Theological Significance of Cyberspace
Today we are in the age of computers and internet, an extraordinary invention of human beings. The internet has changed our life, the way we communicate, the way we travel, even the way we think. The internet is a network of networks spread across the globe. When a group of computers connected together we call it a network. The internet is also known as the information superhighway, digital library, electronic mail, electronic market etc.
The internet has enormous storage of information. We can get any information at the click of the mouse. Yes, it is the world’s largest library. But many overlook the ‘internet’s astonishing ability to bring people together. Each individual with access can keep in touch with family and friends, get breaking news and discuss its implications, use the incredible search engine resources for research, comparison shopping and more.
It is a medium of mass communication that is also intensely personal and interactive. Through the internet, we can ask for and offer advice, share ideas and get feedback while discovering new knowledge. We can meet new people and make valuable contacts, all the while improving our computer and writing skills. The internet can be compared to sitting at the local coffee shop where people sit at the table, talk and listen. You can send a letter to one or hundreds through email which will be delivered in a fraction of a second anywhere in the world. In this paper we will be dealing mainly the communicating aspect of internet.
In its inception internet was used mainly as a network of computers known as ARPANET exclusively for the defence department of the United States.[1] Over the years, more and more computers and networks were added to it and emerged what we have today. The internet truly came of age, as we see it today, in 1998. Its growth has been phenomenal and has given hundreds of millions of people the opportunity to be online and communicate through a new medium. Its influence is clearly felt in politics, education, business, travel and media. These interactive services make our lives easier and more convenient.
How it is integrated into people’s lives is the search we are dwelling into. Already the internet has quickly become a global medium that is as central and valuable to our lives as the telephones of the 1920s and the television in the 1950s. The majority of consumers who have been online for three years or more now view this medium as a necessity to their lives. Almost every culture and nation now uses it. Every age group is significantly involved from young school children to elderly users. People who live overseas manage to get online and suddenly their world comes very close to our own.
The phenomenal growth of internet has made it very ambiguous that it is rather difficult to attribute it to any particular domain. It’s an incredible electronic maze, and it is an information superhighway. Perhaps most importantly, it is a community builder. The internet brings like-minded people together. Today you will find many communities somewhere on the web. Groups who have often been excluded or who feel rejected by religion are finding spiritual community online. Deep friendships develop and it is not uncommon to hear people talking of their electronic soul mates.
People who have been reluctant to write a traditional letter, postcard or note are spending hours writing electronic letters (email) to pen pals around the world, sharing their faith experiences and favourite websites of spiritual hospitality and generosity, helping people pray with a simple click of the computer mouse.
From the above description we notice that the internet has a number of striking features. It is instantaneous, immediate, worldwide, decentralized, interactive, endlessly expandable in contents and outreach, flexible and adaptable to a remarkable degree. It is egalitarian, in the sense that anyone with the necessary equipment and modest technical skill can be an active presence in cyberspace, declare his or her message to the world, and demand a hearing. It allows individuals to indulge in anonymity, role-playing, and fantasizing and also to enter into community with others and engage in sharing.
The spread of the Internet also raises a number of other ethical questions about matters like privacy, the security and confidentiality of data, copyright and intellectual property law, pornography, hate sites, the dissemination of rumour and character assassination under the guise of news.[2] Internet has become a challenge to science-religion dialogue. Today the Church uses internet for a lot of its activities. But, at the same time, there are many issues which the Church needs to face and solve with regard to its use and abuse. Internet and cyberspace create a virtual world before us. This new virtual space transcends our physical space and time. In the virtual world of cyberspace, we get into various kinds of activities and relationships, which need to be guided by various theological and ethical principles. This paper aims at that.
The word "cyberspace" (from cybernetics and space) was coined by science fiction novelist and seminal cyberpunk author William Gibson in his 1982 story "Burning Chrome" and popularized by his 1984 novel ‘Neuromancer’. The metaphor used to describe the 'sense of a social setting that exists purely within a space of representation and communication . . . it exists entirely within a computer space, distributed across increasingly complex and fluid networks.[3] According to him cyberspace is the name of a real, be it non-spatial world, which is characterized by the ability for virtual presence of, and interaction between peoples through icons and artificial realities.[4]
Cyberspace enables us to enter into a new realm of existence and mode of activities. To elaborate it more, Cyberspace is the site of computer mediated communication (CMC), in which online relationships and alternative forms of online identity are enacted, raising important questions about the social psychology of Internet use, the relationship between 'online' and 'offline' forms of life and interaction, and the relationship between the 'real' and the virtual. It draws attention to remediation of culture through new media technologies not just a communication tool but a social destination and culturally significant in its own right. Finally cyberspace is seen as providing new opportunities to reshape society and culture through "hidden" identities, or the borderless communication and culture.[5]
Cyber Communication: Theoretically, it describes the flow of digital data through the network of interconnected computers that was both not 'real' since one could not spatially locate it or feel it as a tangible object and clearly 'real' in its effects. It is the communication done through or with the aid of computer related network in the cyberspace. An example for cyber communication is email. There are other media like websites, blogs, chat-sites which all enable us to communicate with one another.
In this dissertation I am going to adopt the interdisciplinary method. When we deal with the theological significance of cyberspace, there is an interaction between science and religion. Common belief among many is that the technological and religious realms are fundamentally incompatible and diametrically opposed to each other. People always attributed science as secular and something incompatible to religion and spirituality. Today we see that people increasingly rely on science and technology for their enjoyment rather than finding happiness in religious and social activities.
However, the Church conceives internet as ‘gift of God’ which will unite men in brotherhood and so help them to cooperate with his plan for their salvation. The internet is thought of as a useful medium in the mission to communicate the ‘Good News of Jesus Christ’ to various groups of people. In this context, let us see how we can make cyberspace technology a tool to bring people closer to God. We also see various aspects of the emergence of computer mediated religion, cyber religion or virtual religion.
Cyberspace which is the result of internet has created a revolution in the field of communication shrivelling the concept of global village. At the same time, there are various types of media that are working in the cyberspace through which the communication is made possible. In this section we see some of the issues related to cyberspace.
i. E-mail, websites and blogs
Electronic mail—often abbreviated as e-mail or email—is any method of creating, transmitting, or storing primarily text-based human communications with digital communications systems. Modern e-mail systems are based on a store-and-forward model in which e-mail computer server systems, accept, forward, or store messages on behalf of users, who connect to the e-mail infrastructure with their personal computer or other network-enabled device for the duration of message transmission or retrieval to or from their designated server.[6]
Research has shown that that people actively use email to maintain core social networks, particularly when members live at a distance. The results suggest that increases in Internet usage are associated with decreases in other modes of communication, with proficiency of Internet and email use serving as a mediating factor in this relationship. Many people who have accessed to internet have resorted to email for communicating messages across to those who also have the facility for internet.
A website is a collection of related web pages, images, videos or other digital assets that are hosted on one web server, usually accessible via the Internet. All publicly accessible websites are seen collectively as constituting the "World Wide Web". Some websites require a subscription to access some or all of their content. Examples of subscription sites include many business sites, parts of many news sites, academic journal sites, gaming sites, message boards, Web-based e-mail, services, social networking websites, and sites providing real-time stock market data.[7]
Organized by function a website may be a personal website, a commercial website, a government website or a non-profit organization website. Basically in operation there are two types of websites known as static and dynamic websites. The former has the content fixed and it has only one way of communication. The latter has the content changing with time. It also allows lot of interactivity.
