October 20, 1998
Imagine William Shakespeare writing his plays on a word processor or Thomas Jefferson storing the Declaration of Independence on floppy disks. Experts say, if they did that but neglected to transfer their work to paper, those great writings would have vanished long ago, probably into an unreadable jumble of binary code.
Electronic storage seems so practical but it is more fragile than most people realize. Already some census data and other records have been lost. Imagine the chaos if all data from the world’s information storehouses went missing or became inaccessible.
Fragile computer storage methods are not the only problem. Software constantly changes. A book or letter written to disk in 1980 is unreadable using 1998 equipment. My first computer was a Commodore 128. Today, I use a Pentium. As modern as it is, it cannot read those old Commodore disks.
Most average computer users transfer their important information to new storage devices as they come available. Although I could not do this with disks, I did have a modem for my Commodore and for my newer computer. With two phone lines and days of patience, I was able to save all my old files. Now, instead of 3 1/2" disks, I now archive material on Zip disks. (In 2017, some of it is in a cloud!)
Updating or printing on paper works best for permanent storage but large corporations would not find this practical for keeping their storage files current. Besides, many documents now contain multimedia data such as sound files or videos, impossible to store on paper.
The process of writing and preserving books changes over the years yet many documents remain as they were. For instance, clay tablets are preserved in museums along with papyrus documents that are centuries old. A few modern scholars are even able to read them.
Other books stay the same in content yet their format changes with current printing methods. For instance, the Bible continues to endure yet has been reproduced in every possible format including books and computer disks, as well as translated into hundreds of languages.
Translations began early. In fact, most of what Jesus said in Aramaic, the language He spoke, was immediately recorded in Greek. Even our English versions undergo continual translation (using ancient manuscripts) because our language changes, as do all languages.
Methods change too. The original manuscripts were written on papyrus scrolls, much more fragile than electronic storage, yet many fragments still remain. However, Jewish scholars and later Christians so valued this book (actually 66 books) that they painstakingly copied and recopied every word, counting words and even letters to ensure there were no errors.
With all of that copying and changes, what about the accuracy of its contents? Biblical translations are not without a solid foundation. Scholars rely on thousands of ancient manuscripts, more than remain of any other ancient book. Some of these manuscripts date from the second century. Not only that, the art of translation has greatly improved. Modern translators are able to gain additional insights into word meanings and expressions from tens of thousands of Hellenistic Greek documents from the same time period.
Further, the same God who insured His words would be faithful written in a book still works to maintain their fidelity. We can rely on our modern versions. The Bible will never obsolete or out-dated because it came to us from a God who is never out of fashion and who wants us to read of Him and know Him.
Neither can the Bible be destroyed. As Isaiah promised over 2600 years ago, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”
Showing posts with label computers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label computers. Show all posts
Monday, July 17, 2017
Monday, January 16, 2017
Evaluating Communication Methods .......... Parables 537
December 17, 1996
IBM has developed an astonishing wallet-sized, computerized card called “Personal Area Network” or PAN. PAN emits tiny electrical currents, about one-billionth of an amp, using the human body as a conductor. Using touch, this device can transmit small amounts of information to receivers such as watches, smart phones, pagers and hand-held computers. One prototype sent data from a PAN card in one person’s pocket to another person’s PAN card while they shook hands with each other.
PAN sounds great but I have some reservations. For one thing, what is wrong with the methods of data transfer we already have? With PAN, how can we control who gets our address list or sales figures? Will secrets be traded simply by bumping into a competitor’s sales agent?
Besides, are we that desperate? Don’t we have enough inventions that supposedly enhance communication? Maybe we should simply talk to each other more often. Telephones, computers, pagers and other technology are helpful but making ourselves understood to friends and family members still takes human effort, not more electronic devices.
Thankfully, communication is easier with God. He does not need a PAN to know what is going on in our hearts — He reads minds. For example, in Mark 2, Jesus watched a paralyzed lowered through the ceiling by his friends who wanted Jesus to heal him. To everyone’s surprise, Jesus said, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
The Pharisees began thinking, “Who can forgive sins but God alone!” Imagine their shock when Jesus questioned their grumbling. John says that, “Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts.”
Once, Jesus was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast doing miracles. John writes that “many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name. But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. He did not need man’s testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.” We do not have to open our mouths for Jesus knows all about us before we say anything. He knows whether we trust Him or not.
This has several implications. For one thing, I do not have to worry about explaining myself to God. He knows all about how I think and what I think. Actually, He understands me better than I understand myself. If I am having difficulty with who I am and what I do, He is the best person to explain me to me.
