- Resources for Christian Living
- Topic of the Month: Children and the
Internet
- Current Issues
Introduction
Some Opening Thoughts about the World
Wide Web
Before I begin this month's column, I'd just
like to remind everyone that clicking on the links below (the
underlined words in a contrasting color) will take you to Web
pages outside this EEWC site. Therefore, it's important to keep in
mind that EEWC cannot be responsible for the content on these
external websites. Similarly, the inclusion of a particular link
does not mean that all (or any part) of that site is necessarily
endorsed by EEWC. They are just some sites that I think you'll
find of interest. What I hope we'll be doing together each month
is nothing more nor less than what the column title indicates--exploring
the Web together. When you're finished visiting one of the
external sites, you can return to the EEWC website by clicking on
the back button on the toolbar at the top of the page.
The World Wide Web is a system of linking
information together and transferring it over a network of
interconnected computers called the Internet. For me, being able
to access so much information via my personal computer is like
having acres and acres of overflowing libraries right here in my
home. I pull one "book" off the shelf and it leads me to
another and another until the wee hours of the morning.
My library analogy is only one of many ways to
think about the organization of the Web and what it offers. Other
people use different analogies. Some Jewish writers, for example
have pointed out that the World Wide Web is modeled around the
same way of connecting information that has been used in the
Talmud over the centuries. See Hal Rosen's: "Surfing
the Talmud."
You can actually see an example of how
the organization of the Talmud has much in common with the World
Wide Web. Check out this page
from the Babylonian Talmud. Slide your computer mouse around
over the picture of the Talmud page, and various new links will
show up as tiny descriptive graphics.
(Tip: You can always know something is linked
by sliding your mouse over the mousepad and watching the cursor on
the screen. Any time that you see the arrow change to a hand,
you know you've come to a link. If it's a link you're interested
in, just click on it and it will take you immediately to another
site. I mention this because sometimes materials on some websites
have underlining in the text that is not linked; the
underlining is simply for emphasis and is used like italics. And
some sites have linked graphics that await your clicking as a way
to enter the website. You can tell this by seeing if the
arrow changes to a hand as you move over a picture or symbol. Such
linked graphics are like a door inviting you to come in.)
Before we leave the topic of analogies to
describe the Web, be sure to look up Scott L. Thumma's "Walking
the Cyberspace Labyrinth." Thumma is a faculty associate
and researcher at the Hartford Institute for Religion Research at
Hartford Seminary. He assures readers he doesn't mean to come
across as sacrilegious in suggesting that "the exploration of
the riches of the Internet can be understood, at least at times,
in the ancient terms of "spiritual journey,' 'quest,' and
even pilgrimage" and can be much like the spiritual exercise
of walking the labyrinth. (Many who have attended EEWC conferences
are familiar with the labyrinth through its availability at our
last several biennial conferences. For a brief, clear, and simple
explanation of the labyrinth, you can click on the site of the Labyrinth
Guild of the First Unitarian Church of San José.)
One more item while we're on the subject of
the Internet and the World Wide Web: Read Joan Chittister's
insightful and moving article about why
the launching of a computer virus is a 21st century sin.
(Joan Chittister has been featured in EEWC
Update, and EEWC members are among the host of people who have
been moved and challenged by her spiritual and social justice
insights, especially those of us who had the privilege of hearing
her at our EEWC Conference 2000 in Chicago.)
Resources for Christian Living and Learning
Last month, we looked together at Bible study
and hymnal resources. This month, we'll explore some sites
referring to prayer and meditation.
In one online article, Phyllis Tickle, a
religion writer and contributing editor to Publisher's
Weekly, explains what she means by saying "Life
Is Prayer."
And Lynda McDaniel explains prayer as "Hanging
Out with God."
Richard Mouw, president of Fuller Theological
Seminary, tells us why he decided for the first time to fast for
religious reasons in his article, "An
Evangelical Fasts during Ramadan."
If you have a free Flash Player installed on
your computer, you might want to view and listen to a beautiful
reading of the 23rd
Psalm, complete with graphics and music. Just click on the
appropriate arrow according to your browser speed. A study guide
to aid you in your reflection on the Psalm is also available on
the site.
The World
Prayers Project offers prayers from many faiths around the
world.. It describes its purpose as "gathering the great
prayers from all spiritual traditions around the world into a
unified nonprofit archive, for the purpose of inspiration, study,
and cross-cultural appreciation." When you access the site,
move your mouse around and click on any one of the places where
the cursor changes to a hand. Prayers are divided into four
categories, listed in the four corners of the site, and will
appear one at a time randomly in whatever category you click on:
Adorations, Celebrations, Invocations, and Meditations. There is
also a special section of prayers related to the September 11,
2001 World Trade Center and Pentagon tragedies.
Speaking of prayers from many faith
traditions, some people of faith have expressed mixed feelings
about participating in interfaith services. Dr. Catherine Cookson,
Director of the Center for the Study of Religious Freedom at
Virginia Wesleyan College in Norfolk, VA points out two extremes
that can be fallen into and offers some excellent "Guidelines
for Interfaith Prayer Leaders."
