Scientology Vs. Anonymous

Has the internet become a religious battleground? Scientology has been a controversial religion since it was founded in 1954 by L. Ron Hubbard. Scientology has received criticism for claims of brain washing, controversial personality tests, dangerous practices in medicine, and for many other controversial claims.

On January 21, 2008, a group of computer hackers called Anonymous attacked the church of Scientology with some very innovative tactics. Anonymous used the internet to spread their message against Scientology. Along with live protests by masked boycotters, Anonymous attacked Scientology online. They hacked into the Scientology website where they used a denial of service attack to shut the website down.

Anonymous also posted videos online that spread rapidly. Though the video was only two minutes long, it had over 500,000 views within just a few days.

The videos posted from Anonymous threatened to destroy the church.


“Anonymous has therefore decided that your organization should be destroyed. For the good of your followers, for the good of mankind--for the laughs--we shall expel you from the Internet and systematically dismantle the Church of Scientology in its present form. We acknowledge you as a serious opponent, and we are prepared for a long, long campaign.”

The hacker group continued to post anti-Scientology videos on Youtube. Within a few days, Anonymous opened the Scientology website.


So, whose side are you on? The Annonyous group believes that they are upholding their freedom of speech , but it may be at the cost of somebody’s freedom of religion.

Where do we draw the line for freedom of speech?
Protesters feel that they have a freedom of speech to protest a cult whose beliefs they believe to be dangerous.

Do you support Scientology and it’s freedom of speech and religion, or do you support Annonymous and their freedom of speech to a religious cult they believe to be dangerous?

Organized Religion: Use and Emphasis on the Internet - by Christina VanDerwerken Nelson

As I began to study religion and the internet it was amazing how you really can find anything on the internet. There is so much information out there—some of it useful and some it not. The thing about the internet as we all know is that anyone can post something or create a website on the internet. But some religious organizations have done an especially good job in setting their messages apart from the others.

Two religious groups that I think have used the internet to effectively set themselves apart are the Mormons and the Scientologists. A bastardization of both religions’ goals in using the internet would be to promote awareness and to encourage conversion.

Whether or not you believe in either religion, the LDS church and Church of Scientology are both organized cultures—with distinct beliefs and hierarchy. Both churches have a lot of coverage in the media, but especially on the internet. They also both have well-designed websites set up by themselves to answer questions about their beliefs, to provide comfort, and to encourage viewers to learn more (and ultimately convert). The Mormon website, as you all know, is Mormon.org. The Scientology website is Scientology.org and they also have a video website (http://www.scientology.org/#/videos/the-basic-principles-of-scientology) that is very similar to Mormon.org.

The most interesting thing that I found about the religions and their use of the internet was specifically their use of advertising on the internet. Using Google type in Jesus Christ or Jesus or Christ and every time Mormon.org comes up in the Sponsored Links section. Doing the same thing but using the word spirituality Scientology.org comes up. And words like church or religion often bring up both Mormon.org and Scientology.org.

I admit that I do not really understand how the Google Sponsored Links section works, but it appears that both of the churches are paying top dollar to have their websites represented in these searches.

Do you think that design and layout of a website makes a huge difference in the appeal of that religion on the internet or is the message more important? What do you think the perceptions are of people that see other religions advertising on the internet?

Atheists and the Internet

With all this talk about various religions and their interactions with mass media, I think it is time we take a look at how the non-religions make use of modern technology: particularly the Internet.

Atheism is a broad term used to describe both (a) people who do not possess a belief in the existence of deities, and (b) those who actively disbelieve in deities. Most phenomena that you find on the Internet are generally manifestations of the latter group.

Two prominent examples include: www.atheists.org in the US and www.atheistbus.org.uk in the UK.

Atheists-dot-org is a web-based organization of American Atheists promoting atheist ideals. Features include headline news about atheist issues, blogs endorsing an increased separation of church and state in order to protect the non-religious freedoms of non-believers, and announcements of calendar events such as “Blasphemy Day” (the highlight of which is, of course, the opportunity for de-baptism).

Atheistbus-dot-org is the official website of the atheist bus campaign, courtesy of the British Humanist Association (BHA) in the United Kingdom. Their main contribution to the atheist cause is the slogan-ads reading “There’s Probably No God. Now Stop Worrying and Enjoy Your Life” that appear on the sides of buses in London:

The website urges visitors to take pictures of these buses and post them online, supposedly so the world can see the impact that they are making.

Common themes on these and similar sites include the debate between Creationism and Evolution; discussions about whether or not atheists possess any sort of moral compass and if so, where it comes from; and how to break free from the oppression of religious tradition and dogma.

This kind of organized un-religion stands in contrast to the modern cyber-churches like the Church of Fools. And yet, maybe atheist websites such as these actually work toward the same end as online Christianity or virtual Islam.

