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Technology, like all other
things, must be judged according to a set of value
standards and I have used Jesus’ standards as the
basis for my critique. We have seen that technology is
instrumentally good and instrumentally bad with respect
to the non-human creation, people, and – the summum
bonum -- God and His Kingdom. But perhaps the
greatest danger of technology is its potential to
distract us from the summum bonum. Like Martha
in the story from the Gospel of Luke, we are frequently
distracted from the quest for the highest good. Unlike
Martha, though, modern technology is often the instrument
that draws our attention to things of lower value.
Technology in all its aspects is a powerful distraction
from the highest good, and many of us will not fully
realize the kingdom of God due to the powerful influence
of technology on our lives. In this article, I have
summarized Jesus’ teachings on value, described how
our value beliefs and other factors shape our behavior,
and shown how technological objects distract us from our
quest for the highest good: God and His Kingdom. Based on
this line of reasoning I have offered a few suggestions
on how to begin to remedy the problem. My hope and prayer
is that some of my readers will, like Mary, choose what
is better.
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