Internet wobec tradycji religijnych. Wsparcie czy zagro¿enie?

The existence of contemporary societies is based on the presence of advanced technologies in nearly all social contexts. Our actions are increasingly dominated by advanced technological systems, above all by the global computer network, namely the internet. Humankind is approaching a new stage in the development of its civilization: the era of the information society. The ever more universal "computerization" both on the micro (home, family) and macro (global) scales, as well as the use of the Internet at work and other places have begun to influence diverse aspects of our existence, including broadly understood traditions. The following question arises: is the internet a medium which supports tradition, or does it thwart it? The authors of the article focus on one of the many aspects of traditions cultivated in our society: on the religious dimension. They pose the question if and how the internet contributes to sustaining customs and the religious cult, or whether it is a destructive factor in this field. Selected examples of the internet's influence on the formation of religious attitudes are analyzed in the article. The authors discuss whether the activity of individuals on the internet necessarily spells the departure from tradition, or does it form a different choice to conventional rites and rituals, or maybe it supports the culturally established religious behaviors.