|
Technology
and Spirituality
|
| |
Most people would
not use technology and spirituality in the same sentence,
let alone write a few paragraphs about them. Usually
the two subjects remain isolated. I feel, however, the
technological advances that have revolutionized our
lives in so many ways, can also assist in a spiritual
revolution.
For a rather worldly example, let's look at the stock
market. Up until the last two or three years, in order
to purchase or trade stocks, you needed a stockbroker
or large company to act as a go-between. The individual
held relatively little access, and had to rely on experts
for advice and to make the trade. Today, stock market
information is found in abundance on the internet, and
trades can be made by individuals from the privacy of
their own homes. The individual trader has become self-reliant,
and the day-trading phenomenon has changed the way Wall
Street operates. Some market analysts believe day-traders
have become one of the prime forces driving the market.
Can the same computer and internet technology assist
with individual spiritual growth? I think it can. Certainly,
the internet cannot be a substitute for meditation,
prayer, or compassionate service to others. It's extremely
doubtful anyone will discover the face of God on a web-page,
but the web does hold the potential to free individuals
from relying on outside organizations or individuals
for spiritual growth.
Just as the printing press led to the individual copies
of the Bible and on to the Protestant reformation, increased
access to a wide variety of spiritual information over
the web, and the use of discussion groups for like-minded
individuals to share insights, could be the catalyst
to increased spiritual growth and a reformation of the
spiritual/religious scene as we know it. Perhaps the
time has come where individuals will take charge of
their own spiritual development, wresting it from churches
and self-proclaimed gurus, much as the day-traders have
taken charge of the stock market. |
|
