Post by Joanna on Jul 25, 2014 23:42:45 GMT -5
Up jumps the devil! Houston church ads appear on Satanic web site
HOUSTON, Tex. – Google promises patrons of its on-line advertising service that their ads will pop up precisely when prospective customers "search for the things you offer." But, as at least two Houston area churches discovered this week, the devil is in the details.
Digital advertisements by Champions Community Church and Cypress Family Fellowship joined those from an on-line Bible study program, a mail-order ordination company and a Canadian tourism group in surprising appearances on "Satanism Central," the Web site of the Salem, Mass.-based Church of Satan.
Leaders of Cypress Family Fellowship offered no comment, but Chase Austin, a pastor at Champions Community Church, said he "didn't have a big problem" with the spiritual crossed wires. "If there's anybody in need of the 'Good News,'" he said, "it's the people who would frequent that site, click on it and find something in its pages."
The Satanic Web site, posted by self-described "free thinker and devil's advocate" John Alle, offers answers to a variety of questions concerning the church's beliefs. Typical of its content is the assertion, "to destroy all evil in the world means there could be no good left to appreciate." The site also contains Alle-authored articles concerning "psychic vampirism" and werewolves and commercial links to his wife's telephone psychic business and his video production and Web design company. Alle claims on his Web site to be an "occult magician." He did not return telephone calls or respond to emails.
University of Houston marketing professor Steve Koch said on-line advertisers pay Google only when their ads are accessed by viewers – a so-called "pay per click" arrangement. Google, in turn, shares a portion of that revenue with the holders of the Web sites on which the ads appear. Therefore, Koch said, Church of Satan likely is paid each time a Christian advertisement on its site is viewed.
Google ads can be directed to specific or generic Web sites, or can be routed on the basis of key words. Chase said he believes his ad appeared on the Satanic site because of key word routing.
Source: Allan Turner, The Houston Chronicle, July 23, 2014.