I don't have a problem with it (and I don't think it is unOrthodox), I kinda wish I could get back into it myself.
Let's not be annoyed!
I sympathize with your position, repentant, but have to agree with SC that we can't make dogmatic pronouncements (particularly in the name of the Church) on D&D, Harry Potter (which I also believe to be more harmful than good) or anything else that's not dogma. We can't second-guess that priest.
That said, all of this stuff encourages the fantasy of unnatural control over events by humans, something that Christian fantasists like Tolkien and Lewis avoided, and in the case of HP and D&D, generally does it in the same ways in which real-life enemies of God (demons, witches, etc) do (personal might acquired through knowledge and learning (Gnosticism) and methods which involve spells and often some form of death to achieve the power.)
I played D&D, TFT and other RPGs in my time, was a GameMaster (or DungeonMaster - basically takes the role of God) and the new world of computer RPGs has become more openly demonic in general than the Gary Gygax stuff of the 70's ever was - even at the age of 15 I knew that stuff was wrong and taking the roles of the good guys and white magic was:
a) boring
and
b) did not change that feeling. :o
(Just so you young-uns don't think that us old-timers don't understand anything about what you're up to! )
Sad day in Orthodoxy when a Priest does not say that Dungeons and Dragons is evil...
DnD is a fantasy ROLEPLAYING GAME. Unless you start believing it's real, there is absolutely nothing evil about it.
I'm open to your point of view, if you'd like to explain, however.
"But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh at a woman to lust after her hath commited adultery with her alreadyin his heart."
I do understand what you are saying, but there is part of me that even has an issue with the Jedi in Star Wars, no matter how much I do love Star Wars. Yoda may be the most kick butt little green guy in the existence and a most wise old sage, but he still has a power that does not come from God. And all power that does not come from God comes from some place else that is not of God. So while I know Star Wars is fantasy I have to work harder and harder to willingly suspsend my disbelief while watching it the older I get. But Potter, that is just bad stuff and I don't get how Christians can let their children read the stuff.
The Classic Rock bands might have dark undertones, but they do not praise openly demonic activity. I have yet to hear a Def Leppard/Great White/Whitesnake/Metallica song which praises witchcraft. AC/DC is very troublesome I must admit because some of their music while being great instrumentally is very problematic lyrically. But at the same time none of those bands go arround playing a game where you practice doing spells on each other or where the characters titles are "the god of ---".What I don't understand is how you can so roundly condemn Harry Potter, D&D and even have doubts about Starwars yet think it perfectly fine to listen to AC/DC, Great White, Def Lepperd and any other number of classic rock bands that have dark themes and very dark, suggestive music.
The kicker in that would be whether or not participating in, and enjoying, the game constituted an honest desire to engage in real paganism.I think Justin has a good point that needs to be addressed here.
One of the biggest issues (if you set aside ones about time spent on it) is the nature and effect of the fantasy on real life. I hope, Justin, I can paraphrase your statement correctly as a question: Does it matter whether the actions are real or not? Is doing harm in fantasy harmless? Is participating in magical spells involving Hands of Glory harmless as long as it remains in the imagination? (I hope we all agree that the actual actions are indeed harmful)
One thing that comes to my mind right away is Christ's injunction regarding divorce and adultery.
Matt. 5:28
In it, it is made clear that what happens in the mind is just as real, for spiritual purposes, as actually doing it. I think that says something about a LOT of what goes on in FRPGs.
I do think that Tolkien, in particular, made an excellent case for the responsible use of fantasy as sub-creation (so won't blast fantasy in general), but it is far too easy for our fantasies to go astray, and when the authors or designers are not even Christian, and just plain don't share our (Orthodox) world view, you can expect to find fantasies not pleasing to God all over the place, making the FRPGs quite dangerous, at the very least.