Griffin Shaw

Shaw 1

Religion 210
Dr. Mowrey
11/10/12

Religion in the News #3

In this article tells the story of the growing popularity of social media in the
Church of England. Whether it be the use of Facebook or Twitter, nuns and bishops all
over have began using social media as an outlet for praise and worship. In the UK
more than half of the adult population regularly logs in to some form of social media with
more than 40 million people having a Facebook profile. Those numbers alone are a
good reason for churches to be online. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/0/19992285).
Here in America social media and the use of cutting edge technology in church is at an
all time high. Churches have caught on quickly to the rapid expansion of technological
advances and are beginning to incorporate them more and more into their messages.
The Church of England has taken note of this and realized that this is an extraordinary
way to reach out to average citizens that otherwise would have been impossible.
According to a study by Twitter, The list of most retweeted people was topped by US
Christian evangelists, whose messages were 30 times more likely to be retweeted than

Griffin Shaw

Shaw 2

Religion 210
Dr. Mowrey
11/10/12

celebrities like Lady Gaga. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/0/19992285). This ability to

impact so many people through the simple tactic of outreach is reason enough for the
Church of England to indeed continue their expanding presence in Social Media.
One issue under analysis in this article is the darker side to the web that the
Church of England has come into contact with. Bishops and Nuns have become subject
to cyber abuse which is also very prominent in the US as well. Critics of the Church use
bad language and post suggestive comments which although can be very hurtful, has
been handled extremely well by the leaders of the Church. Sister Elizabeth responds to
this negativity by stating, We simply reply thinking 'well God loves that person
regardless of what they're saying they've actually made contact with us - which is good'.
Whether that is abusive or kind, doesn't really matter."
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/0/19992285). This is a philosophical approach that has
proven effective and leaves no room for the growth of hatred.
Social media has simply given every person in the world a voice. Wether it be a
60 year old woman or 12 year old boy, that individual now reserves the right to not only
speak freely, but speak behind a keyboard rather than to someones face. I believe this it
what leads to the abuse that almost every person on social media is subject to at some

Griffin Shaw

Shaw 3

Religion 210
Dr. Mowrey
11/10/12

point. People can post whatever nasty comments they want and never have to suffer
any type of consequence because all they have to do is simply close their computer.
Although the Church of England has been subject to cyber bullying I believe that their
ability to outreach to so many people greatly overshadows the negative side of Social
media.
The biggest issue up for analysis here is that church and worship have began to
see a drastic shift in their tactics of spreading the word of God. Globally, churches are
starting to embrace the role of technology in the world and are adjusting their methods
accordingly. The Church of England has realized that worldwide there are over 1 billion
people on Facebook, and 500 million on Twitter.
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/0/19992285). This allows the Church to have the ability to
touch so many different lives without having to hold a single service in the UK. Social
media is rapidly becoming the fastest way to spread news which leaves a great
opportunity to incorporate the word of God as well. Social Media sites are also not just
for the young demographic anymore. Twitter and Facebook are operated by every age
bracket worldwide and also incorporated with nearly every single business organization.

Griffin Shaw

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Religion 210
Dr. Mowrey
11/10/12

This means that no matter who you are or what occupation you hold, every person has
the chance to hear the same message.
I believe that this development within the Church of England is very positive and
a remarkable opportunity for growth and prosperity. The new ability to spread religion in
every corner of the world is something that needs to be taken advantage of and used
appropriately. With over 1.5 billion people worldwide accessing these sites I believe that
this outreach tactic is something that is much needed and very helpful to the overall
growth of the Church of England. Not only do they get to continue to hold services face
to face with people but now also get the opportunity to grow their target demographic
and bring more citizens to their church doors. Social Media also gives the Church a
chance to inform people of important events taking place such as blood drives, helping
with the homeless, and gatherings that spread the word of God. I encourage this growth
of social media in the Church of England and see it as nothing more than an opportunity
for growth, outreach, and prosperity.
Works Cited: Lutwyche, Jayne. BBC Religion and Ethics. How the Church of England
is engaging in Social Media. 26 October 2012.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/0/19992285.

Griffin Shaw
Religion 210
Dr. Mowrey
11/10/12

Shaw 5