Week 7- The Inevitable Rise and Acceptance of Online Religion

 

Usage of the internet and social media in general is rapidly increasing along with its popularity and acceptance into daily life. Therefore, should we really be surprised about the rise of religious related organisations or even churches, taking to social networking to spread their messages? I think not. Given that social media and other forums are about expressing yourself as a person, your likes, dislikes, beliefs and interests- for most people religion is a major part of their lives and how it shapes them as people. Thus, why wouldn’t there be things on the internet that are related to practicing religion.

Usage of the internet is far more than simply conveying ideas to a large body of people; it also enables group leaders to create “innovative forms of religious interaction and ritual engagement” (Campbell H. , 2010, p. 19), allowing followers and participants to immerse themselves into the environment in multiple and varied forms of media and discussion.

As a reflection of the individual, what people post on the internet frequently mirror the attitudes and perspective of the individual, thus the internet has become as space where people have “readily brought their faith online with them… enabled them to live out their faith in a net-worked environment” (Campbell H. , 2010, p. 20). Having the ability to live out a religious connection online enables many people who have difficulty accessing a Church or sacred space, the opportunity to still have that same connection without any significant disadvantage. Some religious organisations are more online than others with some “online cyber churches having provided online prayer centres and even hosting weekly internet-based meetings or rituals” (Campbell H. , 2010, p. 23).  Highlighting that to engage in a religious experience you don’t necessarily have to be in a ‘sacred’ space, you can in fact make anything that you want sacred, it just depends on your perspective.

With the rise in both popularity and acceptance of religious rituals and such being online, it raises the query as to what actually makes a church, and do you have to be in a sacred space ie. Temple or church etc. to receive just as valuable an experience that is both satisfying and rewarding from an online ritual or service? St Pixels: Church of the Internet have a mission that is to “explore the online Christian community and to test the boundaries of what exactly church is and needs to be to ‘be church’” (Campbell H. , 2010, p. 24). Whilst some others state that “engagements with technology offer humans a magical or religious experience” (Campbell & La Pastina, 2010, p. 4) It is quickly becoming apparent that at least, if a person cannot get themselves to a service in person, through the internet, people have been gifted with the opportunity to feel religiously enriched through online means.  

Campbell, H. (2010). When Religion Meets New Media. London: Taylor and Francis.

Campbell, H. A., & La Pastina, A. C. (2010). How the iPhone became divine: new media, religion and the intertextual circulation of meaning. New Media & Society, 1911-1207.

Image courtesy of Pixabay: http://pixabay.com/en/matrix-face-silhouette-69681/