An Italian Catholic priest is urging the faithful to participate in Second Life as a way to keep people from losing touch with the real world, though Linden Lab’s decision to ban gambling may reconnect more people with reality than spiritual intervention.In the recent issue of La Civilta Cattolica, a Vatican-approved religious journal, the Rev. Antonio Spadaro explores the popularity of Second Life and advises his readers to visit the virtual world. He recommends experiencing the world from the inside to understand its potential and risk.
http://informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=201201920Also see:
Jesuits Push Everlasting Life on Second Life
Jesuit scholar Antonio Spadaro is advocating that Catholics should become cyber missionaries in the virtual realm Second Life and sites like it. Perhaps participants have spiritual needs that need to be served, Spadaro advocates. Because Second Life mirrors social activities in the real world, such spiritual counseling has its place in the artificial world, according to analysts.
http://linuxinsider.com/story/OHrch8Oc4YDgH0/Jesuits-Push-Everlasting-Life-on-Second-Life.xhtmlSecond Life bans bet operators
Second Life has cracked down on gambling in the wake of tightening rules regarding access to sex-themed locales in the popular virtual world.
http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,22156520-16123,00.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/31/AR2007073101693.htmlPreaching to the Perverted in Second Life
Linden Lab recently outlawed gambling in Second Life, officially making cybersex the one interesting thing that happens there. A Jesuit scholar has suggested that Second Life is an excellent target for missionary work in an attempt to bring that number down to zero. The very concept of missionary work in an artificial world brings up a number of questions, many of them exceedingly creepy.
http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/commentary/alttext/2007/08/alttext_0801