A blog (a contraction of the term weblog) is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. "Blog" can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog. Many blogs provide commentary or news on a particular subject; others function as more personal online diaries. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, Web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs.[8]
ii. Intellectual property and ownership vs. piracy
The world is running today on the steam of information. No wonder then, that the levers of power are in the hands of those who let flow or control information. In this information age, possession and control of information are keys to wealth, power and success. Today those who own and control the information infrastructure are amongst the wealthiest and most powerful of all. The concept of digital divide arises from this situation. Those who own digitized intellectual property – software, database, music, video, films, literary and artistic works, and educational resources – possess major economic assets as in the case of software giants like Microsoft and Adobe. Digitized data can be easily copied and even altered and thus are available in the internet for free downloading of copyrighted or patented intellectual property. This has become a major social and ethical issue today.[9]
The copyright infringement of software (often referred to as software piracy) refers to several practices which involve the unauthorized copying of computer software.[10] Creating a copy and/or selling it or renting the original software is treated as software piracy. However, in many of the developing countries a large percentage of people use pirated software as the original is far beyond what they can afford. It is very difficult to have a universal law regarding software piracy and the varying laws across the countries makes it difficult to track software piracy. China is the leading country with regard to software piracy.
In this context we see that knowledge has been commercialized for the selfish and greedy purpose of a few. Knowledge, by its very nature is something should be shared across humanity. A candle looses nothing by lighting another one. This could be a message for the many international companies who hold intellectual property rights for what they possess.
iii. Tele-working, Call Centre
Work and the workplace are being transformed by internet and communication technology. Today more choices and flexibility are possible such as telemarketing, call centres etc. There are various terms to denote working in the cyberspace. Telecommuting, e-commuting, e-work, tele-work, working at home (WAH), or working from home (WFH) is a work arrangement in which employees enjoy flexibility in working location and hours. Many work from home, while others, occasionally also referred to as nomad workers or web commuters utilize mobile telecommunications technology to work from coffee shops or myriad other locations. Tele-work is a broader term, referring to substituting telecommunications for any form of work-related travel, thereby eliminating the distance restrictions of telecommuting. Telecommuting options increase the employability of proximal or circumstantially marginalized groups, such as mothers and fathers with small children, the disabled and people living in remote areas. However, there is a danger that Tele-working replaces others who are computer illiterate.
A call centre is a centralised office used for the purpose of receiving and transmitting a large volume of requests by telephone. A call centre is operated by a company to administer incoming product support or information inquiries from consumers. Outgoing calls for telemarketing, clientele, product services, and debt collection are also made. In addition to a call centre, collective handling of letters, faxes, live chat, and e-mails at one location is known as a contact centre.
iv. Marriage Bureau
Marriage websites, or online matrimonial sites, are a variation of the standard dating websites, with a focus on those wanting marriage rather than simply dating.[11] Typically, matrimonial sites are used by people who prefer arranged marriage over love marriage. The term planned marriage has been used to describe marriages originating through matrimonial websites.
Matrimonial sites register users, after which they are able to upload their profile onto a searchable database maintained by the website. Those users looking to find suitors can search the database with customised searches that typically include nationality, age, gender, availability of photograph and often religion, geographic location and caste (mainly for websites based in India).
Alongside riding on the success and convenience of Online Matrimony services, one needs to exercise care and caution in giving out the information. Recent trends showed that there is a possibility of putting this information to misuse.
v. Online Banking and Gaming
Computer games or E-games – which we understand to mean primarily games that require computer processing for their play, in either standalone or network-based environments – have long evoked fierce debate in many circles, raising sentiments across the board.
Today computers have become part and parcel of our day to day life. Directly or indirectly we are making use of them. Some of the uses of computers and cyberspace include the following.[12]
Robotics and Industrial Automation: The integration of computers and movable electromechanical arms – to perform such tasks as assembling parts, welding, and spray painting – define industrial automation. Robots also may be used for jobs dangerous to humans in hazardous environments such as under the sea, mines, space, and nuclear reactors.
Office Automation: The integration of computers, large or small, local and long distance networks, fax, and printers is transforming the office. Sophisticated word processing, database systems, email, automatic meeting schedules, management information systems, telecommuting, and portable computing are among the components of what has been called “the Office of the Future.”
Electronic financial transactions: The use of ATMs, POSs, and computer communication systems results in electronic financial transactions and may at some point produce the “cashless” society. A dense network linking financial institutions, retailers, wholesalers, and the public is continually changing shopping and banking habits.
Microprocessors: The miniaturization of computing power in the form of microprocessors has enabled the computer to be incorporated into an ever-increasing variety of consumer products. Among these are cameras, automobiles, television sets, microwave ovens, fax machines, stereo systems etc.
Email and Teleconferencing: the use of computer terminals and communication networks permits messages to be sent across the office or across the country and stored in computers or printed and delivered locally as ordinary mail. Combined with fax and tele-conferencing, these new communication modes are changing the way companies do business.
Artificial Intelligence: Developments in AI are continually expanding the role computers play in our lives, especially in areas that directly challenge human uniqueness. Once an academic pursuit, AI is achieving varying degrees of economic impact in such as expert systems, intelligent robots, and sophisticated diagnostic systems.
Media: Software has been developed to enhance communication media, be it visual, audio or movies. Today we have software like Adobe Photoshop, Sound Forge, Adobe Premiere to do various media related works.
In spite of all these benefits of cyberspace and internet, there are many areas of the abuse of internet. The root of the problem is that, cyberspace is not governed or owned by anybody. All are equally responsible for the growth of cyberspace. The only international body with regard to cyberspace is the World Wide Web Consortium who mainly maintains the rules concerning the type of scripting languages to be used in making the websites. There is no international law as such to forcefully implement over the abuse of internet.
Along with this, anonymity and the aspect of virtual reality also plays a very important role in the abuse of internet. The area of abuse includes information stealing, pornography, hate sites, personal information stealing such as passwords, credit card information, sending of hackers and info stealers, attacking computers with viruses, cracking the copy righted software etc. An altogether new area of abuse is what we call the cyber terrorism. Today with the aid of internet the terrorists are able to make their activity more effective where internet becomes a tool of communication as well as a source of information for them.
A serious concern raised by Christian believers and others is the enormous amount of time some people spent surfing the internet resulting in exaggerated individualism, increasing self-centredness and alienation and also obsession and addiction. Cyberspace offers a lot to make people addictive and obsessive about it. There are instances of academic failure, weakening of human relationships with the over use of internet. So there is an urgent need from the side of the Church and the civil society to make the people aware of the dangers of the abuse and over use of cyberspace. According to the teaching of the church, the internet is being put to many good uses now, with the promise of many more, but much harm also can be done by its improper use. Which it will be, good or harm, use or abuse, is largely a matter of choice.