Second, I do not have to explain others to God. He already knows how they think and what they think about. He understands them better than they understand themselves too. When I have difficulty with others, God is the right person to help us understand each other.
Third, God is also able to explain Himself to me. He can put His thoughts into my mind. 1 Corinthians 2 explains that “we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.” It goes on to say the things that come from the Spirit of God are spiritually discerned and spiritual people can understand them. While we cannot “know the mind of the Lord that we may instruct him” we do “have the mind of Christ” that we may understand Him—making God’s way of communicating far better than a computerized card.
One consolation about PAN; when it shows up in Walmart, we can be thankful it reads only what is entered into the card and can not read our minds. It is already difficult enough to keep our Christmas list secret without our families finding out simply by giving us a hug or a body check!
IBM has developed an astonishing wallet-sized, computerized card called “Personal Area Network” or PAN. PAN emits tiny electrical currents, about one-billionth of an amp, using the human body as a conductor. Using touch, this device can transmit small amounts of information to receivers such as watches, smart phones, pagers and hand-held computers. One prototype sent data from a PAN card in one person’s pocket to another person’s PAN card while they shook hands with each other.
PAN sounds great but I have some reservations. For one thing, what is wrong with the methods of data transfer we already have? With PAN, how can we control who gets our address list or sales figures? Will secrets be traded simply by bumping into a competitor’s sales agent?
Besides, are we that desperate? Don’t we have enough inventions that supposedly enhance communication? Maybe we should simply talk to each other more often. Telephones, computers, pagers and other technology are helpful but making ourselves understood to friends and family members still takes human effort, not more electronic devices.
Thankfully, communication is easier with God. He does not need a PAN to know what is going on in our hearts — He reads minds. For example, in Mark 2, Jesus watched a paralyzed lowered through the ceiling by his friends who wanted Jesus to heal him. To everyone’s surprise, Jesus said, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
The Pharisees began thinking, “Who can forgive sins but God alone!” Imagine their shock when Jesus questioned their grumbling. John says that, “Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts.”
Once, Jesus was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast doing miracles. John writes that “many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name. But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. He did not need man’s testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.” We do not have to open our mouths for Jesus knows all about us before we say anything. He knows whether we trust Him or not.
This has several implications. For one thing, I do not have to worry about explaining myself to God. He knows all about how I think and what I think. Actually, He understands me better than I understand myself. If I am having difficulty with who I am and what I do, He is the best person to explain me to me.
Second, I do not have to explain others to God. He already knows how they think and what they think about. He understands them better than they understand themselves too. When I have difficulty with others, God is the right person to help us understand each other.
Third, God is also able to explain Himself to me. He can put His thoughts into my mind. 1 Corinthians 2 explains that “we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.” It goes on to say the things that come from the Spirit of God are spiritually discerned and spiritual people can understand them. While we cannot “know the mind of the Lord that we may instruct him” we do “have the mind of Christ” that we may understand Him—making God’s way of communicating far better than a computerized card.
One consolation about PAN; when it shows up in Walmart, we can be thankful it reads only what is entered into the card and can not read our minds. It is already difficult enough to keep our Christmas list secret without our families finding out simply by giving us a hug or a body check!
Monday, January 2, 2017
Are you plugged in? .......... Parables 531
October 29, 1996
“Could you please find some information about glaucoma for me?” the caller asked. I could have used my encyclopedias—both sets require technology—they are on CDS. I also could have called the reference section of the library, using the telephone.
Instead, I decided to use the Internet. I loaded my web browser, keyed in my password and a box appeared on the computer screen telling me that the “server was not responding.” I grabbed the phone, dialed my access provider and got a taped recording. Their answering machine told me their connections to the Internet were not working (which I already knew) however, they blamed the telephone company. When the problem was fixed, they would promptly change the message on the machine. I still didn’t know anything about glaucoma.
For those unfamiliar with any of the above terminology, I apologize. Glaucoma is a vision-threatening condition of the eye caused by internal pressure. The rest of it translates to this: machines are trying to rule the world!
I often wonder if these machines have a mind of their own. Anyone who operates any technology, computer or cash register, realizes when something goes wrong, it is not a simple matter of tightening a few loose screws or replacing a burned-out part. You first have to discover the problem. Nine times out of ten, it is hidden in something mysterious, like software (where does that go when you “load” it into your computer?) or worse, in the hardware (that cannot be found or inexpensively replaced at the local hardware store either).
