My New Religion.

One of the things I've been thinking about recently are the parallels between modern technology and religion, and my relation to both of these. I consider myself an agnostic, I suppose - which I've heard is a cop-out in some respects, but whatever - and generally find myself shaking my head at people who follow organized religion. I want to be someone who is respectful of all different beliefs, and part of me wishes I believed as well, if only so that I had some sort of stabilizing force in a world that provides little answers. But alas, I cannot seem to do anything but shake my head at religion, and I feel bad about that, particularly because it seems like a very Liberal Arts Upper Middle Class White Male thing to do.

I do, however, have a religion of some sorts, and that's technology. In the same way that people are drawn to religion, I seem to be drawn to technology, probably even more so than religion. I don't go to worship on Sundays, but I worship every few minutes, when I dig into my pocket and check my phone. Perhaps this comparison I'm drawing is not necessarily a good one, but sometimes it honestly does feel like this. Moreover, I seem to defend it the same way people have defended religion to me: it's about connection, about expressing oneself, etc. I don't know if you can call tweeting a witty remark about Breaking Bad "expression," but nowadays I think it's okay.

Maybe it seems like I'm calling both technology and religion vices, but I'm not. I'm saying that in moderation, both can enhance your life. It's when one begins to take over everything you do that there's a problem. I don't think it's healthy that people look to God to save their lives or to cancel school tomorrow, and I don't think it's healthy to check my phone every five minutes. But praying to something, or searching for answers, or generally being a good person because it's what your religion teaches you - those might not be so bad. And being able to tweet out to the world or text a friend or take a picture of something that interests you or listen to a song that moves you in an impossible way - those are probably good things too. Everything in moderation, I guess.