From: millerl@wharton.upenn.edu
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc,talk.religion.misc,alt.pagan
Subject: SURVEY: Religious Attitudes of Roleplaying Gamers
Summary: Please reply to the poster!
Date: 30 Jul 92 23:12:17 GMT
Followup-To: poster
Organization: Newt World Order

Hi Folks,

I'm presently working on a book that has to do with religion
descriptions for use in roleplaying games, and I'd like to find out a
few things about the prospective audience for the book. I'd like to find
out what people think is useful, and what background people are starting
from. I'd appreciate answers. Once I get the answers I will tabulate the
answers to the first nine questions and make the answers available. The
other questions are essay type questions, so don't tabulate very well,
but I might include a few of the more intersting answers in the survey
results.

All responses will be kept anonymous.

This is a survey of religious attitudes of roleplayers compared to
other internet folks who are concerned about religious matters.

First, please provide some data to help me analyze the responses.

Age:
Sex:

Please answer this group of nine questions by choosing one of the
lettered options.

1. Have you ever played a fantasy roleplaying game?
a) Yes
b) No
c) Don't know

2. Do you consider roleplaying games to be a hobby of yours?
a) Yes, but more like an obsession
b) Yes, a hobby
c) No
d) Don't know

3. What is your religious background? e.g. What religion did your
parents profess when you lived with them?
a) Christian
b) Jewish
c) Muslim
d) Hindu
e) Pagan -- Wiccan, Druidic, or Asatru
f) Buddhist
g) Atheist
h) Undecided, Agnostic
i) Other or more than one, please name ____________________

4. What are your present religious beliefs? i.e. What religion do you
profess now?
a) Christian
b) Jewish
c) Muslim
d) Hindu
e) Pagan -- Wiccan, Druidic, or Asatru
f) Buddhist
g) Atheist
h) Undecided, Agnostic
i) Other, please name ____________________

5. Was religion an important part of your parents' life while they
raised you?
a) Yes, very important
b) Yes, sort of important
c) No, not very important
d) Not at all important

6. Is religion an important part of the rest of your family's life now?
a) Yes, very important
b) Yes, sort of important
c) No, not very important
d) Not at all important

7. Is religion an important part of your life now?
a) Yes, very important
b) Yes, sort of important
c) No, not very important
d) Not at all important

8. Do you feel that religion is more or less important to you now than
it was in your mid-teenage years (age 14-16)?
a) More important now
b) As important now
c) Less important now
d) I'm too young to compare

9. Do you feel that religion is more or less important to you now than
it was when you first played a fantasy roleplaying game?
a) More important now
b) As important now
c) Less important now
d) Never played a fantasy roleplaying game


The next set of questions may require essay answers. Answer them at
length or briefly. Please be candid about your answers. Your name will
not be connected with them.

10. Please describe your opinion of fantasy roleplaying games. Are they
fun to play? Tedious? If you haven't played them, do you think they
would be fun to play?

11. Respond to the following statement: "Roleplaying games are played
by artistic people."

12. Respond to the following statement: "Roleplaying games are played by
social misfits."

13. What effects do fantasy roleplaying games have on their players, on
bystanders?

14. Please consider fantasy roleplaying games in the context of these
other pursuits: war gaming; amateur theater; improvisational theater;
playing cowboys and indians; playing house; adventure movies; reading;
writing; playing cards; studying. Where do they stand?

15. Please sketch out your opinion of religion. Is it exciting or
boring? Important or trivial? Opiate of the masses, or redeemer of the
masses?

16. What effects does religious practice have on believers, on
bystanders?

17. Are the roleplaying gamers that you know more or less interested
in religion than others? Are they more or less involved in formal
religion than others?

18. Do you think that fantasy roleplaying games have an effect on your
religious beliefs or practices, and if they do, what kind of effect is
it?

19. Would you like to be more religious than you are? Do you consider
yourself to be on a spiritual quest or search for meaning?

20. What would you like to see in a book covering religious belief and
practice for a fantasy roleplaying game? Even if you don't play
fantasy roleplaying games, what would you find interesting in such a
book?

-- 
whoah,
+++++++++++++++++++++++23
Loren Miller                           internet: MILLERL@wharton.upenn.edu
The more corrupt the government, the greater the number of laws -- Tacitus