Christian gamers revisited (split)

[simon_hibbs]

I think the idea that what a character does in a roleplaying game has no moral context is naive. I'm not surprised that many christians, even christian gamers, do have problems with D&D and many other fantasy games. Characters in these games often do worship pagan gods, traffic with demons and use magical power for eprsonal gain and agrandisement. If we enjoy roleplaying doping these things I think it's resonable for christians to question our motives for doing so, and brushing aside those questions as being based on ignorance or self-righteousness is not an answer.

That doesn't mean that I think roleplaying these things is self-evidently wrong, I'm just saying that questioning it is reasonable.

Tolkien is often cited inapropriately, as I think has been pointed out on this thread. The protagonists in LOTR don't use magic for eprsonal agrandisement, that's what the bad guys are all about. The one good guy tha does use magic (Gandalf) is an angelic being who avoids personal power and tries to operate as an adviser, intervening only sparingly.

of course roleplayig itself doesn't necesserily have any magical or religious content. Just look at many science fiction RPGs. Also exploring moral issues through storytelling has a long tradition in christianity. Jesus himself told morality takes in the form of the parables, and was perfectly open and willig to discuss theoretical moral questions. I can't see any fundamental incompatibility between roleplaying and christianity.


Simon Hibbs

[NN]

Surely the root of the 'problem' is that a certain strain of american fundamentalist christianity doesnt differentiate between controlling a character in a fantasy game that can do magic and actually trying to do magic yourself.

[Ron Edwards]

Hello,

Folks, the troublesome potential of a thread like this is for it to become a free-association reaction fest.

To keep that from happening, Simon (templar not Hibbs), what are your goals in raising this issue? What kind of discussion topics are you interested in pursuing? What specific sorts of input are you requesting? Are you interested in alternate views or in pursuing a topic from within the context of evangelical Christianity?

Everyone, shuddup until we get an answer on that. There are lots of other sites where you can hold forth on what "Christian" and "gamer" means to you.

Best,
Ron