Maker of Christian games launches social-networking site

Left Behind Games, an evangelical Christian software corporation spun off the best-selling book series, has launched a social-networking site that it promotes as a safe and profanity-free alternative to services like MySpace.com that have largely unregulated content.

The site, called DreamWebSpace.com, was released in a beta test form on Wednesday.

MySpace and other social-networking sites have indeed come under fire, and not just from religious groups: secular parent organizations and the U.S. government have targeted the wildly popular MySpace as a danger to child safety. In response, DreamWebSpace is touting safety features designed to appeal to a religious audience: live monitoring, filters for profane language, and extra security features.

Technology and religion have experienced unlikely alliances in recent months, with clergy who lead massive congregations relying on big-screen TVs and high-end audio and video equipment to get their messages across. Left Behind Games has been one of the most prominent players in the fledgling evangelical video game market, with its Left Behind: Eternal Forces, a hotly controversial PC strategy game that was recently released.

Proponents of the game say it promotes the power of prayer and conversion, but critics have assailed it for allegedly encouraging religious violence.