Britons turn to God - online

LONDON - BRITONS fearful about the global financial crisis are turning to God - at least online, flocking in their thousands to a special prayer on the Church of England's website, the Church said on Thursday.
A new 'Prayer for the Current Financial Situation' has been viewed nearly 8,000 times since it was published online in September, increasing traffic to the 'prayers for today' section of the website by 28 per cent.

The number of people visiting a section offering debt advice - including a feature that helps visitors work out how the credit crunch will affect them - has also gone up by 71 per cent in the past few weeks, the Church said.

'I'm delighted the content is resonating with people, and there is something the church has to offer people,' said the Church of England's national steward John Preston, who wrote the debt advice.

'I think that people aren't necessarily going online to seek religion, but as they are browsing, their thoughts turn to it.

'We know that many people do pray, but things are made so accessible by having it online. Instead of having to go somewhere, and find something, we just provide some words that people can go through wherever they are.'

The prayer for the financial crisis notes that 'we live in disturbing days", with rising prices, increasing debts, job losses and collapsing banks, and calls on God to 'be a tower of strength amid the shifting sands'. -- AFP