Sunday, December 2, 2012

Controlling a Narrative, Part 1

Often times, when I allow my students to research online, if I havent given them direct instruction on computer literacy and online research skils, then they tend to take the first thing that pops up in Google,nwhich is Wikipedia. I now see the power of the Internet for controlling  a message or narrative. If you want to get someone to believe something as true, post it or edit it on Wikipedia under a pseudonym and you have just created fact and reality. You dont even need to corroborate the truth with a annotation. Wikipedia is the lowest hanging fruit for research, where fiction becomes reality.

Creating God in My Image

God cares about the things I care about. Does he?
Jesus is a Republican. Jesus is a Democrat. Jesus is a Socialist. Jesus is an Anarchist. Is he?
Jesus wouldn't hang around gay people or pediphiles. Would he?
God loves hip-hop. Jesus is a metal head. Chamber music is a reflection the seriousness and holiness of God. Jesus just dwells in a place where people surrender themselves, raise their, and bow down at the alter. Does he?
Jesus is for the poor. God uses the rich. Is he, does he?
God wouldn't use that guy. Jesus is so proud of that guy, he is blessed.Would he, is he?
God hates abortion, even in cases of rape. God wouldn't want someone to suffer like that. He wouldn't allow someone to be in that position. Would he?
God is a man, God is a woman, God is a mirror that reflects us. Jesus is the way we picture him traditionally, Jesus is black. Is he?
 Jesus's birth is the story of an illegal immigrant, a single mother, and a homeless couple. Is it?
God cares about suffering, Jesus wants to relieve your suffering and bestow riches and blessings upon you. God doesnt care about me or anybody, there is so much suffering in this world. Does he?
God is cool, he knows our intentions, if we're sincere, and we re doing selfless things, we can choose any path, they all lead to him. Do they?
The idea of God, of follwing Jesus, is so narrow, so judgmental, so not inclusive, i just reject that belief or way of thinking. Is it, should we?

I tend to put God in my own image of what i think, why ive experienced, what i belive, my politics, my likes and dislikes, and I need to step back sometimes and reassess, recalibrate. How about you?