According to anthropologists, fire was first used as a religious implement, rather than as a tool to cook food, fashion weapons, etc. Fire only came to be used as a practical tool in everyday life when its religious significance died down. Anthropologists think this because they have found evidence that, for quite some time, fire was used in ritualistic settings and in no other circumstances.

Given the obvious practical benefits of fire, it is interesting to consider that man’s first and foremost instinct, upon discovery of this new and powerful technology, was to employ it in a ritualistic, spiritual capacity. In modern society, when it comes to new tools, we immediately harness the tool in a purely utilitarian capacity, most often with the goal of profit or comfort in mind. This begs the question: If Neanderthal society’s orientation towards new technologies was deeper and more profound than my own, does this mean that my society is completely out of touch with itself?

After consulting with my good friend Joseph Campbell, I have come to the conclusion: not necessarily. The thing about fire that made it so “spiritually significant” to early man was that he didn’t understand it. Somehow, it created intense heat and bright light. It consumed biological material. Fire was a mystical substance to him. It would be sacrilege to cook a steak over it.

Modern society understands fire, physics, computers, and lots of other stuff. This renders fire, the solar system, and pretty much anything else that can be found in a science textbook ineffective as a religious symbol. Me, I would cook a steak over a computer any day of the week.

Is there anything left in the universe that carries an innate, spiritual charge? The only answer I have been able to come up with is: the human mind - consciousness. (Now take a guess as to why Star Wars captures us, as a culture, in such a powerful way!) Although we have for some time been able to understand the more elementary aspects of human behavior (i.e. carrot and stick psychology), the mind basically remains a complete mystery to us. What we are becoming more aware of is that the mind does not operate purely on Newtonian physics (i.e. A + B = C); it appears to interface with nature in a quantum capacity as well. If you lie down on the beach and think about this for a while, the implications are pretty staggering.

At any rate, I think it is safe to conclude - at least from a religio-symbolic standpoint - that we are not engaging in sacrilege when it comes to harnessing new technologies for non-religious ends, since our tools do not carry any kind of inherent spiritual charge.

However! If consciousness does carry a spiritual charge, and if consciousness is the means by which we interface with our tools, this implies that we need to approach our tools with a certain degree of caution and respect, since our tools affect consciousness in our use of them. Being aware of this, before using a certain tool it becomes important to consider whether this tool will be “good for consciousness.” A tool is good for consciousness when I am sufficiently harmonious with it; when it has the potential to act as an extension of my own creative being.

How do tools such as MS Reporting Services affect my consciousness? Euphemistically put: the anger/creativity differential does not weigh in favor of creativity.  

That's why I regard tools such as MS Reporting Services as The Evil One :)