Numerous religious-themed social networking groups are now on the Internet, allowing users to create prayer groups, discuss movies, and find potential significant others (also profanity is prohibited and content is strictly monitored). Creators and users say the sites are family-friendly alternatives to networking sites like MySpace, which says it has more than 100,000 religious groups but also contains content that some find offensive.

For instance, there’s the 30,000-member Xianz.com: “I use Xianz because it is a place that I can come to and have fellowship with friends. Sharing God’s word and helping others," one 16-year-old girl wrote in an e-mail message. “Xianz is like a big church!” There’s also www.hisholyspace.com, www.mypraize.com (which calls itself a “Christian MySpace Alternative”).

Not all faith-based sites are Christian-oriented, though. Muslim users can log onto www.muslimspace.com, www.naseeb.com, and www.muslimsocial.com. Jewish sites include www.shmooze.com and www.koolanoo.com. While the Web sites allow users to branch into a larger religious network, some worry that it might weaken local faith communities. “Can this diminish the person’s experience of their local community and local church?” asked Mark Regnerus, an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Texas at Austin.

Shawn Ireland, 22, of Mishawaka, Indiana, uses www.holypal.com, to discuss matters of faith with others and learns from people who might not agree with him. “I just like being able to talk to other people about the Lord,” he said. “It’s a place you can go and always have someone to talk to, whether you agree or not.”