As I'm sure most frum Jewish people know, R' Matisyahu Salomon is setting up an asifa about the internet, to be held at Citi Field. As you might have guessed, I will not be attending this event. Why should I? I disagree with the chareidi stance regarding the internet.
I've heard from a lot of chareidim I know that they don't intend on going to the event. They also cut out 50% of their audience by only making it for men - women can't attend. I don't think they'll sell tickets for even half of the stadium. I can see this turning into a huge financial loss.
While I often think that a stance may be valid even if I don't agree with it, when it comes to the internet, I don't even think the chareidi view is valid. I mean, let's look at what happened. The internet comes out, and chareidi Rabbis decide it's like TV. They assur it completely. Then, they see that some people need it in order to make money. Then they decide it's still forbidden, but there are loopholes. You can show proof that you need it for work, and then you can have it - but only if the woman of the house has the password, and her husband is dependent on her to open it up. You also need a filter that meets chareidi standards.
All the while, most homes have internet, and the husband can access it without needing his wife. Kids are going to libraries and accessing it there, without any supervision or filters. It can be easily accessed via cell phone.
So what happened now? The Rabbis finally realized that in the modern world, you can't really go without the internet. It made its way into almost every aspect of life, and you need it. They're having this asifa to unveil their latest plan. When every other plan they've had regarding the internet has been a complete failure, why should we expect that this one will be any different?
A Bit Off Topic…
1 week ago
9 comments:
Would you concede that unlimited internet usage, devoid of any precautions, can pose a threat to the user (from a social or spiritual perspective).
Yes, obviously it can pose a threat. So can phones, cars, books, even walking down the street.
The answer is not to ban it. It is to educate on proper use, so that people choose to use it properly on their own, not because it was shoved down their throats.
What the Asifa is ultimately about:
http://i50.tinypic.com/2afmjab.jpg
I am 100% against this waste of money
However they are not doing it for the money.
The costs of this event are over $2 Million dollars and the tickets cost $10 each. If all the tickets are sold thats only about $400,000. Yes they will make some money from the vendors at the expo, but there is no way in Lakewood they could recoup the $2 million
I believe most studies show that 99% of men and male teens do view porn on the net, so I find that MO view that the Internet is not a major issue even worth discussing -- as strange as the Chareidi hope to ban it.
This is an incredible waste of money disguised as a pep rally. Now, if Rav Salomon was going to use the jumbotron to show salient examples of Internet evil - Just look at her! That's what I'm talking about Chevreh! Pay no attention to the word "Budweiser" written on her bikini top! - then I could see the point.
DMZ: MO never said the internet isn't worth discussing. Every parent needs to speak with their own children regarding the dangers of the internet.
Chareidim are just starting to realize what MO have been saying since the internet was born - you won't be able to do without it, so let's educate everyone on proper use, instead of just trying to ban it.
How do you propose we educate our children on internet use? Should I tell them out porno? About leftists or chumrahniks? With all due respect, kindly give us a sample, or hint of instruction, as on how to go about this.
Check out: The Asifa Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRsMu40Cwdw
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