3D Internet Church Opens

<snip>

LONDON (Reuters) - Christians in Britain opened a zany 3D Internet church on Tuesday, billed as a first chance for believers to log on and worship interactively.

Bishop of London Richard Chartres gave the inaugural sermon -- via a speech-bubble from his cartoon persona -- at the first service on the "Church of Fools" at www.shipoffools.com.

"No one has ever before created a stand-alone church where you can log on as a worshipper and join in however you like -- to kneel, cross yourself, sing hymns or shout 'Hallelujah,'" Web site deputy editor Stephen Goddard told Reuters.

Some two dozen believers signed up as cartoon worshippers for the service, sponsored by the Methodist Church but organized by the multi-denominational "Ship of Fools" project which says its name is deliberately self-deprecating to avoid pomposity.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=573&ncid=573&e=4&u=/nm/20040511/od_nm/religion_dc