The Internet Threat

OK, by now almost everyone knows that the US government is out to get WikiLeaks because our leaders don't like government secrets being revealed. It's a lot harder to dupe your citizens and the world abroad if everyone suspects you are lying in the first place! But the internet poses an even greater threat to another institution, an institution that believes itself to be more powerful than any government.

Religion.

This point is made in "Why I Chucked My Mormon Faith and Became an Atheist" which was posted at AlterNet this week.

What they don't understand is that we're not just leaving because church services aren't hip enough or because their sermons against homosexuality are just a little too harsh; we're leaving because we've discovered that when it comes to biology, geography and history, our conservative pastors and holy texts are dead wrong. It's important to recognize the role that the Internet plays in our abandoning doctrine for disbelief...

In olden days, it was far easier to shield curious eyes and inquisitive minds. It's far easier to hide or ban books and magazines that don't pass official muster. But the internet!!

Almost anything a person wants to know about a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g is just a mouse click away. Generations of lies can be dispatch with in mere seconds. And with so many different types of devices that now can access the world wide web, it's near impossible to keep information -- accurate or dubious -- away from inquiring minds.

Of course, both the hierarchal institutions of government and religion are painfully aware of the d-a-n-g-e-r the internet poses. So don't be surprised if the two of them join forces to try to bring it under "control". Ill-informed people are far easier to control and manipulate. Both the government and religion thrive on docile sheep, ready to be led over a cliff, if necessary!