To Starving Ethiopians: We don't eat the Bible, we reeeead the bible

Christian enthusiasts have created a new forum in which to spread their message – GodTube. Described by founder Chris Wyatt as a “response to the content of Facebook, YouTube, and Wikipedia”, the site features a social network, video sharing, “groups” and ministries, a virtual bible, and an interactive prayer wall. User-uploaded videos include a few words on abstinence from Eloise (a religious rebuttal to Talk Sex with Sue Johanson, presumably), a Letter from Hell, which tells us that if we don’t convert our non-Christian friends/neighbors/everyone then they’re all condemned to hell, and an inspired remix to “Baby Got Back” : “Baby Got Book”.

My question is, why does the content on Facebook, YouTube, and Wikipedia need a rebuttal? Facebook is an incredibly useful social networking tool mostly clean of inappropriate material – if you want to find some, you definitely have to go searching for it. YouTube is a harmlessly entertaining way to pass the time and discover new ideas. Wikipedia is a revolutionary user-maintained site at which one can gather information on every topic imaginable. None of these “defame God’s message” – so why is this religious group so strongly against the development of technology?

Although Wyatt describes the site as being friendly to all religious views – including atheism – I would clearly either be fervently prayed over by Christian zealots intent on conversion OR angrily e-mobbed and disregarded for my religious ignorance dissidence.

The exciting/alarming thing – whichever way you look at it, I suppose – is that this site is going to have a noticeable influence on social aspects that should be entirely unrelated….the 2008 presidential election, for instance. Republican candidate Mike Huckabee recently endorsed GodTube for housing “Christians who don’t keep to themselves”. He’s going to get significantly more exposure amongst the Christian community by mentioning the website. Doesn’t mean he’ll win – because as we know, the grand ol’ U.S. is a melting pot not solely composed of white conservative Christians – but he’ll certainly garner more support.

Now, I only sound bitter and spiteful because I was raised Catholic and things didn’t end well. I have nothing against Christianity or really any religion in particular. But the things I DO believe in are 1) freedom of religious views – even atheism – without being subjected to ‘conversions’ from any other religion, and 2) separation of church and state. One of my father’s main reasons for not supporting someone like Barack Obama is that “he would never elect someone who’s not a Christian into office, and Obama is obviously a Muslim”.

Let’s first ignore the fact that Obama is indeed a Christian and jump right into the idea that non-Christian politicians don’t make quality Presidents like our current admirable leader. Religion doesn’t have an impact on how well someone can run the country. Morals and ethics are still vitally important…but religion? It shouldn’t matter. It doesn’t matter.

Internet media and politics are becoming more inextricably intertwined with each passing election. That means that information on candidates, their views, and backgrounds, is more ubiquitous and accessible to the public…but it also opens the door for other influences that really shouldn’t be there.