Catholics are starting to get-it-dot-com

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Are Catholics doing enough with digital media as a tool to evangelize the faith?

Personally I feel that Catholics are way behind in embracing the Internet and digital media as a way to evangelize. There is a will, but the knowledge, time, and resources are thin. Our Church leaders, priests and parish staff just aren’t trained in digital media. Who expects them to be? So it is laity that must lead the way.

The good news is that there are a growing number of people out there doing good works using digital technology like LoveToBeCatholic.com SQPN, MyCatholicVillage, and LifeTeen just to name a few.

Should Catholics do more on the web and with digital technology? Would you rather use a YouTube or LoveToBeCatholic.com to view Catholic video? Beyond forums and text based web sites, what should Catholics be doing on the web?
 
There is a tremendous variety of Catholic web sites. It’s staggering really. One could spend all day hopping from one site to another and not read the same thing twice. But as you say, most of it is exclusively text and photo media.

The site lovetobecatholic is nice and off to a good start. I like what I’ve seen in just a few minutes of playing around.

As for youtube, there may be something a little unseemly about a beautiful Latin Mass alongside the latest mentos and diet pepsi experiment or ObamaGirl video, but then again, some people may encounter Catholic videos accidentally. Maybe, just maybe, they will watch it out of curiosity and a seed will be planted.

I hope emerging Catholic video sites cross post, or whatever the term is, to secular sites when possible. That would help to fill the evangelization role.
 
Catholici said:
Are Catholics doing enough with digital media as a tool to evangelize the faith?

Personally I feel that Catholics are way behind in embracing the Internet and digital media as a way to evangelize. There is a will, but the knowledge, time, and resources are thin. Our Church leaders, priests and parish staff just aren’t trained in digital media. Who expects them to be? So it is laity that must lead the way.

The good news is that there are a growing number of people out there doing good works using digital technology like LoveToBeCatholic.com SQPN, MyCatholicVillage, and LifeTeen just to name a few.

Should Catholics do more on the web and with digital technology? Would you rather use a YouTube or LoveToBeCatholic.com to view Catholic video? Beyond forums and text based web sites, what should Catholics be doing on the web?
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Catholicism is always behind. That is what is cool about Catholicism. When we get tired of the latest thing, Catholicism is always there. That’s not to say that Catholics shouldn’t embrace new media, but they shouldn’t get panicky about it. Just keep celebrating Mass and proclaiming the historic truths of the Faith. People will be drawn to that.

Edwin
 
So what’s wrong with having a place where Catholics can go - like one stop shopping? I like the idea actually!

~Liza
 
Contarini said:
Catholicism is always behind. That is what is cool about Catholicism. When we get tired of the latest thing, Catholicism is always there. That’s not to say that Catholics shouldn’t embrace new media, but they shouldn’t get panicky about it. Just keep celebrating Mass and proclaiming the historic truths of the Faith. People will be drawn to that.

Edwin
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True, and we can use new media to let me people now this beautiful story. In case they missed it b/c they were lost in Second Life or viewing mind candy on YouTube.
 
lizaanne said:
So what’s wrong with having a place where Catholics can go - like one stop shopping? I like the idea actually!
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Yes, it does have appeal. But we should be careful not to restrict ourselves to a Catholic enclave and ignore the world - it needs evangelizing, and having videos on YouTube can’t hurt.
 
Super_Grover said:
I hope emerging Catholic video sites cross post, or whatever the term is, to secular sites when possible. That would help to fill the evangelization role.
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Like Free Tube?

Look to the left-hand side, click on “religious”, scroll down to “EWTN” and you’ve got Catholic television access on the web. 🙂
 
Catholicism is always behind. That is what is cool about Catholicism…
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I disagree. It isn’t behind. It is eternal. That’s why it is cool 😉
 
Catholici said:
Are Catholics doing enough with digital media as a tool to evangelize the faith?

Personally I feel that Catholics are way behind in embracing the Internet and digital media as a way to evangelize. There is a will, but the knowledge, time, and resources are thin. Our Church leaders, priests and parish staff just aren’t trained in digital media. Who expects them to be? So it is laity that must lead the way.

The good news is that there are a growing number of people out there doing good works using digital technology like LoveToBeCatholic.com SQPN, MyCatholicVillage, and LifeTeen just to name a few.

Should Catholics do more on the web and with digital technology? Would you rather use a YouTube or LoveToBeCatholic.com to view Catholic video? Beyond forums and text based web sites, what should Catholics be doing on the web?
Click to expand...
Interesting questions - I think these are important issues that need talking about.

I’ve just a launched a new website this week (www.soulfoodcinema.com) and I was quite aware of these issues.

From my point of view I think we need to start specialising in different aspects of the faith a bit more. Soulfoodcinema’s sole focus is on the movies, and there’s a dedicated chat room talking about the movies from a Catholic point of view there - not many takers so far though. As I see it there are too many sites that are trying to be too many things to too many people - the more we can build smaller communities (though whilst staying faithful and still within ‘mother’ church) I think the more people will be able to find something they can relate to, and the more our expert knowledge in certain areas will be able to grow and flourish.
 
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