Cover Story
The Metaverse: What Is It? Will It Create a Virtual Hell on Earth? B Y
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The next step in the cyberrevolution is the so-called metaverse, a powerful computing platform that goes beyond anything seen to date. It is marketed as the next generation of the Internet, facilitating intense experiences and opening new markets.
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owever, no one considers the moral implications of the project. No one asks what the Catholic position on this development should be and if the metaverse will harm souls. Tragically, people see no reason to involve God and morality in a technological invention seemingly outside the private realm of religion. Worst of all, many in the clergy show no sign of acknowledging the issue. It is not even on their radar. However, the issue is important to the salvation of souls. The metaverse is a metaphysical attack on the Church’s worldview. It obliterates the nature of a God-created universe. It will make possible immoral acts that will gravely offend God. Catholics need to be concerned.
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God measures the world with a compass. Illustration from a Bible moraliseé, c. 1250. Codex Vindobonensis 2554. Austrian National Library.
