Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Religion and SL
I would like to hear your guys thoughts on religious groups in SL. I feel like SL could be a very strong platform for spreading all different types of religious views. Especially since people could even attend mass/temple/etc in the virtual world. I would say the one caveat to this would be that it would difficult to know which groups/islands would be teaching the true religion and principles. There could be a lot of fakes out there given different religions bad names, that they may not deserve. I haven't had too much of a chance to investigate because I just thought about it, but I will be investigating it more as time permits. All additional thoughts would be welcomed and appreciated.
I don't think it would be effective whatsoever. Spirituality is absent sitting behind a computer screen, you might as well just go out and buy a Bible, a Torah, Quran, etc. and read it alone in your room.
ReplyDeleteI think that if you belive that SL is a viable outlet for social and educational meetings and activities that you have to say that it is a viable outlet for religious activities as well. As far as discerning between what is real and what is being done in the wrong name for malicious purposes, it's the same as in real life.
ReplyDelete"Spirituality is absent sitting behind a computer screen"
This depends on your personal religious views. If the extent of your spiritually is confined to your room while reading a book alone, then that's true. But for most religions and most people with strong religious beliefs, their spiritually permeates every aspect of their life, including what they do "behind a computer screen".
what david says brings up a good point. I think if you are talking about a traditional religion, it would not be accepted. Its almost like watching those church programs on TV, but worse because of the technical aspects of Second Life.
ReplyDeleteOn a personal note, I think one's relationship with their spirituality should extend beyond what is accepted. What's good for one person may not be good for another. So if it suits your fancy, then so be it. But do I think it will be widely accepted anytime soon? Thats a hellllll no
If whatever religious assembly resembles that of watching preachers on TV, then, it will have that same effect, which is either none at all for those that have no interest in that sort of thing, or very much so, for those that do.
ReplyDeleteSL certainly provides the environment for things like this to occur, and it also provides room for people to pervert what others find central to life. So it's imperative to be aware of the possibility of false prophets and people that like to screw around with God*...just like when watching TV, or even going to church*.
That being said, spirituality is more personal than anything else. If I choose to go to SL church*, that doesn't mean I worship Second God*. Regardless of whether I go to church* or not, my convictions are my own, not based on what I hear a preacher* say. For me, it would be an opportunity to discuss my faith with people I've never met before, and will probably never meet in person...kinda like a chat room. For others, the purpose may be different, but that's personal to them. Because something has been created by someone with a certain idea in mind doesn't mean that the people that come across it will interpret that idea and that idea only; the audience is active and able to think for itself.
*or the equivalent
Discussion of faith with others, within SL, could be a potential learning experience. Raised Jewish, some of the most insightful conversations (that I recall) arose from discussion of religion. However, a lot of the intrigue was a result of the face to face discussion, the intangible connection between people sharing knowledge or strong convictions.
ReplyDelete