The Church's interest in the Internet is a particular expression of her longstanding interest in the media of social communication. For the Church, communication remained a mission and an essential part of the proclamation of the Kingdom. Like any other media, even when condemning serious abuses, the Church has taken a fundamentally positive approach to the internet and cyberspace. Quoting Pope Pius XII's 1957 encyclical letter Miranda Prorsus, the Pastoral Instruction on the Means of Social Communication Communio et Progressio, published in 1971, underlined that point: “The Church sees these media as ‘gifts of God' which, in accordance with his providential design, unite men in brotherhood and so help them to cooperate with his plan for their salvation”.[13]
The Internet, which is helping bring about revolutionary changes in commerce, education, politics, journalism, the relationship of nation to nation and culture to culture—changes not just in how people communicate but in how they understand their lives. So it should contribute greatly to the enlargement and enrichment of men's minds and to the propagation and consolidation of the kingdom of God. The Church encourages media’s right development and right use for the sake of human development, justice, and peace—for the up building of society at the local, national, and community levels in the light of the common good and in a spirit of solidarity.
According to the Church, the internet and other forms of communication find their starting point in the communion of love among the divine Persons and their communication with us, and in the realization that Trinitarian communication reaches out to humankind: The Son is the Word, eternally ‘spoken' by the Father; and in and through Jesus Christ, Son and Word made flesh, God communicates himself and his salvation to women and men.[14] God continues to communicate with humanity through many ways and means, especially through the Church, the bearer and custodian of his revelation, to whose living teaching office alone he has entrusted the task of authentically interpreting his word. Moreover, the Church herself is a communio, a communion of persons and Eucharistic communities arising from and mirroring the communion of the Trinity; communication therefore is of the essence of the Church.
The Internet is being put to many good uses now, with the promise of many more, but much harm also can be done by its improper use. Which it will be, good or harm, is largely a matter of choice—a choice to whose making the Church brings two elements of great importance: her commitment to the dignity of the human person and her long tradition of moral wisdom. In internet, with regard to the message communicated, the process of communicating, and structural and systemic issues in communication, “the fundamental ethical principle is this: The human person and the human community are the end and measure of the use of the media of social communication; communication should be by persons to persons for the integral development of persons”.[15]
The Internet is relevant to many activities and programs of the Church— evangelization, including both re-evangelization and new evangelization and the traditional missionary work Ad Gentes, catechesis and other kinds of education, news and information, apologetics, governance and administration, and some forms of pastoral counseling and spiritual direction. Although the virtual reality of cyberspace cannot substitute for real interpersonal community, the incarnational reality of the sacraments and the liturgy, or the immediate and direct proclamation of the gospel, it can complement them, attract people to a fuller experience of the life of faith, and enrich the religious lives of users. It also provides the Church with a means for communicating with particular groups—young people and young adults, the elderly and home-bound, persons living in remote areas, the members of other religious bodies—who otherwise may be difficult to reach.[16] It will be something like the printing literature but with a much wider extent.
The Church raises the a few concerns regarding the use and spread of internet such as digital divide (information rich and information poor). It underlines the fact that individuals, groups, and nations must have access to the new technology in order to share in the promised benefits of globalization and development and not fall further behind. Cultural domination is an especially serious problem when a dominant culture carries false values inimical to the true good of individuals and groups.
Education and training regarding the Internet ought to be part of comprehensive programs of media education available to members of the Church. As much as possible, pastoral planning for social communications should make provision for this training in the formation of seminarians, priests, religious, and lay pastoral personnel as well as teachers, parents, and students. Here we should keep in mind that teaching about the Internet and the new technology thus involves much more than teaching techniques; young people need to learn how to function well in the world of cyberspace, make discerning judgments according to sound moral criteria about what they find there, and use the new technology for their integral development and the benefit of others.
Church leaders are obliged to use “the full potential of the ‘computer age' to serve the human and transcendent vocation of every person, and thus to give glory to the Father from whom all good things come”. They ought to employ this remarkable technology in many different aspects of the Church's mission, while also exploring opportunities for ecumenical and interreligious cooperation in its use.[17] Concerning use of computers at home, parental supervision should include making sure that filtering technology is used in computers available to children when that is financially and technically feasible, in order to protect them as much as possible from pornography, sexual predators, and other threats. Unsupervised exposure to the Internet should not be allowed. Parents and children should dialogue together about what is seen and experienced in cyberspace; sharing with other families who have the same values and concerns will also be helpful. The fundamental parental duty here is to help children become discriminating, responsible Internet users and not addicts of the Internet, neglecting contact with their peers and with nature itself.
We need to extensively make use of the facility of blogs to express our views, ideas and also to constructively criticize the things happening in our society. Today we do have blogs on various faith issues, saints etc. which is a welcome sign in making cyberspace an area of information and evangelization.
Thus we see that the Church is not against the use of cyberspace and internet but it leaves us with caution calling us to prudence and justice and a sense moderation in its use for the greater glory of God.
According to Deborah Johnson, computer ethics studies the way in which computers ‘pose new versions of standard moral problems and moral dilemmas, exacerbating the old problems, and forcing us to apply ordinary moral norms in unchartered realms.[18] It deals with the principles and standards that guide our behaviour toward other people in the cyberspace. Though there are some traditional methods of checking the unethical use of the cyber space such as rating, filtering, and blocking, they alone cannot replace Internet ethics. First, any ethical regulation of the cyberspace must correspond to the plurality and diversity of the world’s cultures and notions of morality. Second, the ethical regulation of the cyberspace must correspond to its various spheres of communication and activity, which form a diversity of its own.[19]
The following are some of the areas under consideration in cyberspace ethics.
Studies in cyber anthropology recognize that the new 'virtual' communities are no longer defined by geographic or even semiotic (ethnic/religious/linguistic) boundaries. Instead, communities are being constructed in cyberspace on the basis of common affiliative interests, transcending boundaries of class, nation, race, gender, and language. Even as old systems of social organization are imploding, the various 'virtual communities' are growing. Today we have different forums, blogs and groups such as yahoo-groups and google-groups where communities are created with common interests. Now, the human relationships in such groups are very important for the harmonious sustenance of the group and its effective functioning.
The computers and electronic communication systems that make up cyberspace can be used to either preserve or destroy the anonymity of individuals. Anonymity in cyberspace focuses both on the individual’s right to maintain anonymity in cyberspace and the problems such anonymity often creates. Privacy is the right to be left alone when you want to be, to have control over your own personal possessions, and not to be observed without your consent. There are instances where would like to retain our identity and details to ourselves such as email details, credit card details or e-commerce details. But there are also instances where people exploit the aspect of privacy and anonymity for negative purposes especially in cyber sex and pornographic sites. In the case of selling of private information such as email ids and the anonymous login to the certain immoral sites violates human dignity and treats people as means not as ends.
Virtual reality refers to the worlds that we construct through our use of computer technology. In this sense, virtual reality is not simply the simulation of physical reality that we bring about through the use of special goggles or gloves or earphones. Virtual community is a group of people primarily or initially communicating or interacting with each other by means of information technologies, typically over the internet, rather than in person.[20] The activities of such communities include sharing of resources (files), chatting on various topics and video conferencing. The reality we inhabit when we use a computer is a reality that is brought into being by the commands of a programmer (for example a website designer). In life, reality happens in response to the word of God and when we are in touch with the ground realities of the world. Hence, cyberspace is a world that is constructed totally of signals or messages. It is a world that exists in those mysterious forms of mind that digital technology has made possible. Using the language of George Berkeley, in cyberspace, "To be is to be digitized."[21]
According to the Computer Ethics Institute, the following are the Ten Commandments for computer ethics.[22]
Thou shalt not use a computer to harm other people.
