personandidentity.com
2026-06-19
Experiencing virtual reality can be a form of entertainment, but it can also encourage a way of thinking in which one's body is treated as optional--something to edit, replace, neglect or discard -- even paving the way for distortions such as sex-denying social & medical interventions to even be considered viable options. When identity is continually separated from physical reality in a digital world of avatars & online personas, confusion & disorder are not far behind. The Church's anthropology--body & soul as a single unity--offers a powerful alternative: our body matters because God created it, Christ redeemed it & our resurrection will perfect it.
Virtual Identity & the Temptation to Define Oneself
In a virtual environment, a person can shape perceptions without the constraints of embodied life: the messiness of face-to-face conversation, the patience required to listen, the vulnerability of being present, the inconvenience of even getting somewhere physically & arriving presentable too. Instead, over time, we can become increasingly performative -- measured by what is represented, rewarded & "liked," rather than motivated by truth, love & the goodness of others.