Facebookism

The first weekend of October, I traveled to Las Vegas with a few other students for the National Journalism Conference. It was not quite what I had expected, yet eye opening to discover what other journalists beyond the scope of the Brimhall building had to say about the industry.

The emphasis of the conference was heavily placed on Facebook. This was not the most useful focus as I have been a member since it abandoned its age-restrictive college demographics. But I can't imagine the whirlwind I would be caught in had this been my first exposure to Facebook.

Although a little repetitive, they helped us understand one thing; Facebook is a social sphere defined by the social graph, the mapping of connections between all people and charts how everyone on Facebook is ultimately connected to one another.

No matter the depth of your involvement, if you are a member of Facebook, you are numbered among the 500 million people within the social graph who practice Facebookism. You may only be the person who visits for the holidays, but you are a Facebookie nonetheless.

Personally, as long as my computer is on, Facebook is creepin’ in the background. For the sake of this argument, I am the Facebook extremist, who has loyal followers that take my word as though it were sanctioned doctrine. In the world of Facebookism, we are given the power and authority to fill both the roles as preacher and congregation member. Facebook is the media medium we practice as religion daily.

Think about it this way, the friends we follow are leaving digital imprints of their life through status updates, wall posts and likes on Facebook. They are compiling a book, a record of their life, that we have access to daily. How much time do you spend reading their gospel versus the Church’s?

With this new perspective on how we use Facebook, do you believe your time spent using the social tool has become a media religion you practice? And since Facebook is only growing in numbers and popularity, how does this change the way you will let your children practice media use?

A "Modern" View of Religion

Statistics have shown that overall, regular religious attendance has declined over the years. While religion was once the only way to be a part of something bigger than one's self, this is no longer the case. Back in the days of early America going to church was the only form of entertainment that one could get to escape from a monotonous, day-to-day existence. Today, however, other things have begun to replace the need for traditional religion. The role that religion played back then has evolved now to be a role fulfilled by various forms of media.

Though traditional religious attendance has gone down, religion in the broadest sense is still a part of virtually every person's life. Dictionary.com describes religion as "something one believes in and follows devotedly; usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs."

So someone who may believe they are not religious because they are not affiliated with a particular religious group should look again at the patterns in their life. Consider for example,

Something one follows devotedly:

Usually involving ritual observance:

Often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs:

http://www.movieweb.com/tv/TVGq2MLMWvjIKN/season-2-modern-family-wins-a-respect-award

The television show Modern Family is a great example of the many television sitcoms that pull people in and provide this sort of ritual experience. In replacing religion it allows one to be part of something bigger than themselves. Watching television shows like Modern Family and other sitcoms is most definitely a religious experience. maybe not in the traditional sense that we think of but in that it is something someone believes in enough to ritually sit down and watch it on a weekly basis.

Sitcoms like Modern Family also have a specific moral code that they relay to the audience. As shown through the linked video, these sitcoms are more than silly, meaningless content but actually portray serious issues in a funny, sentimental and light way that ensure people will return again and again to receive the moral messages they contain. Because by doing so they are participating in a fun and fulfilling (also known as religious) experience.

The chapter we read on Cultivation Theory spoke of Gerbner's views specifically relating to this phenomenon. He said it used to be that the only "acceptable storytellers outside the home were those passing down religious tradition." But now, "At its root, television is 'story,' and a society's stories give a 'coherent picture of what exists, what is important, what is related to what, and what is right'" (p. 353 of Chapter 27 "Cultivation Theory of George Gerbner).

Do you agree or disagree with this argument that television shows like Modern Family have become a form of religion? One that replaces the need for traditional religion and is now a means of providing the "stories" that shape society's moral codes?

(For the record, I am a ritualistic viewer of Modern Family.)

Saturday is a Special Day...Sports as Religion

Just like many of you, I thoroughly enjoyed BYU's beat down on Colorado State in football this past weekend . It is almost as if balance has been restored to Cougar football as we know it, or at least it appears to be going in that direction. I did not have the opportunity to watch the game live, as I had to go to a church meeting and take a test at the wonderful testing center, but thanks to the miracle of the DVR, I was able to watch the game.

