weird wired world

Well, people who know me know that I am a fan of the www but I do also like keeping it real. And then I saw this story on CNN.

The article begins..."TOKYO, Japan (AP) -- A 43-year-old Japanese woman whose sudden divorce in a virtual game world made her so angry that she killed her online husband's digital persona has been arrested on suspicion of hacking, police said Thursday."

And it only goes on from there.

Wow

I am constantly interested in this thin line between reality and virtuality and thought and action. And nor am I alone in this.

The line between thought and action is a long contemplated topic. Early in the founding of Israel this was an issue, "you will remember all the commandments of the Lord and do them, and not follow the lust of your own heart and your own eyes." Numbers 15:39. Jesus taught that thoughts mattered to the crowd gathered to hear his "sermon on the mount," " But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart" Matthew 5:28.

Lately the French philosopher Jean Baudrillard has written brilliantly on the concept of simulacra: the way that reality and simulation are interlinked, interrelated and feed into each other. Like many philosophers, his writing and ideas can be a little dense, but if you are interested in learning more you may click here for a pretty good summary/introduction.

I think sometimes it is important to remember that reality can have an effect on thought too. "Practice makes perfect" is another old phrase.

The more we do something the more we think about it. That is in part why for followers of Christ, the practice of Christianity is as important as the belief of Christianity. We absolutely have to have both. The same could be said of other faiths. Practice and belief are tightly linked.

As for this woman in Tokyo, all I can say is, there must be more to this story and I hope that they figure it out in a just way.

Keepin' it real,
K