Christians: Uncovering Gaming's Satanic Underbelly
Well, it just wouldn’t be a normal week without some kind of wacky, Right-Wing extremist, Christian press release. It seems that a new group has launched themselves onto the gaming scene: the Christian Game Developers Foundation, an organization whose apparent mission is to inform parents about the games their children are playing (while maintaining a website that seems straight out of 1995). Well, that’s nice to hear for a change… though I was just getting used to hearing bible-thumpers slamming video games in general as being behind the decline of Western Civilization. The group was founded by Ralph Bagley, “known for developing the first high-quality Christian-themed video game.”
That game would be Adventures of the Catechumen, a moderately successful PC title produced by Bagely’s N’Lightning Software. I’ve read a couple of interviews with him over the years, so he seems like someone who might actually have some rational Christian perspectives on video games and the industry in general. The CGDF’s knows that a lot of parents are absolutely clueless in regards to what their kids are playing and wants to fix this. That’s cool with us, since almost everyone involved with the video game industry has been saying parents need to be more involved with kids rather than let Congress decide what’s appropriate.
“The video game industry is a dark, violent, satanic, sexually explicit place that is full of dangerous traps,” says the video game veteran. “And so the CGDF is dedicated to informing and educating parents about that—and also pointing them in the direction of some good, high-quality, alternative games.”
Yes, indeedy. Fair and balanced and…
Waitaminute! SATANIC?
Well, it just wouldn’t be a normal week without some kind of wacky, Right-Wing extremist Christian press release. It seems that a new group has launched themselves onto the gaming scene: the Christian Game Developers Foundation, an organization whose apparent mission is to inform parents about the games their children are playing (while maintaining a website that seems straight out of 1995). Well, that’s nice to hear for a change… though I was just getting used to hearing bible-thumpers slamming video games in general as being behind the decline of Western Civilization. The group was founded by Ralph Bagley, “known for developing the first high-quality Christian-themed video game.”
That game would be Adventures of the Catechumen, a moderately successful PC title produced by Bagely’s N’Lightning Software. I’ve read a couple of interviews with him over the years, so he seems like someone who might actually have some rational Christian perspectives on video games and the industry in general. The CGDF’s knows that a lot of parents are absolutely clueless in regards to what their kids are playing and wants to fix this. That’s cool with us, since almost everyone involved with the video game industry has been saying parents need to be more involved with kids rather than let Congress decide what’s appropriate.
“The video game industry is a dark, violent, satanic, sexually explicit place that is full of dangerous traps,” says the video game veteran. “And so the CGDF is dedicated to informing and educating parents about that—and also pointing them in the direction of some good, high-quality, alternative games.”
Yes, indeedy. Fair and balanced and…
Waitaminute! SATANIC? I don’t recall any sacrificial goats or cavorting naked people at any E3 parties I attended. Granted, it could be just because I hang out with an incredibly banal crowd that doesn’t know how to have a good time, but let’s just consider the possibility that maybe the CGDF is being a tad alarmist in order to get people over to their side.
The press release issued today goes on, talking about a survey done at one church in Southern California and how it shows a lot of kids there have access to offensive games (I personally find Southern CA in general to be offensive, but that’s a rant from another time), but by then the poker hand’s been shown and it’s apparent that the Christian Game Developers Foundation is playing with a poorly-stacked deck.
Now, if someone suddenly finds a long-lost Book of Sega, I’ll be willing to entertain arguments that the Church has been commanded to fight the gaming industry from on high. Until such a time arises, though, I think the Bible-thumpers need to back off.
Just a little.
Objective Assist Christian Parents in Navigating the Video Game Arena
UPDATE:
You can view the CGDF’s video nonsense here
Boy of Tomorrow
Posted to on 1 November 2006
· Comments (11)
Other stuff like this: christian gaming, evil video game industry, religious right
Well maybe I’m a satanist, and maybe I like my games to have sex and violence. I’m old now! I’ve earned the right to buy porny things freely!
looks up from his virgin sacrifice
Satanic? Where?
You know, some Christians might find throwing around phrases like “bible-thumpers” offensive. It’s more than a little subjective.
I do agree with the thought behind the article, but not all Christians are that “out there”, and a blanket title like “Christians: Uncovering Gaming’s Satanic Underbelly” kinda straddles the line between humor and just plain snarkiness.
Just a thought.
I bet they would have found “wingnuts”, “psychos” or “christlickers” even worse.
He only straddles snarkiness? Man, you’re losing your edge apparently.
Anyway, people will always find “satanic messages/images/ect” in whatever they do not like. Apparently, using too much of the color red (or most bright colors) can be considered “satanic” according to some of the stranger arguments against Harry Potter. The arguments shall always be there, its best to read and be entertained by it.
I find Satanic messages in my Alphabits EVERY DAY! GRIN
What’s that King Slime? You want me to BURN THINGS?
Satan… is he some evil, fictional, fantasy character?
Just another thought, though—
IRA Christian, and I totally embrace gaming…and that other criterion for being present on this webpage, but of course~
Chrispy the term’s that riles me…
On track~ I really feel that there’s a balance. Gaming is art, and we are certainly not censoring ourselves to Dante’s Inferno, nor to other mediums of art that depict hell in all its hotness! Hawtness? Shrug
I’m a Christian and I’m a gay-mer, so whatever. I’m going to have my cake and eat it too.
/end crusade
Now they’re just stirring up hype. Now that I know games are Satanic I’ll have to buy even more of them.
Sensationalist on the part of the part of the CGDF? Yes but at the same time many more traditional people of faith feel threatened by this invasion of interactive sex and violence into their kids’ rooms. Not to say that all video games even contain these things but it’s going to take a while before people learn to stop seeing video games in black and white.(Pardon the pun)
Anyway their site linked to a Christian review site named guide2games which I thought was pretty well done and fairly accurate so I guess someone understands.
Last little rant, using the term “bible-thumper” does nothing to enhance an argument or prove a point. All it does is alienate people. I consider myself to be a fairly rational Christian (Aka I don’t fall for the fundamentalist stuff that’s being spewed these days) and such a tone as this sort of alienates me from the author.
Just my 2 cents.
This whole satanic gaming bullshit is getting on my nerves.I am not a christian
but i do beleieve in GOD. I think games such as Diablo, Doom 3, and anything with violence is not of the Devil people are just fooling themsleves and that is what the devil wants. All the satanic games are just themes there not evil. I think the devil is more worried about making u take someones life then he is killing some fantasy character on a game there is no real pain so its not like someones getting hurt. People know the difference between reality and video games. On shooting games u might shoot the enimies of another country but your not going to go out here and actually shoot somebody then u might care but a game u know its not real its just entertainment. The devil is trying to get your soul not by making u sin not by sitting on your ass playing a video games . Alot of christians need to use some common sense that what the fuck there GOD gave them and the Harry Potter bullsit. Harry Potter is no where near satanic its just fucking fantasy kids know the difference between real magic and fantasy. Thats like saying magic shows by dilusionists are satanic u know its not real u just like to watch something entertaining. Real violence is the devil fantasy is not. Hell most of us who play theses games are 16 and older we know the differecnce. Nobody my age wants to read a boring ass story about caring and all that shit or play a game where u have to be nice to people. We want something more our age i mean something more masculine not no bullshit soby love story or some other gay ass shit. Also games with the devil on them thats nothing the real satan looks alot worse so basically alot of people are full of shit.