"Regardless of their religious beliefs, people are worshiping more and more – just not in the manner you might think. They don’t worship by going to church, praying to God, or reading a religious text. They do it by opening Facebook."
Worship; seems pretty simple to understand, by its definition. Per Dictionary.com, it is defined in religious context as, "Reverent honor and homage paid to God or a sacred personage, or to any object regarded as sacred; to render religious reverence and homage to; to feel an adoring reverence or regard for (any person or thing); worshiped, worshiping or (especially British) worshipped, worshipping; to render religious reverence and homage, as to a deity; to attend services of divine worship; to feel an adoring reverence or regard." Pretty much the definitions most of us are familiar with, but do we really give Facebook such honor?
As for me, Facebook simply represents an easy way to reach the masses, liturgical and otherwise. Whereas I use Verizon, on my LG phone, as my service provider, and I use Microsoft on my HP laptop so I can connect to Cable One, then to Google, then to Facebook, all in order to communicate with everyone more easily. Yes! It is for convenience! So, which one of these tools I've just mentioned does some other "tool" want to anoint with deity status? Well, Facebook, of course! I'm going to repeat this, probably ad nauseam: Don't be a fool; Facebook is also just a tool!
"As of this summer, the number of active users on Facebook has surpassed 2 billion, making it more popular than Islam (1.8 billion followers) and puts it hot on the heels of Christianity (2.3 billion followers). Going by the numbers, Facebook is now the second-largest religion in the world."
Numbers of users do not define a religion, or we'd all be making the Sign of the Cross and genuflecting prior to entering our much worshipped vehicles, then throwing our arms in the air while calling out "hallelujah" and planting a wet one on the hood after we safely exit the vehicle at our destination. Wait a minute... I already do all of that! Oh, crap! My car is GOD! Let us try to maintain some sense of reality, shall we? I'll go out on a limb here, I could be wrong, but I think even the university educated millennials won't buy into this tripe, right? (Nothing but crickets...)
As much as many of us seem to consider God a tool, God is not. On the other hand, the internet has become a laudable tool for knowledge and, therefore, of good and evil. Sound familiar? Check out Genesis. Perhaps there's a reason Jobs and Wozniak called their computer Company... Apple. This, then, would steer my little tale right into the evils of the internet, which might even the atheists among us balk. Anyone who considers giving a "tool" deity status so they can worship it might want to seek professional help, or have an exorcist look at their computer, or both. As with any other tool, the internet and sites like Facebook can be used for good and evil. "Used" means the tool is not alive and is, therefore, not inherently good or evil; it is the operator which determines the tool's use.
It would be like blaming a gun for killing someone, but that is a topic we've left for the inefficient tools we elected to Congress.
Most of us are, in fact, on the computer way too much. It is also an, unfortunate, fact that computers run the world and, for now, we run the computers. Where Facebook and other similar sites are concerned, maybe we would all be well served to try using our phones more or, better yet, meeting our friends for a libation so we can catch up and practice our face-to-face interpersonal communication. Next time you're at a restaurant, see how many people sitting at the same table just can't seem to put their electronics away. You can almost bet they're texting each other - across the damned table!
What we create are tools. Why we create them is to make our lives easier. Don't let our tools turn more of us into one. We have enough tools walking amongst us as it is. Perhaps we all need to practice not being the machines we use. All of this is just a thought, My Sunday Thought, for this coming weekend.
I think it's time for a nice cold beer, with friends, at my favorite cigar bar. Don't call me or text me, as my flip phone... will be turned off!
Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider another viewpoint.
It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.
We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.
As much as many of us seem to consider God a tool, God is not. On the other hand, the internet has become a laudable tool for knowledge and, therefore, of good and evil. Sound familiar? Check out Genesis. Perhaps there's a reason Jobs and Wozniak called their computer Company... Apple. This, then, would steer my little tale right into the evils of the internet, which might even the atheists among us balk. Anyone who considers giving a "tool" deity status so they can worship it might want to seek professional help, or have an exorcist look at their computer, or both. As with any other tool, the internet and sites like Facebook can be used for good and evil. "Used" means the tool is not alive and is, therefore, not inherently good or evil; it is the operator which determines the tool's use.
It would be like blaming a gun for killing someone, but that is a topic we've left for the inefficient tools we elected to Congress.
Most of us are, in fact, on the computer way too much. It is also an, unfortunate, fact that computers run the world and, for now, we run the computers. Where Facebook and other similar sites are concerned, maybe we would all be well served to try using our phones more or, better yet, meeting our friends for a libation so we can catch up and practice our face-to-face interpersonal communication. Next time you're at a restaurant, see how many people sitting at the same table just can't seem to put their electronics away. You can almost bet they're texting each other - across the damned table!
What we create are tools. Why we create them is to make our lives easier. Don't let our tools turn more of us into one. We have enough tools walking amongst us as it is. Perhaps we all need to practice not being the machines we use. All of this is just a thought, My Sunday Thought, for this coming weekend.
I think it's time for a nice cold beer, with friends, at my favorite cigar bar. Don't call me or text me, as my flip phone... will be turned off!
Editor's Note
(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)
Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider another viewpoint.It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.
We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.
Pastor Tony spent 23 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with an Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, to wage his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteers as Chaplain Program Liaison, at a regional medical center.
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