For those of you who consider the virtual world of Linden Labs Second Life to be little more than a trivial past time worthy only of those virtual clickers with an obsession for all things furry or sexual, this weekend showed a prevalent sea change in activities as the ever more popular virtual world showed its more charitable side.

It was the third annual Relay for Life over a track that spanned 32 sims and 120,000 virtual meters, without stopping it would take your avatar over an hour to traverse a lap so it was no mean feat that all involved managed a finger breaking 18 hour marathon in the virtual world which in the end raised an impressive $115,000 for the American Cancer Society. Yes, folks that’s real currency, not the inworld equivalent of Linden Dollars.

As an event it showed the charitable spirit involved and showed yet another facet to these 3D online worlds, proving perhaps once and for all that this isn’t some fad that is going to go away in a hurry.

Elsewhere in an even more bizarre turn of events the Roman Catholic church has been sending virtual emissaries into Second Life to act in the form of “missionaries” to lead the many inhabitants away from the many “temptations” that exist within this environment.

Of course once you allow people to shed the constraints of a real life existence and allow them to indulge their fantasies, the concept of sin will soon rear its head, already the biggest draws to the online world involve sex and gambling. Even though Linden Labs is in the midst of clamping down on both aspects of the virtual experience there is still room for chucking good money after bad on at casinos and if you seek fornication, well there are no shortage of outlets for the one handed typists out there to indulge there passions.

One wonders if its only a matter of time before someone within Second Life’s borders finds God, virtual or otherwise. And if they do will he be wearing a furry suit?