I would NEVER miss watching a BYU football game, whether they are playing at home or playing away. My wife and I got Comcast Cable just for the football season so we could have the Mountain and Versus networks and watch the away BYU games. We’ve had season tickets for three years and took our one-month-old daughter to the BYU/Utah game last year. To say the least, we are diehard fans and follow it with religious devotion. Much of the rest of Saturdays after BYU games are devoted to watching whatever other games are on TV. It’s amazing I get anything else done on the weekends.

OK, so I may be over exaggerating the whole football fan scenario, but for many, sports are a form of religion. As mentioned in our reading in RCPA chapter 10, there are many similarities between sports and football. Both are organizations and are structured. Michael Novack, the theologian who is quoted throughout this chapter said, “Like religions, which ‘place us in the presence of powers greater than ourselves, and seek to reconcile us to them,’ sports help participants confront uncertainties of ‘Fate” by playing out contingencies in games, and recognizing the role that chance plays in the outcome of contests.” Novak also points out that both religion and sports help people confront “anxieties and dreads about failure, aging, betrayal, and guilt…”

Novak also points out that both religion and sports have high standards and expectations, demand discipline and strive toward perfection. Both also have chants, hymns, and gestures. (The Cougar fight song and the clapping and hand actions that go with it) Each has a place of worship in a sense (chapel vs. a stadium) and a designated day of worship. (Sundays vs. Saturdays for college football) All of these attributes, whether as church leaders /players and coaches, or as fans/active members of our church, have a sense of uniting people to a common cause. It can also cause rifts and fights between people from different faiths or different sports teams. Just look at the rivalry between Catholics and Protestants or BYU and Utah.

This is an example of the rift sports can cause between people just like religion can: (Watch the first minute)

Max Hall Expressing his Feelings about the "School up North." People expressing their disgust about other religions in a similar fashion sometimes...

On the other hand, here is how sports can unite people:

That is all fine and well, but does a unifying cause and zealous devotion to sports make it a religion? When I wrote down my generic definition of what religion is at the beginning of the semester, I wrote down that it is an organized concept that helps unite people to a power and cause greater than the individual. Going by that, sports certainly can unite a group of diverse people to something greater than the individual. If you look at football, no one person can do anything without the help of his teammates. A football fan who is watching from the stands or a Lazy Boy chair really has no control over what happens, but there is a sense of commrodery with those playing the game and those they are watching it with.

Whether football or any other sport is considered a religion or not, people spend a massive amount of time consuming it, especially thanks to various forms of media that make it possible to do so. This brings me to my next question, since many of us are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, how weary should we be of sports becoming a form of idolatry? Since the days of the Old Testament, we have been warned about worshipping idols. We have been counseled by our church leaders that idolatry worship happens in many forms. It can be an obsession with cars, money, a house, or many other things. Can sports fall into that as well? Participating in or watching sports can take away from other things that we should be focused on such as increasing our faith or spending more quality time with our family members. Is this something we should be weary of?

My questions to you are: Do you think sports can be considered a religion? Should we be concerned that sports is actually a form of idolatry that is taking our focus off of Jesus Christ? What think ye?

World of Warcraft - The Religion?

World of Warcraft, also known as WoW, is a very popular online gaming program where people can create characters and complete quests. For many people who play WoW, it becomes more than a game; it becomes a religion. Applying some of the characteristics of religion presented in Chapter 8, It’s About Faith In Our Future: Star Trek Fandom as cultural Religion, it is evident that World of Warcraft has become a religion.

Mythical Narrative/Cannon/Language

WoW has a whole back story that involves dwarves and elves and what-not. While knowing the legend of the World of Warcraft is not necessary, most players know something about it. A few weeks ago, there was a young man who asked a complex question of the game designers regarding the story of WoW. The designers did not know the answer and later honored him with an in-game character for stumping them.

WoW has a unique language. Abbreviations make up a lot of the language, but there are also terms. Here is a small reference guide.