Greg Peterson writes about the effects of the information age on organized religion. For years, some clergy have fought to use religious dogma as a way to keep the common man in control. Before Gutenberg invented the printing press and Martin Luther posted his 95 Theses, people had to rely on the word of their priests in their search for truth and enlightenment.

Today, almost all information that mankind has discovered has been uploaded to the Internet, and is available at the click of a mouse. Peterson highlights those whom C.D. Batson calls Questers: those who seek after more truth than their organized religious communities have been able to offer. In short, Peterson argues that through online communities, the Internet has empowered the individual to question traditions and seek for further enlightenment.

True, the atheists may be jumping to conclusions about the extent to which people are oppressed by religion. But if there is an Absolute Truth out there, how do the blogs and news feeds from atheist websites contribute to our Quest to find it? Does their constant encouragement to look beyond the status-quo effectively persuade people to denounce belief in the Divine, or does it actually lead the honest-of-heart closer to discovering the true Web Designer behind the universe?

what are the real motifs behind it all??

As I was looking at all of the different websites and "online churches" I couldn't help but notice the somewhat repetitive plea for donations. Almost every single site that I stumbled across, there was a little box at the bottom where participants were asked to "support the church."

Although I do believe that it is important to support causes and different institutions that you believe in, most of the donation requests were very vague, and seemed rather sketchy. No clear information was given pertaining to where the money was going, and whose hands it was going to be in.

** The first example I found was on the Church of Fools website. I was curious as to what all the fuss was about, and I was even more surprised than expected. This virtual online church, put on by the Methodists, comes equipped with a program where one can build their own "character," and attend church with others. They can kneel, pray, listen to sermons, confess, and interact with other "church-goers."

In the side bar there is a link to "support us". Below is what followed:

SUPPORT US

Although Church of Fools is a virtual place of worship, it has real-life costs. We're also looking at ways of launching other online churches in the US, France, and Australia. If you'd like to support what were doing , please consider giving via credit card.

To make a credit card donation to the work of Church of Fools, please click one of the options below. Thanks!

http://churchoffools.com

Although it is not too pushy it is completely vague. It does not tell the reader where the money is exactly going. I feel like this is conniving, and really makes me question the real motives of this program. Is this so-called religious center just a way for some creative cartoonists to make money??

** I also felt like the whole cartoon element of the Church of Fools is rather distracting. The only reason I wanted to "enter the church" was to pick a character, and "play the game." It seemed like the video game, "the sims." I don't feel like I could take this as a serious church, and a way to worship. I think it is actually somewhat disrespectful and impersonal.

The second example I found regarding a plea for donations was found on the Buddhanet website. Buddhanet is a Buddhist education and information website. On this website there is a Buddhist e-library, the Buddhist magazine,religious audio, links, readings, etc. Right smack in the middle of the main page is a donations plea.

BuddhaNet is a not-for-profit Buddhist education and information service and is supported entirely by donations. If you would like to contribute to BDEA by helping us maintain BuddhaNet, you can now do so with confidence as this is a secure credit card facility.

This is for online credit card transactions only. If you would rather make a donation by post, please use the manual donation form. Thank you for your support.

Once again, the use of these donations is vague and unclear. Readers are expected to just trust that their money will end up in righteous hands.

I feel that alot of these websites have ulterior motifs. After giving readers a spiritual and uplifting message, they ask for money to support these great causes. They butter up the participants. Just when they are feeling refreshed and spiritually edified, they are asked to do something righteous. They are asked to give money so that others can experience what they have experienced. By doing this, participants are more willing to hand over the credit card. And I know that this money is not going straight to this great cause, and for the righteous people. It is for the profit of those same people who claim to only be in the "service of their lord."

This reminds of the Christmas program idea. Viewers watch heart-warming and emotional programs, and are then asked to send flowers to family members. These types of programs, including online religious programs wake up the generous side of us, and those behind these programs love to take advantage of this.

Questions:

Do you think that it is right to ask for donations on these websites, especially with such a vague description of where the money is going??

Where do you think all of these "donations" are going?

Do you think that people truly are being edified by these "online churches" and why??

YouTube Evangelists

TIME magazine wrote an article about YouTube and finding God. The first thought when combining religion and YouTube is probably Obama’s old pastor or clips from TV shows that have religious content, (i.e. South Park episode referring to Mormonismbeing the true religion!). But more and more, YouTube is being used by religious sects to reach potential followers of their religion and to get the truth out.

Think about how much the LDS church has used the YouTube channel. There is Mormon Messages, the Tabernacle Choir and Temples that can be found on YouTube. General Conference can even be found on YouTube.

The Catholic Church uses YouTube to their advantage. If you type in Catholic in the search bar, the suggestions box gives different search options, including songs, mass, priests and Catholics come home.

