When you really think about it, religion is mostly tradition. Unless we are talking about Scientology, which claims to be the only new religion to have emerged in the 21st century, all the other major religions of the world have existed for well over a few hundred years. These religions have shown surprising valor in facing the tides of time by maintaining consistency in their religious though and practices, majority of which are the ancient remnants of a bygone era.
This is not to say that these religions are outdated. Religions serve the same purpose today as they did in those days of their infancy(saving of man's soul, attainment of nirvana, eternal progression etc. etc.). But there has been a gradual shift in the everyday expression of religion from traditional practices (like going to church on Sunday, mosque on Friday,eating kosher meals)to a more modern, easily accessible and more attractive means of "Cyberfaith."
"Cyberfaith" can best be described as the presence of religion in the form of specific religious institutions and forums on the internet, each of which cater to the needs of their own congregation, with an aim of attaining more followers. If we were to look at some statistics:
Over the past four years the percentage of churches with Web sites had grown from about 11% to around 45%. At this rate of growth, about 90% of all congregations will have Web sites in five years. All "Mega churches" - those with weekly attendance of more than 2,000 -- have Web sites and most of these take advantage of the dynamic features of the Web such as interactivity.(Hartford Institute for Religion Research)
According to Elena Larson, lead author of the "Wired Churches, Wired Temples- Taking Congregations and Missions into Cyberspace" a recent study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project,This is not to say that these religions are outdated. Religions serve the same purpose today as they did in those days of their infancy(saving of man's soul, attainment of nirvana, eternal progression etc. etc.). But there has been a gradual shift in the everyday expression of religion from traditional practices (like going to church on Sunday, mosque on Friday,eating kosher meals)to a more modern, easily accessible and more attractive means of "Cyberfaith."
"Cyberfaith" can best be described as the presence of religion in the form of specific religious institutions and forums on the internet, each of which cater to the needs of their own congregation, with an aim of attaining more followers. If we were to look at some statistics:
Over the past four years the percentage of churches with Web sites had grown from about 11% to around 45%. At this rate of growth, about 90% of all congregations will have Web sites in five years. All "Mega churches" - those with weekly attendance of more than 2,000 -- have Web sites and most of these take advantage of the dynamic features of the Web such as interactivity.(Hartford Institute for Religion Research)
25% of Internet users - about 28 million people - have gotten religious or spiritual information online, an increase from the 21% reported in 2000, and an indication of an increasing use of religious Internet resources.
67% of what Larson called "religion surfers" have accessed information on their own faith, while 50% have sought information on other faiths. 21% of these users have sought religious advice using email and 38 % have used email to send prayer requests.
15% of survey respondents said their use of the Internet has made them feel more committed to their faith, and 27% say it has improved their spiritual life to at least a modest degree.
In addition, 35% believe that the Internet has a "mostly positive" effect on the religious life of others, and 62% said that the availability of material on the Internet encourages religious tolerance. At the same time, 53% reported some fear that the Internet makes it easier for cults to promote themselves in ways that could be harmful.
The above stats suggest that this slow but gradual change, of moving away from traditional religious practices to finding an expression of ones faith in online discourse is becoming more and more mainstream.
Is this a good thing or a bad thing?Are people innocent in their belief that religion on the internet is not a bad idea, or can this form of worship really work?
Can worship on the internet really work? Why not? It should work just as well as any other method that the world calls worship, such as going to a football stadium running down the field, throwing their hands in the air and saying "I'm saved!" or sending in money to Joel Osteen on TV or buying Rick Warren's "Purpose Driven Life" on tape. Yes, religion in the way John Lennon meant it is just as effective through internet as it has been the last 40 years.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, worship as we Latter-day Saints know it, will never get a true worship experience unless we are "up and doing" as Moroni said. We have to get to Church, we have to experience the ordinances, renew the covenants, and perform our services to the sick and afflicted. And we have to do it all pro se legal.
Yes, internet, television, and magazines can all supplement religion, but they can never replace it. Religion, pure religion, still is "to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep [ourselves] unspotted from the world."
J. Guest