Myth under the Internet’s microscope

I love the Internet.  I love the skepticism that it has bred about all institutions and traditions.  I love that you can find experts on anything and pick their brains about their given expertise.  I love that you can find information on any given thing.  And I love the constant debate going on all around the world via people’s personal Internet terminals to certify that that information we seek is right or wrong.  Say something on the Net and you might be called to provide evidence for that statement.  And that evidence will then be vetted to certify that it’s legit and not some flimsy BS “evidence”.  I love that. 

This new world of people gadflying about makes me wonder how religious charlatans would be unmasked in the certification meat grinder we call the Internet.  Can’t you just imagine a scenario where Moses announces his “mission” on an Internet message board?  Something like this:

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Moses: Behold! I recieved a message from a burning bush!

Internet Critic: I Call b***s***! CFR! CFR!!!!

Moses: CFR? WTF? The Lord spoke to me. He said to go to Egypt and free his people from bondage.

Internet Critic: What “people”? I want evidence that these people A) exist B) exist in Egypt C) need to be let go. From whom should they be freed? How are the living conditions intolerable in Egypt? According to whom? Your opinion or due to city/county/state/federal/international law? The specific statute that suggests that they should be freed? Statute suggesting that you an unelected private citizen should be allow to facilitate the release of people in a foreign state? Philosophically speaking can anyone truly be free? CFR that you recieved a message from a burning bush! Where is the audio/video of this burning bush? CFR! (Btw Bondage is totally cool as long as both parties are adult and consent to the act. Just because you disagree with a person’s sexual appetites does not give you the right to suggest they need to be freed).

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Unless it happened on youtube in which case Moses would be called a homosexual slur beginning with “F” and rhyming with “bag”.  But I think the point is made.  In the Information Age there are some people who never take something at their word.  Say you raised people from the dead or can part the Red Sea and there will be a factchecker in the background going….”Did he really?”  

I find this development very good, not just because it goes after the more benign myths like religious stories but is just as useful because people fact check their elected officials.  Heck the government also keeps an eye on the people for this reason to make sure they aren’t breaking the law.  All of which of course is meant to keep everyone playing by the rules.  And people are checking the rules, making sure they work right and that they’re unfair.  All of which is of course means we have an imperfect system, but we’re always working on it right?

~Just a thought