From the Washington Post:
Information technology means the end of organized religion - or, at least, that's what the opinion-makers say.... I would argue that the opposite is true. Technology can greatly enhance religious practice. Groups that restrict and fear it participate in their own demise.... All the best religion apps do this: They support religious practice rather than substituting for it. Michael McBride, an economist at the University of California at Irvine, teaches a freshman course called the Economics of Religion. Understanding that religion is always about people making choices, he asks students to research the coolest religion apps. He also showcases some of his favorites, including Insight Timer, which announces the start and end of Zen meditation sessions with the chiming of bells: "Crystal clear, with extra long fade-outs. Most of these apps do not replace community groups," he says. "But they do enhance them. Technology creates new opportunities, new choices. It changes the way that people can interact. It can change things."

For the full story, please visit http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/the-religious-authoritie....