Going to churches on Sunday is the norm for many Christians. However, there’s a minority that chose the digitalized version of such services.
For the benefit of the lazy asses of technologically-inclined Christians, God granted Church of Fools. Of fools? Why of fools? Well according to the people who run the online service, it is due to it being a project of Ship of Fools, a magazine for Christian unrest.
Having said that, some computer hackers also brought unrest to the online church. CNN’s Graham Jones [click for new article] reports that the online church has been forced into an urgent rethink after computer hackers logged in as “Satan” and disrupted services with four-letter expletives and racist remarks.
Bogus “worshippers” — they join the virtual church as 3-D cartoon characters — have logged in as “God”, “Jesus” and “Satan”. They have greeted newcomers with: “Satan loves you” and disturb people who’re praying with familiar-sounding four-letter words.
The church is sponsored by The Methodist Church and is considered the first of its kind. You can pray there, but no sacraments there obviously. They say, “Maybe next time”. [Anyway, how are you going to have Holy Communion there?] It is a 3D church. Now, you can’t walk at the alter. Duh, I was looking forward to that, lol.
There’s a crypt too, where there’re some Christian resource exhibition. There are red arm chairs there too. I’m sitting there right now while typing this blog posting. Well, it’s very comfortable. You can bless a friend, cross yourself and rise your hands while saying Hallelujah!
The service included a hymn, prayers, the collection (via mobile phone) and the Lord’s Prayer, which the congregation were invited to say in the language and version they knew best. They responded by keying in the famous prayer in English, French and Latin.
For a church that first went online on May 11, just days ago, they must have been quite unlucky to get attacked by computer hackers. [Being a church, they should forgive them right?] But this isn’t the first setback they had.
Church of Fools’ startup is interrupted by the sudden disappearance Reverend Jem Clines’ online 3D avatars. It wasn’t an attack from computer hackers. It turns on that the poor Reverend’s computer, located 225 miles away, has apparently crashed.
In the end, it’s the bishop of London who saved the day. He was supposed to do some preaching of the sermon, but he did something extra by stepping forward to lead the (online) service.
Anyway, the next service’s on May 16, 2004, a Sunday of course. Log in at 9 p.m. BST, next preacher is Steve Tomkins. I’m leaving the sanctuary now. There’re 2 fellows looking so stupid. For the past 5 minutes, they have been raising their arms saying Hallelujah to one another.
Click here toLaunch the Church, sources from CNN and the Church of Fools website itself.
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Tags: christianity, internet, odd world
Sorry for posting this so late,but I just had to say something,lol
Wow…
Why not watch some of the 5 million televangelists?
There’s Frederick Price,John Hagee (If you like your sermons a little more on the uber-conservative side-he’s from Texas),Benny Hinn,Billy Graham,Bishop T.D. Jakes,Paul Morton,Ed Young,Jack Van Impe…There’s a whole bunch out there. Just grab your Bible and pick one,lol.
No computer crashings or anything.
And you’re telling me the Methodist Church is behind this? Weird.
by aurora_starfire (Sep 21, 2005 at 1 AM)aurora_starfire: I haven’t heard of that. Care to elaborate?
by Mr. Dew (Sep 22, 2005 at 6 AM)Oh,those people I just mentioned-they have their church services broadcasted on national television,which is why they are called televangelists.
We have Christian channels in the U.S like TCT and that’s all they show most of the time.
Or,if you wake up early enough(especially on a Sunday morning),some channels will show a church service while they’re off the air.
These ministers are like musicians-they have world tours,but they call them conferences. They hold huge sermons in arenas.There have been some of these conferences in Singapore-I think Benny Hinn was there not too long ago
(http://www.bennyhinn.org//articles/articledesc.cfm/id/30).
I’ve actually been to one in Canada,but I was too young to remember.
by aurora_starfire (Sep 23, 2005 at 12 AM)I was raised by devout Christians,so I’m used to seeing my parents watch these programs a lot. I even watch them sometimes,but actually being in the comfort of your own church is way better.You can’t connect with someone behind a glass screen.
aurora_starfire: I see I see. We don’t have televangelists in Singapore though. We have a church called the City Harvest Church that does a lot of widely publicized acts. That’s the nearest I can think of.
I don’t remember Benny Hinn. I am a Christian too, I go to sermons on most Sunday and take off during the more tiring ones.
by Mr. Dew (Sep 24, 2005 at 6 AM)