It seems there are a few approaches to this issue among Christians.

  1. Do good work and attribute it to Christ.

  2. Do good work and if asked about why, attribute it to Christ then.

  3. Do good work without attributing it to Christ.

I’m in camp #1 when the work is public and when the reason I have undertaken the work is because of Christ. This is the case for Plucky. I would never have undertaken the project if it weren’t for Christ, and so I feel like it would give outsiders a false impression if I were not very clear about this. Lest you think I did this because I am by nature good, be deceived no longer!

I dislike camp #3 because while those directly benefiting from the work are still helped in the area relating to the work itself, they are not helped in their perception of the world. I fear that good work done without proclaiming Christ only leads to the growth of secular humanism because it promotes the view that loving one another is the normal way to live, and Christ can be disposed of because he doesn’t help people love each other in any case.

I think this view is widespread in the West. Do good, and dispose of Christ.

I think of my friend, an athiest, who said he doesn’t believe in Christianity because, “I knew Jack 2 years before I found out he was religious [in this case, a Mormon]. It doesn’t make any difference.” Putting aside the fact that he was referring to a Mormon, the underlying logic for my friend was, “I know that Christian-ish religious system isn’t true because I see no difference between those who believe in it and those who do not. It claims to make people loving or good, but I can see that in practice, there is no difference.”

I know of some people who judge whether Christianity is true, not based on reason, but on whether it makes a tangible difference, whether they see evidence of real love from it.

“Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in Heaven”

On the personal level, I do not make sure and say, “God bless you,” when I help a poor person because I think it is much easier to convey Christian witness without those words when doing something as a fully embodied person interacting with another fully embodied person.

In particular, they might conclude that Christianity is bunk because while Christians proclaim the need to love, they are loved just fine through their subscription to Safe Surfer (or whatever), and that company is not Christian.

I think the help might foster athiesm ala secular humanism. a view of the world that is athiestic. The underlying belief is that Christianity is not needed because human beings do good on their own.

I think Christian companies that are in camps 2 or 3 are sometimes fine, sometimes not.

In times past, I have referred to Pluckeye/Plucky as a “work of the Church” that I happen to be in charge of. And that is how I have viewed the project. But,

Plucky is a Christian product

Companies that are not Christian:

Norton Family Google Safe Link Kaspersky Safe Kids Many, many, more

Companies that are not explicity Christian, but whose CEO and/or all employees are Christian:

Adam Networks, Clean Browsing, Safe Surfer

Companies that are not explicitly Christian on their website, but that serve primarily the Church:

CovenantEyes

Companies that are explicitly Christian on their website:

Accountable2You Plucky X3Watch (defunct)

Companies that have theistic statements somewhere on their website:

Ever Accountable