LifeChurch.tv, the high-tech evangelical church, has opened a 16-acre campus in Second Life, reports New Scientist. Bobby Gruenewald, LifeChurch.tv's Pastor-Innovation Leader, writes on his blog that the virtual church will feature on-demand video, free virtual t-shirts, a special "LifeKids" area for little avatars, and something called a "Mysecret.tv glass house." Beyond providing a gathering place for the virtual faithful, LifeChurch.tv hopes to use its presence to help redeem Second Life. Writes Gruenewald: "I need to warn you that there is a huge problem on Second Life with porn and 'virtual sex.' It is one of several reasons we are there, but it is also something that you need to be on guard about." To combat the licentiousness, LifeChurch.tv has invited the "Porn Pastors" from xxxchurch.com to set up a mission within the campus.
The establishment of virtual churches and congregations of avatars would seem to raise some knotty theological questions, which I'm not sure the LifeChurch.tv pastors have fully thought through. In creating virtual worlds, aren't we usurping God's role - and hence committing a heresy? Are avatars created in God's image or our own? Can they be saved? Can they be damned? Does sin even exist in a virtual world? Is there a Second Afterlife?
--- From Born Again Again by Nick Carr
Comments
2nd life
I check it out. Really nicely done. The "MySecret.tv glass house" mentioned above features a preaching which might be good but it's very long. So, that's most likely nothing what attracts non-christians. I haven't checked the other videos yet, so I can not tell what they're about.
All in all I hope it's not just a place from christians for christians but that this church is reaching out in the 2nd life world.
When I heard first of 2nd life my initial though was, "Can we have a YWAM Base there?".... That was even before I saw that thing. Now, that I got to know it a bit I nothing has changed. I would be the first one to build a YWAM presence there. However, I don't have enough support for signing up an account that would be required to have in order to buy land and and build a house.
In the comment above the question raises if an Avatar can be saved or damned, etc. No, the Avatar can not be saved, but the person behind that digital image. And who knows what is Gods way to reach a person.
Are we ready for this? Personally, as IT folks, as YWAM? I don't know. Who here has been in 2nd life, what do you think is the potential for us as church and mission to reach out in a virtual world like 2nd life? Would a YWAM Base help us or or keep us from doing the work we're supposed to do?
Greetings from the MatriX,
neo
A Second Life YWAM Base
I think a YWAM Base in Second life is an incredibly intriguing idea. I got the same idea myself after reading an article in PCMagazine about the hundreds of thousands of people that spend their time in this world. I wanted to try it out myself for awhile, but it is not possible given our internet connection speeds here in Russia. If we as a mission have a heart to reach everybody in the world with the Gospel in a way that is relevant to them, I believe it is only a matter of time before YWAMers become involved in this technology as well.
Of course, there would be all kinds of unique challenges to communicating with people in a virtual world, especially one where a many people build their avatars on a foundation of anonymity.
If a team of YWAMers will travel over 8 hours each way to visit a village where only 7 people live (see story), why not reach out to the people in Second life?
Nathan Johnson
YWAM Perm, Russia
www.ywam.ru | www.ywamperm.org
Second Life
"The establishment of virtual churches and congregations of avatars would seem to raise some knotty theological questions, which I'm not sure the LifeChurch.tv pastors have fully thought through. In creating virtual worlds, aren't we usurping God's role - and hence committing a heresy? Are avatars created in God's image or our own? Can they be saved? Can they be damned? Does sin even exist in a virtual world? Is there a Second Afterlife?"
Robert, I have to disagree with you because I don't think their target are the avatars themselves, that would be irrational. I think their aim is to reach the people behind those avatars, which I think makes perfect sense. I think it's an awesome outreach idea for a church but I don't know how could we apply that to YWAM, on the other hand it's also a very dangerous idea because of all the porn and bad stuff in Second Life, there should definitely be some tight accountability dispositive in place and people doing it should be people who know what they are doing...I don't think just anybody would be able to handle it. I haven't seen or been on Second Life, I've just read about it a lot.
I have already built...
...many YWAM bases in my dreams, which is my very own second life! I shall fax you the plans or something!
Cheers,
Kevin