Perhaps there is no more appropriate repository of our collective conscious than YouTube.com.Building upon the success of its now-ubiquitous search engine, the Google Corporation has created a Web site where any human being that owns a computer can insert whatever — and I mean whatever — they want into the Internet for the rest of humanity to see. I would hazard to guess the vast majority of you have spent more than 15 minutes on YouTube, so you know how indescribably staggering the resulting phenomenon is.YouTube, because of the sheer volume of content that is dumped onto it daily, manages to cram together what is great about humanity as well as the parts of humanity we wish we could ignore.  I’ve always thought that if aliens were trying to learn about our culture through YouTube, they would probably be left scratching their round green heads.Now the fickle mother that is the Internet has given birth to a similar, equally perplexing phenomenon: GodTube.It’s exactly what you think it is.The Web site describes itself as “a video-driven social network where users can explore their faith and the tenets of Christianity.”  Essentially, it’s a YouTube focused on Christian matters.Although it is not nearly as popular, extensive or well-known as YouTube, the Web site is equally as puzzling. The video content ranges from personal testimonies, to recorded sermons and church services, to videos of Christian music both traditional and contemporary, to liturgical dancing and to a myriad of other video-based posts.Just like YouTube, the meaningful is outrageously juxtaposed with the nonsensical.  A powerful movie clip of C.S. Lewis, played by Anthony Hopkins, tackling the question of why God allows suffering sits three posts above an eight-second clip of a random stranger singing “You better be ready because Jesus is coming back!” in front of a psychedelic background.  A moving story of a soldier’s battlefield conversion sits on the same page as a trailer for “Starfish Cove,” which appears to be a low-budget “Finding Nemo.”Just like YouTube, the Web site has its gems of really good content. Also like YouTube, you have to sift through a lot of insanity, cheesiness and mind-wrenching inanity to find it. Make ample use of the search feature, or else you’re going to find yourself watching faith dramas in Legos, babies walking for the first time or “Christian Barbie Fashion.”Another commonality between God Tube and its more secular cousin is its attendant legion of Web-zealots. God Tube’s virtual personal crusaders are generally of the anti-liberal, anti-Muslim, anti-gay or anti-abortion flavor. The videos these “activists” make almost exclusively consist of baseless, angry rhetoric and old, tired mantras and slogans.  If you’re looking for a coherent, rational pro-life argument, avoid God Tube at all costs.An interesting and unique feature of the Web site is an interactive “prayer wall”, where visitors are free to leave personal prayers in a public space. The prayer wall contains posts that are eloquent and inspiring, angry and disillusioned, frantic and incoherent, and selfish and glory seeking.  In other words, it’s a fascinating cross-section of a very grass-roots prayer effort.If you are looking to explore the Christianity on an intellectual or philosophical level, avoid this Web site at all costs. If you are considering converting to Christianity, stay away. But if you’re a Christian, God Tube is definitely approachable, in the same way YouTube is — if you are willing to sift through the mess, you will be able to find things that will challenge and inspire you.Just avoid watching the baby videos. You’ll never get that time back again.  —-Contact Matthew Albright at [email protected]