Author notes

027. Enlightenment

usedbooks

on March 29, 2009

Don't read too much into this strip. It's not a social commentary but a historical one. ~_^ I read the other day that forks were initially frowned upon by the church – and that is true for most inventions and for many religions/belief systems.

It's not a matter of ignorance per se. Religious texts were written in the context of the society and time periods in which they were written, so it's difficult for spiritual leaders to discern how new technologies fit into moral standards. As a result, most new developments/discoveries have historically been opposed until their ethical and spiritual implications could be evaluated.

This isn't limited to organized religion. Ethics are a secular matter. There's also the health, environmental, etc. implications of new technologies. It is important to regulate and monitor these things – within reason. (Check out some of the experiments done in the 1800's without strict ethical guidelines. There's some scary stuff.)