Pope Finally Slams Facebook Generation

Here is another article where you have to read between the lines a little. The Pope probably doesn't want to mess with the guys running Facebook too much, especially since Goldman Sachs is helping them out now and he doesn't want to hurt the Vatican's credit rating. But he's right on the money here, and this statement is pretty sly in condemning this evil trend.

The Pope says that social networking offers a "great opportunity." But he does not give even ONE example of such opportunity in any area of life. Then he goes on to cite "depersonalization, alienation, self-indulgence, and the dangers of having more virtual friends than real ones." That's four bad things. So there are ZERO opportunities and FOUR bad things. That's means he thinks it's BAD.

Popes are used to having to make cryptic comments. I'm sure that quite a few people came to this accurate conclusion on the Pope's condemnation, but the rest of our readers can rely on me. Facebook = Hell. Watch out! And stop posting pictures of your cats playing with string PLEASE! Go out and make a real friend.

Pope Benedict gave a qualified blessing to social networking Monday, praising its potential but warning that online friendships are no substitute for real human contact.

The 83-year-old pontiff, who does not have his own Facebook account, set out his views in a message with a weighty title that would easily fit into a tweet: "Truth, proclamation and authenticity of life in the digital age."

He said the possibilities of new media and social networks offered "a great opportunity," but warned of the risks of depersonalization, alienation, self-indulgence, and the dangers of having more virtual friends than real ones.

"It is important always to remember that virtual contact cannot and must not take the place of direct human contact with people at every level of our lives," Benedict said in the message for the Catholic Church's World Day of Communications.

[Reuters]