First+Church+of+Facebook

= First Church of Facebook  = The general opinion of the debaters seems to be that virtual religion will not, or should not, replace real-life interactions with a religious community. Online interactions, however, are advocated by some debaters as a positive supplement to physical presence, especially for younger people and those who are quiet in face-to-face encounters.

"Many of us go to church. Most of what churches offer is also available online. For example, there are no shortage of sites with electronic annotated editions of the Bible. One can access on-line videos and Bible curricula. Almost everything you do in church can be done online, except—and this is a big exception—form meaningful relationships with the church teacher (the minister) and fellow congregants. Religion is a social experience. Religious teachers who develop relationships with their congregants do not just inspire their faith, but challenge people to be better at it. Ministers can point to particular problems in specific congregants, while also pushing every church member to follow the church’s teachings, and to learn how to do so better." []

The articles also emphasize the importance of physical gathering as a precinct for spiritual connection with God. The commenters, however, often differentiate between communal religious connection and personal spiritual connection, which some of them feel is as easily achieved by oneself.

There were also several variations of two distinct opinions from commenters: one that said "Virtual anything will never replace real life, so this debate is all academic," and another which denounced religion itself, suggesting that religious believers may be mentally challenged... also known as "flaming."

Source: Will Online Religious Communities Replace Face-to-face Interaction? Image Source