Some regard the Web as more confidential than their local communities, reasoning that nobody nearby will ever see an Internet posting. She sought prayers on behalf of someone close who was accused of impregnating a former girlfriend. But some clerics recoil. Many prayer sites also called prayer boards, prayer circles or prayer-request lines are associated with individual churches. Others are plainly non-denominational.
Some sites used in chains delete obviously sensitive material or keep identities anonymous.
But many don't, nor do they verify the accuracy of submissions. For the most part, lawyers say, it is the poster and not the site that is liable for any defamatory information. The sites are multiplying fast, and marketers have already spotted the commercial potential. A study of the Web sites of 1,309 congregations funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts and released in December found that 18 percent had a place where people could post or respond to prayer requests, and that 22 percent were considering adding one. Ric Alonso, a co-owner, says Ekra receives a commission ranging from 2 percent to 25 percent of sales every time a user clicks on a commercial link, plus 2 cents every time a user clicks one of the listed search engines.