Thursday, January 29, 2015

Digital World of Purity and Love


A Religious Sister who speaks about media literacy had just finished her talk, and was leaving when a parishioner accosted her. "That was a moving talk, Sister. Those who have fallen into this immorality is not a small number even in this parish."  " Not a small number?"  She was surprised at what the man said, and he in turn was surprised by the Sister's question. She kept repeating to herself how many was the many he was talking about? Are those who are reading these words also surprised by her response?

Her article in With Bible treats the subject of the digital world and how it relates to love and purity. "What I say to you is: anyone who looks lustfully at a woman has already committed adultery with her in his thoughts" (Matt. 5:28). "Not a few?" many may think the Sister is just innocent, and those who wonder how many are those who do not commit adultery? Carnal lust invigorates the economy. Movies and dramas package immorality and make it attractive. Extra marital encounters are construed in such a beautiful way in movies and dramas. Advertizing on any city street appeals often to the lower instincts and we continue to say those who have lust in their hearts have already committed adultery.How many hear these words and laugh?

SNS world is easily accessed. We can quickly relate with many, and discontinue contact with a simple click. A professor made a study, she mentions, of those who habitually connect with the SNS world and found that the marital problems are many. No reason to fight and in this virtual world, we can use symbolic words, which stimulate us more than the real world, but also makes the real world unattractive. 

Sister mentions a 7 year old child she knows who has an old doll, the nose is missing and the clothes in the back have fallen off. The Sister once asked the child, wasn't it time to take leave of the doll? The girl very strongly said how could she part company with the doll that has been with her since she was a little baby?  

She mentions the movie Her that came out in 2013.  A man is  going through a divorce and is in the dumps. He buys a new computer operating system which is one of the first artificially intelligent systems. After installing the operating system he falls in love with the seductive voice coming from the computer. This love is always the love that he always wanted to have. Is this what the future new technology is going to give us?

Lust does not allow us to see the other as a person. When we have this craving we lose our peace  and prayer becomes difficult. When we have immorality in the family we can't say there is love present. Is it proper for the single person to look lightly on the beam of purity shinning on our inner temples.

She would like to see all have the same mind as the seven year old child in the way she loved her doll.      Our thoughts, feelings and even love is being digitized. Purity relegated to the past. She is asking her readers to give a nod of approval to her belief that purity is one of the best ways to go in search of God.