I said before that the internet is basically a universal bathroom wall - Well, I didn't say that. I stole that from somebody else... And I'm pretty sure that was stolen from somebody else. - Anybody can write on the wall anything they feel like. And often "true" reading material is scattered about the grimy floor (think ads and pop-ups and spam mail).
The trend towards pornography continues to grow exponentially. Our writing comes with a fascinating link to audio and visual - picture and video. Trashy magazines found in back alleys are now found in search engines hits for "Toys-R-us." Movable type? Everybody's living room or even lap (top) is a printing press beyond anything Gutenberg could have dreamed. So how do we filter out the worthwhile material?
With gained knowledge come gained joy and gained sorrow. I'm not going to expound on the gained sorrow I have from knowing about the tragedies in Rowanda or Louisiana or the motel 8 that Paris Hilton became famous for (lets admit that its at least admirable that I don't know where the actual motel/hotel/whatever was at). But How can I trade that for the power of what I have gained? And trying to pretend that I have paid for any of my music, movies, tv shows, e-books, and so forth would be laughable... With the least bit of knowledge the internet can teach you how to get your information free. But you know what they say about free stuff right? It's Awesome.
The bottom line - The gap between good and evil grows - the power for good and evil grows. Humanism makes its case in both greatness and debauchery. The test of all ages awaits for us upon the bathroom wall. How better to prove if one has chosen the better part than to see what path he chosen amongst the knowledge at his (or her) fingertips.
Great post! Good things can also be used for bad!
ReplyDeleteYou also mentioned about self control and gained knowledge. What do you think about governments controlling the media and internet?
Very interesting to note that not only have new mediums changed the way we view the world but it's almost fundamentally changed the way we are tested in our mortal probation.
ReplyDeleteHey thanks Jeffrey - and Clint,
ReplyDeleteI think that as we become more integrated the gap between good and evil will continue to widen.
I lament - with actual tears - that I cannot trust that my children will grow up without the influence of things they can never delete from their minds. I rejoice that Christ allows it to be deleted from their souls.
With that said I do not know what kind of control should be placed on our growing connections. I know that I want our children to be given a good barrier to allow them to grow and strengthen before hitting the "real world" but I strongly resist control - especially by the government (I'm looking at you Mr. "O"). It is the intensity of our surrounding fires that proves our metal weak or strong.
I think this will be one of the great struggles of our time -- teaching our children to be wise consumers of the information they have available. We can teach them to be like Manutius -- compiling the best of what is available, and rejecting what doesn't measure up to their standards.
ReplyDeleteAnd in our culture we learn to teach by faith, to teach faith itself, and then to have faith that they will seek the aid of Almighty God to become better than we were.
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