[Biblemat] A> Second Life

[Steven C. Harper]

From: TRUTH & REASON, a bulletin of the Glendale church of Christ, Glendale, AZ. 
Editor: Steven Harper 
October 7, 2007
Second Life

 

     An Internet 'virtual world' has recently come to the attention of the media and has even made an appearance as a subplot on a regularly-running television show ['Law & Order SVU']. This virtual world is run by Linden Research, Inc. [otherwise known as Linden Labs], and is called Second Life. In this virtual world, individuals [and now real-world corporations] can create identities [called avatars] within this virtual world and exist and interact with other participants who have come to this 'world' - a world whose environment is determined, for the most part, by those participating. Linden Labs' own tag line reads, "Whatever your goals, whatever you choose to do, your Second Life starts now." By design, this is a place where one can enter and exist in a virtual world where anything is possible and anyone can be who they want to be - or even what they want to be.

    According to Linden Labs' statistics [which I must caution are unverifiable], there are almost 10 million participants in Second Life. Participants can work, buy property, shop, drive, and do just about anything you can do in the real world, and a few things you couldn't do in the real world. Some people are so involved in this virtual world that they have found ways to make a good enough living off of it to survive in the real world. [An explanation would take up too much space for this article.] Lately, some real-world businesses have tried their hand at setting up a presence in this virtual world, but have found that people largely ignore their locations; some businesses had to close down their 'virtual' stores. It seems that, for now, these virtual world participants don't want the commercialism of the real world to intrude on their virtual world.

    Or do they?

    According to a New York Times article, many of the participants in this virtual world end up doing the same thing they do in the real world, just with a secret identity and on a grander scale. One participant spoke of how she spends a good portion of her time shopping in the virtual world and piling up literally thousands of items of clothing and accessories [accumulating over 30,000 items in just a year and a half]. Even in this virtual world, people still follow trends and are restrained by fashion and popular culture and most will not deviate from what is "accepted" in this virtual society for fear of being ostracized or merely ignored. Some name brands in the real world are still "must have" clothing items in this virtual world; accessories, hairstyles, body shapes [yes, you can buy body parts to "customize" your avatar], and social gathering sites are still seen as a matter of "hot" or "not."

    Other stories tell of how individuals create an "alter ego" in these virtual worlds and will do things they wouldn't normally do in the real world [much of which cannot even be described here]. So popular is this desire to become some sort of virtual world proxy that an 'adult' [i.e., pornographic] world has been created, whose name I will not divulge. Participants in this virtual world indulge in their sexual fantasies with other avatars, mostly unknown participants, and "live" in this virtual world without fear of breaking laws, transgressing social ethical standards, or being accused of sinful behavior. In some of these virtual worlds, ungodly behavior is not only expected, it is pursued and glorified. It seems the only "sin" is to dress in styles deemed out of fashion or go to virtual social gatherings uninvited.

    After hearing about and then reading up on these virtual worlds, I was reminded of something our Lord said long ago: "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things" (Matt. 12:35). The fact is, whatever a person is in this virtual world is who they are in their heart. One may not be as materialistic in the real world because they do not have the financial wherewithal to exhibit such traits, but they are still materialistic in heart; one may not actually indulge in sexual perversions and promiscuity in the real world, but do so in the virtual world because that is who they are in heart; one may not lie and cheat and act unethically in the real world for fear of being caught, but when they act in this way in the virtual world, it simply demonstrates that this is who they are in heart.

    Let us never forget that though we may fool others and even fool ourselves about who we really are in heart, God knows. Paul reminds us that human courts and even our own opinions are really meaningless because we will all be judged before Christ one day, and He will "bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts" (1 Cor. 4:3-5). The wise writer said long before that, "God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil" (Eccl. 12:14). We may present ourselves to the "real world" as one thing while living a totally different life in the "virtual world," but our hearts are still the same in both worlds and God knows it. While man tries to whitewash sin and dress it up and disguise it as something it is not, God will not be fooled and who we are and what we have done will one day be revealed to all.

    A secondary thought also runs through my head as I consider this virtual world called Second Life: the fact that there are many who are more concerned about this "virtual world" called Second Life than are concerned about the real "second life" - the one that follows this one. Many people get wrapped up in these virtual reality games and worlds to escape the reality of the real life. What is missing in these virtual worlds is any condemnation of unethical or ungodly behavior, and that is for a reason: people do not want to have to think about their next life, or eternity. They want to escape the reality of God, who created them and who has established a law and a way of life to which all are accountable. They want to escape their responsibilities to Him and the fact they are all sinners (Rom. 3:23) and in need of a Savior.

    There is no escape. Paul reminds us that we will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ and "receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad" (2 Cor. 5:10). Knowing that it will be then that we are separated either to His right hand or His left (cf. Matt. 25:31-46), we should be thinking about the real "second life" and start living accordingly. As Peter said, knowing Christ will one day come again, "what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God?" (2 Pet. 3:10-12). Indeed, how are we living in this life? Are we living in consideration of the next life? If not, we should be!

    Let us live this life for Christ, so when we meet Him face to face, we will receive from Him eternal life.        -- Steven Harper
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