Christian missionaries encouraged to spread word on "Second Life"

[Bluebear]

Well, I am officially out of it. I never heard of this place - where one "shouldn't be scared" to enter - where millions of dollars change hands each month!

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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.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070727/tc_nm/religion_secondlife_dc&printer=1;_ylt=AppIddGiRNyUPwvRw3cHtUVU.3QA

[BlooInBloo]

1. Oh shit - mebbe I'll join up just to piss 'em off. I can be very annoying dontchaknow :)

[ret5hd]

2. well yeah, you got that goin' for ya'.

[BlooInBloo]

7. :)

[Cha]

3. I thought this was about

encouraging souls that there was a better "second life" waiting for them than our ol' Planet Earth.

Shows ya what I know..but I'm really happy that I'm in charge of my own soul and I don't want anyone tryin' to save it.

[bonito]

4. heh, the rapture revealed

:shrug:

[cynatnite]

5. Oh, it's like a chat room...

I can't see myself paying just to talk about religion, but I have a very low opinion of religion anyway. Wrong place for me, I guess.

[supernova]

6. Yeah, I'm sure the SL folks

really want the fundies intruding upon their world. Don't most people sign up for second life in part to get away from them?

[TheBaldyMan]

8. sounds like life imitating art

http://www.landoverbaptist.org/subjectarchive/videogames.html

LandoverBaptists made them do it!

[msongs]

9. watch out for the small pox infested blankets given out by the priests nt

[Bolo Boffin]

13. Now there's an idea for a gift for those guys.

Somebody should build a Smallpox-Infected Blanket as a party gift for those guys. :)

[thecrow]

10. I am a Second Lifer

Mostly I like the flying and visiting other's creations.
I stay away from too much social interaction, though.
Mostly it's stores, nightclubs, chat and sex.
I guess the Christians would have to build their own space and
hope somebody drops by.
It's free to join, though and make an avatar, somewhat like Sims.
If we wanted to, we could form a Democratic Underground there.
It's really anything you want to be.

http://secondlife.com

[BlooInBloo]

11. Jesus' General is into quite a bit.

[Bolo Boffin]

12. Ah, shoot.

They take away our Zyngo and sic the Catholic missionaries on us. Bleh.