The Apps of the Apostles
Saturday, 01 May 2010 12:58
Tired of online churches, twittering vicars, blogging bishops and all the other appertenances of religion on the Internet?
Article courtesy of www.shipoffools.com
Welcome to the wonderful world of iPhone apps, where Bibles, blessings, rosaries and religious radio – not to mention chakra tuning and aura reading – are all now available at the tap of a screen. We've sifted through the hundreds of religious apps available and chosen just 10 which seem to be most in tune with the spirit of the iPhone: quirky, inventive, interactive and, above all, entertaining.
Hallelujah Button
Just won the lottery? Just been told by your boss, "We're going to have to let you go"? Either way, the Hallelujah Button is a godsend. Simply hit the button (or shake your iPhone) and a few seconds of the Hallelujah Chorus bursts forth. It's perfect for use in church services too... just hold your iPhone aloft when the preacher finally concludes the sermon.The Hallelujah Button. As developed by George Frederick Handel.
£0.59/$0.99
Click below for the iTunes page
Mizrach Compass
Where's Jerusalem? It's a question which should worry everyone who wants to pray correctly. With Jerusalem and Mecca only a few degrees apart when viewed from London or New York, you don't want your prayers aimed at the wrong holy city, or you might inadvertantly slip into another religion. So why not let the Mizrach Compass app take the worry out of prayer? Just hold your iPhone level and you'll soon be directing your prayers at the Wailing Wall.
£0.59/$0.99
Click below for the iTunes page
Church Organ
The blurb for this app is work of art in itself. "Did you ever dreamed to carry a big Church Organ in your pocket, to play while travelling or sitting in your sofa?" Well, frankly, yes. But back to the app. Church organists who can't bear to be parted from their instruments can now practise Sunday's tricky voluntary on the go, with two keyboards, four octaves and plenty of stops to recreate that "in church" feeling.
£0.59/$0.99
Click below for the iTunes page
Bible Clock
Imagine being awoken each morning by a deep, plummy voice intoning the words of Psalm 57 – "Awake my soul! Awake harp and lyre..." – followed by a series of short, piercing beeps. If that's your cup of tea* then BibleClock could be just what you need. It has over 100 minutes of Bible verses chosen with early mornings in mind. And in a stunning bonus feature, "If you make the sign of the cross with your finger on the clock face, the clock will play either the Lord's Prayer or the 23rd Psalm." Apps don’t come any better than this.
*Cup of tea not included
£2.99/$4.99
Click below for the iTunes page
I-phone Rosary
Thinking of taking up the rosary? Let your iPhone take the strain. Just plug in your headphones, select audio, and a nice young man recites the rosary for you, complete with Our Fathers, Hail Marys and the Mysteries, while the beads light up like a pinball machine as you go round the loop. Alternatively, switch the audio to ambient sounds, and treat yourself to some truly dreadful sound files while you look at pictures of the sky, the seashore, or an alpine field.
£0.59/$0.99
Click below for the iTunes page
Bible Shaker
There is approximately one myriad Bibles for the iPhone (all good, but rather uninventive), so this is our favourite Bible-related app. Just choose a category, such asblessing, finances, guilt, hell, homosexuality... hang on, homosexuality? Then shake your iPhone, and a random verse on the theme pops up. Which is really handy when you're wanting to impart a word of encouragement, or tell a homosexual or a witch why they are detestable to the Lord. Preloaded with the King James version, for that extra touch of brimstone.
£0.59/$0.99
Click below for the iTunes page
Menorah
At last... a non-flammable menorah which you can light up on your iPhone. Simply click on the shamash(the yellow "helper" candle) and you can light each of the other candles in turn. Lighting the last candle triggers a sung Jewish blessing, warbled in Hebrew. In a nice touch, the flickering candles gradually melt down in about 10 minutes and go out by themselves. For a video demo of this perfect example of faith meets fire meets phone, click here!
£1.79/$2.99
Click below for the iTunes page
The Interfaith Calendar
The perfect gift for the pluralist in your life, the Today Interfaith Calendar has most bases covered, religion-wise. Whether you're Baha'i, Buddhist, Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Orthodox or Sikh, you'll be shown the saints and festivals from your religious neck of the woods. And in a bid to capture the entire market, the app also allows you to check on your biorhythms and star sign. Such a shame then, that the list of faiths doesn't include our favourite, the Snake-handling Pentecostals.
£1.19/$1.99
Click below for the iTunes page
Jesus lives
This is one of those inkblot tests used by shrinks, right? You stare at the strange white blobs on a black background for 35 seconds, and then suddenly the screen turns white. If you then see a ghostly image of Jesus floating before your eyes, consult a psychiatrist or check your meds. Jesus Lives... it's what the iPhone was made for.
£0.59/$0.99
Click below for the iTunes page
Azan Alarm Clock
Out of range of a minaret? Lost track of when the next prayer time is? The Azan Alarm Clock is here to help. As well as turning your iPhone into a splendidly Arabic-looking digital clock, it issues the call to prayer throughout the day, using the correct times, adjusted for your location. You can even choose the voice of your virtual muezzin, with Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens) on the menu, which for non-Muslims is almost worth converting to Islam for.
£2.39/$3.99
Click below for the iTunes page