Thou shalt not interfere with other people's computer work.
Thou shalt not snoop around in other people's files.
Thou shalt not use a computer to steal.
Thou shalt not use a computer to bear false witness.
Thou shalt not use or copy software for which you have not paid.
Thou shalt not use other people's computer resources without authorization.
Thou shalt not appropriate other people's intellectual output.
Thou shalt think about the social consequences of the program you write.
Thou shalt use a computer in ways that show consideration and respect.
According to me, the above commands indeed bring out the ethical principles of cyberspace in a nutshell.
Today cyberspace has become a world of exploitation and cheat. There seems to be a very damaging and dangerous ethical lapse in the use of cyberspace. In this context, the programmers and the people who are behind certain websites treat the human beings utility based for ones’ success and economic well-being. Hence, here lies a big ethical challenge. According to utilitarian theory, of those actions available to you, you are morally obliged to choose that action which maximizes total happiness (summed over all affected persons).[23] In this context, people should be treated as ends not as means. So programmers must treat other computer users as persons whose desires should be respected, rather than as economic units. In the background of this the following are the general moral imperatives accepted by the Association for Computing Machinery: contribute to society and human well-being, avoid harm to others, be honest and trustworthy, be fair and take action not to discriminate, honour property rights including copyrights and patents, give proper credit for intellectual property, respect the privacy of others and honor confidentiality.[24]
As with other media, the person and the community of persons are central to ethical evaluation of the Internet. In regard to the message communicated, the process of communicating, and structural and systemic issues in communication, the fundamental ethical principle is that the human person and the human community are the end and measure of the use of the media of social communication; communication should be by persons to persons for the integral development of persons.
Cyberspace being a universal library there are plenty of materials useful for parish apostolate such as homilies, religious instruction, prayer notes etc. there are several sites on homiletics, prayers, counseling, healthcare, education, catechetic, and all kinds of inspirational materials useful for prayer and reflection. However, there are some pastoral concerns which we need to address to make the good use of cyberspace.
At a very deep level, the world of the media can sometimes seem indifferent and even hostile to Christian faith and morality. This is partly because media culture is so deeply imbued with a typically postmodern sense that the only absolute truth is that there are no absolute truths or that, if there were, they would be inaccessible to human reason and therefore irrelevant. So when the people especially the youth and children are exposed to such materials, they could easily be carried away. And, it is very difficult for the people responsible for the faith formation to monitor their activities. By nature, people today like to read scandalous materials without even looking into the truth of the same.
Along with the problems specified above, we also see the presence of hate sites in cyberspace, devoted to defaming and attacking religious and ethnic groups. Some of these target the Catholic Church. Like pornography and violence in the media, internet hate sites are “reflections of the dark side of a human nature marred by sin”. And while respect for free expression may require tolerating even voices of hatred up to a point, industry self-regulation—and, where required, intervention by public authority—should establish and enforce reasonable limits to what can be said. The abuse of internet to make arrangement for terrorist attacks[25] and other collective acts of violence is proved in the case of September 11 twin tower attack in New York and the Nov 2008 Taj Hotel attack in Mumbai.
Another biggest challenge especially the youth have to face is the presence of pornographic materials in the cyberspace. Today around 35% of the entire web resources are nothing but pornographic materials. According to the Church, pornography in the media is understood as a violation, through the use of audiovisual techniques, of the right to privacy of the human body in its male or female nature, a violation which reduces the human person and human body to an anonymous object of misuse for the purpose of gratifying concupiscence.[26] In this situation, the people who are responsible for their faith formation especially the parents must re-double their efforts to provide for the sound moral formation of children and youth. This includes inculcation of healthy attitudes toward human sexuality based on respect for the dignity of every person as a child of God, on the virtue of chastity and on the practice of self-discipline. In the parish level, internet helps to give first contacts to people, but deepening the relationships is done by personal email letters and even face to face contacts.[27]
People who spend a lot of time browsing the internet forget many important things in life such social life, prayer life, intellectual habits and family life. The crime and violence in cyberspace especially in the movies and the online games need to be properly dealt with. The typical use of the Internet is a highly individualistic, idiosyncratic activity, which eventually results disorders in human relationships. So these ethical issues are basically pastoral issues which need properly attention and solution.
In the previous chapters we have seen that because of its limitless space, decentralized nature and interactive possibilities cyber space offers great opportunities for communication and the effective distribution of information in all spheres of human life. So, religious and spiritual groups use the cyber space intensively to proclaim their beliefs and to get into contact with fellow believers. In this chapter we look into various aspects of cyberspace expressions of faith.
Let us consider the following case. A diocese is well supplied with electronic technology. Every Sunday morning at 10:30 the bishop is principal celebrant and homilist at the Eucharist in the cathedral. The mass is televised to parish churches throughout the diocese. Thus congregations throughout the diocese would be aware that they are together with one another, all around the Eucharist presided over by the bishop in the cathedral. Parishioners are encouraged to attend; Holy Communion is provided at the same time that it is distributed at the cathedral in the course of the mass; and the bishop declares that participation in the Eucharist of the cathedral via electronic communication fulfills the Sunday obligation, which is of concern to many of the people of the diocese.
We seem to come close here to realizing that supreme expression of the liturgy. It is not a perfect realization, but it has striking features. The bishop can actually function as preacher, teacher, and priest of a large portion of the people under his care. The people can see, hear, and come to know their bishop as few of them ever would in the way we currently conduct the life of the church. People widely scattered geographically and separated sociologically could be united in thought and aspiration through the bishop's preaching, teaching, and leadership in worship. These dispersed people could be united in the realization that they were worshiping together under the leadership of their common pastor. A weekly communications event of this sort would seem to offer great promise for building up a sense of the local church at the diocesan level and creating a unity among people that could be a significant force for heralding the coming reign of God in a secularist society.[28]
Now how do we evaluate such kind liturgy? Does it really fulfill the true requirements of liturgy? We can debate over this topic as it has its advantages and disadvantages. The liturgy is an activity of a community, of people in touch with one another and acting together, though different members do diverse things to accomplish the whole. Another characteristic of liturgy that would have to be provided for is its structure of dialogue. Liturgical worship is a dialogue between God and us: God speaks to us and we respond. That pattern is manifested in the liturgy in various ways. The liturgy of the Word can be seen as God addressing us and the Eucharist as our response. Here we also see that the freedom of one's participation in the liturgy is restricted. The question is how we address the problem of tactual involvement of the participants in the liturgy.[29]
The notion of finding God in cyberspace as many people look for life’s ultimate answers in the search sites of the cyberspace and forming a faith community in and through the cyberspace is a fact. Many people in fact acknowledge that it really helps. The prayer site, run by the Irish Jesuits, www. sacredspace.org is very much appreciated by people. It helps people in their busy schedule to pause and spend some time in prayer. There are also pilgrimages or animated pilgrimage places in the website where we can have a virtual tour of the pilgrimage site and do worships such as breaking coconut, arti, garlanding flowers and burning incense and candle for our favorite deity.
