Finding Religion in Second life’s Virtual Universe by Shona Crabtree
November 6, 2009
The article, Finding Religion in Second life’s Virtual Universe by Shona Crabtree, discuses the impact of the online virtual universe known as Second Life. Second life is a three-dimensional game produced by San Francisco based linden Lab in which participants create a virtual world, where they are able to communicate and connect with others.
The article touches on the growing presence of religion and religious based activity in the game. “Just like in real-life churches, mosques and synagogues, there is diversity, debate, schism.” There are many reasons which people attribute to the popularity and influence, which the virtual world is having on society. According to “Noreen Herzfeld, professor of theology and computer science at Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota, “Second Life reflects the “external face” of religion — community, identity, codes and creeds, ritual and practice.” This strong relationship to religion and reality has affected the lives of many, offering a new medium for people to express and connect with others.
Shona Crabtree goes on to list a few examples of religious activity in Second Life as well as the impact it can have as a tool to connect.
“Yunus Yakoub Islam, who believes he’s the only Muslim in his village in England, uses Second Life to interact with more than 200 members of the game’s Islamic Society. Islam is writing his dissertation on religion in Second Life and runs Second Faith, an educational resource about religion in Second Life.”
This example of the connection, which people can make from the seat of their room. The web allows for rapid communication and information gathering, allowing people to accomplish more with less time. People are able to interact and experience different cultures, religions, and activities through their avatar, which would normally not be the case in material reality.
“Leaders say the relatively small size of each faith community sparks a kind of internal diversity that might not be seen in real life. The Second Life mosque, for example, brings together Sufi, Salafi, Sunni and Shia Muslims.”
Second life offers the opportunity for people to experience and express their true desires without giving thought to the consequences of society.
Religions are even made up through groups of people who share he same ideas and ideologies. “Taras Balderdash founded Avatars of Change, a multi faith group that follows the words of the Great Avatar — or a supreme being — by consulting the Avatarian Oracle.” This showing the possibilities which Second Life offers having the ability to successfully create religious activity. With the popularity and possibilities which Second Life offers, religious groups are starting to utilize the game as a means to convey their message to a larger population. One example is “Oklahoma-based megachurch LifeChurch.tv, which broadcasts its weekly sermon to 12 locations — 11 to its satellite campuses across the country and one to its virtual church in Second Life.”
Second Life is not the ordinary game but is part of a new genre of interactive gaming allowing for social connection through real life simulation. This digital medium has revolutionized the way society interacts and gathers information.
