Defending Dungeons and Dragons...

I played D&D when I was a teenager and it has not effected my ability to have a strong relationship with God. I like to play Baldur's Gate on my pc which is kind of like D&D. When the game is over I have no desire to go worship other gods or study witchcraft. God is still the primary force in my life. However there are extreme cases where some people will let a game try to become a part of their lives and take it too seriously. Trying to live like their characters etc. It is up to us as individuals to take a step back and take a reality check every now and then. If you can take time out to play a game without it interfering with your ability to have a relationship with God then what is the problem in it? I don't think God has a problem with anyone having a little recreational activity if that is all it is. Nowhere in the Bible does it say you can't enjoy some harmless recreation.

Just as a side note, I don't believe there's a single documented case of someone trying to live like a D&D character. The theory that this would happen was not based on observed events.

I used to play RPGs depicting incantations, diviniation, et cetera, myself. The problem with roleplaying, however, is that - even if you're "Super Christian", able to repel all the flaming arrows of Hell with your holy pinkie - for most people, psychologically, its immersive nature creates and repetitively reinforces the desire for aberrant behaviors "played" in-game. Before I was saved, I called around a few years ago, seeking some AD&D books and spoke with a hobby shop owner who said she didn't stock them anymore because "those kids always stole."

Q: What's the most popularly-portrayed role in most RPGs, alongside mages?

A: Thieves (now deliberately mislabeled as "rogues").

Don't like the truth (or don't believe me)? Still think it's okay for Christians to read Harry Potter books (and immerse ourselves in a fantasy world where witchcraft's viewed as benign with no regard for God)? Please pray and open your heart to His POV:

Deuteronomy 18:10-12

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, I'm begging you for your sakes: Give up the RPGs and scrutinize all "fantasy" materials carefully (just as any of the Father's little ones should be wary of candy from strangers). There's more at stake than you think (and you're not supposed to sense there's any danger involved - that's part of the unholy annointing upon the pagan/new age movement, too). You can't play Satan's games, worship yourself, and hope to see the Kingdom of God.

It wasn't easy at first (I had to pray hard and struggle), but I've gotten rid of my RPGs, I'm still alive, He's blessed me... and I can honestly say now that I'm happier than I've ever been. I even still play an occasional game, too (after tithing some of my hours to He who put the breath in our lungs) - but I spurn the occult ones.

Brother Christman said:

I used to play RPGs depicting incantations, diviniation, et cetera, myself. The problem with roleplaying, however, is that - even if you're "Super Christian", able to repel all the flaming arrows of Hell with your holy pinkie - for most people, psychologically, its immersive nature creates and repetitively reinforces the desire for aberrant behaviors "played" in-game.

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I've heard this claim made, but it doesn't appear to be supported by any kind of evidence at all.

Before I was saved, I called around a few years ago, seeking some AD&D books and spoke with a hobby shop owner who said she didn't stock them anymore because "those kids always stole."

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And I can find you stereotypes about just about anyone with a hobby people bear false witness about.

Q: What's the most popularly-portrayed role in most RPGs, alongside mages?

A: Thieves (now deliberately mislabeled as "rogues").

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This is a very disturbing mischaracterization on your part. The change in labeling is not a "mislabeling" at all. In the last three or four years of gaming, I have seen maybe ten rogues played. Two of them were thieves of one sort or another. The rest were scouts.

Don't like the truth (or don't believe me)?

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I'll ask you the same queustion, I think.

Still think it's okay for Christians to read Harry Potter books (and immerse ourselves in a fantasy world where witchcraft's viewed as benign with no regard for God)?

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Yuup.

Please pray and open your heart to His POV:

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And what if I do that, and I find that nothing has changed, and you're still wrong, and you're still bearing false witness about the people you so gleefully condemn?

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, I'm begging you for your sakes: Give up the RPGs and scrutinize all "fantasy" materials carefully (just as any of the Father's little ones should be wary of candy from strangers). There's more at stake than you think (and you're not supposed to sense there's any danger involved - that's part of the unholy annointing upon the pagan/new age movement, too). You can't play Satan's games, worship yourself, and hope to see the Kingdom of God.

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Well, no. But see, these aren't Satan's games. These are games that we can make good or bad, just like any other game we play. In my D&D games, Christian themes and morality are supported and affirmed.

If D&D is one of Satans games he didn't do a very good job. I mean last time I played D&D(2nd eddition) if you became a chotic evil charater you become a insain killer and the DM gains control of the character. So being evil is greatly discuraged.

In Neverwinter Nights fighters are probably the most common character choice, followed by mages and then clerics. There are lots of Rogues, but they seem far less related to stealing than with lock-picking and stealth abilities which are required for plot aspects of the game. A good DM/scenario designer will set things up so that solving problems requires parties of a number of types working cooperatively.

