Podcasts and Other Do-It-Yourself Media Spread Atheism


I grew up in a conservative church that had endless rules about sin. Thinking back about that community and the people who lived there and belonged to the church, I recall there were very enthusiastic participants and others not very enthusiastic. It was, of course, before the explosion of media platforms that allowed anyone to start a group of like-minded people and build an audience. While lots of information and views were shared at small gatherings, they could not reach wider audiences like today's technology. Those less enthusiastic were stuck in that community and that church.

Would the church back then have been smaller if those who did not enjoy it had found each other? The church closed just a few years ago. Maybe it would have closed sooner if technology had arrived sooner. There was more opportunity for those who wanted others to conform to the faith to exert pressure than there is today. Our one church town was matched by one TV station when that came along. The old adage, "To get along, go along (with the norms of the day)" prevailed. 

It's often said humans need "community." Most want some contact with others. Back in my home area the only social life was either relatives and friends that live nearby and mostly went to the church or the church. We had only one church. There were other churches in other nearby towns and most small towns had more than one church. But the feeling of community was still limited to what was physically around them. If they didn't really like their circle they stuck with it because that was their only choice.

That, in my opinion, is what really changed with the internet. The opportunities of other communities opened up and is broadening to this day. People who believed parts of the Bible but not other found each other. Those who don't being any of it the same thing.

Podcasts and blogs develop followers. Each new one draws a few Christians, Muslims, Hindus and whatever. The percentage of "nones" (claiming no religious affiliation) grows every years. I assume all, or almost all, of these nones have found a group of like minded people they correspond with. In some cases, like the atheists organizations I belong to, they have face to face gatherings as well.  

That people are finding community through the internet is viewed by some as not a good development. I think it is wonderful.

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