What is Orthodoxy

Recently, I have been on a journey of discovery of sorts. As many of you may know, I have had a slight obsession with things "Orthodox" since I took a Church History course with Brian Hollon. Well I received an inspiration of sorts tonight and wanted to share it with you. It was based on a reading about what the Church is, and when the church was described as "the image of the Triune God" I could help to be inspired to write the next part of this message. So now that that (2x? oh well. . . I digress) is set up for you and you may understand the rest of this message. . . let's just read it shall we. . .

So what then is Orthodoxy? Let me tell you, it is possible to be Orthodox, yet be thoroughly evil. For even Satan is Orthodox in the sense that is being thought of here. Lucifer has been in the very presence of God Triune. Though he may try to persuade others otherwise, he has no choice to believe that God is in fact three unique persons existing perfectly as one united God. He has been witness to his own demise, the fullness of the word made flesh, who is Jesus: fully human and fully God. What I am trying to say here is this: Don't seek to be Orthodox, be Holy as God is Holy. For true Orthodoxy (or right belief) must also be right action, attitude, mindset, and thoughts.

How can we maintain this. . . Through the Holy Spirit. . . But more on this later. . . for the Holy Spirit is a Divine Mystery in it's own rite.

Basically what I am saying is this, we (I am speaking to myself here) can all be culpable to search after a Orthodoxy that is flawed all too often. Theology should not be a "study of God" as is the dictionary term. Our search for Orthodoxy (in whatever form we may seek it) cannot be should be the lifeblood of who we are becoming in Christ. The idea of the trinity should not just be some theological concept discussed in academia, but a living belief instilled in our actions and interactions with others.

So what then is Orthodoxy? Let me tell you, it is possible to be Orthodox, yet be thoroughly evil. For even Satan is Orthodox in the sense that is being thought of here. Lucifer has been in the very presence of God Triune. Though he may try to persuade others otherwise, he has no choice to believe that God is in fact three unique persons existing perfectly as one united God. He has been witness to his own demise, the fullness of the word made flesh, who is Jesus: fully human and fully God. What I am trying to say here is this: Don't seek to be Orthodox, be Holy as God is Holy. For true Orthodoxy (or right belief) must also be right action, attitude, mindset, and thoughts.

So then, how can one be made holy? How is it that a man who is thoroughly engrossed in sin can be also, in God's sight be clean and perfectly spotless? Through the Holy Spirit. . . I will post more the next post.

Ok two more quotes that I find interesting. . .

“Theology without action is the theology of demons.” - St. Maximos the Confessor

"they will know that we are Christians by our LOVE. . ." -a hymn.

New Media Keeps Rolling

The practice of media conglomeration has been happening for decades. It is a practice that consolidates small companies into one larger company in order to more effectively communicate to the masses. Conglomerates act much like a snowball rolling down a hill. They begin buying up a couple of little companies, and before you know it they own a massive percentage of the market.

For a while, we had regulation, meaning conglomerates were only able to own a certain portion of the media. But in the last few decades the process of deregulation has been taking place. In this process, conglomerates are allowed more and more, until they own up to 90% of the market.

This poses a major problem. It has become very evident through the recent problem with the Writers Guild of America strike. If something happens to several of these big conglomerates, (in this case a strike) the whole system breaks down. This is evident in the state of TV right now. TV is being forced by the writers strike into re-runs and shoddy reality TV, two things that consumeristic America hates. We want new and better content.

This situation happened before, in 1988. When it happened then, the state of TV and Hollywood was wounded beyond repair, with good shows being cancelled permanently, the eventual invention of reality television, and a slump in programming that took years to overcome.

I believe the situation now is quite different however. Whereas in 1988 people had no other options for entertainment than TV and Movies, we now have many new outlets of media to turn to. If we are forced to watch re-runs, we will simply turn to Youtube and watch user created content. The internet and the advent of Web 2.0 leaves us with another, (might I add open and unregulated) outlet for expression and entertainment. Because of this, I predict a genesis for online content, produced not by major conglomerates, but by the consumers themselves. As this genesis continues, these new creators will get better and better at their craft until the point that New Media creators will be on par if not more accessed than the conglomerates themselves.

An example of this is found in Star Wars online Fan Films. If one watched one of these fan films 5 years ago, it was hard not to laugh at the amateur-ness of these endeavors, but today, with the help of lowered technology costs and better equipment as well as more refined skills there are some fan films that even rival the original creation. I think that we can look forward to more of this across the board as the genesis of New Media occurs.

I'm not saying that conglomerates will disappear altogether, but instead that they will be forced to take on new forms and become more liquid as the world around them changes. As the world becomes more of a global village, the voices of the many will outnumber the voices of the powerful few. People now have the ability through technology to be truly equal. In a time like this, it's important that we see that there is a new dawn occurring in media, and it's best that we get on board.

Holden: Life on Comet Road

What do you think of when you hear the word Indie? Maybe a certain fictional movie character comes to mind. Maybe you think of strange films that defy normal convention. Perhaps what comes to mind is mediocre music that wasn't good enough to get the attention of powerful people.

