I have often commented on a witty observation I heard many years ago that the worst advice any parent ever gave a child was delivered in Shakespeare’s Hamlet by Polonius to his son, Laertes. Just before Laertes is to depart for France, Polonius shares this sentimental wisdom on the nature of the happy life: “This above all: to thine own self be true.”

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There are probably few maxims so assumed in what passes for popular culture’s engagement with spirituality than that most religions lead to the same God. Difference among religions can largely be traced to accidents of history, the press of political and social forces, and, of course, cultural affinities that give shape to differing religious sensibilities. But the base assumption is that God – if there be a God – is by definition too large to be restricted by the doctrines or narratives or practices of a single religious system. 

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Readers of these posts will perhaps tire of my return to a familiar issue: the effects of internet use and electronic reading on the ways people think and learn. Well, take it from someone as respected as New York Times columnist David Brooks; the evidence indicates that there are real effects on reading patterns, learning habits, and communication skills from the hours many of us spend on the internet. Such effects are worthy of our reflection. For example, Brooks observes, “The Internet culture may produce better conversationalists, but the literary culture still produces better students.”

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Attached is a link to another typically thoughtful reflection by Barbara Brown Taylor in a recent issue of Christian Century: http://www.christiancentury.org/dept_faith.lasso

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