If the internet is the information super highway, how long does christianity have to survive?

Answer 1

Interesting question. If you believe that Christianity is a delusion caused primarily by a lack of access to information, then it makes some sense to think that a sudden, vast increase in the flow of information should lead most people to reject it.

While I don't believe in Christianity myself, I think that it is immune to the sort of harm that you think the Internet could cause it.

For one thing, if you believe a thing, it is human nature to spend most of your time looking for information that confirms your beliefs, rather than seeking out the information that would cause you to question or reject those beliefs. Most people do not critically engage their own beliefs. Hell, they don't even critically engage the beliefs of their opponents. For the most part, it's enough to find some pretext for ignoring anything they might have to say.

Next, the Internet can be a vehicle for both truth and lies. Most debates require lots of domain-specific knowledge. You set two well-educated people to the task of debating some tiny subset of the overall Christianity debate--the authenticity of Paul's epistle to the Ephesians, for example--and within minutes they'll be fighting over subtle ambiguities of the Greek language that no layman could hope to pass judgment on. When faced with such information overload, most people will give up and go back to believing what they believed before they started.

There is nothing special about the Internet as a communication medium. Eventually, in order to have an effect on an individual person, all that information has to be processed through an individual brain.

Finally, religion fills emotional needs for many people, and that emotional fulfillment isn't up for rational analysis or debate. Don't mistake my meaning: all this information coming available to a wider audience is going to have a profound effect on Christianity. It might even lead to the abandoning of some formerly central tenets of the faith.

But Christianity will survive in one form or another for generations to come.

Answer 2

I'm afraid I don't see the correlation between the two parts of your question. True, the internet allows information to be accessed with more ease and celerity than ever before in history, but access to information has, historically, had very little to do with personal and religious beliefs on a large scale. There's also the problem that, of all information available on the internet, a large fraction of it isn't necessarily reliable, objective, or even realistic.

Religious information can be posted online for any religion and can be accessed by anyone - as can information from various groups supporting an atheist or agnostic viewpoint - but this doesn't necessarily mean that the doctrine being spread has to be believed. Personally, I would hope that the advent of the internet as an "information super highway" would actually perpetuate world religions by increasing tolerance through exposure and open discussion.

Answer 3

Information is a good thing.
The internet is helping speed the dissemination of that information.
It seems to me that for every negative aspect about religion spread on the net, there will be two positives.
People are now digging into the original texts of the bible and learning more about the writings than ever.
I am certain Christianity will be here until the end of this world as we now know it.

Answer 4

Until the end of the world, "I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:12-13) The Church and thus Christianity will be here forever.

The Internet may tempt some toward sin and separation from God, but thanks to the Internet, apologetics (defending the faith) is thriving.

Answer 5

Until the Rapture! Then we go home with Jesus and non christians get to figure out what we were trying to tell them all along... you can find this info on the inter net... search Revelation

Answer 6

i would have to say not long they keep narrowing the margin on who is exceptable in their social group and that is what they are speaking from experience i was brought up in a penticostal church unless they stop judging people they will reap judgment upon themselves. i am a lesbian i have watched their hate that is not godly God is a God of love.

Answer 7

If you eat hard-boiled eggs every morning, how long does your mother's uncle's mail man's hen have to survive?

Your question makes about that much sense...

Answer 8

Forever!

Answer 9

the Internet isn't going to cure them of being pompous

Answer 10

that question makes about as much sense as 'if a tree falls in the forest and there's no one to hear it, what color are my sneakers?"