Let's talk about Independent music. Whatever you may think about independent music, throw it out the window. I'd like to introduce you to a band that is truly talented and indie at the same time. They are named Holden, and they are one of the bands that I had the privilege of working with this summer.

This band is a 4 piece set out of Dover, OH and they know how to rock your face off. With riffs that sound epic, and contemplative lyrics about life and all of its intricacies, this is a band that you will want to check out. (Did I mention that they're really cool guys too).

Their music is a perfect example of genre-blending in music. The overall genre of their upcoming album, Life on Comet Road is a pop-punk theme, but throughout the music can be found different musical nuances that showcase the bands diverse tastes in music. In some of the songs, metal like riffs come together seamlessly with the already prominent guitars of the typical pop-punk origins. The way that their melodies are constructed gives off an aura of baroque influence, with the intro track showcasing a mixing of the piano influence of classical and pop rock. When all is said and done, what comes out is a wonderful eclectic mix that is a great listen for anyone, from the casual listener to the musical guru.

You can find out more about Holden by visiting http://www.myspace.com/holdenohio

The Tactics of the Devil. . . .?

NOTE: THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THIS BLOG IS CONTROVERSIAL AND PROVOCATIVE. IF THE SUBJECT OF PORNOGRAPHY TEMPTS or HURTS YOU TO A DEGREE THAT IS NOT HEALTHY, DO NOT READ THIS BLOG.

All cultures have had mass media of some type. Ancient Rome had coins that could communicate the decrees of the emperor and serve as a public mouthpiece. During the Middle Ages, the Church had decrees, written on parchment scrolls that communicated the wishes of the pope. The list goes on and on. In our culture we are especially exposed to media. This is partly because of the nature of capitalism. Everyone wants a voice, and if you have enough money, you can have a voice. We all know what we like. We have our favorite shows, movies, music, news, etc. What we don't know however is how complicated and manipulative the process of getting us to like those shows actually is.


To indicate my point I'd like to use an extreme example. In our age of the internet, it is becoming increasingly more commonplace to hear about people's addictions to pornography. People don't get addicted to pornography overnight. It happens in a gradual cycle. The pornography companies spend millions of dollars researching new ways of making this happen.

1. First they lure you in- People are aware that porn exists. Forms of pornography have existed as long as man has existed in the sin nature. The new way that porn companies are luring customers is through the taste. They will put up "free galleries" for potential customers to view. They appear to be free, not making any money for the companies, but in reality they are raking in the dough. It's a lot like the way drug dealers who offer a "first taste". They know that if they can get you to get that first taste, there's a high likelyhood that you'll come back for more.

2. Then there's the bait- As you delve deeper and deeper into their "free galleries", they use certain techniques to make you want more. They only allow you access to certain things. They only let you see a small amount of the "product", but it's usually enough to get you to want more.

3. Then they catch you- As you become more and more enamored with what they offer, you want more. Eventually you cave in. You pay the subscription fee that allows you access to all of the content on that company's "product". You are now able to see everything that you couldn't see before.

4. Then lastly there's the sinkhole- The companies consolidate. They realize that as you become more and more addicted, you move on to different things. They anticipate those desires and tailor new content in that way. Their products, at first appearing as innocent young girls, eventually start taking more things off, start doing different things. They keep you hooked, all the while paying for their "service". If you get bored with that "product" they will point you in the way of new "entertainment". In this way, they get you to pay for their services. This is how the porn industry has been able to maintain revenues of billions, and they are climbing.

I hope you see how dehumanizing this is. To both parties. The products referred to are women. Women who have been caught in a snare. In a lot of cases, it is nearly impossible to get out of these. They are used, viewed as objects not humans who are loved by God and valued. It is detrimental to the viewer, who becomes a slave to something that he was never intended to become a slave to. Addiction can be a very powerful force, and once you have delved into her ways, it is hard to get out.

But these tactics are not just used in pornography. They are found in virtually all mediums of mass media. Encouraging a pornographic reading of texts that keeps you coming back

and back

and back

for more

and more

.. .. .. .. . .


As a point of discussion, what are some other ways that you think that these tactics are used in other mediums to encourage a viewer's pornographic reading of a certain text?

Matt Brandon Interview

I thought I'd try a different format for this blog. . .

This weekend, I sat down to do an interview with Matt Brandon of Grey Haven Productions, a local recording studio about the effects of new media on independent music.

I have decided to make a podcast style mp3. out of my interview and share it with you all. Hope you enjoy it!

NOTE: I wasn't able to find a player to embed the Mp3 into this blog so unfortunately you will have to download the file here.

The Politics of Production and Fandom

In 1995, one of the greatest games of all time debuted on the SNES. A beautiful storyline surrounding a time traveling main character, a brand new hybrid action adventure-RPG game engine, coupled with beautiful state of the art graphics for its time, Chrono Trigger quickly gained a massive fan base in Japan and subsequently the US. It spurned a sequel for the Playstation in 1999, and a massive online community that still discusses, plays, and makes new content based on the old SNES game.

