It's come to a point when I am surpassed by technology. Sure, as I sit here, I am staring at a computer screen and "blogging," which is a term I still don't particularly understand. I prefer to say that I'm "typing in my journal." There, that's better. My cell phone is not fancy. I would prefer not to have one, and, if you asked any close acquaintances of mine, they'd tell you it's pointless for me to have one, considering I never answer it or check its voicemail. I have no idea what its features are, either. I know it can call, I know I can answer, and I know it can text. Although I am not good at texting, nor do I plan to become better.
I have caught myself saying, more than a few times: "not to be old-fashioned, but..." and I realize that perhaps I just am a little old-fashioned.
I believe people should respect each other, not one-up each other. One-upping leads to greed, and I know you're all smart enough to know where greed leads. I believe children should be encouraged to imagine, and parents should not allow video games and television to pollute that imagination. Equally, I believe that animal children and people children should be viewed as similar: they love to play and they love to run, and they love to be outside. Let them. There is plenty of time for seriousness later, God knows.
Speaking of serious, perhaps it's time we stop and take a serious look at what we've (we being mankind) created. We have created more than we can handle, in my opinion. The character in the 1995 movie Powder made the quote that he believed technology was surpassing humanity. I believe that too. Just look how easy it is, and how comfortable we've become, sending an email rather than making a phone call or writing a letter. It is also apparent that it is easier to talk in exaggeration or with a hint of deception, rather than to ever reveal oneself in truth.
A friend of mine expressed concern lately about teenage drinking, and how it is a favorite pastime of youth, to drink beyond oblivion, to not remember where they've been or how they got there. I mentioned my disbelief for a sign outside a Planned Parenthood that read: Birth control without pelvic exam, free STD testing, morning after pill $38. You may say it's my "old-fashionedness" coming out, but, really? Is that okay to advertise now? Why not just get a bigger sign and say this: "Text your boyfriend, and his friends, and his friend's friends, because in reality, he's going to text them all anyway and tell them truth or not what you did last night. Let him know you're headed here for a free STD screen and a quick morning-after pill. You'll let him know how it all goes. If he could contribute half to the pill, that'd be cool. If not, no biggie, right? Responsibility is so overrated anyway." In The Case for Christianity, C.S. Lewis said "Human beings, all over the earth, have this curious idea that they ought to behave in a certain way, and can't really get rid of it." Obviously.
Immanuel Kant was a Western-philosopher who challenged utilitarianism, and I have to challenge it too. Our society has just become too okay with "whatever feels good, looks good, and gets me there the fastest." I fear for my childrens' understanding of this, because it is all-too easy to become one who believes this, and the media targets our children relentlessly. Simply put, the utilitarian belief is that human beings are not necessarily responsible for their actions, and that the world has just influenced them to behave a certain way, and justify it. Likewise, punishment should be lenient, if at all. In reality, utilitarians think that we (society) owes it to people to help them, change them. Sounds great, right? At first glance, yes. Everyone wins, everyone receives the help they need, regardless of their offense. It even sounds like the Christian thing to do. But wait a minute.
Kantians believe differently. They believe in responsibility. They believe that humans are generally rational beings, and must be held accountable for their actions. They don't believe that we should be handed a "get out of jail free" card, but rather, learn from our mistakes and own up to them. They believe that if you created it, you must be able to control it, because, as my kid likes to say "no take backs." Sounds harsh, maybe. Sounds un-Christian. Hmmm...in many religions we confess our sins to God, whether it's in a tiny booth and in the presence of a priest, or a moment of silence in prayer. And didn't God tell us that we should live a certain way, in responsibility to Him? Didn't he make it clear that He sent His son to die for our sins, and that the only way to the kingdom of heaven is through His son? We can't justify our own sins, friends. We can't make them okay, and no one here on earth can, either. We can seek counseling, we can seek spiritual guidance, we can have the warm-fuzzy hug of a utilitarian thinker who says "it'll all end up okay." And hopefully, it will. I'm not saying we shouldn't help each other realize what's right. But somewhere down the line, we have to take ownership for the way our own lives are unfolding. We have to halt the madness of advancement and realize it isn't always for "a greater good." Sometimes the flashiest "things" come with the worst implications. It sort of reminds me of a time that I took a picture of myself in the mirror. The flash of the camera blocked my face in the photograph. It was as if I wasn't even there; like this bright light covered up who I am. Might be a bad analogy, but it makes sense to me.
I realize this is preachy and abstract. It's just a brief culmination of the things floating around my head lately. Perhaps it isn't for you, and that's alright. But since I have this nifty "blog" I can record my own thoughts and review them later, just as you can.I do have to insert, also, that I am not, by any means, perfect and didn't write this with the intention to make you think so. It's just another one of those little realizations that has dug a hole deep within me; one that I can't let go of but don't know exactly how to resolve it, either. I leave you with another C.S. Lewis quote. On some days, this quote makes me feel anxious, and on other days, it makes me feel assurance: "Now is our chance to choose the right side. God is holding back to give us that chance. It won't last forever. We must take it or leave it."

Lewis, C.S. (1996). The case for christianity. 1st ed. Touchstone Books.