Fun

Religious leaders debate going to church in the metaverse

News Feed - 2024-05-13 02:05:20

Tristan Greene6 hours agoReligious leaders debate going to church in the metaverseWith the Pope sounding off on AI recently, the discourse surrounding religion and technology has heated up.2056 Total views12 Total sharesListen to article 0:00NewsOwn this piece of crypto historyCollect this article as NFTJoin us on social networksWhen the first radio and television broadcasts began to trickle into homes around the world, religious programming was among the early mainstays of both new mediums. Now, as the world pivots away from flat, 2D screens and frequency-bound audio broadcasts, religious practitioners from around the globe have begun adopting metaverse, Web3, spatial computing, and artificial intelligence technologies as conduits to faith. 


However, there are still naysayers who believe there are dangers associated with these technologies, faith leaders who wonder if modern technological trappings are necessary, and billions of traditional religious followers awaiting guidance.


On the supporting side, Sreevas Sahasranamam a Professor at the University of Glasgow, recently expounded on the positive potential for a metaverse for practitioners of the Hindu faith in Swarajya magazine:“Imagine getting Geetopadesha straight from Lord Krishna. No, I am not talking about being on a Sci-Fi time machine to take me back in time to the Kurukshetra war. Rather, I am talking about being in my living room, donning the role of Arjuna, seeking answers to my internal battles through Geetopadesha from Lord Krishna"s avatar on a Ray-Ban Meta glass.”


Many see the immersive qualities of the metaverse, especially when experienced through virtual reality, as a method to bring them closer to the scriptures and stories surrounding their religions.


Sahasranamam also wrote about using the metaverse as a meditation aid, saying that the immersion it offered could lead to deeper and more meaningful experiences.


Not everyone is as pumped about the potential for the metaverse as a religious tool. Gavin Ortlund and Jay Kim, theologians and Christian pastors from the United States, see it as something that could add to the current fellowship paradigm, but both men appeared to agree that it wasn’t a replacement for physical churches.


The two discussed the issue in a recent video. During the talk, Kim wondered aloud if the idea of “church in the metaverse” was an oxymoron.


The duo’s main objection appears to be the digital/virtual nature of the metaverse. Per Ortlund:“So, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, and those are physical acts, a church is irreducibly physical, you know, you need physical bodies for church because you have to have people there to get into the water or to eat the bread and wine. And so that’s just one example of where something gets lost if you’re moving away from face to face, bodily contact.”


In Rome, the Catholic church takes a different view altogether. It embraces some metaverse tech, having dabbled in Web3, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and metaverse for the past couple of years, but Pope Francis, its current leader, isn’t a fan of all future-facing technologies.


As Cointelegraph recently reported, the Pope had some choice words concerning the onset of the artificial intelligence era:“There is the substantial risk of disproportionate benefit for the few at the price of the impoverishment of many.”


His ultimate prescription is to advocate for the development of a strong moral and legislative bulwark against the existential and detrimental harms posed by AI, though he does recognize the benefits of technology when used responsibly.


Related:Islam and crypto: How digital assets can comply with Islamic financial law# Virtual Reality# AI# Metaverse# NFT# Augmented RealityAdd reaction

News Feed

SIDUS HEROES Receives Investment From Animoca Brands, Alameda Research, Bloktopia, OKEX, Polygon and Master Ventures
SIDUS HEROES Receives Investment From Animoca Brands, Alameda Research, Bloktopia, OKEX, Polygon and Master Ventures press release PRESS RELEASE. February 04th–Sydney, Austra
Goldman Sachs Sees Higher US Recession Risk Citing Concerns the Fed Will ‘Respond Forcefully’ to High Inflation
Goldman Sachs Sees Higher US Recession Risk Citing Concerns the Fed Will "Respond Forcefully" to High Inflation Goldman Sachs’ economists now see an increased risk of a U.S.
Canada’s Blockchain Sector Wants Legal Clarity, New Report Shows
Canadian blockchain companies want to know where their government stands on the crypto space, a new report commissioned by the Canadian Digital Chamber of Commerce (CDCC) shows. The
Customers protest exchange bankruptcy plan: ‘We never gave FTX our coins!’
Christopher Roark12 hours agoCustomers protest exchange bankruptcy plan: ‘We never gave FTX our coins!’A committee representing the interests of FTX customers is pushing back against a proposed bankruptcy plan, claim
Singapore’s Largest Bank DBS Sees Rapid Growth in Crypto Business, Robust Demand From Investors
Singapore"s Largest Bank DBS Sees Rapid Growth in Crypto Business, Robust Demand From Investors DBS Group Holdings, the largest bank in Singapore and Southeast Asia, says its crypt
Derek Andersen5 hours agoBinance Q3 report calls crypto market ‘challenging’ amid high interest ratesThe world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange painted a somber picture of the market, with occasional bright spots
Tom Mitchelhill6 hours agoToughen up. Mt. Gox’s ex-CEO only had a ‘little calculator’ to prepare for trialMark Karpelès was seemingly drawing parallels to Sam Bankman-Fried’s recent antics, claiming to have gott
Digital Identity Startup Unstoppable Domains Secures $65 Million in a Series A Led by Pantera Capital
Digital Identity Startup Unstoppable Domains Secures $65 Million in a Series A Led by Pantera Capital On Wednesday, the Web3 digital identity platform Unstoppable Domains announced
US Charges Chinese Spies in Scheme to Bribe Government Employee With Bitcoin to Steal ‘Secret’ Documents
US Charges Chinese Spies in Scheme to Bribe Government Employee With Bitcoin to Steal "Secret" Documents The U.S. has charged two Chinese intelligence officers in a scheme to bribe
Spot Ethereum ETFs may begin trading by July 2 — Bloomberg Analyst
Ciaran Lyons2 hours agoSpot Ethereum ETFs may begin trading by July 2 — Bloomberg AnalystBloomberg ETF analyst Eric Balchunas says his "best guess as of now" is that spot Ether ETFs will begin trading in the
Half of the 10 most valuable companies on Earth are making metaverse hardware
Tristan Greene3 hours agoHalf of the 10 most valuable companies on Earth are making metaverse hardwareThe metaverse is dead, long live the metaverse.1430 Total views4 Total sharesListen to article 0:00NewsOwn this piece
XRP Is The ‘Strongest Chart In Crypto,’ Says Analyst
Reason to trust Strict editorial policy that focuses on accuracy, relevance, and impartiality Created by industry experts and meticulously reviewed The highest standards in reporting and pu