YouTube is not solely used by one religion, but almost all have a presence on YouTube. It is not posted just by religious leaders, but by everyday people. People bring up religion frequently within conversations, and many of these conversations happen online, and on YouTube. One problem with YouTube is content posted cannot be regulated by the church. Some individuals can post negative views about a religion.

Steve Waldman, founder of the multi-faith website Beliefnet, was quoted in the TIME magazine article saying, “people in my business talked about how the Internet was going to revolutionize religion the way the printing press helped create Protestantism, but it didn’t happen.”

Waldman thinks YouTube may be the “beginning of that kind of transformation.” YouTube has opened the possibility to allow religious sects to connect with the younger generation. I believe it is important to adapt to the changing times and use media that reaches your target audience. It is hard for churches to get the message to younger ages and it is important for them to be involved in an uplifting setting. Religion helps to combat the possible negative activities kids can get involved with, but in order to reach kids you have to use what they are using.

Since YouTube is mainly known for their video clips and homemade movies, why have religions begun to use it to spread religious messages? What made YouTube a plausible way to reach believers?

With the creation of YouTube and its easy access to thousands of video clips, has the Internet increased people’s desire to learn more about religion? Do people use YouTube as a means to be uplifted and watch segments about a specific faith?

Your own church just a click away

A few months ago I remember Hearing about an online church, thinking it was just a rumor. After a few days of research I found that there are more than just a few churches offering online services. People can go to church in their computer while staying at home. I wonder if at some point they could even download pod casts and have a “church to go” in their iPod.



I even found a website listing all the positive things about an online church service.

http://online-churches.net/ol-churches.htm

To some degree the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has done this as well, by allowing web live steaming during general conference. This may benefit religions by allowing them to reach more people, not to mention that it will make life easier for goers who can stay in their pajamas on a Sunday morning.
However, there is another side to this. Some online churches like the Universal life church ordains ministers online. This allows anyone to have his or her own congregation without little or almost non-existent accountability. You can even choose how to name your own church without needing any religious framework.

http://www.answerbag.com/a_view/1987166
http://www.themonastery.org/?destination=ordination

How is the Internet going to affect the future of religion? Will religion as we know it change and become part of a digital world affecting the way that people traditionally interact with religion? And, how will this change the hierarchy of church authority?

Proselyting VS. Live Chat

Religions, or some form of belief system, have existed since the beginning of time. However, the internet has not. But the vast reach of the internet these days suggests that religious messages can reach more people around the world, than just the traditional proselyting on foot can.

*Here is a map of religions around the world, mapped by distribution. (See Wikipedia)

* Predominate religions of the world, mapped by state. (See Wikipedia)

Even by searching on google for "Religion and the Internet," many religious sites are found, from God Online, to results from Wikipedia, and the Religions Guide.

According to Wikipedia: Religion and the Internet, "Many sites are discussion groups, others theological debates and some attempt to provide advice concerning religious doctrine. There are also sites that aim to provide a religious experience facilitating prayer, meditation, or virtual pilgrimages."

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is no exception. There is a member-friendly LDS.org website.

The Mormon.org website for those who have broad or specific questions about life in general or want to find answers about the Mormon religion.

There is even a YouTube channel, Mormon Messages, where short videos are uploaded monthly, if not weekly. From the YouTube channel, you can find more Mormon Messages on Facebook or Twitter.

The Newsroom site is the official Church resource for news media.

And the newest addition to the LDS internet team is the Newsroom Blog, which comes straight from the Church Public Affairs office, and is on a more personal note.

The most interesting of all the LDS internet sites to me, is the Mormon.org - Live Chat.

Here anyone can chat online with a missionary or member in the Provo, Utah Missionary Training Center (MTC). Just this past year (14 months), 4 missionaries were called to serve in the Referral Center of the MTC, full-time. Because of their efforts, over 52 people were taught completely the lessons of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and baptized. Now, over 12 missionaries will be called directly to the Referral Center in the MTC to teach and preach over the internet to people around the world. (TRUE STORY)

QUESTIONS:

1. Has the internet changed the way we view religion as a whole (negatively), or has it just added to the good we already have?

2. Will the internet really convert people to a religion in the "traditional" sense of going to church and being proactive in religious endeavors or will it stifle our faith to mainly internet usage of religious themes?

3. Are all the different internet uses by the LDS church; LDS.org, Mormon.org, Newsroom, Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Live Chat - really making a difference? Does the good outweigh the bad in terms of feedback from others outside the church as they view the amount of internet persuasion the Church uses?

4. Is the "old-fashioned" proselyting by foot-missionaries around the world a better practice than the "new and advanced" online Live Chat the Church offers? Do people value the traditional more so than the advanced technology fad? Or is the Church just appealing to different people and different age groups by using both methods?