Question: Do you consider religion to have any influence in your online activities?
Today’s question is both very specific and very general. Today’s question is specific because it focuses on religion’s influence on you, and it is very general because of focuses on how any of your online activities could be influenced by religion. Do you consider religion to have a great influence in your online activities?
For this question, my focus is not on whether or not you are biased in any form against anyone else or any specific religion. My focus is also not on whether or not such influence is right or wrong. My focus in this question is to see whether or not you consider the existence of religion to have any kind of an influence in your online activities.
How being religious can influence your online activities
If you are religious, you may be focusing on applying your religious principles to the online world too. You may also be acting in ways so that your own religious beliefs are supported more through your online activities. Some examples of this could be to avoid going to sites that hate religious people, to blog or have biased opinions against specific religious people because of your own religious affiliation, and to comment on different places and on almost any topic with information that is derived because of your own understanding of your religious beliefs. Any of these examples or any of their variations show that religion may indeed have some kind of an influence on your online activities.
How being non-religious can also result in religion influencing your online activities
You could be anti-religion, and may actually be doing things online that, on purpose, go against the idea of religion, and thus religion, even though you do not believe in it, may have some influence on your online activities. Therefore, even though you may not be religious, you may be doing something to show, on purpose, some anti-religion things. Some examples of this could be to defend such ideas such as gay rights, abortion, etc. Regardless of the validity of any of these ideas, defending or being against such and any similar ideas shows that you are doing something online because of religion’s influence; even doing things against what any religion says means that religion is doing something to prompt and warrant some action or thought from you.
Is there a middle ground?
There is a middle ground where you may not allow, or may do your best to make sure, that religion has no influence on your online activities. This may involve a few things, including not being biased in any religious belief and by considering all the sides of the story in their equal fairness, by not always defending your religious belief simply because it is your religious belief, and by simply not looking at things with the concept of being religious or non-religious as a guiding principle. Thus, it is possible to be online and not have any influence from religion on any of your online activities. It is very hard for many people, and because of its hard nature such a middle ground can be considered impossible by many people. However, such a ground is possible. You can be as influenced or biased as you want, but you can hide from such influence or bias because of religion from your online activities completely. In my view, it all comes down to you, and whether or not you want such a middle ground.
Regardless of what the influence may be or whether such an influence is right or wrong, do you consider religion to have any influence on your online activities?
So, do you consider religion to have any influence in your online activities?
Please let me know what you think. Thank you.
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( August 20th, 2007 at 12:38 am )
I think it is very difficult, maybe impossible, not to be biased one way or another in the wake of such strong beliefs.
I have quite strong views against religion as a concept and so tend to shy away from authors that openly display their religion. Having said that, in one case I decided to read more and avoid make any judgements until I had read more. I am now an avid reader and very glad I didn’t automatically leave.
I don’t actually do anything online to further an anti-religion agenda though. I may decide not to read content that is openly religious in nature, but I see no reason to do anything else.
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( August 22nd, 2007 at 1:03 pm )
Religion plays a strong role in all aspects of my life so I’m sure it influences my online activities as well.
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( August 25th, 2007 at 1:16 am )
Andrew, thank you for your comment.
Strong belief in something is indeed hard to shake off for many people.
A question to dive a bit deeper into the topic: when you say you sometimes “decide not to read” religious content, is it because of your concept of religion or because you are not online to read such content?
Thanks again.
CTR Wristband, thanks for coming and commenting.
Do you think religion plays any role in your online business, like your wristband business [if that is your online business, as an example]?
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( August 25th, 2007 at 3:09 am )
Bes, It is because of my concept of religion; I just don’t understand it.
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( August 26th, 2007 at 12:04 pm )
Andrew, thanks for explaining. That adds more light to it.
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( August 15th, 2008 at 1:21 am )
no, maybe if you are in the xxx industry
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( February 18th, 2009 at 11:03 am )
I think that for me, religion plays a part in my online activities seeing as I am a religious person. I don’t think it affects everything I do online, but most definitely some of the things I do
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Bes
(1234 comments) Reply:
February 19th, 2009 at 4:30 am
@Preachit.org, thanks for sharing. What kind of a part does religion play in your online activities? Like for example: you cannot visit certain sites, cannot do some things online, or something else?
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