The world as we will know it

I'm actively watching the Internet grow.

I remember my excitement the first time I saw a web site address in any sort of advertising. I'd been watching and waiting for the Internet to break into common awareness. And now, web sites seem to be mandatory on every napkin and TV commercial.

We used BITNET to instant message with a contact on the other side of the world, and my friends were all amazed that it could be done. Today, we expect to chat for free and share pictures and videos as much as we want.

Science fiction has always looked to the future, and still does. But the future we are moving into has rarely been imagined quite the way we find it. Everyone using the Internet is living a life that a dozen years ago was only being hinted at in SF, and of course, many features were never predicted.

So where are we going from here?

There are many visionaries busy trying to plan and predict humanity's future. I'm not one of them. But I do think that there are a couple of basic assumptions that many of them are missing.

One of them has to do with religion. Many visionaries don't consider the visions that are presented by religions. However, that is not too hard to understand, since the vision of most religions is now history, or ancient history. And most were vague and don't seem to apply to today.

I'm sure that many recent religions and groups talk about the future, but the one I know best is the Baha'i Faith. Everything in that Faith has happened or been written in the last 160 or so years. So the vision of the future that is presented by the Baha'i scriptures is fresher and more relevant for us now.

I'm actively watching the Baha'i Faith grow.

Like the Internet in 2007, the story of the Baha'i Faith is not done yet. It's been amazing up to now, but the future will be even better!

As for humanity's future, from my perspective, the Baha'i Faith does not give a lot of detailed predictions that we need to wait for, but does set out the general direction where we are heading. Concepts - like "unity", "world commonwealth", "personal freedom and initiative", "refinement of the human brain" - hint at a "nice" future.

The other assumption is that human nature can get better and that a "nicer" future is possible. Books like "1984" and "Brave New World" assume that there will always be insurmountable problems in society. But we are social creatures, and our moral standard is held in relation to society around us. An individual's moral outlook cannot be forced onto them, but they can change it. And, like some changes, the more people making the change, the more who want to make the same change. Yes, people are still people, but our standards can improve.

So what will the world be like during the rest of our lifetime?

Better!

Technology will continue to make life better. We can't even imagine yet what it will really be like. Will it all be good? Probably not, but I have no doubt that most of it will be!

And society will become better too. Today, it depends on where you look and focus your attention - is it getting better or worse? There is evidence for both. The Baha'i Faith acknowledges and examines that concept, and promises that it will get better.

So, am I excited about the future? Yes. Will it all be rosey? No. Why am I excited? A combination of the promises of technology and religion!