Vlogger Wil Dasovich explained his main reason for creating travel vlogs after having an online exchange with a Facebook user who had a comment related to religion.
The exchange started when the YouTuber on Wednesday posted a tribute to Karsang Tenjing Sherpa on Facebook.
Karsang is the younger brother of Wil’s friend, Nepalese mountaineer Mingma David Sherpa.
According to reports, Karsang died in a fire that erupted in a building that houses his brother’s trekking company.
Wil quoted Mingma, who said to him in a conversation: “Everyone dies. No need to worry, everyone dies.”
The vlogger praised the “resilience” of mountaineers and shared his last personal encounter with Karsang who he shared “saved” him from the cold.
“RIP Karsang and thank you for everything, you will be missed brother!” Wil wrote before.
The vlogger then noticed a comment from Facebook user “Mission Endtimes,” who wrote: “Die. And He’ll after. If you have no Jesus, you’ll Die and suffer in Hell. But if you have Jesus, you will Live forever.”
Wil responded to the online user with the following:
“I understand your good intention, but you can’t impose your personal beliefs upon others who come from a different background. The culture here in Nepal is a mix of Buddhist and Hindu so you have to respect their different perspectives and way of life. It is very rude to say that, especially for a great guy who has just lost his life.”
The vlogger expounded his thoughts on a separate Facebook post and revealed that he has been noticing “more and more” similar comments “popping up and usually at inappropriate times.”
According to Wil, these comments were made after he guested on Joyce Pring‘s podcast, where they discussed Christianity.
“One of the main reasons why I travel vlog is to show everyone that there are different people from different backgrounds all over the world. People hold different beliefs, religions, and may even pray to a different god, but that doesn’t make them any less of a person just because they were brought up in a different area,” Wil said.
“I travel to get out of ‘the bubble’ and to give myself perspective, to remind myself that societal norms differ from place to place. I strive to witness the numerous wakes of life so that I can understand one another, and connect with whomever I come across,” he added.
Wil also said he has a podcast where he can “ask tough questions, have open-ended discussions, and respectfully agree or disagree with [his] counterparts.”
“Ultimately, the goal is growth as an individual, promote open-mindedness and break down the engrained thought patterns that we have been fed our entire lives,” he said.
“At the end of the day, we all laugh in the same language, love in the same language, and have similar values, goals, and wants in life. Good people come from all different places and religions, and we must respect that,” the vlogger added.
Earlier this month, Wil appeared in the “Unpacking Christianity” episode of Joyce’s Spotify podcast, “Adulting with Joyce Pring.”
A clip of him asking Joyce if she believes that a “non-believer can go to heaven” went viral.
She answered negatively and added that non-believers are” gonna face judgment and go to hell.”
Joyce also said that a saint, if they are not a Christian but has been good throughout their life, will still not go to heaven “if they don’t believe in Jesus.”
Some agreed with her thoughts, while others shared their own arguments about salvation.
READ: ‘Non-believers go to hell’: Joyce Pring’s comments on salvation spurs online discussion
The Philippines is the only predominantly Catholic country in Southeast Asia.
