Thanks for the replies...although I thought I might hear from some parents. Like I said, I'm trying to weigh this out. That would imply by scripture. The main question I have, since you were quick to dismiss the crossroad site (which I admit goes a bit to far) and the FOF article (which, they actually do have a page about Yu-Gi-Oh and Pokemon that gives a pretty even picture) I would have to ask you if there are demons, sorcery, egyptian gods (godesses), and a "guy" who likes to capture souls in this game? Is there God or any suggestion of Him? If there are does it really work to say it's ok because they aren't real? Let's put down the toys for a little bit and pick up our bible. The bible does say that these things exist in reality. And, Susan, please note Deuteronomy 18:9-15...God does have a stand on this issue. (Also, Proverbs 3:31&4:1-27, as I look maybe a study in all of Proverbs could help here!This is not about sorcery in particular.) To say this doesn't matter because we are just playing a game is a big warning sign to me. I am not ignorant to the ploys of the enemy and you shouldn't be either. Up until just recently I was up to my neck in the occult. I have seen first hand how the "harmless" can lead to the not so harmless. If this game does even skim the surface of what God does not like all I can say is: A skunk by any other name still smells bad! I would not hand my kids a pack of matches and tell them that if they play with them just the right way, or pretend that they are not real, they are harmless. As far as making sure we don't "go too far" into a game like this and people who do are some kind of freaks or something...quicksand is deceptive. Did you know that drug dealers will get kids to try pot (which in itself is not addictive) and once they like that high the dealer tries to get them into coke and once that high isn't enough he gets them into heroin. Now, not everyone who starts with pot is going to move on to the "harder" stuff but there are those who do. If I can use another drug as an example of why we shouldn't deem harmless what could become a stumbling block for others: As a Christian I can say that I can go out and have one harmless drink (which none of you should be able to associate with) but what if I say that to someone who is struggling with an addiction and I set an example, as a Christian, which then leads them to stumble? In saying that this game is "harmless" without taking into regard that someone else might be sucked into it by your witness you might be deemed liable for setting a stumbling block in front of your brother.
BTW...my kids, who are old enough to get into this, are 7, 9,&10.
As far as the possibility of linking this game with Lord of the Rings...all I really know on that front is that Tolkien did have a Christian world view that he did not put aside when he wrote those books. It is well known that he did not write these books as allegory(chk sp?). He did however define VERY distinctly the Good and Evil in his book and did make reference quite clearly to the powers of good at work and the Author of all life! Something you may not know is that he also originally intended for the wizards in these stories to be more along the lines of "wise men" (I have even heard the mention of them being sort of like angels but I have not seen proof of this in Tolkiens own words). If you pay real close attention to the book, and I have tried my best to because I had to weigh this out too, do you recall Gandalf really using anything we could call "witchcraft"? Or was he more prone to rely on wit and wisdom? Re-read them and judge for yourself. (You might also re-check the Appendix where it speaks of the wizards to get a slight view into this.)
All in all, as I said earlier, I need to know if this game even remotely scratches the surface of the occult. If there is evil...is there good? And is it God's good (or even a hint of it) or is it some "good vibrations from the dark side? You tell me.