Facebook…. May change your lifestyle… Which may not be approved of by your Religion….
As I have mentioned previously, Indonesians are addicted to Facebook.. In a country with over 200million Muslims, the “exposure” and “freedom” available on Facebook is becoming disturbing to some… Around 700 Muslim Clerics/Imams gathered yesterday, considering guidelines forbidding their followers from going online to flirt or engage in practices they believe could encourage extramarital affairs. “The clerics think it is necessary to set an edict on virtual networking, because this online relationship could lead to lust, which is forbidden in Islam,” said Nabil Haroen, a spokesman for the Lirboyo Islamic boarding school, which was hosting the event.
Amidan, who heads the Ulama Council, said that the growing number of Facebook users in Indonesia was a controversial subject among Muslim leaders and that he favors banning the site because of possible sexual content. “People using Facebook can be driven to engage in distasteful, pornographic chatting,” he says. The influential Ulama Council, which recently issued rulings against smoking could influence devout Muslims to adhere to the council’s rulings because ignoring a fatwa, or religious decree, is considered a sin.
On the other hand..
The Vatican has annouced that Pope Benedict XVI is now ONLINE.. In an effort to broaden the pope’s audience and reach out to young people, the Pope had gotten his own YouTube Channel earlier this year.. and also yesterday.. The Pope’s new web portal “Pope2You” was launched and one of the functions on the site allows Facebook users to send virtual postcards with photos of the Pope. Although wary of the potential pitfalls of new media, The Pope has also encouraged young Catholics to use the Internet to spread the church’s message.
So what is your call on Facebook?
Apart from the religious side of things.. I say.. Technology is inevitable.. So Embrace it .. and make use of it Positively! … it will expand your horizons!
