Religious Social Networks On The Rise (GodTube)
Offline How depressing!
~susan~
Original Article: http://venturebeat.com/2007/09/18/religious-social-networks-on-the-rise/
Religious Social Networks On The Rise
BY ERIC ELDON 09.18.07
Religious-themed social networks may be among the more under-appreciated of web sites.
Today, Comscore released numbers showing GodTube, a YouTube for Christians, to be the fastest growing site on the internet in August. It grew 973 percent and ranked among the top 1000 web properties by unique visitors — the same month it officially launched, as Mashable’s Kristen Nicole points out.
GodTube lets users, preferably Christians, upload, share and comment on videos.
Meanwhile, JewTube — yes, a YouTube for Jews — is facing a trademark lawsuit from Google.
We noticed the growth of religious social networks back in August, especially the fast growth of two Facebook applications, Bible Verses and Daily Bible Verse.
Today, we checked back in with Adoholic, our data source. Both apps have more than doubled their number of total users. But only a few thousand Facebook users are active with Daily Bible Verse daily, and only around 25,000 are active on Bible Verses.
Both apps allow user to prominently feature Bible Verses on their profile pages: If the measure of success is souls saved not user engaged, these apps are headed down the right path.
Daily Bible Verse, owned by a Christian social network called MyChurch.org, recently announced it had over more than 10,000 churches on its network.
Other funded religious social networks include CircleBuilder, a site designed more broadly for faith-based groups, and Oikos. As one Oikos developer said last month: “We’ve harnessed the power of Web 2.0 to create a Flash-based environment that has never been seen before in the Christian community.”
Question is, will MC Hammer get into the religious act with his new startup, the forthcoming DanceJam? After all, this author saw him perform a Christian concert (that included “Can’t Touch This”) at a revival service in Albany, Oregon, in 2001.
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Has there also been a study on the rise of agnostic/atheist social sites (IE RRS)? My opinion (as I don't have any evidence, maybe someone does) is that these religious social networks are on the rise because free-thinker networks have become very popular. As a result the religious are trying to play catch-up and take back the godless intertubes.
(tinfoil hat on) I would hate to see all factions of xtianity on the intarwebs unite under one banner with the intent of attacking and taking down what they deem "objectionable." If the fundies ever figured out that by uniting they have much more power then godless life as we know it now is in trouble.(tinfoil hat off)
One of the contributing factors IMHO to the rise of net atheism is that religious groups like to separate themselves from each other (example: baptists vs. catholics vs. methodists) but with sites like godtube they are beginning to unite no matter what denomination they are.
Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large quantites. They elect your government officials.
Your god's silence speaks loud and clear
Hi Susan,
Is there any reason to believe that that GodTube and Comscore are not in collusion?
When I visited Godtube for the first time, it had just recently been created, and it was mostly filled with what I assume were atheists posing as Christians. I assume this because the top rated videos included the infamous "Banana Argument," and several videos posted by a user which were obviously satirical in nature.
Now there's an idea...
We could start a Christian website, and sucker all the Christians into showing up, and then when they were already signed up, we could spring the real agenda on them, and proclaim our true nature as atheists!
Oh... wait... the Christians already came up with this idea, only they call it "Pregnant? Scared? Call for a confidential appointment today."
Oh, well.
Atheism isn't a lot like religion at all. Unless by "religion" you mean "not religion". --Ciarin
http://hambydammit.wordpress.com/
Books about atheism
Of course not. You can never tell where fundies may be hiding.
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Gee, I wonder if google would ever consider having an "Atheist Tube" or Secular Humanism Tube? Probably not, seeing how atheists are the most hated minority in America (or so they tell us).
But it would be great to have the atheist community on You Tube have its own website.
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How is this depressing? As a Christian I dont find it depressing that the Rational Response Squad is on the rise. Why do you fidn it depresing that GodTube is on the rise? I have nothing against athist sites...in fact I love America that you have the right to make it.
