Allan Milne Lees’ article Why The Internet Is Destroying Civilization is an interesting read.
Written by a talented and insightful writer, but tinted with a bias.
The Internet is infested by not only lies that are designed to induce fear and prurience (which are highlighted by the author in the article), but all kinds of lies, including that are designed to induce false hopes or to work as deceitful sedation (which are neglected in the article).
Lies don’t have a particular kind of flavor or color. A lie is a lie not because it induces fear or creates hope, but because it is not the truth.
The question is, how can one know the truth?
For the natural man (Adam and Eve as one), the strongest line of defense against lies is his reasoning. But that alone is not sufficient, especially when the lies are designed by the Master Liar to breach man’s natural reasoning. Even Adam before the fall did not have strong enough reasoning to defend against the lie.
Self-centeredness was the weak spot of man through which the lie entered.
In the modern days in which we live, positivism and existentialism have penetrated people’s soul (mind, will, and sentiment) so deeply that people no longer acknowledge there is absolute truth, nor there are natural laws (which do not derive from human experience, but are ordained through the creation itself by the Creator). These false philosophies have already reached the mass through modern media and lifestyles, and do not require their victims to be philosophical to be infected.
On the other hand, some do insist on knowing the absolute truth but do it with egotism without humility, failing to realize that the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6) are all embodied in Christ the one who came into this world with total humility, humbling himself unto death, even the death on the Cross (Philippians 2:7-9).
How does one tell what is true and what is not then? We increasingly cannot, if we rely merely on our senses and reasoning (although not relying on our God-given senses and reasoning yields an even worse result), because the world is increasingly becoming one in which everyone does things that appear to be suitable in his own eyes (Judges 21:25).
The Word of God interpreted by the indwelling Holy Spirit is the only ultimate source of truth one can rely upon today and unto eternity. (If you think this is just a religious statement, you are mistaken. This is about how the entire creation works and how it will be held accountable at the end. From a human point of view, this is the ultimate objective and scientific statement, because at the end, our own opinions do not matter.)
From this fundamental aspect, the network effect (of which Internet is but an example) in itself is neither evil nor good. It is neutral. But it has a growing scale effect on revealing the corrupt condition of mankind.
One strong feature of the end times is that God will more and more give people away to the lies they received from Satan (Romans 1:24-28). This is the ultimate test of people’s heart. And clearly the Internet is becoming the largest arena for this test. It is a trial. Allan Milne Lees’ article paints a striking picture of this trial, even though that was not his intention.
But blessed are the poor in spirit (that is, those who realize the destitution of their condition and come to God as a beggar for salvation), for theirs is the kingdom of heavens. Matthew 5:10.