Phil Fox Rose of Busted Halo, takes issue with some of the same aspect of the new app that I mentioned yesterday.
But I have one serious problem with it. I found one or more questions in the list for nearly every commandment that I felt were inappropriate, inapplicable, or framed in a way I found off-putting. These questions are not from any universally agreed-upon list, but they aren’t arbitrary; according to the company, the lists were put together as a collaboration between a local pastor and a priest at the USCCB, and the result received an imprimatur from an Indiana bishop. (The folks at Little iApps say this is the first time an app has received an imprimatur.)
The problem is that when you get this specific, then you’re going to include some things some people won’t agree with and leave out some things some people think are essential. For example, one question is whether you’ve prayed daily. I myself do, and it is most decidedly a good thing, but if you fail to do so, is that something you have to bring to a confessor?
While he thinks that it’s worth the two bucks, Phil also cautions:
My other concern about the app is that despite its mission, there isn’t enough hand-holding for the person who hasn’t been to confession in a long time and perhaps on impulse buys this $2 app in hopes of reconnecting. The app should have help screens and gentle welcoming language, rather than just thrusting them into a list of sins. It’s not the right tone for the intended audience.
Read the rest, as always, Phil’s thoughtful and insightful.