From: burdickd@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Dakin Burdick)
Subject: Re: D&D and Christianity
Organization: Indiana University
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 02:32:15 GMT


RESPONDING TO A FAQ ON RPG FROM SOC.RELIGION.CHRISTIAN:
THREE REASONS NOT TO PLAY...

>(1) Role playing and our thought life.
>
>We are commanded to meditate on scripture (Joshua 1:8), think on good,
>healthy things (Philippians 4) and to be transformed in our thinking
>(Romans 12:2). It is therefore quite important what we let in or don't
>let into our minds. The idea of AD & D is to role-play characters who,
>if they are playing according to the rules and with the stated aims
>of the game in mind, go around killing, casting spells, deceiving and
>being deceived, greedily searching for treasure, worshipping pagan
>gods or even demons and living for themselves. In real life, such people
>are condemned by the Lord, no exceptions, as stated very explicity in
>many places in the Bible.

You do not have to do ANYTHING in AD&D, or any other game.  No-one
forces you to behave in an unchristian manner.  If you wish, you can
play the perfect christian.  The problem may come with the gamemaster.
If he is unwilling to adapt to your desires (the mark of a poor 
gamemaster) or if the other players prefer the hack n' slash method
(more likely), you will not be able to play and should quit.

A more reasonable argument, to my mind, is that playing games is
an indulgence and a waste of time that would be better spent changing
the world for the better.  But of course, that's probably because
I've got a deeply Protestant background.

>We are to fix our eyes
>on Jesus, not the things of this world - and certainly not dark worlds
>full of evil and bloodshed and magic. 

As I mentioned above, you can always do Christian roleplaying (imagine
yourself a christian surrounded by various temptations and
difficulties; how can you best resist them and keep your mind on God?
What sections of the scripture do you find most inspirational?).

>(2) Occult connections
>if
>play around with evil (ouji boards, tarot cards, horoscopes, occult
>books) it will affect you spiritually.

Well, I don't believe in this stuff; but if it bugs you, don't use it
in your roleplaying.

>Here are a few occult connections in Dungeons and Dragons :
>
>(a) demons, well described and illustrated (including pornography, the
>    succubus), with names and powers copied directly from occult books

Yup; great stuff, right?

>(b) descriptions of spells which are REAL, including certain spells
>    with material components (neccesary for the spell to work) such
>    as human and animal blood and body parts

Eh?  D&D spells are pretty far from spells described in Folklore as
being effective.

>(c) descriptions, spells from and worship of REAL pagan gods - which are
>    demons (1 Corinthians 10:20)

I don't know about the accuracy of spell description, but the pagan
god descriptions are fairly accurate.  Frankly, I enjoy a bunch
of the pagan gods, though, again, I don't believe in them.

>(d) accurate drawings and descriptions of "magic circles" which are
>    used in REAL LIFE by practicing witches and warlocks to summon up
>    demons and do sorcery, which is condemned in the Bible (Rev.22:15)

Those magic circles are not used for summoning demons, but rather for
controlling them AFTER they are summoned.

>Satan is like a roaring lion, prowling around looking for someone to
>devour (1 Peter 5:8). How delighted he must be when someone starts
>becoming interested in him due to descriptions in the AD & D rules.

I know a lot about how Satan has been depicted in folklore, but that
doesn't mean I think he's a great guy.

>(3) "it's just pretend"
>
>Why pretend to be someone who God condemns, anyway ? I believe many players
>of AD & D do not realize what they are going along with - the most
>common argument is, "it's just a game, we don't take it seriously."

As I said before, you don't have to roleplay any particular way.  Make
up a christian campaign.

>My answer to that is, would you happily play a game where there are
>complete descriptions of tearing babies apart piece by piece, or a game
>where you go and rape every innocent child you can find ? 

Yowsers!  You've gamed with some real sick puppies!  You might want
to find new friends.


>Just imagine for a minute if what happened in an AD & D scenario really
>came true. A world where there is no God, where people aim to kill
>and get treasure, a world where death is commonplace and powerful
>sorcerers intimidate weak peasants.

Welcome to the real world.  Just replace sorcerors with scientists,
and you've got the idea.

>Would you take up a sword and learn
>sorcery yourself, then go and kill, get treasure in order to "gain
>experience" ? What kind of experience is being gained by such people,
>anyway ? 

Not all systems award experience for such infantile pursuits.  Some
systems actually reward working within society and solving
intellectual problems.

>It's possible to have games with explicit Christian content.

The poster goes on here to describe Christian roleplaying, the
same kind of thing I've discussed above.  The poster himself
does this kind of rpg.

Dakin
burdickd@silver.ucs.indiana.edu


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