“Technology is the devil…”
Father Leo Leise, S.J.’s words resonated through the Terry Center and grabbed the attention of faculty and students alike, people whose days revolve around technology like moodle, iPads, e-mails, and so much more. Talking about more than just how technology hinders our physical lives, Father Liese also emphasized how it distracts us from the spirit world of angels, a world that we often neglect and write off as simply a myth of Christianity.
The controversial effects of technology were laid out before all of Jesuit, and some students agreed with his thoughts on technology, but others remained skeptical of its devilish nature.
“Looking at how freshmen bury their heads in their iPads, you can really see where [Fr. Leise] was right,” said Evan Bausbacher ’17. He continued, saying that “people don’t really examine our spiritual lives closely. They instead choose to mindlessly participate in the latest Madden Mobile game on their iPads.”
An active participant in campus ministry, Zachary Watts ’17 commented that “the homily was a reminder that the spirit world does exist and that angels do exist in reality.” Watts often looks into the spiritual components of his life and finds that the blessings God has brought him couldn’t be possible without a spiritual world. Thinking similarly to Watts, Bobby Turner ’17 remarked that “every person who is lucky enough to come to Jesuit and learn has been blessed beyond belief.”
However, Turner also said that he “believes in the productive use of technology,” and sees how it brings about great change and advancements in society. Technology has shaped our world in great ways that cannot be overlooked or described as detrimental. Without technology, our lives would be drastically different. This realization led Turner to comment that “if technology is evil, [he] believes it is a necessary evil.”
Even though we live in a world with a ubiquitous supply of technology, we must make sure not to neglect our focus on our spiritual lives and the blessings God has given us.
