Debate Religous Problems with Video Games

Religious nuts will always get their panties in a twist over something. It doesn't matter how benign or harmless it is. Apparently since I play Dungeons & Dragons, I want to worship Satan and kill babies and stuff. That's absurd! I just want to talk to Satan, and I just want to eat babies, not kill them.

 

Something about some Church suing Resistance for the PS3 because it used the likeness of a church in Great Britain. That's one I remember.

I love how Assassin's Creed puts a disclaimer at the beginning saying their team is of multiple ethnicities and religions so they don't get in trouble for putting the crusades in their game.

Dungeons and Dragons has been under assault for YEARS!
I dunno where the hell these nuts find them, but there are stories about D&D players believing they were their characters, and actually trying to do a summoning ritual to have someone killed. It's weird.

 

The reason pokemon was in there was the fact that the pokemon EVOLVE.

 

Just like Monkeys dont evolve into Humans.

 

resistance fall of man on ps3 has what i assume a tiny piece of the game based in manchester cathedral but 98% of cathedrals are the same layout they just used manchester{my home} to take the pictures there was as always uproar{in a very engilsh way}about the violence being cariied out in a replica of the catherdral.
this is very stupid as i said all catherdrals have the same layout and most people probably didnt even notice

this may have been a marketing ploy nothing sells like contreversy

 

Its really pretty sad. Some people are just freaks about that stuff. Its like the Salem Witch Hunt all over again. You read a book about magic and dragons and get hung for witchcraft.

Same now. Do something that is *somehow* against deep religious doctrine, it is declared heresy, it ends up all over the news, and at the end of the day someone is facepalming, someone is yelling, and someone thinks they have been wronged.

Wtf is this?

I mean, seriously. In the bible it even says that reading a story or something about witchcraft or wizardry isnt bad. These vocal religious freaks are ruining everything because they look like something real or they have some magic that at the end of the day doesnt even matter because its a game.

And about people acting things out like demonic rituals and stuff: half the time its just for fun or joking around or something and even if they are serious about it they are probably mentally unsafe and should be examined.

 

No1 has brought up Harry Potter yet? wow.
That guy is like the anit-christ now (according to religious radicals, specifically the Evangelicals). But yea, this is really irritating now. I can play a game or read a book without someone calling me a Satanist.

 

I like that thing that someone said about Harry Potter. He really is under a lot of fire, even though, like i said, there is nothing in the Bible against reading things like that, as long as you dont turn to the devil or start doing it (as in, the magic stuff) yourself.

And writing a book or making a photoshop or something isnt bad either. JK rowling hasnt been struck down by a holy bolt of lightning yet, right?

I mean, i like to use Paint.net and i saw a tutorial for making these magic circles



and now i feel like someones gonna hack my computer and persecute me for worshipping the devil. I mean, seriously, its just a cool thing to make or do or read or whatever. People just take things too seriously. Like the whole video games makes violence thing (oops, wrong thread).

 

I know. There are some weird religions, like one where they believe Santa is from the Devil, and Pokemon is pure evil. Why? I don't know. I can understand why people would think Halo 3 is violent, but Pokemon? WTF? It's a GAME. Get over it. And Warlord Alpha, You're absolutely right. It's just like witch hunting.

(That magic circle thing looks sweet. Were's the tutorial?)

 

Hardcore members of nearly any religion are pretty ridiculous in one way or another. I don't think very highly of people who spend all their time trying to force their beliefs onto others.

 

People who believe in anything hardcore are ridiculous.

 

I believe in hardcore map variants and hardcore gaming...

Ok, i know what you are saying though. Some people take thigs waaaayyy too far.

WITCH HUNT

 

Pokemon is pretty violent. Have you played D/P and witnessed a "super contest?" Those are the epitome of unnecessary violence IMO.

On a serious note, religious leaders just need to learn to back the **** off. Beliefs are beliefs for a reason, and I wholeheartedly believe that everyone is entitled to their own opinions. Forcing your beliefs on other people is absolutely asinine, and should not be tolerated at all. Though I might not agree with others' beliefs, and though I might want to prove to them that my beliefs are better, I still respect the fact that everyone has their own mind, and will make their own decisions. Therefore, I don't ever go around preaching my own beliefs to others unless I am asked to do so. These religious nuts should act in the same manner. Or Charizard will have to torch their asses.

 

Y'know, that just made my day.

They curse pokemon and video games with voilence...but do they see an atheist on the street and spit on him? Scream at him for not worshipping god? for going against their beliefs? Of course not! So, why are they projecting it onto video games and such?

Perhaps its more of a psychological thing.

 

I agree. Opinions are fine, I have quite a few infact, but people must respect the opinions of others and treat them, in an objective sense, as valid as their own, even if they disagree.

I think a problem with these discussions is that they often blame religion at large. Religion has proven itself to inspire very good deeds and qualities in people- generosity, forgiveness and charity. It has also been proven that religion can inspire horrible deeds and qualities- anger, hate and violence.
Religion in itself, the basic belief in a deity and choice of belief over science (This is not meant to sound condecending, I consider religion as valid as science in an objective sense, no more, no less) cannot really be blamed. It is deeply rooted in human nature and, in my opinion, is an extension of the emotional nature of the human psyche. People are to blame.
People will always disagree with things, often very passionately, and will always try and find a basis for their objections. Religion is the most common source for this, people will disagree with something on a moral basis and use their religion to defend their opinions. Religion at large should not be blamed, remember all the good things that religion has done- it still forms the basis of much of our moral foundation today- not killing or stealing etc. Its people that are doing and saying these things, not religion itself.

People will always use religion as justification for horrible things or opinions, instead of criticising religion as a whole we should try and explore why religion serves to be such a solid basis for these moral extremists.
It is, quite simply, one of the oldest establishments in the world. For thousands of years religion equated to law, heresy was crime and religious leaders were heads of state. This has only started to decrease relatively recently, with many remnants being present in the modern world- Think of the christian influences over the rhetoric of American society "In God we trust" and so on, or the fact that the queen of England is still "defender of the faith" in the church of England.

Religion is losing its influence over state in the world, in many places it is still strong and monotheistic nations in the middle east are a good example (criticise it all you like, we were the same not so long ago). I do not object to religion but religious control over state is, IMO, archaic. People are saying more and more- its fine for you to have religious beliefs, but telling others what to do based on your own beliefs is unfair. I think that people will tolerate religious objection to things that concern society at large, both religious and non religious, less and less.

I think religion can be very positive influence to some people, but there will always be some who cry "foul" at perfectly reasonable things and cite religion for their basis. We must say no to these people. They must accept that religious control of the state is in the past, at least for most developed nations, and accept that their beliefs do not govern the affairs of people who don't believe the same thing. We will play whatever videogames we like, we are not hurting you, or denying you your own point of view. We do not force you to play these games, do not force us not to, we are hurting no one.

 

The whole time i was reading this, i was thinking of things like the Third Crusade (If you want a quick lesson, play Assassin's Creed). People using religion and beliefs to justify actions such as genocide, ownership, etc.

Perhaps thats the psychological aspect of this. Beliefs making people do wierd things.
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On a different note, i agree wholeheartedly. Religion is not completely to blame. Really, its just some people who have some crazy belief or have grossly misinterpreted something.