If this isn’t a sign of the end times, what is?
The company is intensifying formal partnerships with faith groups across the United States and shaping the future of religious experience.
A report at The NY Times by Elizabeth Dias lays out — as much as non-disclosure agreements allow — how Zuckerberg is attempting to monetize religion.
Months before the megachurch Hillsong opened its new outpost in Atlanta, its pastor sought advice on how to build a church in a pandemic.
From Facebook.
The social media giant had a proposition, Sam Collier, the pastor, recalled in an interview: to use the church as a case study to explore how churches can “go further farther on Facebook.”
For months Facebook developers met weekly with Hillsong and explored what the church would look like on Facebook and what apps they might create for financial giving, video capability or livestreaming. When it came time for Hillsong’s grand opening in June, the church issued a news release saying it was “partnering with Facebook” and began streaming its services exclusively on the platform.
Beyond that, Mr. Collier could not share many specifics — he had signed a nondisclosure agreement.
“They are teaching us, we are teaching them,” he said. “Together we are discovering what the future of the church could be on Facebook.”
Why? What else: more money for Mark.
Now, after the coronavirus pandemic pushed religious groups to explore new ways to operate, Facebook sees even greater strategic opportunity to draw highly engaged users onto its platform. The company aims to become the virtual home for religious community, and wants churches, mosques, synagogues and others to embed their religious life into its platform, from hosting worship services and socializing more casually to soliciting money. It is developing new products, including audio and prayer sharing, aimed at faith groups.
emphasis added
Now, making it easier for people of faith to connect with each other, find spiritual comfort, and find ways to more fully engage their faith is one thing. Allowing Zuckerberg to become the gatekeeper and monetize the process is quite something different.
The access to the money flowing through the religious industrial complex is certainly reason all by itself for Facebook to want a piece of that action. The political aspects can’t be overlooked either. With the corrosive effects of Facebook’s practices drawing increasing ire and calls for regulation, having a portion of the religious community in Facebook’s corner has strategic value.
There’s already a huge amount of grift in the faith racket; what makes these willing partners believe that Zuckerberg won’t end up owning them? What happens when those invidious algorithms start steering people to pages that maximize revenue for Facebook over their sites? What happens when pastors discover that their congregations are getting siphoned away to bigger, flashier websites, who spend money “boosting your prayers”?
Would you want to sit in a confessional booth with Zuckerberg and his marketing people listening in?
This quote at the end gives it away.
For churches like Hillsong Atlanta, the ultimate goal is evangelism.
“We have never been more postured for the Great Commission than now,” Mr. Collier said, referring to Jesus’ call to “make disciples of all nations.”
He is partnering with Facebook, he said, “to directly impact and help churches navigate and reach the consumer better.”
“Consumer isn’t the right word,” he said, correcting himself. “Reach the parishioner better.”
If you can’t spot the mark in the con game, odds are it’s you.