Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Diversity & Religious Freedom in the Virtual World
Well now I have done it -- started a topic from which there is no escape!
What happens when anyone in the world can enter the same room (shades of “The Day the Earth Stood Still”) and begin to talk together thanks to the growing influence of “English” (in it’s many forms) becoming the language of commerce (as Greek once was) and due to a nifty little attachment you can wear in my virtual world, called the Babbler now version 3.1.7
So everyone can talk with each other. What do we notice first of all? Well scientific research shows we first notice “race”, then gender. From then we may begin to look for other similar reference points we can “relate to or start a conversation about.
Diversity Reigns Supreme
In my virtual world of Avilion, for instance, the smorgasbord of races and types of characters is too astounding to imagine – most races (we call classes) are welcome. As our Charter states:
“We welcome all to our land, human and creature alike. These include and are not limited to, Elven, Drow, Dragon, Faerie, Pixie, Dwarf, etc.” – The Avilion Charter
Everything from centaurs and mermaids, Drow (dark and typically cranky Elves), magpies, little white or light brown bunnies, werewolves, neko, vampires and just plain humans of various ages from 4-1/2 to grandpas and those of inestimable ages, such as the Druids and Elven. Even Furries are welcome in my realm ((and I have never quite figured out what they are about at all, but they look like a human being in a skin-tight furry fox outfit)).
With this diversity of races, sometimes-strange scenarios arise. For instance, I am a little (6’11”) Elven warrior woman and I may be speaking with a 10 foot tall blue orc with 8 inch white teeth. I may have to go meet with a 20 foot tall bright red, scaly dragon with wings twice as wide as he is tall arguing with a little 3 foot pink Fae with wings that look just like a rainbow.
Avilion - Open-armedly Diverse
Our Charter again tells why:
“Those with the gift of the mind, and of the sword, exiled themselves to the Island, and with the power gained by their unity, chose to save the Island by shrouding it in a Mist. Those of the Isle gave up all that they possessed, and chose the peaceful co-existence on Avilion Isle.” --The Avilion Charter
So, again, as in the film, “The Day the Earth Stood Still”, those who choose to here are here because there is no place left for them in the rest of the world. They have found their perfect sanctuary, and willingly sacrifice the natural enmity they may have for one another.
However, It is the 16th Century, or thereabouts depending on who you speak with, so there is sometimes even a little dangerous intrigue.
Religions Freedom
“After the King, King to all, Christians and Pagans alike, passed, those non-believers sought to destroy his work.” The Avilion Charter
Within Avilion there is not only diversity, but also accompanying and critical religious freedom and tolerance ((such as is guaranteed within the Declaration of Independence in the United States of America)). In Avilion, our Lord and Lady are Druid and Drow and have an openly benevolent tolerance for different religious beliefs.
This guarantees that no believer or non-believer has to worry about being thought less of, or more than, any other because of their religious or non-religious preferences.
I have the delightful pleasure of performing “hand-clasping” or partnership ceremonies (like a wedding in the modern world) and I must write respectful ceremonies for those with no faith and those with deep faith in a variety of entities and gods and powers and Unknown Gods and unknowable gods, as well as “the God as we know and understand Him ((or her)), a Power greater than ourselves” and for those who are happy to trust in themselves alone (dust to dust).
All are respected. For without religious freedom, our realm would not last long. Consider for a moment what happened in the 16th Century during Henry VIII’s time. His changing desires and appetites dictated religious preference for the subjects of his kingdom and eventually destroyed his kingdom and legacy.
War and Religion
The danger in proscribing religion for others is that someone’s relationship with their spiritual (or lack of spiritual) identity crosses the barriers of privacy and freedom and right.
In Man’s Search For Meaning – the author, Victor Frankl, who spent so many months in a concentration camp in the worst of physical conditions, learned that:
“When all the familiar goals in life are snatched away, what alone remains is, the last of human freedoms – the ability to choose one’s attitude in a given set of circumstances -- this ultimate freedom, helps us all appreciate man’s capacity to rise above outward fate and circumstances.”
They say a war is started somewhere in the world every twenty minutes and many ((perhaps most)) are started when one person or group of people wish to impose their beliefs on another person or group. This has never worked and it can never work. Religious freedom in a world of increasing diversity is the only hope.
Sharing your beliefs with someone because they see your admirable and peaceful example is another thing all together and is the effective way of “spreading the word” of what works for you….perhaps a little more of this wouldn’t go astray. We are all looking for good examples…
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2 comments:
SL helped me to adjust my viewpoint about diversity; I am an odd balance of beliefs in this sort of gray area of politics and religion.
