[The plot of a new Bible-based shoot-'em-up videogame]
Imagine: you are a foot soldier in a paramilitary group whose purpose is to remake America as a Christian theocracy, and establish its worldly vision of the dominion of Christ over all aspects of life. You are issued high-tech military weaponry, and instructed to engage the infidel on the streets of New York City. You are on a mission - both a religious mission and a military mission -- to convert or kill Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, gays, and anyone who advocates the separation of church and state - especially moderate, mainstream Christians. Your mission is "to conduct physical and spiritual warfare"; all who resist must be taken out with extreme prejudice. You have never felt so powerful, so driven by a purpose: you are 13 years old. You are playing a real-time strategy video game whose creators are linked to the empire of mega-church pastor Rick Warren, best selling author of The Purpose Driven Life.
79 comments
What a bad idea. Personally, I loathe the amount of violence in most video games, but really, a Christian shoot 'em up?
I think the most interesting part of this will be to see the reactions or lack of reactions from the various Christian factions.
WWJF?
[edited]
My favorite part of the linked article is this:
"If violence, coarseness, and materialism are serious social problems, then what purpose is served by exploiting a global pastoral network to mass market a game about mass killing, whether in the name of Christ or the AntiChrist? "
Uh, money? Duh.
On the lighter side, this game is supposed to let one play the antichristian side. Under no circumstances would I buy this pile of stinking goat s***, but to obtain a pirated copy and play the "evil" side, that could be fun (but instead, this game is programmed by brainwashed followers of Rick Warren, so it is going to be dull, I think).
This article and even more the comments are extremely pessimistic, showing to what extent those people are longing to take over the world. The first comment comes up with very disturbing stuff, showing a clear link between the methods of Scientology and Rick Warrens own church.
This sounds like a game that congress would pull off the shelves almost instantly. It could be called "The New Inquisition." Best of all the player could be invincible and have infinite ammo (God is on your side), and the reward for converting everyone would be the same as if you killed everyone.
We worry about violent video games affecting the impressionable and uneducated, and who is less so than your average fundie?
The question to ask yourself is WBWJBOTBOTH? Who's brains would Jesus blow out the back of their heads?
The goal is to CONVERT or kill, among others, Catholics and (especially?!?) moderate mainstream Christians ? They are ALREADY Christians, so how are you supposed to convert them? And if they are already on your side, why on Earth would you want to kill them?
The "reasoning" here seems to be that the ideology most to be reviled is the one that is closest to your own without actually quite matching it. Bizarre!
This makes Grand Theft Auto sound almost wholesome.
~David D.G.
I also read that you can choose to play as the antichrist, which, OK, might be worth a weekend rental from Blockbuster.
I have been looking at some of the previews at respectable gaming sites. Seems that the graphics are pretty good and game play seems interesting.
Less bloody than previously advertised in terms of “convert or die” due to the fact that killings result in decreased “Spirit,” an important resource in this game. However, if you can absorb the penalty, “Christians” could afford some collateral damage among the unsaved.
You may play as a minion of the anti-Christ in the multi-player mode.
I don’t know about other posters to this forum, but I would welcome the opportunity to take on some of the fundies. Look for me: I will be the pagan who believes in the separation of church and state, the US Constitution, “evilution” and the efficacy of large caliber ammunition to bring about a spiritual awaking.
If I were God, there would be a special place in Hell reserved for those who tell others to kill in my name. (I make no claims that I would be a perfectly benevolent or just God, so this isn't contradictory.)
GTA is random violence. It has a T/M rating, depending on the game and how much of a fuss the public causes.
The games of the Halo frnachise are both rated M. They feature specific violence against an alien alliance bent on whiping out humanity.
This game has you killing non-Christians and other kinds of Christians. How will this not get an AO rating?
Oh, the 'Left Behind' series is some comic book that depicts what happens to people who didn't make it to the Rapture new year's eve party. Depicts planes falling out of the sky, things on fire and everyone going apeshit, all because they did not believe Jesus to the exact way ol' Tim Lahaye mandates.
<<< Where the heck would Christians get high-tech military weaponry anyways? They're too stupid to develop it and no one would ever give them any. >>>
Hate to break it to you, but someone (a few tens of millions of someones, if the vote tallies can be believed) did.
"You are on a mission - both a religious mission and a military mission -- to convert or kill Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, gays, and anyone who advocates the separation of church and state - especially moderate, mainstream Christians."
Well, if this doesn't explain in a nutshell what the fundies and the Dominionists have in mind for any of us who aren't like them and who refuse to bow down to how fundies and Dominionists interpret the will of God I don't know what does.
Note to Ed (#45201):
No, this is not fake. My sister and brother-in-law are both Dominionists, and do not consider my father (a member of the mainstream Christian Church - Disciples of Christ) or me (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) to be Christians.
Read the Dominionists' literature. They are deadly serious (emphasis on "deadly").
Remember, studies have shown that video games don’t induce violence in
Oh, wait. They were talking about normal teenagers, not bloodlusting, batshit insane ones. Another study might be in order here.
Idiot. This is what happens when the Xtian boneheads start believing their own spin press.
Violent video games do NOT promote violence, they immune people to its effects. There's a significant difference.
Only competition promotes real world violence. A first person shooter is not competitive unless you are shooting other players and since you can only get bragging rights from a video game, its not likely to send many theists into the world to start killing atheists.
"Great holy armies shall be gathered and trained to fight all who embrace evil. In the name of the gods, ships shall be built to carry our warriors out amongst the stars and we will spread Origin to all the unbelievers. The power of the Ori will be felt far and wide and the wicked shall be vanquished."
That's not how I learned Christianity, actually.
But okay.
Cause, you know, Buddhists have done SOOO many terrible things to this earth- and Christians have never done ANYTHING wrong in the name of God, God forbid.
You'd better shoot me first then, because you'd have to kill me before I'd let you kill anyone else. Also, have you heard of the sixth commandment. I mean, I know this is the idea for a video game but this is just sick and opposite of Jesus's teachings.
>>Roman
In case anybody didn't read the article, the game is the Left Behind RTS coming out in November this year.
On another note, I had no idea Rick Warren was tied into the Left Behind franchise. <<
Warren doesn't. It happens that one of his staff did. Warren roundly disavowed the game as being in horrible taste, and the staffer concerned left Saddleback (or so Google tells me).
Wait till someone who is slightly unbalanced plays this, someone who can't tell fantasy from reality. It's not a question of if, but when that makes it so scary, because no one knows what neighborhood he'll live in.
Right it's time to do the game where during the revelations Satan enlists humanity's forsaken masses (all but the chosen few brainwashed sheep who were taken to heaven) for the second great rebellion against the heavenly dictator.
It's god or us and for there to be freedom again in the span of eternity the tyrant of tyrants must fall.
Right it's time to do the game where during the revelations Satan enlists humanity's forsaken masses (all but the chosen few brainwashed sheep who were taken to heaven) for the second great rebellion against the heavenly dictator.
It's god or us and for there to be freedom again in the span of eternity the tyrant of tyrants must fall.
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
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