I understand a monk’s vow of silence. Have you ever seen the AOL Instant messenger service advertisements? Can they IM each other? Do they actually allow online services to monks? What does God think about the internet? Please Help me out!!
Boston Globe story (full story requires registration)
Reading test where second article describes internet conflict in monastery
The whole point of a vow of silence is to limit communication. If you are on a computer that is capable of doing what talking accomplishes than what is the point (ala Steven Hawking et al).
Since the purpose of a vow of silence is to promote spiritual discipline, I doubt that monks who have taken such a vow would be allowed to IM each other in place of casual conversation.
As Cecil noted in this column, though, vows of silence are usually not total. Speaking is allowed when part of one’s necessary duties, or when reciting prayers. If IM were being used for these purposes, then it would probably be allowed.
By the way, welcome to the SDMB, drprestojr!
The point behind the vow of silence is not to keep people from talking entirely – it’s to allow them to focus on “practicing the presence of God” by meditation as they work. Not communication but casual conversation is prohibited.
A monk under a vow of silence may quite properly walk up to another monk and say “The Prior wants to see you in the library” or call out “The refectory is on fire!” – he’s not permitted to say “Nice weather we’re having” or “Did you hear what Brother Ignatius did yesterday?”
And of course most monks most of the time are not under a vow of silence. People on retreat, monastic or “civilian,” will often maintain silence for a certain limited period, say after an evening devotion until bedtime, or during an extended examination-of-conscience retreat. The purpose here is to maintain an internal, introspective focus not distracted by “things of this world.”