The pope (see below) encourages participation in social networks and websites, but warns against "enclosing ourselves in virtual relationships". He also asks people to be "honest, open and respectful" of each other.

But I wonder what the core differences are between a "virtual" relationship and an actual, physical one. Some are obvious of course, but I suspect that if one is looking for a physical relationship with other posters, one would not go looking on Thaivisa.com.

Clearly, one feature of a web-based forum like TV.com is that posters are, in most cases, unknown to each other. We may engage in vigorous debate in the forum, but would not know each other if we sat at the next table in a restaurant. Perhaps this is what the pope is referring to as a "parallel existence".

When I relate to family members, neighbours, friends and colleagues, I know something about them and that colours my interactions with them. However, we do not have to be physically present to each other to communicate meaningfully. If I am with, e.g. my daughter, at home, I am distracted by all the things going on there. If I speak with her over Skype, those distractions are gone and we communicate pretty effectively. If we interact over Facebook, it is similar - quite rich, but I can't hear her voice. When enquiring via text about my children's welfare during the recent floods in Brisbane, I didn't sense that anything was missing in the communication.

So why does the pope regard web-based networking as "enclosed" and "one-sided"? And are "virtual relationships" inferior or just different? After all, it seems that Generation Z will live predominantly in a world of virtual relationships. How different is that from the long and "close" relationships men of the past, such as Erasmus, had through letter-writing with others all over Europe whom they had little likelihood of meeting in the flesh?

Join Facebook but be careful, Pope advises

Published Date: January 25, 2011

Pope Benedict said Christians should be part of social networks and websites - without "enclosing oneself" in just virtual relationships, and in a "Christian way" that is "honest and open, responsible and respectful of others".

"Entering cyberspace can be a sign of an authentic search for personal encounters with others, provided that attention is paid to avoiding dangers such as enclosing oneself in a sort of parallel existence, or excessive exposure to the virtual world," the pontiff said in his message for the 2011 celebration of World Communications Day, Catholic News Service reports.

In his message, released yesterday, the pope acknowledged that the Internet has fundamentally changed the way people communicate today. In the digital world, he said, information is increasingly transmitted through social networks as a form of sharing between persons.

He said this dynamic has favored dialogue, exchange, a sense of solidarity and the creation of positive relations. "The new technologies allow people to meet each other beyond the confines of space and of their own culture, creating in this way an entirely new world of potential friendships," he said.

The Pope added that digital communication has built-in limits, including the one-sidedness of the interaction and "the tendency to communicate only some parts of one's interior world." The creation of an artificial online image instead of an authentic one "can become a form of self-indulgence," he said.

More at http://www.cathnewsasia.com/2011/01/25/join-facebook-but-be-careful-pope-advises/

but the pope is on facebook .............

but the pope is on facebook .............

:shock1: :D

Seriously though, how can someone legally take an actual person's name and title and make a spoof page under it?

The Pope issues caution and advises against "virtual relationships" because they do not produce Catholic children....just as he/the church does not like contraception. The more Catholic children that are born, the more worshippers, supporters, and tithers there are.

The Pope would like to see all Catholics go forth and multiply. The virtual world is not conducive to this.