And on another disturbing note....
I found this on My So-Called Homeschool. In case you don't feel like looking it up, it's a really long article about a new "Christian" video game in which violence is directed by Christians against non-Christians in a future New York City. More disturbing and shocking than anything I've read recently. After reading the article, it appears the affiliation of this sick game is with the Left Behind franchise.
So here's my little tirade: These guys do NOT represent Christ or Christianity as it is revealed in the Gospels. Neither did the perpetrators of the Spanish Inquisition. Or the knights of the medieval crusades. Or the Spanish missionaries who forced Native Americans to convert to Christianity. Or anyone else who used hatred and violence in the name of Jesus. Anyone who would hold an ugly anti-gay sign in a public protest is not practicing a Christ-like faith. The Gospels talk about Jesus being his angriest when dealing with the religious hypocrisy of of the devout elites of his days. The ones who imposed their "God given" rules of holiness on everyone else. These are the guys who made Jesus the maddest. Not the sexual sinners. Not the ones practicing a different faith. To those he just offered a better way. To the religious hypocrites he offered condemnation and judgement.
So, back to this video game. It looks like this game is just a manifestation of some of the dialogue going on in churches across the country. I am a Christian. And I might even be called an 'Evangelical Christian' . But I think it's a scary day when Christians are using fear and hatred to get folks into their churches. Or bigotry and whatever reasons to keep people out of their churches. Jesus was interested in relationships...not scaring people into Heaven. I think the religious 'right' would do itself a favor by re-examining the Gospels and the characteristics of Christ. And taking a look at the ministry of Martin Luther King as an example of how to theologically stand firm but with love and respect for others.
http://here-in-idaho.blogspot.com/
So here's my little tirade: These guys do NOT represent Christ or Christianity as it is revealed in the Gospels. Neither did the perpetrators of the Spanish Inquisition. Or the knights of the medieval crusades. Or the Spanish missionaries who forced Native Americans to convert to Christianity. Or anyone else who used hatred and violence in the name of Jesus. Anyone who would hold an ugly anti-gay sign in a public protest is not practicing a Christ-like faith. The Gospels talk about Jesus being his angriest when dealing with the religious hypocrisy of of the devout elites of his days. The ones who imposed their "God given" rules of holiness on everyone else. These are the guys who made Jesus the maddest. Not the sexual sinners. Not the ones practicing a different faith. To those he just offered a better way. To the religious hypocrites he offered condemnation and judgement.
So, back to this video game. It looks like this game is just a manifestation of some of the dialogue going on in churches across the country. I am a Christian. And I might even be called an 'Evangelical Christian' . But I think it's a scary day when Christians are using fear and hatred to get folks into their churches. Or bigotry and whatever reasons to keep people out of their churches. Jesus was interested in relationships...not scaring people into Heaven. I think the religious 'right' would do itself a favor by re-examining the Gospels and the characteristics of Christ. And taking a look at the ministry of Martin Luther King as an example of how to theologically stand firm but with love and respect for others.
http://here-in-idaho.blogspot.com/
posted by Will at 6/16/2006 09:29:00 AM
2 Comments:
Ok...now I have to say that after doing a little more research, the manufacturers of the game claim that they were misrepresented by the article I listed. Players are not "rewarded" by killing non Christians, only converting them. Still...there's something sinister about the whole thing. I encourage people to look it up for themselves before forming an opinion on the game itself. I wouldn't let in my home, though.
wow. that is really something. I still think it's messed up that players are rewarded for "converting them"
so creepy.
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