mckitterick: (Flying Spaghetti Monster)
mckitterick ([personal profile] mckitterick) wrote2011-03-22 02:22 pm
Entry tags:

Religion and Social Networking

Over on Facebook, I got myself involved in a debate on religion. I know, I know; I should know better. But it's fun, y'know? Anyhow, what prompted the debate was this article on the BBC about how relgions go extinct. Good stuff.

Anyhow, it got me thinking about my interactions there and over here, and I'm curious about my friends' religious beliefs. Am I just living in an insulated bubble as described in that article, or are those national polls on religion just manipulated? So, a poll!

Here it is, a Google Docs poll so anyone can use it: Are you religious? What social networking tools do you use?

Thanks!
Chris

[identity profile] karin-gastreich.livejournal.com 2011-03-23 12:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Goodness, you're on a role with the interesting posts this morning!

I found the conclusions in the article a little misleading. A lot of religions have gone 'extinct' over the ages, but religion itself has not (for better or for worse) gone extinct. It's hard for me to believe that will be any different now.

Also, while I need to see the parameters of the models to understand the conclusions, it seems to me that the numbers while indicating a decline don't really herald extinction -- usually the numbers have to be pushed a lot lower before anything is in danger of being 'snuffed out'.

But I do think it's very true that religion is expected to carry a 'social benefit' for the participants, and if that benefit isn't there folks will spend their time elsewhere.

Maybe Facebook is the new religion...Internet the new god...iPhones the new angels of mercy...

(Oh, and about the Dinos, they aren't actually extinct -- we just call them 'birds' now.)