Do U.S. CATHOLIC readers put their faith in the Web?

With some hesitating more than others, U.S. CATHOLIC readers are venturing out onto the World Wide Web, searching for information--and inspiration.

It may be telling that among the saints nominated by U.S. CATHOLIC readers as possible patrons of the Internet were Saint Thomas, whose nickname labels him as "doubting"; Saint Anthony, best known for his ability to locate the lost; and Saint Jude, patron of hopeless causes.

Hardly a glowing endorsement for this new technology.

While it's true that the majority of respondents to our reader survey on Internet use were certainly not seasoned surfers and that many were downright wary about the dangers of life online, most were ready, willing, and eager to learn more about how the Web could improve their lives--including their faith lives.

"Actually, I could stand to use the Internet more to expand my horizons, both professionally and spiritually," says a young woman from Louisville, Kentucky. Like 40 percent of the respondents, she identified herself as a "moderate user" of the Internet, the most common descriptor. But one in five readers who answered the survey reported they don't use the Internet at all--and of those Web "virgins," most plan to continue to abstain. Another 25 percent describe themselves as beginners, while only 13 percent say they are "active and avid" travelers on the information highway.

Perhaps this relative inexperience is a function of the fact that a large portion of our readers are in, shall we say, the "wisdom years." But while using the Internet is a no-brainer for teens and twentysomethings, advancing age doesn't have to be a deterrent. One Florida retiree admits, "I'm not very computer literate," yet adds, "but I will be." In fact, she wants to find sites with religious information specifically geared toward senior citizens.

Many of those who refuse to embrace the new technology are doing so intentionally. "I think the Internet is great, but I just don't have time for it," writes Ann Hunt Brefka of Coral Springs, Florida. "I like to use my home for peace and calmness." An 82-year-old reader apologized for not answering any of the survey questions by explaining, "I'm one of those people who don't have a computer or want one." As proof, he typed his reply on a 60-year-old Corona typewriter. "Needs no batteries or electricity," he was quick to point out.

It's a small world after all

For those who have started their search engines, the vast majority are using the Internet to access the wealth of information on the Web or to keep in touch with family and friends. Sending and receiving e-mail is by far the most common activity on the Internet, according to our survey. The next three most popular reasons our readers use the Web are to quickly get handy information, to research issues or problems, and to look up resources mentioned via other media. Few U.S. CATHOLIC readers are hanging out in chat rooms (only 1 percent) or trading their newspapers and magazines for online versions (6 percent).

This ability to link people across the world and to communicate with far-away friends, family, and even strangers were commonly cited as ways in which the Internet has improved the world.

"We can instantly contact people around the world--a son in Iceland, friends in Australia," says Mary Beth Enderson of Hampton, Virginia, who answered the survey by e-mail. "Such awesome technology! How good of God to allow us this means of communication."

Mary Heugel of Rexford, New York notes that the World Wide Web really has made the world smaller. She says the Internet has benefited the world "by enabling people to interact across the globe and promoting the `global family' idea."

Some social justice-minded folks also find the Internet a helpful tool. Janice Haan of Stillwater, Oklahoma says she uses the Web in two ways: not only to keep on top of the issues but also to e-mail her congressional representatives.

The Internet can also be a boon to parishes, say several survey respondents who work in parish ministry. And it's perfect for reaching out to teens and young adults, for whom e-mail is often their primary mode of communication.

Campus minister Sue Gifford of Corvallis, Oregon sends a weekly e-mail bulletin to her students. And Mercy Sister Kathleen O'Connell of Holy Cross Parish in Rochester, New York says she enjoys corresponding with the college students from her parish during the school year. One of her creative uses of the Internet involves sending them reflections via e-mail during exam time.

Surfers, beware!

For all its possibility to equalize access to information, to connect the world, and to make our lives easier, the Internet invariably also has the potential for harm. While some believe it's only as dangerous as any other form of misused media, others are afraid it can be downright evil. At the very least, it is "easily abused for nefarious motives," says Father Gary Bagley of Buffalo, New York.

Respondents to our survey were quick to point out the Web's potential pitfalls, and the most commonly mentioned problem was pornography. One priest reported that many adult men have confided that they struggle with addictions to Internet porn. But the biggest concern was the impact of cybersmut on children. A New Jersey reader worries about "chat rooms that allow people to prey on children," while Catherine Wedding of Amarillo, Texas warns, "There's too much pornographic and hate-oriented material available, especially to young people."

A Massachusetts reader admits that the Internet's anonymity makes it a particularly easy vehicle for criminals, but she argues that the technology itself is not to blame. "Users need to be aware of the dangers that do exist and exercise caution as they would in any other situation," says Elaine Lemieux of New Bedford. "Parents should limit and monitor their children's use of the Internet."

