New York, USA - The occasional scandal notwithstanding, organized religion is thriving in cyberspace.
Far from the old-world mentality often portrayed in the media, churches, synagogues, temples and other places of worship have shown remarkable facility with new technologies as an effective conduit to spread the word. Many have capitalized on the iPod craze, for example, with such technologies as iPocketBible and BiblePlayer.
Now, the tech-savvy faithful are in a natural position to recruit and evangelize through social networking with such sites as MyChurch.org, as Rafe Needleman wrote recently in this space. So the timing seems ideal for the latest entry to this fertile environment, eBible.com.
Like many social networks, eBible lets you tag entries, share bookmarks, post comments and, most important, meet new friends and congregate with the community. Members, who can join free of charge, can ask for help in Bible study and search references and dictionary definitions. Scholars too might find the site useful, especially with such features as one that allows members to read "multiple Bible translations in parallel."
In an ever-connected world where even remote villages can get Internet access, sites such as eBible can serve functions once possible only through missionaries. And regardless of religious affiliation, there is always the potential for a commercial application: Some companies, it has been reported, are even turning to scriptures for clues to finding oil.