An article in the Washington Post today ‘On Faith’ is titled: Linking Ancient and Modern, A Worldwide Web of Worship. I suppose one’s views on religion as a reader will determine what one makes of the ways religious people are using the Internet. One thing is certain: religion is a significant online sector. I, for one, think the Internet is a prime mover of human communication in our time and would therefore naturally be used by the religious, just as tom-toms were long ago.

The article includes a description of a Hindu woman in London who arranged online for a distant temple blessing. The man who performed the rite in India comments:

“I don’t know anything about these people — except their name and star date,” he said. “But it makes me very proud to send them God’s grace.”

Outside the temple later, Balaji said he liked the temple’s mix of old and new. Many people live far away and cannot travel here, he pointed out, so Saranam.com and other Internet-based services are bringing a new wave of worshipers to his ancient temple in spirit, a phenomenon the temple encourages.