Daily Lessons from Life 11 December 2009

"Ultra-Orthodox rabbis decry Internet's 'terrible impurity' - Fri, Dec 11, 2009 AFP

JERUSALEM - Leading ultra-Orthodox rabbis on Friday told their flock to shun the Internet, claiming that even sites meant for the arch-conservative religious community contained 'lies and terrible impurity.' Those who entered the world of the Internet "will never return", they warned previously in a letter published previously in 3 ultra-orthodox newspapers."

It is an interesting accusation by the rabbis. They apparently relied on the written scripture all their life and did not like the 'impurity and lies' published in the Internet manned by the people.

Lessons for me are:

1. old tradition is under threat by new technology. Or is it? The answer depends on how you want to use the technology really;

2. Internet allowed a lot freer information sharing and creation of information, whether real or imaginary or true or twisted! So, its ultimate survival really depends on how much people can trust what they read and get from the Internet;

3. the rabbis will not be successful with their exhortation. They will do better if they work with those who updates the websites and make them understand the need to write things that are pure and not lies. Of course, what is truth depends on how they read what they are reading. Can the rabbis ever influenced that? Probably all they can do with to equip them with the wisdom and knowledge to be able to distinguish what is right and wrong and let them be. Otherwise, the rabbis can only be the 'referees' going around to change what is obviously wrong.

Internet will be here to stay until it self-destruct with so much rubbish and lies that people who read them just get turned off totally. I am not sure the days are near - YET!