was so wrong! the photographing and filming continued and the photographer even came closer as I was praying trying to talk to God, and suddenly there were so many flashes to my face. I looked at him in disgust, hoping he would read and stop, but he only smiled and continued, almost like a controlled zomby. Annoyed, I just stood there, I was angry and fuming, and I was in Church!. So I managed to pull myself together to avoid any embarrassing scene and waited until prayer time was over. I wanted to leave immediately but I couldn't bare leaving them with my photographs as I had no idea what else would befall my pictures. Honestly I wouldn't want to see my photographs being posted all over the internet without my consent. If they had put a notice or given a handout to make people aware of how they spend this supposedly day of Worship, I wouldn't have attended.
Later, I approached the photographer and kindly requested that he deleted all the photographs he had taken as it was without my consent. He looked surprised as it seemed to be the first time someone had worried about photographs. He said he wanted the photographs for the church's website! Surely the Church does not need that many upclose photos of a visitor who came in for the first time, to display on their website. I noticed as he deleted showing me that he had actually take more than ten photographs from every angle, even the shoes, when my eyes were closed praying, when i walked into the church. He had taken so many unbelievable images of myself in many positions, some I was not even aware were taken, he had taken them secretly.
There was so much disruption all throughout the service and I was upset, even too upset as I couldn't even focus on the reason I had attended Church, which is to worship God. I couldn't concentrated on praying as the flash was too much and distructing. I still don't understand why everyone was ok with it, happy and all smiling, seeming to be, at some point, posing for the photos, hence the glamorous outfits.
It is very worrying how Churches are now focused on things that are not pleasing to God. Its no longer the house of God, but a house of fashion, filming, parties, social meeting, just to name a few where people get to while up time and chat about a lot of stuff that don't please God.
This was the Church very close to my house and so the next Sunday I attended again thinking that I had ironed it out that I didn't wanted personal photographs taken. But, guess what, I went through the same nightmare again. So I am on again trying to find a decent Church to attend. I never knew it could be this difficult, because all one wants is to worship God in a respectful decent environment.
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