Electronic circuitry is well-soldered but can be fragile and finicky. Fixing it can be complicated, but not always. Once my computer would not boot up (start running) so I turned it off, took off the case that covers its innards, rattled a couple of wires and tried again. It worked. Go figure.
I’m only joking when I say machines are trying to rule the world. Not one of them can argue with a big hammer or remain alive when we pull the plug. Even if they could, there is a force much more powerful. In fact, computer chips or even the electricity that keeps them running cannot be compared with this mysterious power. Moreover, this power is available to anyone and anyone can use it—without lessons or an owner’s manual!
This power has the potential to rule the world. It is prayer. I know, it sounds like a cliché, but look at some examples. James, half-brother of Jesus (Galatians 1:19) once scoffed the Lord’s decisions and did not believe in Him (John 7:5). However, he later changed and became a leader in the church in Jerusalem. In the book of Scripture he wrote, he talks about prayer’s power: “Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray.” Prayer reaches out to a powerful God.
James goes on: “Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” Prayer reaches the mercy and loving kindness of God, for both healing and forgiveness of sin.
He continues: “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.”
Prayer reaches the Creator who has His hand on all that He has made. That is why prayer is so powerful—it links our needs to Almighty God who hears and answers the cries of His people. Yet prayer is something like technology; for it to work, we must plug ourselves in — to Him.
“Could you please find some information about glaucoma for me?” the caller asked. I could have used my encyclopedias—both sets require technology—they are on CDS. I also could have called the reference section of the library, using the telephone.
Instead, I decided to use the Internet. I loaded my web browser, keyed in my password and a box appeared on the computer screen telling me that the “server was not responding.” I grabbed the phone, dialed my access provider and got a taped recording. Their answering machine told me their connections to the Internet were not working (which I already knew) however, they blamed the telephone company. When the problem was fixed, they would promptly change the message on the machine. I still didn’t know anything about glaucoma.
For those unfamiliar with any of the above terminology, I apologize. Glaucoma is a vision-threatening condition of the eye caused by internal pressure. The rest of it translates to this: machines are trying to rule the world!
I often wonder if these machines have a mind of their own. Anyone who operates any technology, computer or cash register, realizes when something goes wrong, it is not a simple matter of tightening a few loose screws or replacing a burned-out part. You first have to discover the problem. Nine times out of ten, it is hidden in something mysterious, like software (where does that go when you “load” it into your computer?) or worse, in the hardware (that cannot be found or inexpensively replaced at the local hardware store either).
Electronic circuitry is well-soldered but can be fragile and finicky. Fixing it can be complicated, but not always. Once my computer would not boot up (start running) so I turned it off, took off the case that covers its innards, rattled a couple of wires and tried again. It worked. Go figure.
I’m only joking when I say machines are trying to rule the world. Not one of them can argue with a big hammer or remain alive when we pull the plug. Even if they could, there is a force much more powerful. In fact, computer chips or even the electricity that keeps them running cannot be compared with this mysterious power. Moreover, this power is available to anyone and anyone can use it—without lessons or an owner’s manual!
This power has the potential to rule the world. It is prayer. I know, it sounds like a cliché, but look at some examples. James, half-brother of Jesus (Galatians 1:19) once scoffed the Lord’s decisions and did not believe in Him (John 7:5). However, he later changed and became a leader in the church in Jerusalem. In the book of Scripture he wrote, he talks about prayer’s power: “Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray.” Prayer reaches out to a powerful God.
James goes on: “Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” Prayer reaches the mercy and loving kindness of God, for both healing and forgiveness of sin.
He continues: “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.”
Prayer reaches the Creator who has His hand on all that He has made. That is why prayer is so powerful—it links our needs to Almighty God who hears and answers the cries of His people. Yet prayer is something like technology; for it to work, we must plug ourselves in — to Him.
Friday, March 11, 2016
Will machines rule the world? .................. Parables 404
January 18, 1994
Psychologists are concerned that computers and other technical equipment is robbing people of their relational skills. They say that we are becoming so dependent upon machines that we don’t need each other. Not a few science fiction writers even speculate that someday, machines will rule the world.
Don’t believe it. This week, I can prove that we don’t need machines at all; machines need us. During our vacation my husband laughed when he found me playing Minesweeper on a computer in the corner of a Radio Shack store. He was already convinced I would not survive two weeks without my 486 and laughed that I simply could not survive without my computer.
When we got home, we discovered the opposite. My PCU has a rechargeable battery. Because I turned it off while we were gone and wasn’t using it, the battery did not recharge and some of the memory needed to start the computer was lost. It would not “boot” and I had the last laugh; it was the computer that could not live without me!
