Web's a big draw for believers and curious

'People who feel their religions are unpopular can meet others safely online. People who do not belong to religious communities can find resources and experiences that might not otherwise have been available
to them.'

Web's a big draw for
believers and curious

Religion bigger than auctions, stocks and dating

By Marty Beard

   Tens of millions of web surfers are saying, "Give me that online religion."
    Fully a quarter of internet users, or 28 million people, have gone online in the last year in search of religious or spiritual information, according to a recent report from the Pew Internet and American Life Project.
    And that number is growing.
    People undertake religious surfing sessions for two reasons: to interact with an existing religious community or to embark upon a solo spiritual or informational quest.
    "The internet fills many niches for religious people," said Elena Larsen, a research fellow with the Pew project and the report’s lead author.
    "It is a helpful reference and communications tool for those who are active in their church. Converts to new faiths can find volumes of information.
    "People who feel their religions are unpopular can meet others safely online. People who do not belong to religious communities can find resources and experiences that might not otherwise have been available to them."
    Overall, according to the Pew project, more people have logged on to keep up with religious matters than have logged on to gamble. Just 5 percent of web surfers have gambled online, according to the report.
    Likewise, people are more likely to venture into sacred cyberspace than they are to go online to buy stocks, make connections at dating sites, or go to auction sites.
    The sites that draw religious surfers range from individual church web sites to news and information sites like BeliefNet.com and FaithandValues.com, in addition to online religious chat rooms, message boards and the like.
    Overall, the number of people logging on for religious reasons increased 3 percent in late 2001 over late 2000, when roughly 19 million to 20 million people went online for spiritual reasons.
    Part of the increase in 2001, according to the report, ties directly to the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, and the subsequent "war on terrorism."
    As a result of the attacks, a large proportion of internet users, namely 41 percent, sent or received email prayer solicitations. Seven percent of web users donated to Sept. 11-related charities via the internet as well.
    And 23 percent of web users, confused and intrigued by media portrayals of Islam, logged on specifically for information about that faith.
    Pew calls people who say they’ve gone online for religious reasons "religion surfers" to set them apart from the overall population of internet users.
   And those religion surfers appear to be more devout than their unwired counterparts: 81 percent of religion surfers say their religious faith is "very strong," a sentiment expressed by just 61 percent of the general public.
   Among the people who report going online for religious purposes, 50 percent have gone online in search of information about other belief systems, and 67 percent have logged on for information about their own religion.
   Off-line, religion is both a communal and personal undertaking, and that dichotomy is reflected on the internet. To that end, 37 percent of religion surfers have offered spiritual advice via email, and 21 percent have sought such advice via email.
    Fifteen percent of religion surfers report that the internet makes them feel more connected and committed to their beliefs, and 27 percent think the internet has improved their spiritual life.
    Still, religion surfers aren’t entirely bullish about the web. Fifty-three percent of the group thinks that the internet makes it too easy for fringe groups to spread the word about themselves in a harmful manner.

What religion surfers do online
Activity	Percentage participating
Looked for information about their own faith	67
Looked for information about another faith	50
Emailed a prayer request	38
Downloaded religious music	38
Gave spiritual guidance via email	37
Bought religious items online	34
Planned religious activities via email	29
Got idea for religious ceremonies online	28
Subscribed to religious listserv	27
Downloaded sermons	25
Got ideas for ways to celebrate religious holidays	22
Sought spiritual guidance via email	21
Went online to find a new church	14
Participated in religious chat rooms	10
Played spiritual computer games	5
Participated in online worship	4
Took an online religious course	3
Used a faith-oriented matchmaking service	3
Source: Pew Internet and American Life Project

Faith profile of religion surfers By percentage
Faith	Religion surfers	Religiously affiliated U.S. population	Total U.S. population
Christian	91	89	77
No affiliation	1.8	N/A	14
Jewish	1.6	1.6	1.4
Buddhist	1.6	0.6	0.5
Muslim	0.6	0.6	0.5
Other religion	3	7.3	6.3
Source: Pew Internet and American Life Project

-Marty Beard is a staff writer for Media Life.

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