I’ve just returned from a high school debate with my daughter in which the topic was “That MySpace is a waste of space”.
Pros from the Teenage Users
1. An effective way of learning first hand from people from around the world.
2. A means of self expression
3. A way for people to become famous - self promotion for bands, designers, artists
4. A cheap way to set up online conversation
Cons from the Teenage Users
1. What should be private quickly and easily becoming public (e.g. parties)
2. Bullying finding a new insidious channel
3. Identity fraud - misrepresenatation or identity theft
4. Addiction leading to distortion of priorities, distracting from education, exercise and face-to-face communication
And More
The students didn’t cover the banality of MySpace conversation, bad design, the domination of the media by self promotion and commercial interest, and the trivialisation of friendship. There was no comparisons of MySpace with Facebook, Bebo or other social networking sites.
I found it ironic that 13 year olds are debating an internet phenomenon that, in theory, they have had no experience of. The minimum age for starting a MySpace page is 14. And yet it would seem, from talking to the students there, that many teenagers have had their own site well before their 14th birthday, just by lying about their age. By the time they reach the age of 14 they’re bored and have moved on. Or their parents have discovered their site…
David Mitchell, Robert Webb and Olivia Colman star in the “Bad Vicar” sketch from the BBC show, That Mitchell and Webb Look. The skit is part of an ongoing series in which Mitchell plays the dark and cynical man who has replaced the friendly woman in the restaurant, the church…
See more of their skits online at BBC and on YouTube.
John Evans, a fellow Uniting Church minister, based at Church of All Nations in Carlton, Melbourne, has hit the news with his suggestion that Australia rethinks Good Friday.
John’s arguing that in a more multicultural, multifaith society, designating the Christian festival of Good Friday as a public holiday is becoming less and less appropriate. Outside the Christian community there is little religious significance for most Australians. “Whether Good Friday is a public holiday or not will not change or challenge the day’s significance. In fact, in the place of Good Friday, there should be a national holiday to mark our endeavours towards Aboriginal reconciliation”, John is quoted as saying.
How to respond?
I’ve heard people saying that the arrival of people with different religious beliefs shouldn’t lead to the abandonment of Christian practices and observances. But, of course, it’s too late for that. The arrest, trial and crucifixion of Jesus just doesn’t figure for most people. And aligning lives with the life of Jesus less so.
Many Christians, Protestant and Catholic, gather for Good Friday services in which they reflect on the suffering of the Christ. People from the Orthodox wing of Christianity, however, are usually observing Easter at some other time, this year on April 25 to 27. Fortunately for these people in Australia and New Zealand Good Friday for them will coincide with ANZAC Day this year.
Without Good Friday as a public holiday people would go to work as usual. Those who wished to take part in religious observances would have the choice of gathering before work, at lunch time, after work. Or taking the afternoon off to attend a service at 3 pm. Not a big deal. Easter camps for young people would be shorter however, starting on Friday nights.
Elsewhere in the world
Good Friday is a public holiday in Bermuda, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Peru, the countries of the Caribbean, Germany, Malta, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Ireland observes the day as bank holiday and bans the sale of alcohol. Indonesia and Malaysia, majority Muslim countries, observe the day as a national holiday.
John Evans points out that Good Friday is not a national holiday in the United States. The day is given as a holiday in some states, including Connecticut, Hawaii, Louisiana, Tennessee. Some schools and universities observe the day as a Spring holiday.
Bottom Line
Easter, although associated with a Christian tradition, is a key part of the Australian culture. Most Australians, regardless of beliefs or ethnic backgrounds, enjoy having an extra long weekend, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday observed on Monday. People get to travel, see family and just have a relaxing time. Judging by the number of people at the bottle store on Thursday, it’s also a traditional time for communal consumption of food and alcohol. The long weekend is a chance for the practice of ’sabbath’ - recognising that we need to stop our obsession with making and spending money.
Now the discussion of a day of reconciliation is another question, worthy of a discussion in itself.