Toon – Character
LFG – Looking for Group
DPS – Damage per second
Noob – New or inexperienced player
Tank – A character in a group quest that can get hurt more than other players

Healer - A character in a group quest that does not fight but only heals other players
Cloth – A character who cannot wear metal armor and cannot get hit a lot

Schisms

In the game, there are two factions, the Alliance and the Horde. While players don’t have to stay true to one faction, they often have a preference and are vehement supporters of the faction they are playing on at the moment.

Organizations/Clubs with Hierarchy

WoW can be a social game if the player decides to join a Guild and play with the same group of people. The groups are run by a Guild Master (GM for short) and officers who are appointed based, in part, on their participation in the guild. While players do not have to play in groups or with other people, the quests are easier when there are more than one player.

Pilgrimage

Every year, the creators of WoW hold a convention known as Blizzcon. Ardent fans of the game come with obsessive and finicky questions dressed in extravagant costumes.

Guides/Affects People’s Lives/Sacrifice/Devotion

WoW, though only a video game, drastically affects people’s lives if they allow it to. Addicts or adhereants will put WoW before family, work, church, etc., just to play more World of Warcraft. News articles have linked extreme cases of WoW addiction to cases involving death (just News Google “World of Warcraft death”). It is also not uncommon for people who are in the same guild to schedule real life meetings where they hang out for a weekend.

Another way people express their devotion to WoW make videos and post them online. There are many popular videos (Leeroy Jenkins, World of Warcraft Dancing, Mr. T WoW commercial), but a lot of those have strong language. There is even a web series called The Guild that focuses on a woman with and addiction to WOW. This is one of the few inoffensive videos I could find. You don’t have to watch the whole thing, just the first couple lines of the song.

Stigma

There is a stigma associated with people who play WOW. They are thought of as single nerdy people in their thirties and forties.

By fulfilling these criteria, World of Warcraft can be regarded as a religion. What do you think? Can World of Warcraft be viewed as a religion?

The spread of Mormon beliefs through media

One of the questions we needed to answer in our World Religion presentations was: “What the leaders of each specific religion had to say about the use of media?” During these last weeks this question has been on my mind, so I have been going through some talks and articles by LDS leaders so I can share them in this blog post. I found LDS leaders warn us about the bad use of media how it can destroy families and relationships, but also they motivate us to use media to bear our testimonies and share our beliefs.

First I would like to share with you two statements made by LDS leaders warning the members about media’s negative influence:

In 2003, for example, Elder L. Tom Perry warned all the members of the LDS church about how media can directly influence in a positive or negative way on families. He said: “Oh, what impact advertising, television programs, the Internet, and the other media are having on our family units! We remind you that parents are to preside over their own families. Helps and reminders will come from the Church Internet site and television channels, as well as through priesthood and auxiliary leadership to assist you as we strive to fulfill our family responsibilities.”

Last year, Elder David Bednar talked to all the LDS Young Single Adults. He talked about the spiritual hazards in the technologically oriented and rapidly changing world. He said: “Today I raise an apostolic voice of warning about the potentially stifling, suffocating, suppressing, and constraining impact of some kinds of cyberspace interactions and experiences upon our souls. The concerns I raise are not new; they apply equally to other types of media, such as television, movies, and music. But in a cyber world, these challenges are more pervasive and intense. I plead with you to beware of the sense-dulling and spiritually destructive influence of cyberspace technologies that are used to produce high fidelity and that promote degrading and evil purposes.”

LDS LEADERS URGE MEMBERS TO USE MEDIA TO SHARE THEIR BELIEFS

Now I would like to focus on how media can be used to share LDS beliefs. Media allow us to spread our ideas and beliefs in seconds. A couple of weeks ago, one of my friends posted the following Mormon Message video on her Facebook page:

Thanks to that simple video one of her friends who was going through a hard time of her life asked her more about the LDS church and her beliefs.

Can a simply video, Blog post, Tweet make the difference?

This video certainly made a difference in someone’s life.

