THE world’s first cyber pulpit has been shut down after a large number of online worshippers logged in as Satan and shouted expletives.

The internet Church of Fools, opened last week at churchoffools.com, is sponsored by the Methodist Church, which takes a strong line against profanity. It allowed online visitors to kneel to pray, cross themselves and perform an arm-raising “hallelujah!”.

Church wardens are on duty with “smite buttons” to consign blasphemers to virtual hell. But some of the worst offenders are from the US and Australia and visit in the middle of the night, when the wardens are asleep. Hackers have broken in disguised as wardens, sworn at the congregation or greeted newcomers by saying “Satan loves you”.

The organisers have now closed the pulpit and apse to visitors. They have also removed the “shout” button so that worshippers can whisper to those closest to them without the whole church hearing. The number of wardens is also to be increased.

Virtual parishioners reacted defiantly. One message on the site’s internet chat room yesterday said: “It’s just a load of sad individuals playing ‘wind up the Christians’.”

Since it was announced at the Christian Resources Exhibition last week, the site has attracted 20,000 visits a day. Stephen Goddard, a spokesman for the cyber chapel, said: “We obviously use the ‘smite’ button where we can. But we have very few resources to police it 24 hours a day.”

He drew an analogy with John Wesley, the 18th-century founder of Methodism: “When Wesley went out in the early days, people swore at him, made braying noises like a donkey and spat on him. At least we know we are not preaching to the converted.”

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