This seems like seperation of church and state. most athiests lok at it positively, but think Christians hate it. NO. Christians want seperation of church and state to (do you think we want the government medling in church sermons saying 'you cant say that?"....no). We dont want seperation of morals and state...but seperation of church and state...just fine.
although it is important to note seperation of church and state isn't actually supported in the constitution. It came about when JEfferson wrote a letter to a supreme court justice telling him to rule a certain way o na case...the justice replied saying butt out. At least tahts what my dad told me...and he's a lawyer so..
My Master has no desire to be merely victor in a debate: he did not come into the world to fight a battle of logic just
for the sake of winning it. --Charles Spurgeon
I'm glad you think that the separation of church and state is important. A lot of right wing evangelicals that you find in the megachurches and on Sunday morning tv are just the opposite in their thinking. They want this to be a Christian nation and tout that the separtion of church/state is a myth invented by secularists.
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Does this indicate that you think morals should be legislated?
If so, how will this be determined? Who would be in charge of determining the rights and wrongs or morality?
For instance, the hot topic of abortion is a moral decision. Many (but not all) people determine their stance on this subject by way of their religious beliefs.
For instance, adultry is a moral choice. As far as I know it is not illegal. Would you have that legislated?
Pre-marital sex is a moral choice. Would you have that legislated?
For instance, I believe it is the moral duty of a parent to assure a child medical care when necessary. Some religions do not believe in modern medicine. Instead they pray and perform laying on of hands. Would you legislate that?
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I disagree that abortion and premarital sex are moral decisions. I don't think whether someone gets rid of a cluster of cells or not has anything to do with morality (though I consider forcing a woman to have a baby extremely immoral.) I also don't think consensual sex between adults ever has anything to do with morality.
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Susan, you are absolutely correct. This is depressing to see. As if Christians do not already have enough networking opportunities. These things always bear watching. It is only a matter of a few networks getting the upper hand before the rest of us are tattooed with a number.
"Tis better to rule in Hell than to serve in Heaven." -Lucifer
interestingly enough, godtube is owned by Big Jump Media, Inc. which also owns myheritage.org. sound familiar? the Heritage Foundation is a conservative "thinktank" that's notorious for fudging the numbers in Bush's reports on social security to make the need for privatization seem more urgent, and for dreaming up statistics that argue against global warming, etc. any time conservatives need some "facts" to throw back at "tree hugging anti-war" liberals, Heritage is there and ready to serve.
www.derekneibarger.com http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=djneibarger "all postures of submission and surrender should be part of our prehistory." -christopher hitchens
Do you think they will ever decide to make a Jewtube?
They forget...there are/were religiously run countries....that worked out BAD. I've found that when the church medles to much in government, the church is corrupted. When the government medles to much in church...the church is corrupted and the government is divided.
My Master has no desire to be merely victor in a debate: he did not come into the world to fight a battle of logic just
for the sake of winning it. --Charles Spurgeon
[MOD EDIT - duplicate post removed]
I'm not saying taht moral things should be put i nlaws. I'm saying that the government should use morals when deciding laws. If you completely take morals out they could make killing legal. (lookin at Roe v. Wade)
How would it be determined? Everyone has certain morals.
Abortion, killing a baby is wrong. The whole "what if they were raped" arguement is mute. Newsweek did a survey at abortion clinis...under 1.5% of women were raped. 76% said they didn't want some one to know they had sex.
Adultry is a moral choice, do I think it should be legistlated? No. 1) Its hard to prove its true. 2) I see no physical harm in adultry. I mean, there is emotional harm out the wazoo, but if we want to make emotional hurt illegal then EVERYTHING would be illegal because everything that isn't pc would be made illegal.
Pre-marital sex is a personal moral choice...not a national moralchoice. It doesn't affect the nation really. The only way it could is by diseases and someone getting pregnant. But then you cross into comdoms and birth control.
As far as laying of hands and stuff. I HATE the charismatic pentacostal movement for so many reasons. One of which is the laying of hands (also "come to God and be rich" which is DEVISTATING Africa"
. I think it is the responsibility of parents to provide medical care to children...would I make it a law that parents had to...not without providing parents who can't afford it with assistance. NOT Universal Healthcare though.