On 2007, Elder Russell Ballard gave a commencement address at BYU-Hawaii titled: Sharing the Gospel Using the Internet: “Now, may I ask that you join the conversation by participating on the Internet to share the gospel and to explain in simple and clear terms the message of the Restoration. Most of you already know that if you have access to the Internet you can start a blog in minutes and begin sharing what you know to be true… You can write to media sites on the Internet that report on the Church and voice your views as to the accuracy of the reports. This, of course, requires that you understand the basic principles of the gospel. It is essential that you are able to offer a clear and correct witness of gospel truths. It is also important that you and the people to whom you testify understand that you do not speak for the Church as a whole. You speak as one member—but you testify of the truths you have come to know.”

HOW DO LDS MEMBERS SHARE THEIR BELIEFS ON THE INTERNET?

Here are some specific ideas of how LDS members share their beliefs through the Internet:

*Share/post your beliefs on social network sites as Facebook and Twitter.

*Include some of your beliefs and spiritual experiences on your blog/other website. For example, there is Web site called “Mormons Believe” where LDS members can share their testimonies.

* Share inspirational videos with your friends.

*Comment on other blogs/websites answering other people’s questions about the LDS church.

*For other ideas visit: "Ways to Share the Gospel Online"

DO LDS MEMBERS WHO SHARE THEIR BELIEFS CONTRIBUTE TO THE CHURCH'S GOOD REPUTATION?

It is important to use powerful media tools to spread our feelings and experiences based on our beliefs. I know this will help draw more people to the church, however I also think this will benefit the image of the church in the media and will clarify some misconceptions people have about the LDS church.

Michael Otterson on his article: The Church's Reputation: Progress, Challenges, and Opportunity, said: "Monumental progress has been made during the past century, and particularly in recent years, in gaining respect in the public's mind. Significantly, studies show that people who know Mormons on a personal level typically have great respect for them..."

Based on Otterson's opinion and/or in your own opinion. Do you think LDS members who share their beliefs on the internet are contributing to the church's reputation? Why?

Mormons in the Media

The Monday after the October conference the first headline or front page of any Utah newspaper focused on the Gay/Lesbian Rights uproar. I have noticed throughout the years, a pattern in religious issues in the media and I wondered is this what everyone else is reading? Whether it is about; proposition 8, Glenn Beck the fanatic, or Mitt Romney in the 2007 election. After this week’s class reading I began to wonder how the media frames Mormons in the National setting. I will use Romney’s experience as a specific example of how the media frames Mormons.

According to the handy dandy theory sheet provided by Professor Randle: “Framing, a term used in media studies, refers to the social construction of a social phenomenon by mass media sources or specific political or social movements or organizations.” The paragraph concludes by saying that framing can have, “Selective influence over the individual’s perception of the meanings attributed to words or phrases.” For Mormons, it can be the skewing of religious beliefs, for example: categorizing Mormons as not knowing the Lord (a comment yelled at a Florida campaign event). So, is there a big deal about being LDS? Or has the media in Utah caused LDS to think that we are a big deal?

Pew research center focused on this exact topic, and from their analysis of the media they found that Romney was the lead newsmaker in stories that focused on the politician’s religion (as shown below).

An example of how media covered the issue of religion, was an article in The Boston Globe that was released just after Romney announced he would be running, “The Boston Globe reported that Romney had acknowledged he was thinking about running for president, it printed an article on July 21, 2005, entitled ‘Are we ready for a Mormon president?’" This was a topic that was not ignored by several media providers. The Times did a similar article, “A Mormon as President” Nov 26, 2006, “many Americans remain suspicious of them, maybe because so many aspects of their faith remain mysterious.” This article focuses on the LDS religion as a whole; but, was Romney not elected because he was Mormon or because of his political stance?  

For our class reading Dixon concluded his case summary that “the coverage of the religious issue…was driven more by political considerations than by the religious content of the stories.” However, did Dixon consider what effect the stories would have on the reader’s perception of the religion? Sure, we can see the political issues but for those who are not LDS are they susceptible to the media framing us as an oddity, like a cult, or as a religion that America—and therefore Americans—are not ready to accept as a president yet? From what we have learned about stereotyping, I would argue that the media is framing a stereotype for LDS. And although there were other issues that prevented Romney from continuing on in the race I would say that media not only framed Romney as a religious radical but LDS as radical religion. Analyze the following links to news stories and watch it from a non-LDS standpoint. My question for you after reading through this article and looking at some examples is: How do you think national media frames LDS and what do you think are the consequences? 

