All Comments (12)

Sorry, that was meant to be fairy tale, NOT 'fairly' tale. OK, it means also that it was fairly only a tale told by a theologian.

PS: As to the claim that Abel and Cain used E-mail: Is that theology or fairly tale?

Dear Professor Thistlethwaite

The e-mail is a very efficient way to transfer information. There is absolutely no doubt about that. The transfer of information is free and instant. But one starts to tread dangerous ground when one tries to build new relationships based on emails alone or in situations where the body language plays an important role in conveying the message. The email is useful in maintaining relationships one has already established in real life, between real life encounters.

The test: Would one allow one's spouse/partners, family members or friends to read what one posts on blogs is one that needs to be passed.

The most practical rule to me seems to be to use the E-mail:

1. As electronic medium to transfer information,

2. To initiate contacts which would otherwise be impossible in real life, following up with real life contact as soon as possible or as opportunity permits,

3. To maintain contacts one has already established in real life (between real life contacts),

4. When documentation of the communication is essential (matters with legal implications, intellectual property disputes),

5. Never use email when body language and tone conveys an important part of the message,

6. Ask the questions: What is the best/worst
that can happen if I send this email and ensure that one is satisfied with the answer,

7. When in doubt, don't...

Soja John Thaikattil
Sydney, Australia

I have made dear friends through the internet. People that have become life long friends. After talking on the net for over a year many of us met...we rented a cabin in the Smoky Mountains... all our families said we each would be killed by some ax murderer.LOL..well we fell in love with each other..and over the years that has become nearly an annual happing we call The Gathering, each year some place different.

These are people that have been always there when I needed them. And without this electronic magick, I would not have them in my life. It's like any other tool, it is what you use it for.

We have shared lives in Email...poetry, art, children's and grandchildren's pictures...the horrible jokes and the wonderful laughs. It has been a blessing in so many ways...now If I could just zap the spam.

terra

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I would argue that of all the mediums, e-mail is the most democratic and encourages the most honesty.

Physical confrontations intimidate many people. They can be silenced with a look.

An e-mail allows expression with interruption. Like it or not, it gets the message out.

By the way, Ms.Ferraro got it right.

I would argue that of all the mediums, e-mail is the most democratic and encourages the most honesty.

Physical confrontations intimidate many people. They can be silenced with a look.

An e-mail allows expression with interruption. Like it or not, it gets the message out.

By the way, Ms.Ferraro got it right.

Wrong as usual. It's a tool. Don't blame the tool for what some people do with it.

Dear Susan, I enjoyed your recent article in the Washington Post regarding the racist remarks made about Barack Obama.
I sometimes think what it would be like for us all to be blind for a while, to not have the dominant sense of sight. How long would it take for us to begin to recognize each other, not by the color of our skin but as human beings. How long would it take for us to see not with our eyes but with our hearts that we were all born out of love.
Would we want all of the things in life that we want, for everyone else, so much that we would not settle for anything less.
Could we begin to see that this love,is the common thread of our God given heritage that was hoped would be enough for us to remember who we really are.
Rev. Steven Arndt

Dear Susan,

You are right that this is a rough and tumble free speech zone we have here. Sometimes people should be nicer, but sometimes the panelists throw torches on the gasoline by misrepresenting the topics and fear mongering, too. Maybe that should be modified, too.

On the whole, though, is it better to hear what people have to say, or would it be better to go back into the past where people cannot communicate easily?

Interesting concept. Although I have seen a lot of viciousness in blogs in "On Faith", I have seen more intelligent discussion and sharing of Ideas on this blog.

Interesting concept. Although I have seen a lot of viciousness in blogs in "On Faith", I have seen more intelligent discussion and sharing of Ideas on this blog.