Gerrit,
Thanks for bringing my attention to this article.
My take on the issue is that:
(1) Technology generally has a liberating effect (i.e. liberates people
from historical dogma).
(2) Technology allows new patterns of interaction to emerge that redefine
community and culture.
(3) New patterns of interaction (due to new communication medium) changes
the culture in unique and often unpredictable ways.
That having been said, there is a lot to be learned for both organized
religions and business organizations.
One of the reasons knowledge workers are treated differently (or at least
they are beginning to be treated differently) than industrial workers is
that they have access to much more information. They don't have to accept
"this is the way things are" because they're constantly exposed to new
ideas and different approaches to issues that are important to them.
Management can't bullshit their way through their work, nor can they
expect people to automatically follow directions because (a) the knowledge
worker is very informed, very intelligent, and used to independent
thought, and (b) can go out to the net and find a new job in a relatively
short period of time. Traditional management approaches simply don't work
because of the possible interactions any single individual has available
at any given time.
Organized religion, however, is in a much more difficult position than a
business. They propose to speak for "God" and therefore have claim "on the
truth." To change with the times - - which they all have to do - - is a
tacit declaration that God is not omniscient (assuming God even exists).
If they are lead and directed by God then there way would be _the_ way;
since that isn't true (historically this has not been the case) then their
authority and the legitimacy of their beliefs are suspect and questioned
by rational people.
Hence the apathy toward religion that is often found on the net.
Last week I went to church with my wife -- I was feeling charitable -- and
the sunday school lesson was on how to protect children from the apostate
ideas on the net. I couldn't help but chuckle inside, because the bottom
line is, you can't. Children can go to public libraries and access the
Internet and look up all kinds of interesting and diverse things; they can
access the Internet from school, friends homes, and cyber-cafes.
The bottom line for both organizations and religions is that what they
believe in, and how those beliefs are translated into day-to-day activity,
must make sense; they must be rational; they must be logical. And that, I
think, makes the world a much better place.
-- Ben Compton bcompton@emailsolutions.comLearning-org -- Hosted by Rick Karash <rkarash@karash.com> Public Dialog on Learning Organizations -- <http://www.learning-org.com>