But porn is not the only problem. Other concerns cited by survey respondents include the proliferation of misinformation on the Internet, its temptation as a time-waster, and its contribution to an overall depersonalization in society. Marie Griffo of Rutherford, New Jersey acknowledges all the advantages of being online, but confesses, "I find it to be an impersonal medium, since no face-to-face contact is needed to use it."

Often, the key is moderation. "I enjoy working on the computer, and e-mail is so convenient, but I must constantly monitor myself not to overdo and waste precious time `playing,'" says a nun from Massachusetts.

Of course, that's not even an issue for many Americans who don't have access to a computer, and that worries some U.S. CATHOLIC readers. "The economically poor are becoming more and more marginalized because they are not computer literate or don't have access to one," says Ann Williams Cass, who observes the disparity in her own community of McAllen, Texas. "Poor kids have a bigger disadvantage than ever before because they don't have computers. Many here don't even have electricity!"

The Internet "can be a blessing and a curse," says Pat Zahorik of Manitowoc, Wisconsin. "I would not want to be without it anymore, but I worry about children especially, who are trading real reading for what they can call up on that little screen. They are being deprived of some of the joy of searching the hard way."

Linda Freeman of Olympia, Washington also sees the potential for both benefit and harm. She suggests an "Internet prayer"--"for people to give thanks to God for such an awesome potential, and yet to be reminded to use, and not abuse, the power and allure of the Internet."

Web spirit

There's a good chance that such a prayer exists somewhere out on the World Wide Web. After all, religious and spiritual sites are among some of the most frequently visited on the Web. A recent Pew study estimates that more than 2 million Americans regularly surf the Net for religious or spiritual material. The U.S. CATHOLIC site (www.uscatholic.org) alone receives 850 visits a day.

That's why it was somewhat surprising to learn that less than half of the readers who responded to this survey say they use the Internet "fairly regularly" to inform and/or nurture their faith. A majority--56 percent--say they do not.

Their responses to another question may help explain why. When asked if they could change one thing about their use of the Internet, few expressed a need to curb their own or a family member's overuse. Instead, the No. 1 answer was that readers needed to learn more about the Internet to make the experience more productive and enjoyable.

Even seasoned surfers were skittish about turning to a Web site for spiritual growth, social justice resources, or church news.

"I just don't think about using the Internet for spiritual or faith issues," admits Geraldine Knoll of Saratoga Springs, New York, who has been online for five years and primarily uses the Internet for help with crossword puzzles.

Knoll also is with the majority when she responds that, although her parish does have a Web site, she rarely, if ever, visits it. More than half of the readers surveyed either don't visit their parish Web Site, don't know if they have one, or say it's fine that they don't. Only 15 percent reported they visit their parish site from time to time.

Most likely, these Net newbies just need a little information and guidance about how to use the Web to enhance their spiritual and religious lives. Admittedly, it can be a little overwhelming to type "Catholic" into a search engine and get a list of millions of sites. Recommendations from friends can be helpful, which is why we asked readers to name their favorite religious Web sites. (See "READERS' FAVORITE WEB SITES").

READERS' FAVORITE
WEB SITES

We asked readers to list their
favorite religious Web sites. The top
five vote-getters were:

1. The Vatican: www.vatican.va

2. Sacred Space: www.jesuit.ie/prayer

3. St. Anthony Messenger Press
and Franciscan Communications:
www.americancatholic.org

4. U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishops: www.usccb.org

5. U.S. Catholic: www.uscatholic.org

Other readers' favorites included:

www.faithfirst.org
www.zenit.org
www.franciscancards.com
www.catholic.org
www.catholicweb.com
www.oncecatholic.org
www.kofc.org
www.catholicrelief.org
www.centeringprayer.com
www.nccl.org
www.alban.org
www.osjspm.org
www.creighton.edu/
CollaborativeMinistry
www.saintmeinrad.edu
www.nfpc.org
www.americapress.org
www.catholiccollegesonline.org
www.usml.edu
www.masstimes.org
www.catholicgreetings.org
www.universalis.com
www.bible.gospelcom.net
www.womenpriests.org
www.monksofadoration.org
www.geneseeabbey.org
www.daughtersofstpaul.org
www.coffeeintherain.com
www.disciplesnow.com

Readers had mixed opinions about
Mother Angelica's Eternal Word
Television Network Web site
(www.ewtn.com). Several listed it
among their top sites. But one
reader spoke for others when she
declared, "anything but EWTN!"

