Christians take on YouTube with GodTube

A Christian version of popular video sharing sight YouTube has been set up in the US to host user-generated content of a religious nature.

Created by Chris Wyatt, a Dallas seminary student and former TV producer, GodTube has the slogan 'broadcast him'. It is claiming 50,000 viewings a day.

"GodTube utilises web-based technology to connect Christians for the purpose of encouraging and advancing the Gospel worldwide," says the site's mission statement.

"[Postings should not] be contrary to the evangelisation of Jesus Christ and His teachings, or constitute blasphemy, or be otherwise offensive to our online Christian community."

The site hosts a wide variety of content, including famous sermons, lectures debunking evolution and atheism, and 'self-help' videos such as What will you do the next time porn strikes? (25,158 views) and Compassion - Sponsor a Child (293 views).

But some viewers have already expressed concerns over the ghettoising effect of the site, and are questioning the need for such specialist material.

"What's so Christian about all of these things," said software engineering student and Christian Russ Seehafer in his video Why Godtube.com is stupid.

"Using 'christian' as an adjective automatically gives whatever you are describing some fictitious 'Approved by God' seal.

"It is beyond me how anyone can claim to be so down with our maker that they are able to slap his approval on anything they deem 'christian'."

Seehafer's video was taken down by the site after it appeared on the front page. It has now been reinstated with a message from the founder defending the site.

"As the CEO and a founder, I can tell you that other video sharing sites, like the one mentioned in the clip, are full of porn," said the message.

"Do you want your children watching porn? Do you want to refer someone to a site that is chalked full of porn?"

The site is similar to others which take popular websites and seek to add an alternative spin, such as Conservapedia.com, MyChurch.org and MuslimSpace.com.

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