And finally, if you'd like to help children to
learn to pray, you might want to view the Circle
of Grace site that answers some frequently
asked questions about children and prayer. You might also want
to check out the menu on the left side of that site and click on
"Prayers." It will take you to examples of prayers for
different times of the day and on various topics, such as
diversity, the poor and homeless, peace and justice, giving
thanks, and more.
Special Topic
Children and the Internet
And speaking of children, we've now come to
the topic of the month. If there are children in your life (your
own; or nephews, nieces, grandchildren, or children of friends; or
if you teach children or just care about them in general), you
probably want them to find the good things on the Web and be
protected from anything that would be harmful. Here are some
guidelines to help you explore the Web with children, and at the
same time, have some enriching experiences yourself! (Even if you
don't have children in your life, don't turn away from this
month's topic because you think it might not have anything for
you. Give it a try. You might be surprised!)
First, ILO
for Kids is a way to help children become concerned about
social and economic justice. This website from the International
Labor Organization helps children (and adults) learn about child
labor. Kids love this site. Clicking on "What is child
labor" shows what is and is not considered
child labor. (In other words, the site doesn't provide an excuse
for children to avoid helping with household chores!) And there's
a quiz to help children see when work becomes exploitative
child labor. They can also see what items are made with child
labor and how much children are paid. One of the most powerful
parts of the site has children fill in blanks about every hour of
their own typical 24-hour-day (including sleep time) and contrast
it with the typical day of a child laborer in various countries.
There is also a link to information on what children can do to
help other children around the world, and an opportunity to submit
poems and poetry for publication on the site. Be sure to check out
and share this site with the children in your life.
Katy Abel's article, "All
God's Children: Learning about Spirituality," provides
useful information for parents and teachers, including a list of
stages of spiritual development showing how children understand
religious concepts at different ages.
You can find Bible stories for children on the
Children's Bible site
from the International Bible Society of South Asia.
You can also find some Bible-related materials
on the Guideposts for Kids
website from Guideposts magazine. The site's
contents are not entirely religious but contain all sorts of
crafts, stories, and general fun things to do and learn about.
One problem we as Christian feminists
encounter in looking for Bible-based materials for children on the
Web is the problem of gender inclusive language. It is, of course,
a problem that goes beyond Bible-based materials, although it is
becoming less of a problem as more and more authors and publishers
have become aware of it. In that regard, you might want to read
the ERIC Digest article, "Gender
Issues In Children's Literature"
It's one thing to speak of people in
gender inclusive terms, but what do we say about God? Chuck
Fager, a Quaker father of four, tackled the topic with a short
story to show children we can't box God in. Nor can we hold on to
any one idea of God too tightly as though that's all there is to
know about God, because just when we think we've got everything
about God all figured out, God slips out of our finite grasp to
show there's infinitely more to learn and understand. In that
sense, according to Fager in his story for children, "God
Is Like A Wet Bar Of Soap."
If you're concerned about safety on the
Internet and want to help children learn about Web safety, check
out the materials on Safe
Surfing .
You'll also find materials you can trust by
checking out 700
+Great Sites for kids and adults who care about them. These
sites have been chosen by The American Library Association.
Children can learn all about Web searches with
Kids Click , a
kid-friendly guide organized step by step.
And here's a website for fathers of girls. Dads
and Daughters is by and for men who want their daughters to
all they can possibly be and who are resolved to do all they can
to empower them, including working for societal changes so that
the world becomes a better place for girls and women.
And last , don't forget Time
for Kids in every sense of that phrase! Specifically,
though, the website by that name is a creation of Time
magazine and is designed to help children keep informed on current
issues. It's colorful, informative, and inviting. And it makes
learning fun!
Current Issues
Kids, of course, aren't the only ones who need
to keep informed about current issues. Everybody does. And as
Christian feminists, it's important to look at current issues from
a faith perspective. Here are some sites to help us do that.
My first recommendation is A
Globe of Witnesses, the online supplement to The Witness
Magazine, which was mentioned in last month's column. Here
current issues are regularly discussed in the context of faith and
in ways that will challenge, nurture, inspire, and move you.
Also, be sure to click on Religion
and Ethics Newsweekly, a PBS television program that also
provides an online edition with good archives.
From the UK comes another site emphasizing
news related to religion and ethics. Its name, BBC
Religion and Ethics, is similar to that of the last site
mentioned, but the content is different.
The Media
Room from Zondervan provides a large compilation of religious
news links. You could keep busy for many hours (days?) checking
all of these out!
Yahoo
Religion News also provides daily coverage of events in which
religion plays a role.
And last, you might want to check out Worldwide
Faith News, which is self-described as "a data base of
full text official news releases and other documents, including
policy statements, from the news offices of national and world
faith groups."
That's all for this month. See you again in March
for more explorations in the cyberworld!
Your Web Explorations tour guide,
Letha Dawson Scanzoni
© 2002 Evangelical and Ecumenical
Women's Caucus
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