Sunday, August 12, 2007
A Violent Video Game for Christians, and a Violent War for Christians
I know that the video game part of this is a year old or so, but I'm going to comment on it anyway, since there's some new information.
I'm a Christian who advocates non-violence, especially in the real world.
There's a video game based off of the "Left-Behind" series of Christian books, in which the player is supposed to control an army that kills off the minions of the Anti-Christ. The big problem I have with this is two-fold. First, its emulating something that evangelical Christians are actually expecting to happen IN REAL LIFE. In other words, prepare to kill these people with beliefs different than yours. Second, it's based on the common video game scheme of KILLING "THE OTHER," whomever that adversary may be.
Often when I'm playing video games (I like the old-school dungeons and dragons type partly because they can be and remain in fantasy), I recognize the character I'm playing, is supposedly fighting for the side of "good" according to the storyline, fighting off orcs, goblins, and other obviously-evil foes. If you've been reading what I've been teaching/saying/singing, the existence of "the Other" is much akin to the existence of "the Adversary." Regarding who is the Adversary, we make the distinction ourselves, or with the help of our advisors/ministers/sacred-texts. Again, if you've been reading my blog, you know that "the Adversary," is a way of distinguishing "the Devil." And in so doing, we search for ways to demonize other peoples whose customs, foods, cultures, and/or technologies, are things we don't understand or trust, whom we would call orcs, goblins, sorcerers, dragons, etc... .boo!!
In my theology, the Devil only exists for those who point their finger in his/His/her/Her/gher/Gher direction (the adversary/Adversary/enemy/Enemy). In a way, that statement only adds fuel to the fire for those who operate from within the type of biblical understanding associated with Left-Behind thinking. I have a feeling they will claim the age-old adage "the devil's greatest trick is to convince you He doesn't exist."* If they can get past that, and understand that they are creating/propagating enemies, we can get to a unified community. In the meantime, they'll be what I will hereafter refer to as FBS Christians. If you claim to be Christian, and preach hate toward those who you're taught are "other," you're an FBS Christian. If you claim to be Christian, and make minor attempts to help your neighbor, by giving a little into an offering plate each week, but spend triple that amount on payments for a first, second, or third car, that's FBS Christianity.
*of course the devil's trump trick played upon being pointed out (by both Jesus and Mohammed, may peace and blessings be upon them) is to convince you that He is God, and that His adversary's name is "the Adversary".
If you're ready to take up arms against people you fear (note the current reason for the U.S. war with Iraq (and maybe Iran) is that They *might* do Us harm. (and meanwhile, We ARE doing Them harm. And from the title, the "Violent War for Christians" I mention is that the Christians are embracing our fighting troops, with support from the U.S. Department of Defense. This group, called Operation Straight Up, with a motto on their front page of "Until every soldier hears the truth" is going to go to Iraq and provide Bob Hope style entertainment, mixing in a strong dose of Christian prosyletizing. Let it be known that they do NOT have my support. Soldiers everywhere have my support, in that I want them to have a wonderful life and not be surrounded by hellish war, inner spiritual turmoil/devastation, and bloodshed. But any people trying to further polemicize an already ideological war have no support from me. They are FBS Christians.
My wife is calling me, and mad. I'm not supposed to be blogging right now, gotta clean the house for visitors. Gotta go.
lyrics: Kiss them for me. - Siouxsie and the Banshees.
colors: Red, White, Blue, and YOU!
mood: Patriotic, and upset, and hopeful.
chant/prayer/mantra: Love one another. May we remember at least that. Blessed be.
pax hominibus,
joel
I'm a Christian who advocates non-violence, especially in the real world.
There's a video game based off of the "Left-Behind" series of Christian books, in which the player is supposed to control an army that kills off the minions of the Anti-Christ. The big problem I have with this is two-fold. First, its emulating something that evangelical Christians are actually expecting to happen IN REAL LIFE. In other words, prepare to kill these people with beliefs different than yours. Second, it's based on the common video game scheme of KILLING "THE OTHER," whomever that adversary may be.
Often when I'm playing video games (I like the old-school dungeons and dragons type partly because they can be and remain in fantasy), I recognize the character I'm playing, is supposedly fighting for the side of "good" according to the storyline, fighting off orcs, goblins, and other obviously-evil foes. If you've been reading what I've been teaching/saying/singing, the existence of "the Other" is much akin to the existence of "the Adversary." Regarding who is the Adversary, we make the distinction ourselves, or with the help of our advisors/ministers/sacred-texts. Again, if you've been reading my blog, you know that "the Adversary," is a way of distinguishing "the Devil." And in so doing, we search for ways to demonize other peoples whose customs, foods, cultures, and/or technologies, are things we don't understand or trust, whom we would call orcs, goblins, sorcerers, dragons, etc... .boo!!
In my theology, the Devil only exists for those who point their finger in his/His/her/Her/gher/Gher direction (the adversary/Adversary/enemy/Enemy). In a way, that statement only adds fuel to the fire for those who operate from within the type of biblical understanding associated with Left-Behind thinking. I have a feeling they will claim the age-old adage "the devil's greatest trick is to convince you He doesn't exist."* If they can get past that, and understand that they are creating/propagating enemies, we can get to a unified community. In the meantime, they'll be what I will hereafter refer to as FBS Christians. If you claim to be Christian, and preach hate toward those who you're taught are "other," you're an FBS Christian. If you claim to be Christian, and make minor attempts to help your neighbor, by giving a little into an offering plate each week, but spend triple that amount on payments for a first, second, or third car, that's FBS Christianity.
*of course the devil's trump trick played upon being pointed out (by both Jesus and Mohammed, may peace and blessings be upon them) is to convince you that He is God, and that His adversary's name is "the Adversary".
If you're ready to take up arms against people you fear (note the current reason for the U.S. war with Iraq (and maybe Iran) is that They *might* do Us harm. (and meanwhile, We ARE doing Them harm. And from the title, the "Violent War for Christians" I mention is that the Christians are embracing our fighting troops, with support from the U.S. Department of Defense. This group, called Operation Straight Up, with a motto on their front page of "Until every soldier hears the truth" is going to go to Iraq and provide Bob Hope style entertainment, mixing in a strong dose of Christian prosyletizing. Let it be known that they do NOT have my support. Soldiers everywhere have my support, in that I want them to have a wonderful life and not be surrounded by hellish war, inner spiritual turmoil/devastation, and bloodshed. But any people trying to further polemicize an already ideological war have no support from me. They are FBS Christians.
My wife is calling me, and mad. I'm not supposed to be blogging right now, gotta clean the house for visitors. Gotta go.
lyrics: Kiss them for me. - Siouxsie and the Banshees.
colors: Red, White, Blue, and YOU!
mood: Patriotic, and upset, and hopeful.
chant/prayer/mantra: Love one another. May we remember at least that. Blessed be.
pax hominibus,
joel