Often we see that such online prayer or videoconferences do help in our devotional practices. But they cannot replace what we have been practicing over the centuries. So it is a challenge for us to utilize such facilities in most acceptable and dignified manner.
One of the biggest challenges offered by cyberspace is our understanding of Christ. There are many people who have resorted to the cyberspace for their spiritual needs. They attend virtual prayers in the sites; even attend telecasted Eucharistic celebrations in the internet. Now the question here is does it only satisfy our spiritual needs in a vague manner or is that all enough? According to the Church, Virtual reality is no substitute for the Real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, the sacramental reality of the other sacraments, and shared worship in a flesh and blood human community. There are no sacraments on the Internet; and even the religious experiences possible there by the grace of God are insufficient apart from real world interaction with other persons of faith.[30]
The underlying fact here is that the virtual can always point us to the real but can never replace the real. The problem and the challenge is that often our devotion in the virtual place is replacing our other spiritual practices. In the same manner, today when people, especially the youth, immerse themselves with cyberspace, absent themselves from the sacraments especially the Holy Eucharist. Another area is the spread of controversial movies in the cyberspace. Due to the technologies of the cyberspace, movies such as Da Vinci Code, the Temptations of Jesus Christ are distributed like hotcakes. They are easily available for free download and also many discussion forums write extensively on such topics to sensationalize them. People with shallow faith and critical mind are carried away by such activities.
The Church promotes itself and the faith based on Scripture and tradition. It is governed by a hierarchical structure with the Pope as its head. The Church has been seen as "a people made one with the unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit."[31] And fully incorporated into the Church are those who possessing the Spirit of Christ, accept all the means of salvation given to the Church together with her entire organisation, and who – by the bonds constituted by the profession of faith, the sacraments, ecclesiastical government, and communion – are joined in the visible structure of the Church of Christ, who rules her through the Supreme Pontiff and the bishops.[32] Internet challenges the issue of tradition and hierarchy among the faithful as internet offers everyone to publish faith materials without the proper approval and consent. The challenge for the Church is to see whether, cyberspace related religious practices promote these aspects of the Church.
As mentioned earlier, the sacramentality of the sacraments cannot be justified when it is exercised in the cyberspace. In a similar fashion, religious practices in the cyberspace often reject authorities other than the self since they are non-hierarchical ways of practicing religion. Cyberspace practices are often decentralized and distributed across the virtual space. So the essential meaning and mission of the Church cannot be fully realized in the cyber space.
In the Church there is a strong emphasis on the community of religious practitioners and the authority of priests or ministers. There also exists hierarchical structures and authority (on behalf of God) which is very important. The religious practices in cyberspace do not really follow the above essential elements. There is a move from the communitarian faith to the individualistic faith, which is against the fundamental nature of the Church.
“For the first two millennia, the Church has operated on the principle that if people ‘bring their bodies to Church’, their minds will gradually follow! Thus, the Church has insisted on Sunday Mass attendance as the principal expression of how Catholics belong to the ecclesia. In many ways, this principle has been the bedrock of our Catholic ritual system. Ritual, we often say, flows from the body, the sensorium. We do not baptize the brain’s neocortical layer, we baptize the whole body, that quivering mass of nerves, blood, muscle and fiber, of human emotions and feelings, hopes and doubts. We belong to a people precisely belonging to a body. At Eucharist, the body of Christ gathered at and around the table receives the body of Christ who is on the table. So we believe. But if people discover that they can belong to ‘virtual communities’ and ‘chat rooms’ online – without ever leaving their homes – what then? Is regular liturgical participation necessary? How we choose to answer, this will determine the future of Catholic liturgy.” [33]
According to Communio et Progressio, the means of social communication can contribute a great deal to human unity. If however, men’s minds and hearts are ill disposed, if good will is not there, this outpouring of technology may produce an opposite effect, so that there is less understanding and more discord, and as a result evils are multiplied.[34] This is what is happening with the cyberspace which, along with its many advantages, presents multitude of evils to the people who enter into it. In such situations, the Church is challenged to uphold the purpose of such social communications. In an era of globalization, the means of social communication have become so important as to be for many the chief means of information and education, of guidance and inspiration in their behavior as individuals, families and within society at large. In particular, the younger generation is growing up in a world conditioned by the mass media.[35]
So the question to ask ourselves is whether we access cyber space or not? It contains materials on pornography, violence, hate and there are websites where interpretations and practices of our faith which do not reflect the position of Vatican. At the same time, a huge variety of religious interpretations and spiritual beliefs might lead to a consumer approach to matters of faith, thereby neglecting the wholeness of Christian faith and raising doubts about the traditional set of Christian beliefs and practices.[36] All these pose a huge challenge to the meaning and mission of the Church itself.
First of all we have seen that in cyberspace, God is the distributed, decentralized system. And as computers are able to do more and more of what was once done only by human beings, and as people merge more and more of their daily tasks into their computers (including that most human activity: communicating), computer networks will come not only to feel like a part of one's self, they will be an extension of the self. Moreover, from its very inception, the cyberspace seems to have been growing, both in size and function, with a force both unpredictable and unplanned.
Basing itself upon Sacred Scripture and Tradition, Vat II teaches that the Church, now sojourning on earth as an exile, is necessary for salvation.[37] Christ, present to us in his body, which is the Church, is the one Mediator and the unique way of salvation. In explicit terms he himself affirmed the necessity of faith and baptism (cf. Mk 16:16; Jn 3:5) and thereby affirmed also the necessity of the Church, for through Baptism as through a door men enter the Church. Whosoever, therefore, knowing that the Catholic Church was made necessary by Christ, would refuse to enter or to remain in it, could not be saved.[38] It inevitably shows that we fulfil our spiritual quest by embracing Jesus Christ in the Church. This leads us to salvation.
Here we have a new concept to deal with. This is cyber-salvation. Cyber-salvation is today’s virtual reality. "I found God through the internet" is an increasingly heard testimony. While some debate if the internet can save souls, it must be recognized as a rapidly growing movement. God.com is today’s reality. Cyber evangelism is occurring globally in every major faith tradition and spiritual inclination. New technology is empowering people of faith to share ancient spiritual wisdom and beauty and as well as culturally relevant.[39]
People who formerly sat in front of their televisions or went out for a social drink now surf the cyberspace. Many have never darkened the door of a church, temple, synagogue or mosque. But they sample internet churches, spirituality chat and prayer rooms, searching web pages for religious information and spiritual companions. Each faith tradition is eager to share their interpretation of an online gospel. Everybody believes in something and that something is on the World Wide Web.
Cyber pilgrims browse and download Spanish, French, Portuguese, Russian and English meditations and other spiritual resources written by a variety of international authors. Some visitors print off materials and share them with friends and family who are offline. There are people who share hard copies of such reflections with those hospitalized or with others who are in prison. Many forward email copies of the devotionals and they circulate the world, stimulating electronic conversations about the Sacred. Such quest for spiritual thirst and salvation in the cyberspace is yet another challenge to the Church.
