| Since its birth, the internet has served to put all sorts | | | | my experience, most people are more than willing to |
| of information at our fingertips. You no longer have | | | | share their ideas and beliefs, sometimes even if you |
| to go to the library to read about the history of | | | | don't ask for them. The internet, then, cannot be |
| ancient Mesopotamia. You no longer have to pick up | | | | blamed for causing the melding of belief systems by |
| a newspaper to find out which celebrity has insulted | | | | providing such massive quantities of information. The |
| someone. You no longer have to know someone to | | | | same information is available elsewhere. |
| find out what sort of things they like. You no longer | | | | Furthermore, I am not convinced that sharing beliefs |
| have to study explosives to learn how to make a | | | | or even mixing them is necessarily a bad thing. Does |
| bomb. Obviously, some of these things are good | | | | combining ideals really cause us to lose our identities, |
| while others are not so good. The internet provides | | | | or does it perhaps help us find our identities? By |
| us with information we might not have access to | | | | taking aspects from different belief systems, a |
| otherwise and it provides this information in a very | | | | person can develop the system that means the |
| convenient manner. However there is no control over | | | | most to them as an individual. They don't have to |
| what is available. | | | | force their personal beliefs into the mold of one of |
| Because of the internet, you no longer have to seek | | | | the major established religions. Certainly there are |
| out members of a religious community to learn about | | | | many religions one could choose from, but the |
| their beliefs and practices. Anyone can sit down and | | | | number of established religions dwarfs in comparison |
| type the name of the religion they are curious about | | | | to the number of different interpretations of life held |
| into a search engine and get literally thousands of hits | | | | by all members of humanity. |
| returned. Anything you might want to know is at | | | | By learning about belief systems over the internet, |
| your fingertips, which is good if you're looking for | | | | one may never actually have to interact with the |
| that information simply to become a better | | | | people who hold or follow those beliefs. Depending on |
| educated, better-rounded person. Unfortunately, this | | | | the religion and where one lives, the chance may |
| is not everyone's goal. Some people choose to follow | | | | never be available. Therefore there is a good chance |
| a religion simply for its uniqueness or its shock value | | | | that, should you chose to follow such a less-common |
| without truly learning about it or understanding it. The | | | | path, you will be doing so without the input of |
| internet allows these people to find enough | | | | teachers, community leaders, or peers. On one hand, |
| information about the religion they choose to pass | | | | a lot can be learned through interactions with others |
| themselves off as a follower while doing nothing to | | | | in a faith community. A person can receive unique |
| prevent them reflecting poorly on the religion as a | | | | insight from community leaders or may simply learn |
| whole through both their attitudes and actions which | | | | where to go to find a nice color of candle. Leaders or |
| may not actually be endorsed by the religion. | | | | elders are undoubtedly helpful in both these regards. |
| Someone could also, having discovered a religion on | | | | This is one aspect in which the internet can be quite |
| the internet, misinterpret parts of the belief system. | | | | helpful, especially to followers of less prevalent |
| Depending on the religion, the person might never | | | | religions. Internet groups can substitute for a |
| meet someone else who follows it. This person could | | | | nonexistent religious community in a person's local |
| influence other people's views of the religion without | | | | area. Internet groups can only go so far, but I do not |
| ever really understanding it themselves. | | | | think there is a problem with practicing a religion |
| Another major problem with the vast amount of | | | | without a community, either. Throughout history |
| information about belief systems on the internet is | | | | multiple societies have actually viewed seclusion as a |
| that it is impossible to know who actually wrote | | | | way to get closer to the divine. Seclusion need not |
| most of it. There are a fair number of people who | | | | be an impediment to one's spirituality. |
| know a fair amount about computers, so it is possible | | | | Although followers of less common belief systems |
| that even the best looking sites could have been put | | | | are not literally secluded - they are still members of |
| up two nights by a bored high school student in | | | | society - they are religiously secluded. This, I believe, |
| some little bump on the wall town with the spiritual | | | | can actually be beneficial. It allows one to reflect on |
