They might not all be holding picket signs or chanting, but today’s students are far from the apathetic generation they’ve been labeled.
By Kimiko Martinez
Lifestyles Editor
In the family of modern American society, there are three children: Technology, Religion and Laziness. All three have been born of society, bred and nurtured by America’s history, drive for advancement and changed attitudes toward religion and spirituality.
Technology successfully strives ahead, dragging along Laziness, the spoiled youngest child of the three. Both Laziness and Technology have left behind the middle child, Religion, which in its purest form did not associate with these modern hindrances to its progression.
However, Technology and Laziness often gang up on Religion. Laziness receives attention by default, while the proud parent Society gloats at the latest achievement by its oldest child, Technology (although technically, Religion is the oldest).
Religion’s popularity is stolen by its other siblings. Technology makes things easier for society thus allowing Laziness to thrive. Technology has the potential to help Religion and its developments deliver the “Good News” more efficiently to parts of the world that are becoming more accessible through technology. Yet, Technology allows for a more logical and informed society, thus pushing faith aside because that which can be cognitively understood preys upon the confidence in something beyond human understanding.
Together, Laziness and Technology create a society of Doubting Thomases who rely on logic and facts to convince themselves of their purpose on this earth. These two elements rely on the human nature of understanding through the five senses rather than the feelings one encounters when they get to a point of not knowing. When one trusts in that which is unknown, it is called faith; and faith is the drive behind Religion.
Faith is what motivates and perpetuates the community of souls to gather in awe of something mysteriously inspiring and beautiful. In modern society the religious community must now confront Laziness and Technology in order to protect their faith in something that cannot be explained in a rational context.
Society uses logic to find understanding in the world. This is encouraged by our technological dependency and knowledge of how to make things function in a way that requires humans to do less work. Religion is often irrational, which goes against man’s need to have a rational explanation for how the world functions, and what their purpose on this earth may be.
Although our society may thrive on the fast pace of developing technology, the laziness that follows these advancements is breeding a spirit of apathy rather than a spirit of hope and inspiration.
Thomas A. Kempis, a scholar and theologian who was born in the late 1300s, once wrote that man should “never be wholly idle; but either reading or writing, or praying or meditating, or endeavoring something for the common good.”
Technology may provide elements for the common good, although its power is often abused, and its presence drains the desire to pursue time to read, write and meditate, thus leading to laziness.
When we are bombarded with information on the Internet, and messages on television, there must be a place to turn for peace and comfort. Ignoring the information would be to submit to being passive or lazy. To encourage technology would entail taking responsibility for the power of this knowledge. It is only in Religion where the answers are open-ended. In this dialogue, we may begin to find comfort in the unknown and find that discussion promotes positive communication; this brings an apathetic person out of laziness and calms a person who is anxious from the power surges of technology.
In the family of modern American society, there are three children: Technology, Religion and Laziness. All three have been born of society, bred and nurtured by America’s history, drive for advancement and changed attitudes toward religion and spirituality.
Technology successfully strives ahead, dragging along Laziness, the spoiled youngest child of the three. Both Laziness and Technology have left behind the middle child, Religion, which in its purest form did not associate with these modern hindrances to its progression.
However, Technology and Laziness often gang up on Religion. Laziness receives attention by default, while the proud parent Society gloats at the latest achievement by its oldest child, Technology (although technically, Religion is the oldest).
Religion’s popularity is stolen by its other siblings. Technology makes things easier for society thus allowing Laziness to thrive. Technology has the potential to help Religion and its developments deliver the “Good News” more efficiently to parts of the world that are becoming more accessible through technology. Yet, Technology allows for a more logical and informed society, thus pushing faith aside because that which can be cognitively understood preys upon the confidence in something beyond human understanding.
Together, Laziness and Technology create a society of Doubting Thomases who rely on logic and facts to convince themselves of their purpose on this earth. These two elements rely on the human nature of understanding through the five senses rather than the feelings one encounters when they get to a point of not knowing. When one trusts in that which is unknown, it is called faith; and faith is the drive behind Religion.
Faith is what motivates and perpetuates the community of souls to gather in awe of something mysteriously inspiring and beautiful. In modern society the religious community must now confront Laziness and Technology in order to protect their faith in something that cannot be explained in a rational context.
Society uses logic to find understanding in the world. This is encouraged by our technological dependency and knowledge of how to make things function in a way that requires humans to do less work. Religion is often irrational, which goes against man’s need to have a rational explanation for how the world functions, and what their purpose on this earth may be.
Although our society may thrive on the fast pace of developing technology, the laziness that follows these advancements is breeding a spirit of apathy rather than a spirit of hope and inspiration.
Thomas A. Kempis, a scholar and theologian who was born in the late 1300s, once wrote that man should “never be wholly idle; but either reading or writing, or praying or meditating, or endeavoring something for the common good.”
Technology may provide elements for the common good, although its power is often abused, and its presence drains the desire to pursue time to read, write and meditate, thus leading to laziness.
When we are bombarded with information on the Internet, and messages on television, there must be a place to turn for peace and comfort. Ignoring the information would be to submit to being passive or lazy. To encourage technology would entail taking responsibility for the power of this knowledge. It is only in Religion where the answers are open-ended. In this dialogue, we may begin to find comfort in the unknown and find that discussion promotes positive communication; this brings an apathetic person out of laziness and calms a person who is anxious from the power surges of technology.
— Tired of religion getting the short end of the stick? E-mail sklowrey@pepperdine.edu.
January 23, 2003