With cyberspace and computer mediated communication, we are at bottom dealing with the question whether technology determines our lives, or whether it should serve life which is larger in its depth and scope than technological means in cyberspace. Like in other fields, in the field of cyberspace too there has taken place a scandalous divide between those who are digitally powerful and those who are left behind. Hence, it is highly important that the benefits of the cyberspace serve holistic developmental goals and objectives. Here is a field theology needs to evolve, so that greater digital justice is ensured in making the benefits equally and fruitfully available to everyone. Also the centrality of the Word for the Church, its responsibility for communication, pervades the Church’s life, history and thought.[40]
So theology needs to assist the people and society in making sense of the contradictions and help transform the situation. Against this background let us see various aspects of a cyber theology.
When we attempt to theologize the cyberspace, actually we are examining various aspects of communication theology, as cyberspace is essentially communication. Communication is the process in which relationships are established, maintained, modified, or terminated through the increase or reduction of meaning. Community is where our human existence takes place. Community is established and maintained by the relationships created by our communications. We establish our relative individuality within this community. The more we participate in community, the more we become true individuals, and the more we become individuals, the more richly we participate in community. Community, the fulfillment of effective human communication, is essential to our becoming human.[41] Communication creates communities, and it goes beyond just information sharing.
Basing on the new understanding, the communication in the cyberspace can be considered as: [42]
- Holistic: today there is a more holistic understanding of the communication ministry in the Church. Communication is not just a matter of mastering or using media skills and techniques, but is considered to be an integral part of the very mission of the Church in mission and proclamation.
- Means not end: Cyberspace communication cannot be considered as an end in itself but a powerful means at the service of the Church and society.
- New language: More than the techniques it is considered as a new language and hence its potentialities are to be put to the best use.
- Teamwork: Cyber communicators cannot work in isolation; by its very nature communications demands team work in good co-operation.
- Process: Cyber communication is considered more as process, which facilitates a relationship through computer mediated conversation and interaction.
- Link: Cyber communication as a ministry is understood as a service and link for all other apostolates in the Church.
- Necessity: In the new media age, cyber communication is considered not as an option for the chosen few but a necessity for all sections of the Church at all levels.
Salvation History recounts and documents the communication of God with man, a communication which uses all forms and ways of communicating. The human being is created in the image and likeness of God in order to embrace divine revelation and to enter into loving dialogue with Him. Because of sin, this capacity for dialogue at both the personal and social level has been altered, and humanity has had to suffer, and will continue to suffer, the bitter experience of incomprehension and separation. God, however, did not abandon the human race, but sent his own Son. In the Word made flesh communication itself takes on its most profound saving meaning: thus, in the Holy Spirit, the human being is given the capacity to receive salvation, and to proclaim and give witness to it before the world.
The communication between God and humanity has thus reached its perfection in the Word made flesh. The act of love by which God reveals himself, united to the response of faith by humanity, generates a fruitful dialogue. We can ask the Lord to help us to understand how to communicate with God and with other human beings through the marvelous communications media in the form of cyberspace. Treating cyberspace as a gift of God, it provides a providential opportunity to reach people everywhere, overcoming barriers of time, of space and of language; presenting the content of faith in the most varied ways imaginable; and offering to all who search the possibility of entering into dialogue with the mystery of God, revealed fully in Christ Jesus. Internet has enabled English as a universal language and is no more a foreign language.
The Incarnate Word has left us an example of how to communicate with the Father and with humanity, whether in moments of silence and recollection, or in preaching in every place and in every way. He explains the Scriptures, expresses himself in parables, dialogues within the intimacy of the home, and speaks in the squares, along the streets, on the shores of the lake and on the mountaintops communicating the unconditional love of the Abba Father.
Hence, communication permeates the essential dimensions of the Church which is called to announce to all the joyful message of salvation. For this reason, the Church takes advantage of the opportunities offered by the communications media, especially cyberspace, as pathways providentially given by God to intensify communion and to render more penetrating the proclamation of His word. The media permit the manifestation of the universal character of the People of God, favoring a more intense and immediate exchange among local Churches, and nourishing mutual awareness and cooperation. [43]
Revelation is nothing but God’s self-communication and hence, theology at every point is concerned with communication. The Trinity has been seen as a mystery of communications between three persons of the Father, the Son/Word and the Spirit. Creation is seen as the Trinity communicating its life to the world. God’s communication is directly intended for human liberation from the effects of sin and fulfillment. It is through his action in history that we have an insight into the mystery of his being. Therefore, humans encounter the self-communication of God in and through God’s decisive and definitive action in the process of their liberation.[44] God communicates life and love to all his creation and it is promoting love and life God liberates humankind from the clutches of sin.
Basing on the above theological foundations we need to examine whether the human relationships and interactions in the cyberspace promote life and love i.e., are they pro-life and pro-love. So a new cyber theology can emerge, when we make our online communities and groups as places where life is promoted and love is upheld. Along with this, the Kingdom values of Jesus should be upheld by ever favouring the oppressed, respecting human dignity, giving respect for woman and by giving importance to issues of the subaltern. This is a challenge for all who make their presence in the cyberspace for whatever reason irrespective of their caste, creed, language and culture.
Spirituality is a word, though constantly used, very difficult to define or describe in acceptable terms to all. Spirituality refers to many aspects of human life, and it is basically a life style. A person’s spirituality is the way in which he or she lives in accordance with basic values and it presupposes certain amount of permanency and continuity. Spirituality is also relational in the sense that it is also concerned about how one relates to oneself, to others, to nature and eventually to God. Spiritual life is the sum total of responses which one makes to what is perceived as the inner call and when the individual has decided to make this call the centre of activity and choice, he or she may be called a spiritual person.[45] Here we can interpret the concept in two separate realms; one is the spirituality assisted by the tools of cyberspace and the other is spirituality meant for needed for a genuine existence in the cyberspace.
Internet offers better scope to be linked to others on the other side of the globe. Distance and time are easily overcome through digital media and communication is established in the virtual space but between real persons. Thus cyberspace is the meeting point of everyone without any distinction of gender, language, caste, colour and even religion. Online communication creates a collective consciousness and makes the ultimate aim of spirituality to arrive at oneness with everyone provide, the communication be constructive and acceptable in spiritual and moral standards. This oneness is something Teilhard de Chardin posited in the term “noosphere” which is an emerging global super-consciousness known and experienced by all.[46]
Cyberspace, with its depository of information and facets of knowledge in the virtual libraries, offers access to various resources and methods of spiritual experience, which is helpful to study spirituality as an academic discipline with ecumenical and inter-religious sensibility. With plethora of scriptural texts from all religions and various spiritual masters available in the cyberspace helps an individual seeker to choose the spiritual stimulant suitable for his/her needs.
Cyberspace serves as a forum of healthy communication and fruitful dialogue for exchanging the spiritual experiences with others. Access to other religious heritage and traditions and spiritual techniques through internet could help to build up a tolerant and harmonious mind-set up and create a human community rooted in peace and fraternity.[47]
Now coming to the second aspect, the spirituality that can make the cyberspace really an authentic place for seeking God is that of communion and solidarity. Cyberspace should enable and nurture communion and solidarity among its members. Today the world is divided into fragments based on caste, language, religion, country, culture etc. So if we can bridge the gap between such divisions surely cyberspace is worth being in. Cyberspace has the potential for community building and by being ethical and humane, we should foster this communion and solidarity. Today we have ample instances of blogs, emails etc., supporting the cause of the poor, downtrodden, sick and suffering. But it does not deny the abuse of cyberspace such as hate sites, and sites which propagate division and terrorism.