I answered the question but I would like you to note that the MAIN reason I stand where I do is because of the laws already in place. I mean I answered the adultry and premarital sex question from a moral stance, but really the reason I'm against it is because of my political views based on the constitution. I'm almost a libritarian. I dont like more government regulation and more laws. As a Christian I don't care if folks have premarital sex, and as an American I think they should have the right to.
My Master has no desire to be merely victor in a debate: he did not come into the world to fight a battle of logic just
for the sake of winning it. --Charles Spurgeon
From my experience you are in the christian minority. My parents went NUTS when they had found out I had seen boobs on the internet. BOOBS!!! They even threatened to throw my puter in the garbage can.
I told them I would get rid of the internet (I was paying for it) even though all I did was hide the internet router in the attic
Your god's silence speaks loud and clear
I care if Christians have premarital sex, but nonChristians...whatever. Paul even says "who are we to judge those outside the church?" As much as I car about Christians having premarital sex, the only thing I can do is say something. That's it...imposing a law would be wrong and the way I see it unBiblical.
My Master has no desire to be merely victor in a debate: he did not come into the world to fight a battle of logic just
for the sake of winning it. --Charles Spurgeon
I noticed that the Godtube website has videos of the infamous debate with Way of the Master. It was interesting to finally get to see it, although I'm not certain if the videos show the debate in its original broadcast, or perhaps a version edited by Way of the Master. In any case, they were interesting to see, and RSS members should be happy to know that their material is being distributed among the Christian sites (although, from the looks of the responses to the video, it would appear that the words are falling upon deaf ears).
It wasn't edited. I watched the videos on ABC's website and its the same as on GodTube.
My Master has no desire to be merely victor in a debate: he did not come into the world to fight a battle of logic just
for the sake of winning it. --Charles Spurgeon
I am pretty sure LosingStreak06 was leaning more towards that it fell on deaf ears. Which that sadly happens when you try to open the door to the other side for theists.
Exactly my point. In your opinion abortion is killing and you consider it immoral.
Some people consider early term abortion removing a clump of cells and do not feel it immoral.
It has nothing to do with the morailty of "what if they were raped". (That's a completely difference discussion.)
I personally couldn't do it. However, I do not believe it is my place to tell someone else they cannot. It is their moral choice, not mine to legislate for them.
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Well, I'd have to disagree with your point there. Where do you draw the line between otehrs morals and governments morals?
Jack the Ripper thought he was doing something moral by killing prostetutes and keeping them off the street. Is it not the governments job to stop him? Osama bin Laden thought he was doing something moral and right by killing Americans. (even if you don't believe he did it on 9/11 he did on the USS Cole).
Where do you draw the line? My point is that when left to individual morals in life and death situations some peoples morals will make them choose death. Which is something the government should stop. Now, I hate government regulation. The government that governs best governs least. But there are a few morals the government should have.
My Master has no desire to be merely victor in a debate: he did not come into the world to fight a battle of logic just
for the sake of winning it. --Charles Spurgeon
The moral judgement I was referring to is that early term abortion is removing a clump of cells and not a person.
I think you know exactly what I mean; you are just twisting the argument because you believe that a clump of cells has a soul. Many people disagree with that.
Please, let's not turn this thread into an abortion argument.
Let's get back to a more general "morals" discussion.
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I was having a conversation with my friend who took political science in university.
The government should intefer in only extreme cases.
For example, in Canada free speech only goes as far as hate crime. Once you cross the line into hate crime (i.e target Jews or Christians) then law enforcement steps in.
Canada has the power to the people with diversity. My university has diverse religious groups, a Gender Issues Centre which tailors to people of different sexual orientation, etc...
[Story/rant]
Once at my university a pro-life group spread anti-abortion pictures across campus. The student union took them down because the student union has to approve of all posters that go up. The President stated that they would not have approved the posters.
I was kinda mad at this since the had pro-choice posters up, why wouldn't they have allowed pro-life? Why does the Student union have to approve of them anyway? They won't promoting hate crimes. My view is that if it' doesn't promote hate crimed, it should go up.
[/story/rant]
The point is once it starts affecting others, than the government can step in and deal with it accordingly.