The video above is pretty much all you’ll need to view to get the “picture” of what’s going on here. If you’d like more juice in terms of the background concept, check out John Dyer’s post here for more information.
This nugget, though, is worth a reblog:
Please don’t take this too seriously – it’s not meant to engage in complex questions about sacramentology or online church (none of which would actually suggest using this). It’s just a fun example of something that is a technologically can, but not a theological should.
Which really brings up the much bigger question about technology and theology: “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.”
Thoughts?
Mikes says
everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial
Adam_S says
What I was not clear about, from either this post or John Dyer's original post, is why the assumption is that we should not do it. I take communion very seriously, and have a friend that thinks that the eucharist is the central point for all Christian Ethics, so I have thought about it a fair bit. But I am left wondering what about the virtualness is it that make it not worth doing?
John Dyer says
Adam, I'm glad you brought that up. I think it's definitely worth talking about. It sounds like you probably already have a good understanding, but here's a few points if it helps:
Depending on your views about communion (Transubstantiantion, Spiritual Presence, or Memorialism), your theology may or may not allow for the spirituality of communion to be transferred from one physical place (where the priest is) to another (where the congregant is).
Even if you swing Memorialist and don't see a problem with a transfer from place to place, today's online churches still hold that communion, like baptism and sex, but unlike preaching and singing, are meant to be inherently physical things. However, those who do church in Second Life where everything is virtual probably would say that physicality is completely unnecessary.
John Dyer says
Adam, these are some great points. Perhaps we should start a discussion somewhere 🙂
human3rror says
head to the forums.
😉
Adam_S says
Or we can move back to your blog. I don't have answers for any of this. I really have been draw to online church not because of anything other than human3rror asking me to participate. So I am trying to work through a lot of this fairly recently. I do appreciate that so many others have been working through for a while.
human3rror says
my fault.
Adam_S says
No complaints! I am excited. I have no problems working through the theological and practical issues at the same time, in fact I think that trying to work through the theological issues before you ever start on the practical usually gives you bad theology and even worse practice. But not thinking about the theology at all by default is bad theology.
This is a good example of your leadership. I am involved in something primarily because I was asked. (I might have been involved anyway though.)
Adam_S says
I followed Human3rror's advice and moved it into the forum.
https://churchm.ag/forums/topic/virtual-comm…
Adam_S says
I followed Human3rror's advice and moved it into the forum.
https://churchm.ag/forums/topic/virtual-comm…
Adam_S says
I followed Human3rror's advice and moved it into the forum.
https://churchm.ag/forums/topic/virtual-comm…