A B1T 0F Th0ught
Why We Chose This Name
Bits are the smallest units of digital data and serve as the fundamental carriers of modern communication. They transmit art, music, literature, and, most importantly, human thought. If language can be understood as a probe through which we attempt—sometimes imperfectly—to convey our ideas to others, then digital bits function as the transporters of that language. In this way, bits become new probes that extend the reach of thought, transferring it across digital networks into the minds of others.
A binary system, represented by the simple digits 1 and 0, when grouped together in the billions, is capable of rendering a 4K video, a high-resolution audio file, an entire book, or even a beautiful painting or photograph. This capacity arises because binary, despite its simplicity, provides a universal framework for encoding information. Every color pixel in an image, every sound wave in a piece of music, and every letter in a text can be translated into combinations of ones and zeros. Through computational processes, these combinations are reassembled into the rich sensory and intellectual experiences we associate with art, media, and literature.
The text I am writing now is pregnant with meaning—meaning I am attempting to convey to you, the reader. This transmission is possible only because of language, and, at the technical level, because of the countless 1s and 0s that your device is continuously regrouping and rendering according to its format. Binary code provides the substrate that allows linguistic meaning to be preserved, transferred, and reconstructed across digital systems. What appears on your screen as coherent sentences is, at its foundation, a series of discrete binary signals that computational processes assemble into legible text. In this way, the abstractions of thought are made visible through the combined work of language and digital encoding.
This is why we chose the name A BIT of Thought for our organization. However, the word bit carries additional meanings depending on context. It can refer to something small or a small portion of something, as in the expressions, “I will have a bit of chocolate,” or, “I will see you in a bit.” In our case, this nuance reflects our approach: we do not seek to be exhaustive in any single category. Our aim is not to produce lengthy treatises on the subjects we care about, but rather to share brief reflections—bits of thought—that advance our mission and invite further dialogue.
As a group primarily focused on sharing reflections on religion, philosophy, and other random things, our hope is to spark meaningful dialogue across diverse communities. Dialogue forms the foundation of a free and open society; when it collapses, violence often emerges in its place. Although it may sound like a cliché in contemporary discourse, the point remains valid: bad ideas should be challenged and overcome only by better ideas. By fostering conversation, we aim to cultivate the intellectual and social conditions where such exchange can thrive.
Being the product of the West, our thoughts and positions focus primarily on Western, Judeo-Christian values. As such, most of our content is aimed at people who are part of this great civilization. The heirs to the values that shaped the West and gave birth to what many have called the greatest civilization the world has ever known. While at times our positions may sound like criticisms, they are born from a place of concern and hope, holding those which we call our own to a higher standard of thinking. Christians, in particular, have in recent times, at least here in the United States of America, given up on the development of their minds and fallen victim to anti-intellectualism which has rendered the church practically irrelevant in the marketplace of ideas. It is these brothers and sisters that we hope to reach, but not just them, anyone who desires to think deeply about subjects that are wholly relevant to the places in which they live, work, and play.
Yet not everything we produce is serious in tone. We also engage with the wider culture in which we live—films, television, books, music, and art. We hold the conviction that wisdom is a kind of divine language, and that when the mind is attuned to the transcendent, it becomes capable of discerning and extracting wisdom from almost any source it encounters. Whether through a book, a film, or a television program, this culture of ours—however flawed—owes much of its richness to the ancient text we call the Bible. Consequently, we maintain that anyone who wishes to be literate or educated in the West must possess at least a general, even elementary, understanding of the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures. Such knowledge not only deepens one’s ability to interpret and appreciate the cultural works produced within this tradition but also enhances the enjoyment of them. An informed consumer is a better consumer; more importantly, an informed Christian is a more effective Christian.
To conclude, we hope that the content we share proves to be thought-provoking, whether or not you agree with it. Our aim is to inspire you to engage those around you in meaningful dialogue—to challenge the status quo in your home, your church, your city, and even your nation. As the American writer and cultural critic H. L. Mencken once observed, “The most dangerous man to any government is the man who can think things out for himself, without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos.” We have adapted his words to include institutions such as the church or other organizations, as the principle remains strikingly relevant today. While we refrain from reproducing the entire passage, the essence of Mencken’s warning speaks to the enduring importance of independent thought and the courage to question inherited assumptions.