| knowledge of a small pebble. Maybe the author is an | | | | moral and spiritual issues independently and come to |
| expert on their topic or at least did some research | | | | conclusions without being told that there is a right or |
| before launching his or her website, but there's no | | | | wrong answer. In spiritual matters, who is to say for |
| way to know. You could try to confirm the validity | | | | certain what may or may not be correct? A person's |
| of the information given by comparing it to | | | | independent conclusions will completely be true to |
| information on other websites, but when so many | | | | that person's beliefs rather than being a reflection of |
| websites cite other websites for their content, just | | | | the preexisting ideals of a spiritual community. This, |
| how reliable a form of verification is this? Even if the | | | | may lead to a more unique and personal system of |
| author of the website meant well and only intended | | | | beliefs for that person, but I don't think this is a bad |
| to provide true, unbiased information about the belief | | | | thing either. So long as the beliefs fill the role that |
| system, there is no guarantee that they have not | | | | nearly all religions were intended to fill, I don't think it |
| misunderstood or misrepresented key concepts. Even | | | | matters what you believe. |
| if it is an honest mistake, inaccurate information can | | | | Religions are meant to do something good for their |
| create and perpetuate stereotypes, making it harder | | | | followers. Maybe one's religion makes them feel like |
| for other people to accept the correct information | | | | life has a purpose. Maybe it offers hope of an |
| about the belief system when they encounter it or | | | | afterlife, thus easing the pain of loss when loved |
| affecting the way they think of and act toward | | | | ones pass on. Maybe religion helps one to be a better |
| proponents of that religion. | | | | person, or maybe it just makes them feel good. |
| Finally, having instant access to all sorts of | | | | There are countless things belief systems can do for |
| information about all sorts of religions allows people | | | | people. Religion also serves to better the community. |
| to take any aspects of different religions and put | | | | In most cases, applying one's beliefs to interactions |
| them together to make their own personal belief | | | | with others requires you to treat them with respect |
| systems. People actually do this. This serves to | | | | and understanding. Many religions also encourage |
| undermine the value of the teachings of each | | | | giving to those less fortunate than yourself, either by |
| individual religion. By mixing religious doctrines, a | | | | physically giving provisions or by providing emotional |
| person does have to accept any one of them as | | | | support. In either case, the application of beliefs |
| completely valid. With the melding of belief systems, | | | | serves to better the community as a whole. Which |
| as with the mixing of cultures, we approach a more | | | | belief system one chooses to follow shouldn't matter |
| unified culture, perhaps even one day a global culture. | | | | nearly as much as how one applies his or her beliefs |
| The issue is that by mixing cultures or beliefs, we all | | | | to everyday life. Exactly what one believes is so |
| lose our identity, becoming indistinct members of a | | | | much less important than how one applies those |
| common society. The massive exchange of beliefs | | | | beliefs. |
| on the internet enables this. | | | | Using the internet, people can bring together beliefs |
| However, the exchange of beliefs on the internet did | | | | and traditions from various cultures and time periods |
| not create this phenomenon. It has only served to | | | | and combine pieces of them into their own belief |
| magnify by making vast amounts of information | | | | systems. While this does blur the lines between |
| easily accessible to the average person. I think, were | | | | religions, it allows everyone to be an individual. As |
| you to decide you wanted to learn about various | | | | long as that belief system works for that person and |
| belief systems, that you would find that the | | | | as long as they apply that belief system to better |
| information is readily available offline as well as online. | | | | themselves and others, it is no less valid a choice |
| There are plenty of books about the spiritual beliefs | | | | than any other religion would be. The growing |
| and practices of different cultures. I would only take | | | | amount of spiritual information on the internet |
| a trip to your local library to find a lot of the same | | | | enables the creation of individual systems of belief. If |
| information the internet so casually provides. Even | | | | that allows more people to find something to believe |
| without books, information about belief systems is | | | | in, regardless of how unusual or unique that |
| not hard to get, at least not if you know someone | | | | something may be, I think that is a good thing. |
| who follows the religion you wish to learn about. In | | | | |