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F e a t u r e A r t i c l e
ONLINE ISN’T OUT OF LINE FOR APOLOGISTS
By JEFFREY MIRUS
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This Rock
Volume 4, Number 11
 November 1993 
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YOU can "log on" to the Catholic
Resource Network to enter a new world of Catholic information and
services designed to serve the Church by serving its members around
the world.
Catholic Answers is one of a score of major Catholic organizations
which have joined together to form a new venture called the Catholic
Resource Network (CRNET). Our purpose is to provide an unprecedented
range of authentic Catholic information and services to users worldwide,
24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Do you have a question about Catholic doctrine or need spiritual advice?
Would you like help in teaching the faith to your children? Do you
need access to Catholic research materials? The Catholic Resource
Network can help with all these things. Or perhaps you want regular
updates on pro-life issues or you'd prefer to receive your religious
news straight from the Vatican. CRNET can provide both. CRNET also
lets you send messages to other Catholics virtually anywhere in the
world, and much more besides.
CRNET began operations in September 1993 on the CompuServe Information
Service and moved to its own completely independent Catholic system
three months later. Using advanced telecommunications technology,
CRNET makes an entire Catholic world available at any hour of the
day or night, anywhere in the world, to anyone with access to a personal
computer and a telephone line.
Readers who are not comfortable with this kind of technology or who
know little about computers need not hesitate. CRNET makes it simple.
What's available
The Catholic Resource Network is divided into forums,
each of which specializes in a particular aspect of Catholicism or
a particular Catholic service. Catholic Answers is responsible for
the apologetics forum and will provide a wide range of information
and services there. Its staffers will go online to assist users in
getting what they need, answering any questions they may have.
You will be able to download to your own computer the entire text
of Catholic Answers' tracts or the text of specially-selected booklets
and books. Each month staffers of This Rock will upload to
the forum articles from the magazine.
The Catholic Answers message section allows you to write to other
CRNET members and to engage in ongoing discussions. You'll be able
to participate in lively exchanges on a wide variety of topics--a
great way to expand your knowledge of the faith and of apologetic
techniques and to test your logic against other Catholics (Catholic
Answers staffers included) and even against non-Catholic members of
CRNET. Of course, you never are required to participate actively.
If you prefer, you can just read what others have been saying.
Maybe you want "live action"? Join one of the specially-scheduled
conferences. You'll be able to "speak" with Catholic Answers
staffers such as Karl Keating, James Akin, and Patrick Madrid. On
your screen you'll see other members' comments as they're typed, and
they'll see yours. It's like a massive conference call! If you wish,
use your communications program to capture the entire discussion and
to save it on your computer. Then go back to examine it at your leisure.
Participating groups
But Catholic Answers is just one part of the Catholic
Resource Network. Some of the most important forums, services, and
their hosts are:
Canon Law with the St. Joseph Foundation
Divine Revelation with Fr. William Most
Doctrine and Catechetics with Fr. Robert Levis, Msgr.
Michael Wrenn, and Gerard Gaskin
Academic Research and College Forum with Christendom
College
Marriage and Family with Women for Faith and Family
Home Education with the National Association of Catholic
Home Educators, Seton Home Study, and Seton Junior-Senior High School
Natural Family Planning Services with the Couple to
Couple League
Prayer and Spiritual Life with Fr. John Hardon, S.J.
Priests, Deacons, Religious, and Vocations with the
Institute on Religious Life
Pro-life Issues with the American Life League
Sacraments, Liturgy, and Sacred Music with Fr. Robert
Skeris and Msgr. Richard Schuler
Spiritual Counseling with Frs. Peter Pilsner and John
Trigilio
Media and Entertainment with the Eternal Word Television
Network
Christ, Mary, and Church library
Church Documents library
Youth and Single Life Center
Computer Forum with Michael Hains
Ignatius Press Market Place
Our Sunday Visitor Market Place
DiCarlo Book Sellers for Small Publishers
Current Issues Section featuring the Vatican Information
Service
Worldwide Electronic Mail, including an Internet connection
Authentically Catholic
When you use a computer to connect over a phone line
to the Catholic Resource Network, a world of information, communication,
and services opens onto your computer screen. While online with CRNET,
you can do research in the file libraries, join in discussions on
important Catholic issues, transfer books and documents to your own
computer for later use, or transfer materials of your own to CRNET
for use by others.
You can communicate with leading apostolates and participate in special
events such as a live question- and-answer session with a Catholic
leader. You can browse the listings of your favorite publisher and
make purchases of Catholic materials online. You can also send electronic
mail instantly to any other user anywhere in the world and receive
mail just as quickly in return.
CRNET is useful to just about anybody; it's a godsend for Catholics
who feel isolated, for non-Catholics who want to learn more about
the Church, and even for parishes and dioceses in poor areas that
can't afford good libraries and research materials for their students.
In addition to the broad range of information and services it provides,
CRNET takes pride in the quality of its Catholic services, including
its complete fidelity to Catholic teaching as defined by the magisterium
of the Church. CRNET is a source of information you can trust.
Easy to get started
The Catholic Resource Network is an international
operation sponsored by Trinity Communications and assisted by a similar
organization run by Australians Gerard Gaskin and Michael Hains. In
addition to the work of the various participating apostolates online,
Trinity Communications maintains a full-time staff devoted to improving
CRNET, adding materials, monitoring the system to assist users, answering
questions either online or by telephone, and personally managing a
number of CRNET's sections. Trinity will provide all the help you
need to get started using the Catholic Resource Network.
Even if you don't yet own a computer, you can purchase everything
you need for the price of a color television set. If you already own
a computer, you can make it commun- ications ready for under $50.
You can connect with CRNET from any type of computer running any communications
software that follows industry standards. (Set your modem for 2400
or 9600 bps, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, and no parity).
CRNET is user-supported. The initial lifetime membership fee is only
$25, and connect charges start as low as $5 per hour. You actual costs
are low because you can download electronic mail and messages to your
computer in a just few seconds and can read and compose your replies
offline. This saves connect charges, which means your actual cost
per month is just a few dollars.
To join CRNET, make your first computer call to (703) 791-4336 (modem
only). You can browse around online or join immediately, following
simple on-screen instructions. Once you become a member, you will
be given a local SprintNet number so you can avoid long-distance charges.
For further information, write to Trinity Communications at P.O. Box
3610, Manassas, VA 22110 or call (703) 791- 2576 (voice only).
Jeffrey Mirus is the president of Trinity Communications
and the founder of the Catholic Resource Network.
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