First Church of Rosedale

From Steampunk Wiki

The First Church of Rosedale (Immersionist) was located at the southeast corner of Caledon Penzance, just off the corner of Savoy St. and Pinafore Place. It was founded by Samantha Poindexter. The building was put into place when the sim opened, and the first services were held January 6, 2008. It moved to the mainland in March 2009, before being swept up to Zindra in the Rapture.

Theology

The premise of the church is that in Second Life, Philip Linden is God. Other matters of doctrine and practice are left to the individual parishioner. (While it was understood that M Linden was somehow important, he never "replaced" Philip in a theological sense. Philip is the Prime Mover, the Final Authority, and the possessor of the grid's most manifestly divine hair.)

Unresolved issues include the relationship between First Life and Second Life (the church recognizes the existence of the former, but not its alleged primacy) and the theological significance of Lindens other than Philip.

The Lord's Prayer

As a representative example from the hymnal, this is the current version of the Lord's Prayer:

Our Fathers, who art in California,
Linden™ be thy trademark.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done,
On the grid as it is in the Lab.
Rez us this day our daily prim,
And forgive us our tortured toruses,
As we forgive the blingtards who cause our sims to grind to a halt.
And lead us not into orbit,
But deliver us from griefers.
For thine is the server, the power and the power bills,
For ever and ever.
Amen.