REPOSTING, SPELL CHECKED VERSON


I am pleased to provide space for a very good friend to guest post below. While Mordechai and I disagree on almost everything, that has not been an obstacle to a deep and enduring friendship for several years, and I respect his point of view. He is in town for a week, and what better time for a guest post than now? For reasons which should be obvious, Mordechai will only use his first name, and not mention the community in which he lives. I have encouraged him to put some of his thoughts into a blog - a suggestion I hope he will take seriously. ---B.O.T.H.

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GUEST POST: Rabbosai, there is too much chillul Hashem on the internet. This is why our rabbis have decided that no one should have a computer in the home. But should a computer even be used for scholarly purposes? It has been said that there is much yiddishkeit available on the internet, and there are very good translations, of many precious works on web pages. But there is more on the internet than just good sources and reliable information - there is much violence, obscenity, and very many disturbing webpages. The bad by far outweighs the good.

If cigarettes and smoking are dangerous, if drugs and pictures of obscenity are dangerous, then how much more so uncontrolled surfing? It is much better that people should engage in study in a controlled environment, without the distraction of email and computers.

One who while studying is distracted is in the greatest danger. Many younger men have nearly destroyed their lives by engaging in compiuter. Something which which is so obviously bittul Torah and avodah zarah should not be encouraged. Please join me in speaking out against this - COMPUTERS ARE DANGEROUS, and their daily use should be strongly spoken against.

There is precedent (I am refering to the ban on the Rambam's works of course): in the past, when there were arguments over philosophy, the compromise reached was that men under twenty five years of age should not read science and metaphysics. This was a wise decision. Children do not have the wisdom and the experiance to distinguish between truth, truth, and falsehood. I thank my host for allowing me to write this on his blog.


----Mordechai.