Monday, March 30, 2020

Zoombombing Virtual Church

Churches have had to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic like other organizations, namely, by connecting their members virtually rather than in person.   It no surprise that Zoom is a popular platform for doing this, but is it a surprise that with Zoom church you also get Zoombombing at church?

Whether a surprise or not, it is happening according to this Religion News Service article.

The article discusses some of the trade-offs that must be made when combating Zoombombing.   On the one hand, you want many of your virtual church services to be open to anyone as a part of reaching out and promoting your religious teachings.  On the other hand, doing so opens the virtual meeting up to Zoombombing -- sometimes offensive or vulgar Zoombombing -- and one of the best ways to prevent Zoombombing is to restrict access to the meeting, but that goes against the desire for remaining open.

Is this Zoombombing of virtual church meetings a surprise?  Do you think some religious groups might be more susceptible to it than others?  What is the best way for a religious group to combat Zoombombing?

Thursday, March 5, 2020

How Much Would you Pay for an Exclusive Mass with the Pope?

According to this article, Rolls-Royce owners have an opportunity to purchase an exclusive mass with the leader of the Roman Catholic Church.  The price?  Around $112,000 … or even $155,000, which is the suggested amount.  Although to be clear, it is technically not a purchase but a fully deductible donation to the church.  The article refers to this as an "unusual" but acknowledges that the Pope has met with dignitaries and wealthy individuals before.

Yes or no:  Is this good for the church?  Why or why not?

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UPDATE:  As reported here, Rolls-Royce has just decided to cancel this offer.