The conversation over religion and technology has heated up since the Pope recently made a statement about AI. Religious programming was one of the early staples of both the new media, radio and television, when the initial transmissions made their way into homes throughout the globe.
Nowadays, religious practitioners from all over the world are starting to embrace metaverse, Web3, spatial computing, and artificial intelligence technologies as avenues to faith as the world turns away from flat, 2D screens and frequency-bound aural broadcasts.
Still, there are doubters who think these technologies are dangerous, religious leaders who question the need for the gimmicks of modern technology, and billions of adherents of traditional religions who wait for direction.
Conversely, Sreevas Sahasranamam, a professor at the University of Glasgow, has discussed in Swarajya magazine the advantages that Hindus could derive from a metaverse: “Simply visualise receiving Geetopadesha directly from Lord Krishna.
I do not want to imply that I am in a science fiction time machine that will transport me back to the Kurukshetra conflict. Instead, what I mean is that I am in my living room, assuming the persona of Arjuna, and using Geetopadesha—Lord Krishna’s avatar—on a Ray-Ban Meta glass to find answers to my inner conflicts. Many perceive the immersive features of the metaverse as a way to get closer to their religious texts and narratives, particularly when accessed through virtual reality.
Additionally, Sahasranamamam talked on the metaverse’s potential to facilitate deeper and more meaningful experiences during meditation due to its immersive nature. The metaverse’s potential as a tool for religion has not thrilled everyone.
American Christian pastors and theologians Gavin Ortlund and Jay Kim agree that it isn’t a substitute for actual churches, but they also see it as something that may complement the present fellowship model. In a recent video, the two talked about the problem. Kim questioned out loud whether the concept of “church in the metaverse” was oxymoronic during the discussion. The digital/virtual aspect of the metaverse seems to be the primary point of contention for the pair. As stated by Ortlund:
“Therefore, physical acts such as baptism and the Lord’s Supper are necessary for a church to function; without physical presence, members cannot partake in the water or the bread and wine. And so that’s just one instance of how something is lost when you move away from direct physical contact. The Catholic church in Rome has a very different perspective.
While it has experimented with Web3, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and metaverse technology during the past several years, it embraces certain metaverse technology.
However, its present leader, Pope Francis, is not a supporter of all future-oriented technologies. The Pope recently expressed his opinions on the dawn of the era of artificial intelligence, as it was reported:
“There is a significant risk that a small number of people will gain disproportionately at the expense of the impoverishment of the majority.” Though he acknowledges the advantages of technology when applied responsibly, his final recommendation is to support the creation of a robust moral and legal defence against the existential and harmful risks offered by AI.