PRINTGod goes digital
Religions put the Word on the Web
Courtesy of GodTube
March 6, 2008 | 12:00 a.m. CST
The path to God (or Xenu, Allah or Buddha) might be a lot shorter thanks to YouTube. Televised sermons and Jesus blogs seem antiquated compared to the newest technique of spreading the good Word: online videos. The higher powers, it seems, can be found merely by turning on the power of a computer.
Lately, the most popular online video has been Tom Cruise’s edited, trailer-like Scientology clip in which he promotes his religion to the Mission: Impossible theme song. Although the creepy video of Cruise was intended only for Scientologists rather than for mass consumption by the Internet-savvy public, many religions areusing online videos as a legitimate outreach tool with hopes of spreading religious messages further and faster than ever before.
Thou Shalt Watch Me on YouTube
The relationship between technology and religion is not new. In the 15th century, Christianity served as a major driving force behind the development of the printing press. “If there has been an advancement in communication, the church has always tried to make use of that,” says the Rev. Michael Will, director of young adults and campus ministry for the Missouri United Methodist Church in Columbia.
The current forefront is clearly the Internet. “Religions have always used the new technology of the time, from print, to radio, to TV, to YouTube,” says MU religious studies professor Richard Callahan. “It’s exciting, but not new. Many religions want to spread their word, and often it is by using the technology of the time.”
But rather than helping to develop the medium of online communication, as Christianity did with the printing press, religions are adapting to it. According to the Pew Research Center, 76 percent of young adults with Internet access report online usage of video. Many churches get the message: Online is the new place to connect with current and potential churchgoers.
Will, who has used online media such as Facebook to connect to his student congregation, says online videos are another great resource to reach out to people. Members of his congregation have posted clips on YouTube in the past and are planning to post a video of highlights from an upcoming mission trip to Ecuador.
What Tube?
YouTube isn’t the only online video directory helping religions spread their faith. YouTube features a broad range of user-submitted videos, from children’s clips to borderline pornography, but some religions have created their own directories such as Yideoz.com for the Jewish community and IslamicTube.net for Muslims. Then there’s GodTube, a purified YouTube, which features user-made videos with a Christian theme.
Although GodTube was formed last August based on the YouTube model, Jason Illian, chief strategy officer, says the Web site has grown from being strictly an online video directory into more of a networking site. “In the next 60 days, the site will become more of a social networking community where users can create their own page, take part in virtual Bible studies or put up prayers,” says Illian, who’s even posted a video of his own wedding vows on GodTube.
GodTube also features video clips of presidential candidates. Mike Huckabee, the most evangelical of the group and an endorser of GodTube, boasts the most friends of any candidate on the Web site. The clips are intended to start a dialogue about the candidates and the issues, without endorsing a particular candidate.
But with Huckabee endorsing GodTube and Chuck Norris endorsing Huckabee, online videos seem to be further blurring the line between politics, religion and entertainment. Illian agrees that the line is becoming less defined, though it shouldn’t be considered negative. “We are not one-dimensional beings where we canseparate family, business, politics, all of that,” Illian says. “They are all intricately intertwined. Instead, we need to better understand the relationship between all of them.”
Callahan says this is an inevitable circumstance of the times. “Religion and politics are inseparable at this moment in America,” says Callahan. “That’s part of the mainstream culture right now.”
Are Online Videos Doomed to Damnation?
Online videos with religious context have received a bad reputation in their short history. Extreme religious organizations, namely Islamic extremists, were one of the first groups to use the medium to communicate, fundraise and spread propaganda.
An interactive medium like the Internet also leaves little room for accountability and accuracy and is often accompanied by backlash.
Although Cruise’s video is clearly being mocked within the Internet community, the aptly named anti-Scientology group Anonymous is organizing a retaliation movement using — what else — online videos. One video, “Message to Scientology,” has received more than two million YouTube hits. In the video, an alien-like voice says, “Anonymous has therefore decided that your organization must be destroyed.” With its controversial beliefs and outspoken celebrity advocates, a retaliation against Scientology isn’t unexpected. But can other religions expect a negative response?
Religions themselves are sometimes divisive, says Illian, though he says GodTube and other similar organizations are not trying to push messages on an unwilling audience. The video directory is not meant to be evangelical but simply available for all. Most people who disagree with GodTube’s messages simply avoid the site, but Illian says there have been some instances of backlash. “Sometimes people stick inappropriate language or adult-oriented material in videos,” Illian says.
Callahan attributes the resistance largely to the polarizing nature of Internet culture, where groups often take a stand and leave little room for discussion. “Part of the way the Internet works is that someone says something and someone else yells back,” he says.
So, are online video tactics actually working? Callahan says the answer is complicated: “Will it help these religions achieve their goals about spreading their message? Yes. Will people agree? Not necessarily.”
Although online videos might not be life changing or even groundbreaking, Will says the videos are a new opportunity to connect. “Hopefully,” he says, “this will work as another effective way of communicating the message.”
