The Eleventh Commandment: Thou Shalt Turn Off Thy Crackberries During Church

From the Sun-Times today, a study of 4,000 Americans age 13 and up (including 200 in Chicago) found that 12 percent of them check their wireless devices for e-mail while in church or using the bathroom.

You're probably thinking that 12 percent of 4,000 people is a small amount. But the study, conducted by Opinion Research Corporation and sponsored by America Online (AOL?!?) shines a light on how pervasive Internet access and email have become, and how so many of us rely on it in our everyday lives.

The good humor of the story is in the "man on the street" segment accompanying it. Six people were asked if they ever checked or sent e-mail during church, or seen anyone else do so, one attendee of the mega First Baptist Church of Hammond, indiana indicated that even though she's seen kids texting each other to get their location in the mammoth church, she thought that "God might strike you dead" for doing so.

"E-mail God" image courtesy of www.stewdio.org.