Week 6 Postings

Today in class we discussed the pros and cons of "fast" religion compared to "slow" religion. I was on the team that was supporting "fast" religion and I thought both groups came up with some very interesting and valid insights. The class seemed to agree that the speed of relgion is usually totally up to each individual. The agrument  that Billy made that the major religions of today were once the fast religoins of the past was absolutely brilliant.

I grew up in California and attended a church that is probably a lot like Hillsong over here. They have huge jumbotrons to help broadcast their messages, they open every sermon with basically a rock concert, they now have a facebook page, a twitter, and many other media outlets. After each service they sold recorded tapes and now DVDs to buyers who wanted to buy a particular sermon that spoke to them, or as the church suggested, give it to a friend as a gift. I loved going to church as a child and still like giong today, but for some reason I've always found going to a rock concert on a Sunday morning a tad bit overwhelming. I think it is great  that churches have made the effort to film or record their sermons and then post them on the web.

 Some people could argue that this is not the same or as beneficial as acually going to church, but I find it a gerat alternative for people who like to be religous at their own pace. The one flaw with this method of being spiritual that I find is laziness. There has been many a Sunday where I have chosen to sleep in past church and promise myself I will listen to the sermon at some point throughout the day. Fast forward a month later and I now have promised myself I will listen to 4 sermons that day to make up for my lack of never actually following through on that orriginal promise to listen to the first one. Because of this I would definitely argue that the benefits of "fast" religion are completely up to the individual and what they decide to do with it. Myself concerned, I love the thought of fast religoin through meida sources and so on, but it is my own laziness that holds me back from taking full advantge of what fast religon has to offer.