-Neil

Oh, Bohemian. You might wanna add http://www.religioustolerance.org/d_a_d.htm to your list of links.

I've played numerous RPGs since I was about 9. In most cases, there's nothing wrong, dangerous, or otherwise with these games. However, some of the people I used to play with who are now near 30 years old are utterly obsessed with fantasy worlds.

This one guy I know is like 28 now and has played RPGs since he was a child. Everytime I talk to him, he turns the conversation to what his such-n-such level wizard is going to do in the future. Bear in mind I do not talk to this guy about games of any kind if I can avoid it. He insists on turning any conversation to that topic.

He tells me of his Live-action rpg games, and how he actually takes his d&d material to the larp site just in case there's free time. Jeez, it's like he has to be completely immersed in fantasy at all times, otherwise he might have a brief thought of reality.

So I do think that these games can be bad, if you let it run your life. However, most people will never completely cast aside reality in favour of rpg fantasy.

I know what you mean. You get the same thing with football bores.

Skummer said:

So I do think that these games can be bad, if you let it run your life. However, most people will never completely cast aside reality in favour of rpg fantasy.

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"All things in moderation," as the creed of Apollo suggests. Any kind of game, activity, hobby, et cetera, can become a habit, addiction, or obsession.

We are communicating with each other via the Internet, which I'm sure has created more addicts and destroyed more minds than Dungeons & Dragons ever will.


- Bud

We are communicating with each other via the Internet, which I'm sure has created more addicts and destroyed more minds than Dungeons & Dragons ever will.

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Arrggh! Since I play D&D on the Internet, I am doubly cursed! Cleric!

-Neil

Skummer said:

I've played numerous RPGs since I was about 9. In most cases, there's nothing wrong, dangerous, or otherwise with these games. However, some of the people I used to play with who are now near 30 years old are utterly obsessed with fantasy worlds.

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Sounds a bit weird.

On the other hand, ever talked to a novelist?

It is an undeniable fact that to the rest of the population, we roleplayers are seen as being strange. Lets face it, we meet in secretive gatherings in the dead of night, and perform incomprehensible rituals around a table strewn with bizarre books and paraphenalia. But we are not satanists. Or a cult. We simply engage in a hobby of which the general population holds no comprehension. As we are for the most part a naturally secretive group, no doubt stemming from decades of being treated as deviants and 'geeks' by popular culture, we tend not to put all that much effort into dispelling such negative perceptions.
As such, the greatest cause of our persecution is a lack of information. People persecute what they don't understand, and due to our low profile and lack of overall cohesion, we present ripe targets for any organisation with an axe to grind.Recently, for example, local roleplayers came under attack from elements of the local university's Christian Union. I would like to point out that this coincided with a spate of similar attacks on Pagans, Homosexuals and other targets of the month.

p.s. You may find this link amusing.

http://www.howardhallis.com/bis/cthulhuchick/

Y'know... people who play the Sims Online are role playing too! Whether it be themselves, or some other character they made.

Dracil said:

Y'know... people who play the Sims Online are role playing too! Whether it be themselves, or some other character they made.

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That leads to a very good point: what is role-playing, after all? At the risk of redundancy, it's "playing a role." RPGs are a more structured form of make-believe, like children all over the place do. When I was a child I would pretend to be Batman or Spiderman or Superman. I was simply playing a role. As I got older and discovered RPGs, I found a way to exercise my active imagination in a more mature fashion.

The problem is not fantasy worlds, stories, or games. The problem is that we've forgotten the power of myth, and moreover forgotten the importance of truth. The paradox is that, while fantasy is a temporary escape from the mundanity and regularity of the real world, good fantasy (Lord of the Rings, for example) always leads us to a deeper understanding of reality. There's power in a story. Why do you think the greatest of teachers taught in parables?

If anyone gets consumed by a role-playing game, it's because they no longer care about truth. Had that RPG not been there, that person would most likely have allowed himself to get consumed by something else.

Anything can dominate us: movies, Internet, food, games, sex, et cetera.

Or does everyone here have the perfect body weight? (Get my point?)


- Bud

Bohemian said:

D&D is also just a fun social thing to do. I remember 2 years back, I went to a game being held at my local Game Parlor. I had only played with guys around my age, but the rest of the party at the GP consisted of middle-aged adults. It was just interesting seeing how people who had been playing D&D since it came out played the game. The real cool thing was they actual followed some of my ideas, not just blowing them off.

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Game Parlor, eh? You wouldn't happen to live in Virginia, would you?

Good point, Bud. Healthy role-playing is a way of making mythology come alive and even of inventing new myths. It invites the "readers" to become active participants in the story.

-Neil

Bohemian said:

Yep! Virginian!
What about you?

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Yes indeed. Are you in the Fairfax area?