Respect for human dignity is a must in the cyberspace. Human beings are created in the image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:27). This inherent human dignity should be respected and upheld in the cyberspace. If we achieve this in a collective level, we can in a large extend remove the hate sites, and other unethical sites from cyberspace. Here the Church can play a major role in creating the awareness among its members in this regard so that together we can stop the abuses of cyberspace.
Cyber spirituality is a community affair where all who access should benefit the goodness that is in it. So we will reap what we plant in cyberspace. Spirituality is a community enterprise. It is a passage of a people through the solitude and dangers of the desert, as it carves out its own way in the following of Jesus Christ. This Spiritual experience is the well from which we must drink. From it we draw the promise of resurrection.[48]
So, a specifically religious attitude towards the cyber space should not be using the medium for a religious message or considering the internet itself as a religious revelation. Instead it should try to incarnate in the medium in order to see, hear and articulate what is really going on in the world that reflects and that it is in its new way is. Internet is a medium of God’s presence not exactly a substitution to the sacramental presence of God. We need to clearly define and identify the real and virtual presence of God in the internet. Though we do not live by virtual presence there are occurrences of sacramental communion and Real Presences of the God of compassion and love taking shape in and through internet. It is openness to these presences that a theological ethics of mediated connectivity should be informed and cultivated. It is openness to the places where the City of God takes shape amidst the new city of man that is the internet.[49]
We have seen that a sustained and disciplined reflection on human experience in light of faith is called “theology”. Eschatology is the theological study of the end time, both the end and the goal of our individual time here on earth and the end and goal of time itself.[50] As digital humanity in the cyberspace hungers for wholeness and meaning, redemption, deliverance and healing, in short, for spiritual transformation, there is a prospect for cyber eschatology.
The emergence and growth of computers has been phenomenal. We should also take into consideration the fact that the early fictional movies portrayed computers with enormous controlling power, 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) as an example. Many of the computer-controlled or robot-guided themes in movies show that, an error in the programming of the computer or as the effect of Artificial Intelligence, these computer controlled robots take dominion over the human beings and thus destroying the entire humankind. Though they are fictitious there is a message for all of us regarding the end time. To put it in a different way, to what extend computers and cyberspace can go, in assisting the human without making them slaves.
Today in this polarized world, computers possess total control of nuclear arsenals in many countries. An error in the programming or even a miscommunication in cyberspace can trigger war across the countries or the self-destruction of the countries. The problem with the computers is that though, they possess enormous computing power, they don’t have the decision making abilities to respond to real life situations. They are controlled by the programmer who has programmed them. So, extreme care in the programming is important for its right manipulation. Thus computers are attributed with the power to deliver, protect or even to destroy and thus given a messianic figure. This potential and mite of the computer points to an element of eschatology i.e., a future filled with desirable and attainable promise and hope.
Those of us who have done computer programming will be familiar with a God-like feeling we get from the power that computers place in our hands. In programming a computer, we create worlds. We type, and it happens. We bring worlds into being ex nihilo - out of nothing. We command and the computer obeys. What we command should be guided by ethical principles for the good of everybody. This also gives us the power to create the image of God for oneself and for others in the cyberspace. So our search for God in cyberspace here and now should be affected by our idea of cyber eschatology. The growth of cyberspace can also be understood as the growth of our own evolution. Hence, cyber eschatology points to what Teilhard de Chardin’s Omega point, the ultimate end of evolution.[51]
With its phenomenal development computers have become a possibility machine. With the aid of the computers many things are made possible. It has a terrific potentiality to enter into virtually all the realms of our day today life. However, the possibilities and potentialities are guided by what we supply to the computer; ie the input, the process and the intended output. The process decides what the computer should do with the given input. This processing ability of the computer makes it alive to our responses. Here, the programmer creates the virtual world for others, raising himself to the order of creation as that of genesis, with the difference that the latter takes place in the virtual reality of the cyberspace. Now, the eschatological question will be whether the creation of the programmer provides redemption and salvation to those who seek God in the cyberspace.
If salvation has to do with the ultimate meaning of human life and the overcoming of alienation and the powers of death, then it must be said emphatically that digital technology and cyberspace does not promise us salvation. Digital technology may provide us with new possibilities of speed and accuracy. It may overcome earlier limits set to human self-expression by barriers of space and time. But the ambivalences of the human heart will not be abolished by the new medium.[52] But cyberspace can provide us with means for salvation not a substitute for it.
So the proposed cyber eschatology presents the following praxis for finding God in cyberspace.
· promote or present stories of hope and project victory of good over the evil
· prove ultimate victory of justice and peace over injustice and violence.
· Quench the quest for meaning in cyberspace who seeks it.
· Promote inter-faith, inter-religious, inter-cultural relationships.
· A possible hierarchical control necessary for overseeing its functions.
· Limits on the freedom of expression for the sake of the welfare of the community as a whole.
So cyber eschatology prompts us to promote life and love in cyberspace. It calls us to stop all the abuse of cyberspace and make it a place conducive for all to be in our best for the welfare of one and all.
Christians use cyberspace and computer technology in a more functional way, to enhance communication, to build relationships in offline communities and to spread the message of Jesus Christ on a global scale. It is often used as a medium of enhancing their piety and devotion and not used as a substitution to sacramental life. Use of the new information technology and the cyberspace needs to be informed and guided by a resolute commitment to the practice of solidarity in the service of the common good, within and among nations. This technology can be a means for solving human problems, promoting the integral development of persons, creating a world governed by justice and peace and love.[53]
The study made in this paper calls for a changes in perception and values of the cyberspace. "This change enables us in striving to bring the kingdom of God to fullness in ourselves and in our world where cyberspace is an integral reality. It means continuing fidelity to God's call to us in our lifetime, and in the many different areas and apostolates open to us in our world. It means living the values of the gospel: loving God and our neighbor, our friend and our enemy -- with courage. It means showing preferential concern for the hungry, the thirsty, the oppressed, the poor, the lonely, the sick, the homeless, the imprisoned (Matthew 5 and 25)." [54] Cyberspace can help us to integrate this call into our lives today and we can help cyberspace to integrate this call and serve the needs of people in a healthy way.
It is important that people at all levels of the Church use the Internet creatively to meet their responsibilities and help fulfill the Church's mission. Methods of facilitating communication and dialogue among her own members can strengthen the bonds of unity between them. Immediate access to information makes it possible for [the Church] to deepen her dialogue with the contemporary world...The Church can more readily inform the world of her beliefs and explain the reasons for her stance on any given issue or event. She can hear more clearly the voice of public opinion, and enter into a continuous discussion with the world around her, thus involving herself more immediately in the common search for solutions to humanity's many pressing problems.
So, the content of cyberspace could be the kingdom values of Jesus[55], and the pedagogy is to do unto others what you would like them to do for you and this will be the foundation for a new cyber world matching towards God.