For example, when the episcopal church pursued the idea of gay marriage, I was strongly allied to my uncle, who was a prominent priest in that church - and who supported the move (he later founded St. Margrets in Laguna Beach, and is now sailing the caribbean , retired). I appreciated his viewpoint. The essence of his activism was in a small town church, he allowed intercessory prayer for someone who had Aids. He thinks the episcopal church and their dealings with the issue of gay marriage or union, is just a bee in the bonnet of the conservative members who would probably be looking for something else to get upset about. Its the 21st century. Screw them if they can't take a joke, right?
But honestly, as much as I supported my uncle I opposed Gay
Marriage. I am a bit of a clever person when it comes to contracts, and legal issues. I am a street fighter. So I took one look at the subject of gay marriage, and thought - hey, you know- you could have any ceremony you want, and with the right admixture of contracts, you would accomplish the same thing. So, I opposed gay marriage and also - given my own sense of political timing, felt that the GLBT should at any rate choose another election (other than the 2004) to pursue it. I noted that the issue was driven out there as a wedge issue tactic from Karl Rove, which only deepened my general sense of who he was.
Now, I have been an independent political blogger for years and this single stance got me in more trouble, but I opposed gay marriage.
This did not, oddly, put me at odds with my priest uncle who saw my perspective on it. He was a stock broker before he became a priest and he is a pragmatist. He knew I had picked the right side of the issue. (I did, it was defeated as a referendum issue by nearly 6 to 1 in nearly every state)
It did however put me at odds with a number of the powerful people I was dealing with at the time. I simply explained, hey. Choose the time to fight your battle.
And so it went, for me, until I logged into SL and saw the light.
In SL I found that people can really pursue the relationship they want - and the culture there is flexible. There were no mores that burned people. I remember reading with quiet wonder, about a ballet dancer who is partnered with her dominant fiance, and lives her life as her submissive housecat.
And the light stayed on. From that point on, I changed my perspective. I feel that people should have the right to declare their marriage and if the church chooses to support it, Fine. But if the church does not support it they are entitled to legal union and equivalence of marriage in accordance with the view that their own faith may be shaped by their orientation and belief system that may not be formally recognized. In my country , no church is formally recognized as the state religion and so it fits.
It actually bothers me now that people who are really married can't use the term openly.
Some marriages of diversity last longer than marriages of conservatist bent.
So in short I agree. I would argue that a good example would be an evangelist christian who has cornered the market on evil, and a lady who organizes and coheres a virtual world. They should have every right to consider, in that realm that they are married.
Just as the priest and the warrior, who founded their relationship in World of Warcraft - should have every right to have their union considered and blessed in that world.
Except there isn't as much killing.
At least not in the open.
Henry the 8th didn't mess +everything+ up, after all.
Will no one rid me of this cantankerous priest? heh heh >:)
When I first began to teach, I thought my way was the right & only way. Then one day, like being struck by a bolt of fiery lightening I saw something profound:
God has a way of pulling you to Him through His personal-designed life plan until you look up one day & recognise & acknowledge Him. He is capable of handling post-pull life too.
Remember the statement: "God loves you & has a wonderful plan for your life"? Well, is how it is supposed to happen. However, what does typically happen is that, yes, God does love you, but everyone else has a plan for your life!
When in fact, as personal as your walk to God was, once you agree to that personal relationship, the walk to follow Him back into His world as His "disciple" is also as personal & well planned as the walk to Him was – and He (not others) is in charge for effecting the changes He has designed for you that will unfold in His time & for His purposes.
No other person does or can know another’s heart or what is in God's heart for another person. It is dangerously assumptive for someone to tell another what to do in these matters.
What is true -- in fact the only truth I know on this topic -- is this: “There is my opinion. There is your opinion. And there is God’s Word.”
Biblical wisdom says we must wait upon Him & not worry about or focus on someone else’s walk or “wisdom”. God actually doesn’t need our help to correct others – that is what He left His Word to do.
Jesus said: “’Do not judge lest you be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; & by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?’” – Matthew 7:1-3
So leave judgement in the hands of the One who sees stuff in perspective. A better use of energy is spent encouraging someone to read the life Manual for themselves & to stick to their own knitting so they can set a good example of living those principles. That will go a long way in helping someone grow.
When we tell or try to force, legislate or manipulate people with “should or shouldn’t behaviour”, around our understanding or opinions, it fails. Why? Not really sure, sort of why if I tell you not to think of a pink elephant that doesn’t work either….from the very beginning, it didn’t work….and it still doesn’t.
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