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Religious 'Godcasts' Gaining Popularity

by Tim Stevens on April 10, 2008 at 03:14 PM

Religious Godcasts Gaining Popularity

While most people use their iPods for music and music alone, downloadable podcasts remain hugely popular. Named for Apple's player, a podcast is some downloadable mini-show usually produced with zero budget and featuring one or more people discussing anything from politics to polygamy (seriously).

Believe it or not that latter group outnumbers the former, as religious discussions and sermons have become the fourth-highest downloaded type of podcasts on the Internet according to podcast clearinghouse Podcast Alley, ahead of politics and sports. Factor in the huge number of lesser-known online distribution channels for divine downloads and it's clear that sermons are becoming nearly as common on iPods as songs.

The reasons are simple: There's always plenty to say about religion and plenty of people interested in listening, but getting the message out in the past has been difficult. Today, anyone with a $5 microphone and an Internet connection can record and post their own sermons, teachings, or analyses for distribution to the masses. The masses available online far outweigh even the biggest mega-churches in the South, and the portable nature of MP3 players of all brands and models means that listeners can tune in whenever and wherever they like.

This ease means spreading the word is simpler than ever, but the concern in the minds of many is that spreading hate, intolerance, and incorrect teachings is just as easy. So, just like everything else on the Internet, be careful what you download.

From USA Today

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Tags: iPod, podcasts, religion

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