The team that designed the original game was called the Dream Team. Harnessing five of the best in their field, Chrono Trigger was what some could call a super project. The team consisted of renowned producer Hironobu Sakaguchi along with famed video game composer Nobuo Uematsu, as well as two team members of the already popular Dragon Quest team, Yuuji Horii and Akira Toriyama.

For years, people have talked about remaking this classic game with today's new technology. There have been no official plans to remake the game for a new generation. Having built up such a loyal fan base, it is only natural that those fans would make new content based on the old game. Cue, Chrono Resurrection, a fan based non-profit remake of the original game. They had it in their mind to remake the entire game into 3D for the benefit of the fan community. They released this video:





This was the last video that they ever released, as Square Enix (makers of Chrono Trigger), sent them a cease and desist order. The project was shut down and all of the work that had been completed for this project was done for nothing more than a good looking video. In the end, the big media corporation had the final say, and the copyright stood.

This is a good example of how all productions of texts have political aspects to them. Square-Enix could have chosen to not sue them, hoping that the fan project would generate good publicity for their newly merged company (Squaresoft and Enix merged on April 1st, 2003). Instead they chose to protect their intellectual property rights of Chrono Trigger and shut down the project. This is an example of how copyright law is used and also how fans can sometimes do illegal things without knowing it. Copyright is definitely a very sticky issue.

Faceporn

Many of you may be aware of a little cultural phenomenon. This little phenomenon is a very good tool that allows us to communicate with and keep in touch with friends far away. It allows us to affilitate with each other in "groups" and to share our lives with each other through posting pictures and profiles that tell people more about us. This same good phenomenon can also be corrupted, just like anything else in this world, and become something bad, something pornographic.

This "little cultural" phenomenon that I speak of is of course:

Facebook!

Let me clarify what I just said. I am not saying that Facebook is bad. Facebook can be a very good thing, (as I evidenced above), but taken in the wrong context, it can become perverted, self centered, and a drug/ something that we do to get out "fix". When it comes to this point, Facebook use becomes pornographic.

The reality is that porn as we know it, is not really pornography. The way that we view that porn can make it pornography. Pornography is a perversion of a very good thing. In terms of sex, porn takes something that is, in the words of Andrew Rudd, "very emotional, relational, awkward, and messy" and removes all of those things leaving us with an empty shell that we can use to "get off".

So really, porn is anything that divorces us from the need for real relationships and allows us to distance ourselves from them. At the same time, it is an external abberation that allows us to "get our jollies off". It takes the place of a good urge that has been instilled in us by our creator and replaces it with a lonely and empy, but yet strangely pleasurable shell of that good thing.

Facebook can become porn in these ways:

1. When it is used suppress boredom- I know that I have been guilty of this as have many people. We are bored. So we get on Facebook. And then we stay on Facebook, for hours, and hours, and hours, and hours, and . . . I think you get the point. Our whole purpose of being on Facebook is not to socially connect with other human beings, it is to suppress our boredom. Just like people can turn to drugs, sex/pornography, alcohol, so also people can turn to Facebook to suppress boredom and escape reality. We can use Facebook to numb the ebbing of time and the consequences therfore of boredom.

2. When it is used as our only social context for relationships- We all know them. Our Facebook friends. The people who will talk back and forth to you on your wall, will reply to your notes, comment on your pictures, but never even say "hi" to you or give you the time of day in real life. When we write on someone's walls without intention of really caring about that person or finding out how they are and investing in their life, we're using it as a pornographic tool. We don't care about that person, we care that we made the effort and it makes us feel good. We're using it to elevate ourselves to elitism. It's like those people who get into social activism to "help people" but are really doing it as a feel good fix.

3. When we use it to assert our supremacy- I know that I have done this before as have many others. We write a note in order to "get out opinion out there". When someone comments back to us with a different view, we feel the need to "correct them." We may even pretend that their opinion changes ours, and feign the attitude that we care. This attitude of elitism is a pornographic use of Facebook. While we wouldn't dare assert our arrogance in this way in a normal cultural setting, Facebook gives us the perfect place. Safe, and divorced from the consequences of relationship. This is the same reason that a lot of people write books. To prove that they're right and that other people are wrong. (*cough* John Macarthur *cough*) When we use a tool to escape the consequences, the messiness, the awkwardness of dialogue in relationships, our use of that tool becomes pornographic.

I am not saying that there is even a limit as to how much people should use Facebook. That line can and should be drawn by the individual and not by a community of faith. I am saying however that we should evaluate our use of not just Facebook, but all texts, to see if we are using them pornographically. Are we using them in place of our relationships with others and with God? Is our use of these tools spurned out of a longing, but distancing from God? If so, we should try to cut out our pornographic use of texts and attempt to get back to right uses of these texts and to our relationships to God and to others.