Originally published at crisis magazine

God has seen all His creation to be good. As Christians, we rejoice in this goodness. We delight in the loveliness of the sun and moon, in the odor of the sweet olive, in the taste of flesh and fowl and grain, in the spirits that raise our spirits, in the marital bond that brings life to birth. All in moderation, we say, moderation not excepted. And if we are somewhat sententious in our treatment of temperance, we are nonetheless right to note that God has given us the goodness of His creation as a channel of that grace by which we ourselves are made good.

Not infrequently, we are told that technology, too, with special reference to such things as the laptop and the smart phone, is morally neutral. It all depends on how we use it. With my iPhone, I can type this essay, or I can find pornography. I can file my taxes, or I can gamble away my savings. I can call my friend for a long-overdue conversation, or I can scroll the hours away on the troubled, manicured seas of social media. The choice is mine. How will I use this thing which money and

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