FREE Book Idea: Lots of Conflict, Interesting Technology and Dynamic Characters or Using News Articles as Fodder for Fiction

I'm neither and inspirational writer nor a sci-fi writer, but today after reading a most-interesting article, I wish I were at least one of the above.

Check out this article on cnn.com
http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/innovation/07/14/virtual.preaching/index.html?hpt=Sbin

If you don't have time to read it, here's the summary:
Preachers and pastors can now HOLOGRAM themselves to satellite churches or locations. In essence, even if it LOOKS like your pastor on the pulpit, it's really only a projection, an illusion. Virtual Church.

Here are some questions that came to mind immediately:
1. How does the congregation(s) feel about not being able to touch the pastor?
2. How is the pastor able to create close relationships with members of his or her congregation?
3. How does the church justify the steep expense?
4. What implications does this technology have on mission work?
5.  Is this technology the answer for "spreading the gospel" to third-world countries where illness, e.g. malaria and dengue fever, or violence, e.g. Congo, Sudan, may be a problem?
6. How do churches decide what technologies are appropriate for their particular mission and creed?
7. How are discussions about the impact of technology handled within the congregation(s)?
8. Who handles things like hospital visits and couples/family counseling? Is there a team of support clergy?

I'm sure there are tons of other questions that can be drawn from this but the above eight have already boggled my mind so I'm going to stop listing.

Please understand, I'm not trying to encourage a particular viewpoint here. I'm just interested in how this new model could change and mold perceptions of church and how much it might impact individual parishoner's relationships with clergy.

This is a great news article from which to draw fodder for fiction. There are so many potential conflicts, disagreeements and interesting discussions that are possible with this as a plotline, or sub-plotline. I can easily see this as an inspirational title---pastor struggles with technological changes that impact a congregation--- or as a sci-fi title complete with an imaginary world and an even an imaginary religion.

If YOU decide to write this book, send me a copy. I'd love to see how it's handled.