Religious Communities Navigate the Intersection of Faith and Emerging Technologies
Summary:
Religious communities worldwide are exploring the metaverse, Web3, spatial computing, and AI as new tools for faith, with some heralding their immersive qualities as facilitating closer engagement with scriptures and religious practice. However, skeptics, including some faith leaders, doubt the virtualization of religious experience, stressing the importance of physical presence in the practice of faith traditions. Meanwhile, leaders such as Pope Francis express concern about technological advancement, calling for a balance between utilizing technological benefits and guarding against potential existential threats.
As early radio and television broadcasts first disseminated into living rooms worldwide, religious content took center stage. Now, amidst the shift from traditional 2D screens and airwave-bounded sound transmission, global religious communities are increasingly exploring metaverse, Web3, spatial computing, and artificial intelligence tools as faith-enriching mediums. Yet, there's pushback from skeptics wary of these technologies, faith leaders questioning the need for high-tech distractions, and traditional religious devotees seeking advisement.
Supportively, Sreevas Sahasranamam, a Professor at the University of Glasgow, recently highlighted in Swarajya magazine the metaverse’s potential as a spiritual commodity for Hindus: “Picture receiving Geetopadesha directly from Lord Krishna. I’m not referencing a sci-fi time machine journey back to the Kurukshetra war. Instead, from my living room, I’d step into Arjuna's shoes, addressing my moral quandaries through Geetopadesha conveyed by Lord Krishna's avatar on Ray-Ban Meta glass.”
The metaverse's immersive attributes, enhanced by VR tech, are believed by many to foster a heightened engagement with religious scriptures and narratives. Sahasranamam also pointed out metaverse applications for meditative practices, suggesting that its immersive aspects could deepen spiritual experiences.
Yet, not everyone shares this tech-forward enthusiasm. US theologians and Christian pastors, Gavin Ortlund and Jay Kim, view the metaverse as a supplement to prevailing religious practices, but not as a substitute for physical churches. Voicing his doubt in a recent video discussion, Kim wondered if “metaverse-based church” was contradictory. The pair primarily objected to the metaverse's digital or virtual essence. Ortlund pointedly observed, “For the sacraments like baptism and Communion -- distinctly physical actions -- the church is essentially physical. Being physically present is integral. So when we shift toward virtual spaces, something is lost.”
Meanwhile in Rome, the Catholic church presents a mixed stance. While it has experimented with Web3, NFTs, and metaverse over the past few years, Pope Francis, its present leader, isn't entirely comfortable with prospective technologies. As recently reported by Cointelegraph, the Pope expressed concerns about the advent of the AI era: “There exists a significant risk of an unbalanced gain for the few at the expense of the many.” His primary recommendation is to establish robust moral and legislative walls against the existential threats posed by AI, albeit acknowledging the benefits when these technologies are responsibly harnessed. Related: Interaction of Islam with digital assets under Islamic financial law.
Published At
5/12/2024 8:29:20 PM
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