Religious Tolerance in Virtual Worlds

Every one of us comes into Kymer as an individual. No matter how different we make ourselves from our Ratava, we still carry within us our real world image of ourselves. And this image includes our religion. Whether or not we claim allegiance to a formal religion, we believe in something. Even Atheism is a "faith".

Because this is true, it is important that Kymerians remember to be as careful in matters of religion as we are learning to be in matters of nationality and of race. To whatever degree we choose to practice our religion in Phantesus, we must avoid offending other citizens with differing beliefs.

As an Evangelical Christian I can only offer my own experience as an example of how this can be lived out on a daily basis. I am certain that there are others equally able to define how this works for their particular belief structure and I would be delighted to hear the experiences of others.

Joyful Pilgrim is not just a nickname to me. It also describes my lifestyle in any world. Since I believe that Jesus walks with me on my pilgrimage it is only natural that I talk of Him as I would any friend., but at the same time I must consider the people around me. There is a major difference between acknowledging Him and preaching on the street corners. If my mention of Him produces a reaction it is important that I remember that, just as He did not resort to arguments during His time on Earth, it is not my job to get involved in religious debate. I merely try to live as a Christian here and wait for someone to ask me a question before getting into a discussion of my beliefs.

I am also a member of the Bible Study Group led by Skyranger. We began with a weekly Bible study over a year ago. As the Bible study is in a private turf it provides an opportunity to be much more outspoken about the Christian faith. But of course it is necessary to remember that there are many differing doctrines among the many denominations in Christianity. It still is necessary to be careful to avoid offense to other "believers".

During the Summer the Bible Study Group began to sponsor a weekly Bible Trivia Game. This has been very enjoyable but it has also forced us to reevaluate our ways of dealing with our fellow citizens of Kymer. We have realized that people with many differing ideas about religion are likely to turn up at The Christian Club to play our game. We have made the statement in every announcement of Bible Trivia that No one will be embarrassed because of their religion or the lack of one. We feel very strongly about this. Our game is open to all and we very much want everyone to feel comfortable there.

As a writer in Dreamscape newspapers and in the CompuServe Forum I have tried to present the "Christian" viewpoint on some of the issues other people have discussed. I hope everyone understands that I also enjoy reading and considering other views as well.

Contrary to some peoples opinion, serving Jesus does not require a closed mind. I strongly support the right of all ideas to be heard so that people have a chance to make up their own minds about the issues involved. Expressing one's religion in-world then is simply being one's self, while being careful to consider the feelings of others.

It seems to me that my mother taught me a similar concept. She called it "good manners".