Is The Internet Becoming The Next Tower Of Babel?
One prominent Christian teacher certainly thinks so. Dr. Ravi Zacharias, founder and president of Ravi Zacharias International Ministry, explains in a Q&A video (below) how Facebook and social media alike has brought a greater degree of “commonality” which traces back all the way to Genesis 11 in the Tower of Babel. In the Biblical account, everyone spoke one language and as “they” dwelled in a plain in Shinar, they began to build themselves a city and a tower “with its top in heaven.” God saw their work and saw that they were successful and that nothing would stop whatever they purposed themselves to do, so he confused their language. From there they could not understand each other and they scattered all over the earth.
Accordingly, Dr. Ravi then brings up a very important point: “Where destruction is the motive, unity is dangerous.” Which is the whole premise of confusing the tongues at Babel. Mankind is capable of doing good things but what if Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini had all spoken the same language? Dr. Ravi then makes it clear that it is not the social media itself that is “intrinsically evil” but rather the way men use it that can be evil, and that is also true of any other form of entertainment or technology from which man finds his fulfillment.
He encourages Christians to use the social media in a wise way and not be so much “in your face.” Social media is here to stay and if we do not use it properly and carefully as an instrument to spread good news, Dr. Ravi says our beliefs will be branded as “something people don’t want to hear.”
Watch on YouTube