While I do use this machine a great deal, I am not helpless without it. I can still write, draw pictures, and play other games besides those designed for computers. A fruitful life does not depend on any machine... but this machine’s life and usefulness does depend on me. Pull the plug and it is a mere dust-collector.
After fixing the problem, I thought about co-dependency (another psychological buzz-word) and how God designed us to live as useful tools for Him. The Bible even says, “Offer yourselves to God as instruments of righteousness.”
Certainly we are not machines. Unlike a computer, we have power to choose who we will serve and how. However, like a computer, we do need a power source, something that motivates us and gives us our energy to keep going. Furthermore, the power source we rely upon will determine how we live.
The Bible teaches that we are insufficient in ourselves to keep ourselves going forever. That is, our life comes from God. In Him we live and move and have our being. It teaches that fruitful abundant living also requires Him as our power source. Jesus said, “I am the Vine and you are the branches. If anyone remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
He didn’t mean we couldn’t function at all on our own. Those without Christ are still able to do things. However, without a relationship of dependency and faith, what we do is not sufficient to keep us going for eternity, nor is it enough for fruitful, abundant, godly living.
Even my machine did some things on its own (after I plugged it in) without my direction. It destroyed some sectors on its own hard drive, which was rather foolish. Now it needs some major surgery to correct that problem; a procedure that will wipe it clean and reformat it.
Believe it or not, the Bible talks about our self-reliant efforts in the same terms. God says that what we do apart from faith in Him and His direction is sinful and destructive. In fact, we are so damaged by sin that we also need major corrective surgery to remove it from our lives. We need Jesus to wipe our hearts clean and give us an entirely new life.
Between my Bible and the sometimes goofy circumstances of life, God keeps reminding me how important it is to rely on Him for motivation, power and direction. What I do on my own is either destructive or makes me as useless a computer with a pulled plug.
Psychologists are concerned that computers and other technical equipment is robbing people of their relational skills. They say that we are becoming so dependent upon machines that we don’t need each other. Not a few science fiction writers even speculate that someday, machines will rule the world.
Don’t believe it. This week, I can prove that we don’t need machines at all; machines need us. During our vacation my husband laughed when he found me playing Minesweeper on a computer in the corner of a Radio Shack store. He was already convinced I would not survive two weeks without my 486 and laughed that I simply could not survive without my computer.
When we got home, we discovered the opposite. My PCU has a rechargeable battery. Because I turned it off while we were gone and wasn’t using it, the battery did not recharge and some of the memory needed to start the computer was lost. It would not “boot” and I had the last laugh; it was the computer that could not live without me!
While I do use this machine a great deal, I am not helpless without it. I can still write, draw pictures, and play other games besides those designed for computers. A fruitful life does not depend on any machine... but this machine’s life and usefulness does depend on me. Pull the plug and it is a mere dust-collector.
After fixing the problem, I thought about co-dependency (another psychological buzz-word) and how God designed us to live as useful tools for Him. The Bible even says, “Offer yourselves to God as instruments of righteousness.”
Certainly we are not machines. Unlike a computer, we have power to choose who we will serve and how. However, like a computer, we do need a power source, something that motivates us and gives us our energy to keep going. Furthermore, the power source we rely upon will determine how we live.
The Bible teaches that we are insufficient in ourselves to keep ourselves going forever. That is, our life comes from God. In Him we live and move and have our being. It teaches that fruitful abundant living also requires Him as our power source. Jesus said, “I am the Vine and you are the branches. If anyone remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
He didn’t mean we couldn’t function at all on our own. Those without Christ are still able to do things. However, without a relationship of dependency and faith, what we do is not sufficient to keep us going for eternity, nor is it enough for fruitful, abundant, godly living.
Even my machine did some things on its own (after I plugged it in) without my direction. It destroyed some sectors on its own hard drive, which was rather foolish. Now it needs some major surgery to correct that problem; a procedure that will wipe it clean and reformat it.
Believe it or not, the Bible talks about our self-reliant efforts in the same terms. God says that what we do apart from faith in Him and His direction is sinful and destructive. In fact, we are so damaged by sin that we also need major corrective surgery to remove it from our lives. We need Jesus to wipe our hearts clean and give us an entirely new life.
Between my Bible and the sometimes goofy circumstances of life, God keeps reminding me how important it is to rely on Him for motivation, power and direction. What I do on my own is either destructive or makes me as useless a computer with a pulled plug.