Coverage of Segregation in the church

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pcw0woPX5VY&feature=related

ABC coverage of Hill Cumorah and Mormonism

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1lNW7-sVFo

Is America Ready?  From a comical standpoint

(careful at the 2 minute marker) Probably do not want to watch the whole thing..

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-june-12-2007/is-america-ready----mormons

Harry Potter and the Religious Zealots

Harry Potter has fast become one of the most recognizable names in the world. The star of a series of books by author J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter has become associated with movies, theme park rides, websites etc. Little kids dress up like Harry Potter for Halloween, he's on sheets, and then there is of course this:

This cat wants nothing but death.

What the books don't tell you though, is the deep dark secret of Harry Potter: it's all about witchcraft! Oh, they do tell you that? Wait, it's plastered all over everything associated with Harry Potter? Hogwarts is a school for witchcraft AND wizardry? WTF guys? If it is so obvious that this is about witchcraft and wizardry, then why do good religious parents let their children partake? Isn't this book about a little boy wizard and his friends corrupting souls by creating an interest in the occult and leading people away from the gospel? Hang on one second. Let's step back and reevaluate.

Around the time that the third Harry Potter novel came out, families in Minnesota, New York, Michigan, California and South Carolina began asking for the books to be banned from school libraries and removed from the classroom. These families felt that Harry Potter promoted interest in the occult and more specifically satanism.

scene from Harry Potter movie (photoshopping may have happened)

Speaking out about religious folks banning books, Judy Blume, author of Are you there God?It's me, Margaret said:

"What began with the religious right has spread to the politically correct. (Remember the uproar in Brooklyn last year when a teacher was criticized for reading a book entitled "Nappy Hair" to her class?) And now the gate is open so wide that some parents believe they have the right to demand immediate removal of any book for any reason from school or classroom libraries. The list of gifted teachers and librarians who find their jobs in jeopardy for defending their students' right to read, to imagine, to question, grows every year."

Another quote comes from Kimberly L. Keith who talks about how Harry Potter is good for children because it is basically a modern fairy tale:

"A fairy tale, or great children's book, guides the child's unconscious in a structured way to resolve painful feelings. This frees the child to cope on a conscious level without being overwhelmed by underlying feelings of anxiety and alienation. The Harry Potter books have all the elements of a classic fairy tale, but they speak to modern children in a way that classic fairy tales probably do not anymore."

On the other side of the coin we have this quote from Ray Novosel from www.jesus-is-savior.com:

"But as wild as children seem to be about Harry, no one is happier about the phenomenon than the old-school Satanists, who were struggling to recruit new members prior to the publication of the first Potter book in 1997. “Harry in an absolute godsend to our cause,” said High Priest “Egan” of the First Church of Satan in Salem, MA. “An organization like ours thrives on new blood - no pun intended - and we've had more applicants than we can handle lately." In 1995, it was estimated that some 100,000 Americans, mostly adults, were involved in devil-worship of some sort. Today, more than 14 million children alone belong to the Church of Satan, thanks largely to the unassuming boy wizard from 4 Privet Drive. Yes, the numbers ARE horrific, but the total sales of Harry Potter books, plus the natural hand-me-down factor where many people read a book that has already been purchased, easily equals or exceeds this staggering figure of 14 million."

Here's a lovely video put together by the folks over at everythingisterrible.com you should watch that will really drive home the point of view that Harry Potter is taking people away from good and placing them on the path of evil.

So this brings us to the question of who is right? Are religious folk correct in worrying about what our children (and everyone else's children) read and see? Are these kids really on the path to destruction:

Doomed?

Or are religious people overreacting? Is Harry Potter just a kids book with an interesting story, no different then the hundreds of fictional children's books that have come before it?