Ugh, then there's THIS video game...
I first read about it at RIGHTWINGSPARLKE, and followed one of her commenters to JunkYardBlog.
Apparently there's a video game coming out from Left Behind Games (that'll tell you something right there) based on the books. According to the Left, it's all about Christians killing infidels (basically everyone NOT them) who refuse to convert.
But from what JunkYardBlog read, it's more-
Basically, after looking through the Left Behind Games website, I donÂt see any support for the scenario that Hutson describesÂkilling off Jews, Catholics, and gays. This looks like a pitched battle against some sort of U.N. force run by the Antichrist. ( Wait, was that redundant?) Unless there is some description of the game I missed, Hutson merely extrapolates from his understanding of WarrenÂs theology that the opposing troops or targets will be drawn from those groups. But thatÂs a far cry from the picture he paints of a paramilitary force burning down synagogues or Catholic Churches.
and
And anyway, regardless of what happens when you shoot somebody in this game, the object of the game is to avoid doing so. Check this out, from an LA Times article that Hutson links:
-soldiers lose some of their spirituality every time they kill an opponent and must be bolstered through prayer.
So the object of the game is to convert your opponents without killing them? So HutsonÂs picture of this game as a training simulator for a Christian ÂDominionist jihad is laughably overblown?
Not that it will stop those on the Left who live in fear of Christian 'Dominionists' taking over the country from using support'suppport' their position.
It's going to be a poor quality (compared to most games today), badly designed, UNINTERESTING game. It'll have a slick marketing campaign within the Evangelical community, and that will be all.
While I think the game is stupid, what I find most telling is the reactions on the Left to Christians generally.
Check out the article that started this today, and the comments-Talk to Action
Tags-video games Looney Left
posted by Kyrie Drake @ 11:04 AM
5 comments
5 Comments:
Heh--that game is offensive (I'm sure you and everyone else who's read this agrees!). The kind of thing that makes 13 year old kids feel such pressure to convert the world, by force or otherwise--that's the thing inside Christianity that I would most like to get rid of out of this world.
I'm glad the second article got Mr. Warren off the hook, though. Have you read "The Purpose Driven Life"? I tried to, once. It's not about converting the world. Um--well, the book is meant to address the feeling that lots of American Christians have (I know I wasn't the only one): "Why am I here? When I look at my life, and see nothing but stalemate and existing only for myself--what is my purpose?" When I asked that question, the first answer that made sense was "for a Christian--to bring the Kingdom of God to this world." But that doesn't mean converting anyone, and I know Mr. Warren knows that. We ourselves are the Kingdom. We each wilingly submit to a God who is (objecively) the rightful King, and we interact with each other as best we can.
I had a tough time with Mr. Warren's methods for getting there, but that's probably a personal baggage thing; I don't even know any other Catholics who have trouble with the book. (St. Jerome's parish used it; I don't know if St. Tim's ever did). Actually...a lot of the things Mr. Warren goes through convoluted methods to find (like a consant awareness of God's individual, intimate presence), I found when I became Catholic.
But yeah...torch the game. Maybe I don't advocate any authority action...but I hope it dies *fast*. This is one of those times when I'm not afraid of its effect so much that I'm just angry it exists at all!
P.S. (sorry, didn't see the extra you'd written and the extra link): I didn't realize either how deeply Mr. Warren's name was linked with the game, or how real the fear of attempted theocracy is.
But yeah...torch the game. Maybe I don't advocate any authority action...but I hope it dies *fast*. This is one of those times when I'm not afraid of its effect so much that I'm just angry it exists at all!
Wow. I don't think I've ever read such a visceral reaction from you! ;)
I don't advocate 'torching' the game. I don't want it banned. I just want it to be done and over with so once again I can show the paranoid Left that we'r NOT out to get them.
P.S. (sorry, didn't see the extra you'd written and the extra link): I didn't realize either how deeply Mr. Warren's name was linked with the game, or how real the fear of attempted theocracy is.
No worries. I still don't think Warren is THAT heavily linked to the game, but I really don't care either.
I've read things on Mysa's friend's LJs who fear 'Dominionists' and I just don't get it. How can we be headed towards that AND a more sexual, abortive, and gay rights society at the same time? I tend to think that we'll stay somewhere in the middle, with neither side happy and everyone afraid that 'THEY' are going to take over America.
As long as we ALL are vigilant and rein in the extremists on our own sides, it'll never happen.
=) Well...it was rather late at night, and I think I feel most strongly about that particular label for Christians (the judgmental one, rather than the other labels)--but thanks for a good place to practice this communication thing! You've given me lots to think about. 'Dominionists' as well; more to research and more to discuss!
Post a Comment
<< Home