Friday, May 29, 2015
A new kind of ‘shrink’ .............. Parables 280
August 14, 1991
“Computer Counseling” has arrived. Now a staff of trained psychologists can be replaced by terminals and floppy disks. The patient just sits in front of a computer and punches in his thoughts. Out comes a programmed response based on the input, telling him what he needs to know.
This latest electronic development supposedly not only saves money but makes it easier for patients to bare their souls. They don’t have to go through the struggle of telling their innermost secrets to another person nor take time developing a trust relationship. The computer never betrays their confidences, it just stores it on plastic and kicks out information, with the assumption that relevant information is all a hurting person needs.
I can relate to the ease of using machines. For one thing, “talking” to a machine has a big advantage: I can edit and revise before printing my statements. Face-to-face conversation doesn’t allow that option.
But retreating from people to my PC is neither healthy or biblical. God is involved in our lives and wants us to be involved in each others lives. His Word has more to say about human relationships than almost every other topic. Here are a few examples:
“...have peace one with another.”
“...love one another; as I have loved you...”
“...prefer one another.”
“...be of the same mind towards one another.”
“...follow after the things that build up one another.”
“...receive one another, as Christ also received us...”
“...have the same care one for another.”
“...by love serve one another.”
“...be patient with one another...”
“...submit yourselves one to another in the fear of God.”
“...Lie not one to another...”
“...teach and admonish one another...”
“...comfort one another with these words.”
“...exhort one another daily...”
“...let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.”
“...Speak not evil one of another...”
“...Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another...”
“...show hospitality one to another without grudging.”
“...be subject one to another...
“...be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you.”
Just a glance at the list reveals that God’s plan for relationships involves some hard work at the ordinary level, not just the Counseling level. It involves time, money and effort. However the rewards are rich: hurting people are loved, encouraged, healed. In fact, the “one another” treatment prescribed by God would put counselors out of work much faster than computers could.
Besides, God’s way never goes obsolete like a computer program. It is eternal. The catch is that it requires people with eternal life within -- a life that flows from their hearts, demonstrated in care for others. It is not a natural concern but a supernatural loving obedience.
Maybe that is why we have had to resort to computer Counseling; there just isn’t enough folks that have that kind of inner resource. Without the “wonderful Counselor” within, all anyone can do is rely on is themselves and perhaps their library of plastic, encoded data.
“Computer Counseling” has arrived. Now a staff of trained psychologists can be replaced by terminals and floppy disks. The patient just sits in front of a computer and punches in his thoughts. Out comes a programmed response based on the input, telling him what he needs to know.
This latest electronic development supposedly not only saves money but makes it easier for patients to bare their souls. They don’t have to go through the struggle of telling their innermost secrets to another person nor take time developing a trust relationship. The computer never betrays their confidences, it just stores it on plastic and kicks out information, with the assumption that relevant information is all a hurting person needs.
I can relate to the ease of using machines. For one thing, “talking” to a machine has a big advantage: I can edit and revise before printing my statements. Face-to-face conversation doesn’t allow that option.
But retreating from people to my PC is neither healthy or biblical. God is involved in our lives and wants us to be involved in each others lives. His Word has more to say about human relationships than almost every other topic. Here are a few examples:
“...have peace one with another.”
“...love one another; as I have loved you...”
“...prefer one another.”
“...be of the same mind towards one another.”
“...follow after the things that build up one another.”
“...receive one another, as Christ also received us...”
“...have the same care one for another.”
“...by love serve one another.”
“...be patient with one another...”
“...submit yourselves one to another in the fear of God.”
“...Lie not one to another...”
“...teach and admonish one another...”
“...comfort one another with these words.”
“...exhort one another daily...”
“...let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.”
“...Speak not evil one of another...”
“...Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another...”
“...show hospitality one to another without grudging.”
“...be subject one to another...
“...be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you.”
Just a glance at the list reveals that God’s plan for relationships involves some hard work at the ordinary level, not just the Counseling level. It involves time, money and effort. However the rewards are rich: hurting people are loved, encouraged, healed. In fact, the “one another” treatment prescribed by God would put counselors out of work much faster than computers could.
Besides, God’s way never goes obsolete like a computer program. It is eternal. The catch is that it requires people with eternal life within -- a life that flows from their hearts, demonstrated in care for others. It is not a natural concern but a supernatural loving obedience.
Maybe that is why we have had to resort to computer Counseling; there just isn’t enough folks that have that kind of inner resource. Without the “wonderful Counselor” within, all anyone can do is rely on is themselves and perhaps their library of plastic, encoded data.
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