How many points do you get for shooting a missionary?
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Jesuits say take word of God to Second Life
By Robin PomeroyFri Jul 27, 11:55 AM ET
Catholic missionaries have always trekked to dangerous parts of the
Earth to spread the word of God -- now they are being encouraged to go
into the virtual realm of Second Life to save virtual souls.
In an article in Rome-based Jesuit journal La Civilta Cattolica,
academic Antonio Spadaro urged fellow Catholics not to be scared of
entering the virtual world which may be fertile ground for new converts
wishing to better themselves.
"It's not possible to close our eyes to this phenomenon or rush to judge
it," Spadaro said. "Instead it needs to be understood ... the best way
to understand it is to enter it."
Second Life is a simulation game where players can create a virtual
version of themselves -- an avatar -- and interact with other people in
the three-dimensional world.
According to its Web site, it has a population of more than 8 million
residents and millions of dollars change hands there every month.
"Is there (cyber) space for God?" Spadaro aaka in his article which says
there are already virtual churches and temples serving countless
religions. He quotes a Swedish Muslim who says his avatar prays
regularly as he prays in real life.
Spadaro warns the uninitiated that "the erotic dimension is very
present" in Second Life, that people can buy genitalia for their avatars
in a world that is "open to any form of erotic stimulation from
prostitution to pedophilia."
While the virtual world might be a refuge for some people seeking to
flee the real one, it is also full of people seeking something more from
life, including, possibly, religious enlightenment, he said.
"Deep down, the digital world can be considered, in its way, mission
territory," he said. "Second Life is somewhere where the opportunity to
meet people and to grow should not be missed, therefore, any initiative
that can inspire the residents in a positive way should be considered
opportune."
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http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070727/tc_nm/religion_secondlife_dc
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John #1782
"We should always be disposed to believe that which appears to us to be
white is really black, if the hierarchy of the church so decides."
- Saint Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556) Founder of the Jesuit Order.
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