But some may be scared off by the lack of personal contact, preferring to make spiritual and religious connections face to face. Although a Barna study reports that 1 percent of adults and 2 percent of teens rely on the Internet instead of a physical place of worship, it's a little premature to shutter churches.

Anonymity may be exactly what attracts some of these cyber-religionists, but the Vatican has made it clear that the sacrament of Reconciliation, for example, can never licitly be administered online.

With www.confessyoursins.org thus an impossibility, what else are Catholics looking for on the Web? When asked what kind of religious sites they wish they could find, respondents most frequently mentioned ones with solid information about the Catholic faith.

"I wish I could find a site that concisely summarizes current church issues and concerns," says Dennis Brickle of Macon, Georgia, while Chris Wysocki of Grand Rapids, Michigan is looking for a site that "explains the Catholic faith more thoroughly."

Other requests were for sites that are good for kids, that focus on Catholic women's spirituality, that are helpful for researching church documents, that offer daily reflections or a Bible study program, that offer advice for parents of adolescents, and that discuss the church's position on social issues. Claretian Publications can help with the last two: Try Salt of the Earth Online (http://salt. claretianpubs.org) for social justice information and Homefaith (www. homefaith.com) for parenting resources, including a weekly e-mail reflection.

Finding Web pages through links attached to sites you trust is one way to sort through the diversity of stuff that's labeled "Catholic" on the Internet--so much of which is thinly disguised propaganda. Reader Donna Higgins of Ozark, Illinois says she'd like to find a site "that provides the information without hidden agendas that are biased by liberal or conservative views."

Perhaps she could pray to the patron saint of the Internet. Although the pope has yet to name an official patron, Saint Isidore of Seville, the first recorded author of a database, has been proposed by the Spain-based Internet Observation Service and supported by many others. Isidore, who was born in 560, was the author of a work called "Etymologies," a gigantic compendium of learning from Greco-Roman antiquity.

But since Isidore's not a shoo-in, our readers had several other creative suggestions. Several nominated Saint Christopher, already the patron saint of travelers of the non-information-highway variety. Another navigator, San Pedro Regaldo, was suggested by Lionel Madrid of Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Another popular choice was Saint Paul. "His epistles are great, but just think what he could have done with e-mail and a Web page," says Jackie Leo of Palatine, Illinois. Another Illinoisan, Father Joseph Rascher of Caseyville, suggested Saint Jerome, explaining, "He translated the Bible and made the Word of God more accessible in his day and time, just as the Internet makes information more accessible."

A handful of readers nominated Pope John XXIII. Father Charles Hiebl of Athens, Wisconsin predicts that "he would have been a master of the Internet."

Others thought divine messengers could best protect Internet users. Saint Michael got a few votes, as did the archangel Gabriel, "because he traveled swiftly through time and space," explains Joan Schwarz of Coconut Creek, Florida.

But perhaps Kevin Carroll's choice will ring most true to any surfer with a slow browser or whose machine has ever frozen or crashed: "Saint Kevin," says the San Jose, California resident. "He was known for his patience."

Join the conversation -- online. In addition to a sample of subscribers, all are invited to respond to U.S. CATHOLIC'S monthly Sounding Board survey at www.uscatholic.org. This month, join U.S. CATHOLIC readers as they discuss the ethical questions raised by embryonic stem cell research.

AND THE
SURVEY SAYS ...

1. Which best describes your own
use of the Internet?

40% Moderate user of the
Internet.

25% Pretty much a beginner.

14% Don't use the Internet at all,
and don't plan to.

13% Very active and avid user
of the Internet.

6% Don't use the Internet at all,
but would like to.

2% Other.

2. My parish has its own Web site.

29% Yes. But I rarely, if ever, visit
it.

20% No, but I wish that it did.

18% Don't know.

16% No, which is fine with me.

15% Yes, and I visit it from time
to time.

2% Other.

3. If I could change one thing
about my use of the Internet, it
would be to:

55% Learn more about the
Internet to make the
experience more productive
and/or enjoyable.

25% Upgrade my computer and/
or service to navigate more
quickly or successfully.

5% I'd just be happy to get a
computer and service
established, so I could get
started.

4% Curb a family member's
overuse of it so he or she
could spend time doing
other things.

3% Curb my own overuse of it
to spend time doing other
things.

8% Other.

4. I use the Internet fairly regularly
to help inform and/or nurture my
faith.

disagree 56%

other 2%

agree 42%

And specifically, I use it to find:

66% Spiritual growth.

57% Resources for theological
or religious
education.

50% Church news.

50% Social-justice
resources.

37% Other ministry
resources.

There results are based on survey
responses from 159 U.S. CATHOLIC
readers and Web site visitors.

By Heide Schlumpf, assistant editor of U.S. Catholic.