It is the only place where you are judged purely by your ideas and not by your skin colour, gender, age, looks, wealth, status, or any of the other stereotypical norms of society. Many people find this anonymity extremely liberating and some find a sense of belonging they may not find in the real world . They submerge themselves completely in this new found sense of community. Even more relevant to the Church and especially youth ministry is the findings of the Barna Research Group, who conducted a survey in 1998 among American adults. Younger adults are more likely to turn to the Net for religion.
Religion is currently one of the least common uses of the Internet by teenagers.
The proportion of young people currently using the Internet for faith purposes is underestimated. A substantial number of cyberchatters engage in dialogue related to faith, spirituality, religion, meaning and truth - the very types of conversations that are often initiated or fostered by churches. Teens do not think of those conversations as religious expression, but the sense of community and the spiritual beliefs fostered by such dialogue on spiritual matters is identical to what the traditional church seeks to create within its congregation. Those people will never set foot in a church because their religious and spiritual needs will be met through other means - including the Internet. Another critical issue is how many churches use the Net to provide spiritual content and direction.