Surf your sins away

Searching for spirituality on the Net? Look no further than Christian radio 'Premier' which launches the first online confession Thursday.

The online prayer site offers spiritual guidance in the form of prayers, biblical extracts and reflections. Visitors are invited to submit their confessions in writing if they wish. A guarantee of privacy is given.

London-based Premier Christian radio created the Web site after its lifeline phone service was jammed with calls. "We realised that people needed to get things off their chests. The Web site is a high-tech opportunity to do so," explains marketing manager Ian Robertson. "It is a way of allowing people to take stock and meditate in private."

It is not the first time the church has turned to the Internet to appear more accessible. The Catholic church already has its own Web site and in November the Church of England issued a warning about the moral dangers of the Net.