In the 2011 Personal Democracy Forum, Jim Gilliam, co-founder of Brave New Films and CEO of Nation Builder, said the internet is his religion.
Gilliam begins by pointing out that as a child and adolescent he was right-winged and deeply religious.
He lost his faith after getting cancer, and after his mother passed away from cancer.
Gilliam claims he only survived because he was able to receive the treatment he needed, which he got from support from bloggers and fans online ... This brought his faith back, but this newly found faith was for humanity and the internet.
With the internet connecting everyone, we have become the creators, he said, and together we are the creator.
The importance of this video, which has been called the "best video online," is not only that it narrates an incredibly moving story, but it shows in the most clear way the possibility of a cultural movement shifting from reliance on religion to reliance on humanity; this "humanity" being millions of internet users.
We have seen the power of the internet to build demonstrations and take down dictators, but this video shows us another side of the internet. There are times when this generation, our generation, is portrayed as one that does not care; it is portrayed as a generation that is disconnected from society because we are tech junkies and spend so much time online.
However, Gilliam's story shows the internet is just another way to connect. In fact, it shows it is a much more effective way to connect with each other and help each other. The internet does not take our "humanity," it gives us the opportunity to actually exercise that "humanity" on a bigger scale.
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