1. Apostolic Letter. The Rapid Development, John Paul II, To Those Responsible For Communications, 24 January 2005.
2. Baird, Robert M (Ed). Cyber Ethics, New York: Prometheus Books, 2000.
3. Communio et Progressio, Pastoral Instruction on the Means of Social Communication.
4. Concilium 2005/1, London: SCM Press. 2005.
5. David, Erman M (Ed). Computers, Ethics and Society. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.
6. Edapppilly, John. The Emerging Electronic Church. Bangalore: Asian Trading Corporation, 2003.
7. Eilers, Franz Josef (Ed). Church and Social Communication in Asia. Manila: Logos Publications, 2008.
8. Ethics in Internet, Pontifical Council for Social Communications, 2002.
9. Flannery, Austin O.P., ed. Vatican Council II. Mumbai: St. Paul’s, 1975.
10. Gutierrez, Gustavo. We Drink From Our on Wells. New York: Orbis Books, 1984.
11. Jeevadhara, Vol 36,No. 211, January 2006.
12. Kelly, Joseph T. 101 Questions and Answers on the Four Last Things. Mumbai: St Paul’s, 2006.
13. Kizza, Joseph Migga. Ethical and Social Issues in the Information Age. New York: Springer Media, 2003.
14. Kristu Jyoti, A Kristu Jyoti Publicataion, Vol 22, No.2, June 2006.
15. Lochhead, David. Shifting Realities. Geneva: WCC Publications, 1997.
16. Palakeel, Joseph (Ed). Towards a Communication Theology, (Bangalore: Asian Trading Corporation, 2003.
17. Richard S, Rosenberg. The Social Impact of Computers. California: Elsevier Academic Press, 2004
18. Spirituality Today, Spring 1983, Vol. 35, No. 1
19. The Church and Internet - Pontifical Council for Social Communications, 2002.
20. Ward, Bynum Terrel. Computer Ethics and Professional Responsibility. UK: Blackwell, 2004.
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1. www.americaonline.com
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6. www.spiritualitytoday.com
7. www.spirituality.com
8. www.sacredspace.ie
[1] Joseph Migga Kizza. Ethical and Social Issues in the Information Age (New York: Springer Media, 2003), 9.
[2] ibid, p. 59
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberspace accessed on 24 February 2009.
[4] Stephan Van and Erp-Eric Borgman. Which Message is the Medium, in Kristu Jyoti, Vol 22, No.2, June 2006 p. 86.
[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberspace accessed on 26 February 2009.
[6] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-mail
[7] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_site
[8] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog
[9] Terrel Ward Bynum. Computer Ethics and Professional Responsibility (UK: Blackwell, 2004), 5.
[10] Richard S Rosenberg. The Social Impact of Computers. (California: Elsevier Academic Press, 2004), 421.
[11] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matrimony
[12] Richard S Rosenberg, ibid., 22.
[13] The Church and Internet - Pontifical Council for Social Communications. No-1. (Electronic Notes)
[14] Ibid no. 3
[15] Ethics in Internet, Pontifical Council for Social Communications. No. 6 (Electronic Notes)
[16] The Church and Internet, Pontifical Council for Social Communications. No. 5b (Electronic Notes)
[17] Ibid. no. 11
[18] Terrel Ward Bynum, ibid., 17
[19] Robert M Baird (Ed), Cyber Ethics, (New York: Prometheus Books, 2000), 25.
[20] Gilbert Choondal, “Towards a Cyber ministry,” in Kristu Jyoti, Vol 22, No.2, June 2006. P 144.
[21] http://www.religion-research.org/irtc/reality.htm
[22] Electronic Notes from Computer Ethics Institute.
[23] M David Erman (Ed). Computers, Ethics and Society, (New York: Oxford University Press, 2003), 3.
[24] http://www.crosscurrents.org/henderson.htm
[25] John Ottamar,” Cyberethics: New Challenges or Old Problems,” in Borgman (Ed). Concilium 2005/1, (London: SCM Press. 2005), p. 17.
[26] Pontifical Council for Social Communications, Pornography and Violence in the Communications Media: A Pastoral Response. No. 9, 1989. (Electronic Notes)
[27] John Srampikal, “Opportunities and Challenges in Parish Communications in Information Age,” in Kristu Jyoti, Vol 22, No.2, June 2006 p. 118.
[28] Christopher Kiesling. Liturgy via Electronic Communication: Is It Possible? www.spiritualitytoday.com accessed on 13 March 2009.
[29] Christopher Kiesling: Liturgy via Electronic Communication: Is It Possible? SPIRITUALITY TODAY, Spring 1983, Vol. 35, No. 1, pp. 51-58.
[30] Ethics in internet
[31] Vat II, Lumen Gentium, no. 5
[32] Ibid. no. 14
[33] Nathan D Mitchell, “Ritual and New Media,” in Borgman (Ed). Concilium 2005/1, (London: SCM Press. 2005), p. 98.
[34] Communio et Progressio, Pastoral Instruction on the Means of Social Communication, No. 9.
[35] Franz-Josef Eilers. “Social Communication in Ecclesia in Asia,” in Franz Josef Eilers (Ed). Church and Social Communication in Asia. (Manila: Logos Publications, 2008), 154.
[36] Ineke Noomen, “Soul Searching in Cyberspace”, in Kristu Jyoti, Vol 22, No.2, June 2006 p. 96.
[37] Vatican II, Lumen Gentium, 6.
[38] Ibid, no. 14.
[39] www.kuuf.org
[40] David Lochhead. Shifting Realities (Geneva: WCC Publications. 1997), 55
[41] www.onlinecommunication.org/ William_f.html accessed on March 15, 2009.
[42] Henry D’Souza. “Response to New Media Culture,” in Joseph Palakeel (Ed), Towards a Communication Theology, (Bangalore: Asian Trading Corporation 2003), p. 200-201
[43] Apostolic Letter, The Rapid Development, John Paul Ii, To Those Responsible For Communications, 24 January 2005.
[44] Jacob Parapally. “Theologizing as Communication,” in Joseph Palakeel (Ed), Towards a Communication Theology, (Bangalore: Asian Trading Corporation, 2003), 74.
[45] Roy Lazar A. “Spirituality Online,” in Wilfred Felix (Ed), Jeevadhara, Vol 36,No. 211, January 2006. p. 90.
[46] Ibid p.92
[47] Ibid p. 96
[48] Gustavo Gutierrez. We Drink From Our on Wells (New York: Orbis Books, 1984) 137.
[49] Stephan Van Erp-Eric Borgman, “ Which Message is the Medium”, in Kristu Jyoti, Vol 22, No.2, June 2006 p. 91
[50] Joseph T Kelly. 101 Questions and Answers on the Four Last Things, (Mumbai: St Paul’s 2006), 17
[51] John R. Mabry. Cyberspace and the Dream of Teilhard de Chardin . www.americaonline.com accessed on 12 March 2009.
[52] David Lochhead. Shifting Realities (Geneva: WCC Publications. 1997), 75
[53] Ethics in Internet. No. 5
[54] Maureen Rodgers. Electronic Media and the Spiritual Life. www.spiritualitytoday.com accessed on 13 March 2009.
[55] John Edapppilly. The Emerging Electronic Church. (Bangalore: Asian Trading Corporation, 2003), 258.
