Wrap Up: Final Thoughts

It's safe the past 10 weeks of Apple, Google, Facebook have challenged my previous ideas as to how religion is evolving into the 21st century through technological advancements. Some ideas that we have touched upon in class have kind of frightened me (regarding the actual worship of the internet, so to speak) whereas others have given me hope for a harmonious relationship between the two concepts in this world (i. e. understanding the advantages both bring to the table in terms of abstract and concrete human ideals about the world we live in). I intend to make this blog short and sweet, as are the majority of my previous rants, but I'd also like to delve into my opinion of the future of religion and the impact technology has on it's fate.

Whether or not you have a pessimistic view on the fate of popular, traditional, religions as this man does here or as Jason Silva seems to think, or you tend to be optimistic given the fact some of these traditional belief systems have endured numerous critiques for thousands of years, it is safe to assume there is will be a meshing of the two worlds as the 21st century progresses. Organized religions will either adapt to the onset of the internet and it's capabilities, such as mormonism and certain catholic youth group movements, or it will disregard the innovative techniques completely like Amish traditions or certain sects of the hasidic Judaism. I would personally like to believe there can be a peaceful transition between the two cultures of modern society. Religion can utilize technology as a way of bringing people together who have previously rejected certain aspects of their faith, like Catholics Come Home, or they can rebel against technology and claim it cannot represent abstract ideas such as faith, hope, and love in the ways humanistic values are represented in religious settings. I'd like to think there's hope (hence the reason I'm writing about Catholicism and it's adaptations to the internet), and that is where I'll end my final blog: I've reached a better understanding of both sides to this argument and feel comfortable believing in the optimistic future we will all take part in.