The big problem with PokemonGO

Everybody is talking about it – the new AR app which is sweeping the world. It’s ruining neighbourhoods in Australia:

The place is in complete chaos with crowds of well over 1,000 per night. There is a massive level of noise after midnight, uncontrollable traffic, excessive rubbish, smokers, drunk people, people who are ‘camping’ in the site, and even people peddling mobile phone chargers.

It’s already the biggest mobile game in US history, and it’s heading for the UK. There’s a lot of chatter about it here too, and even though it’s not officially available in SA, people have tweaked the system and there are already groups arranging meetings to play together.

It’s… it’s not for me. But I’m willing to appreciate that it might be for others in the same way that 5-a-side football might not be for them. And as long as these Pokemon “trainers” don’t affect my life (see Sydney news article above), I have no problem with it. Even if I’m sick of hearing about it already. Very much like my approach to religious people then. And talking of them…

Religious people aren’t happy. Imams in Turkey want the app banned there, citing that it

…undermines the prominence and significance of mosques, which are the most beautiful worship places in Islam.

While in the US, according to right-wing Christian pastor Rick Wiles, there’s a real danger that ISIS might get hold of the app, in which you have to find and capture imaginary fantasy creatures, and adapt it to find and capture (or worse) real live Christians.

What if this technology is transferred to Islamic jihadists, and Islamic jihadists have an app that shows them where Christians are located geographically?

It’s a worrying point. But, if you are concerned about Christians being located geographically, then maybe all gathering together at one particular spot at 9am each Sunday isn’t your best plan ever. And neither is having your address publicly available on the internet simply by googling “Rick Wiles Address”.

But even if the “Jihadists” don’t get hold of the app, there’s still the ongoing risk of attracting demonic powers through your phone:

The enemy, Satan, is targeting churches with virtual, digital, cyber-demons. I believe this thing is a magnet for demonic powers.

And we all know that one minute, you’re looking for a Jigglypuff and then the next… well…

At what point does this game go live and the Pokemon masters are telling people to kill people in those buildings?

Quite.

To be fair, there was quite a lot of this going on in the US before Satan started playing with your AR-enabled smartphones, though.

We’ll give the good Pastor one last burst, shall we?

They’re spawning demons inside your church. They’re targeting your church with demonic activity. This technology will be used by the enemies of the cross to target, locate and execute Christians.

Either that, or they just found a Bulbasaur by your lychgate.
Or something…