Jesuits urged to consider Second Life as “mission territory”

It seems religious groups continue to take notice of the social interactions provided by Linden Lab’s Second Life MMORPG. Just recently, a Jesuit academic has sent out the call to fellow Catholics to start bringing their missionary work to the virtual world.

“It’s not possible to close our eyes to this phenomenon or rush to judge it,” said Antonio Spadaro in an article in the Rome-based Jesuit journal La Civilta Cattolica. “Instead it needs to be understood … the best way to understand it is to enter it.”

Spadaro wrote that while the virtual environment of Second Life is home to a lot of people who seek an escape from the real world, it is also full of those who are looking for something more. Spadaro is optimistic that religious enlightenment is one of these things.

“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.”

It seems religious groups continue to take notice of the social interactions provided by Linden Lab’s Second Life MMORPG. Just recently, a Jesuit academic has sent out the call to fellow Catholics to start bringing their missionary work to the virtual world.

“It’s not possible to close our eyes to this phenomenon or rush to judge it,” said Antonio Spadaro in an article in the Rome-based Jesuit journal La Civilta Cattolica. “Instead it needs to be understood … the best way to understand it is to enter it.”

Spadaro wrote that while the virtual environment of Second Life is home to a lot of people who seek an escape from the real world, it is also full of those who are looking for something more. Spadaro is optimistic that religious enlightenment is one of these things.

“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.”