Friday, November 21, 2008

Suicide--On Web Cam

A nineteen-year-old Florida man has committed suicide on line before a web camera. Some of whose watching urged him to do so after he made the threat. May they realize the gravity of their evil.

How on earth can this happen? I have heard of people yelling at suicidal people to jump off of bridges and buildings. Now it is being done from the comfort of your computer. Why? Reality has retreated from the minds and hearts of many today. Everything is a customized image, a game. There is no I-Thou relationship for them, no real Other (human or divine). Therefore, the video suicide become a video game, a recreation, an entertainment.

But a young man has killed himself--for all to see. A family grieves. The news covers another story. Blogs are written. Could the chatroom participants have stopped him? God only knows. Apparently, some tried; other urged on his suicide.

So often, technology eviscerates humanity. As McLuhan said, "Everyone is no one at the speed of light"--or so it seems. But not to God, and not to those who refuse to sleepwalk through technological transformations. "Awake, you sleeper, and let Christ shine on you!"

"Therefore, chose life"--Deuteronomy 30:15.

2 comments:

Adam Omelianchuk said...

Our society is seriously over with.

Douglas Groothuis, Ph.D. said...

Adam:

Yes, things are grim.

But we must stand for life, seek God, and turn away from all the darkness that surrounds us--and repent of any darkness within us. We are "the light of the world," Jesus said.