XianGothDude

Okay now this is just becoming ridiculous. Mental illness is not - I repeat NOT - caused by 'demons'. We realised that a long time ago. The entire body of psychological thought does not have this one wrong. Sorry, I can't accept that there are actually people in this day and age, with access to the wealth of information the internet brings, that actually still believe that kind of nonsense. As for traumatic experiences...I have yet to see a simple game harm an otherwise sane person in such a way as to completely derails them from reality. The reason children are not allowed play games with adult themes is that they can have difficulty distinguishing fantasy from reality. Mentally stable adults, do not. That's the key, mentally stable. If a person isn't quite right to begin with this will predispose them towards certain mental problems. It has nothing to do with spirituality and everything to do with that persons mental state. I realise what I've said may not sound nice but I'm just aghast at what I'm reading. It staggers the mind. I'm shocked. I completely agree with you; I"m a Christian yes, I fully believe in the powers of Satan has in this world, but I also know and believe God's power reigns supreme (that much is clear in the Bible), however I think there are 2 groups of Christian thought (when it comes to Satan and his powers), 1. we either give him TOO MUCH credit for what happens, and basically believe that he's like a jack in the box ready pounce out from the medicine cabinet; or 2. we really DON'T give him enough thought at all and that usually leads us into stumbling and snares. I think Desaan is right, anyone in this day and age (with the internet) can read a ton of things on RPGs and their controversy, there's even an entire wikipedia page about D&D and its controversies lol.

Here's the incident that made alot of Christians believe D&D lead to suicide http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_tunnel_incident

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patricia_Pulling

Someone's been reading the Pulling Report.

I think GURPS would burn a hole in my pocket LOL, there's so many books I saw that (idk if you NEED but when I was looking at the GURPS books, I was just trying to find "Rulebook" LOL)

"Faith is indefinable and intangible, it is however, attainable!" - Eric Clayton of Saviour Machine

Well atleast we're on the same page; I've only played one game of D&D and found it horriblely boring, character creation was a snore fest, however I do play other RPGs mainly those focused around telling a story etc.

I believe personally to say its "benign" is to ignore the face that SOME have weakness to certain things, etc. I'm not gonna say role-playing is completely "okay" but if I may pose a question is it just D&D all of you are opossed to? (I agree with you there) or Role-playing in general?

Okay then; then they'res SWRPG (Spiritual Warfare: The RPG), it glorifies God

Thank you WillingToDie I wanted to respond but couldn't find the right words; RPGs don't really "glorify" anything in particular, I think that word gets thrown around all too often and we try to attach alternate or even negative or evil intentions to something and this just simply isn't the case, it is SOME of the time I'm not denying that RPGs CAN be a danger (but everything can be if we let them and if we give them power over us.). In America we have a severe problem with idolatry so please don't just attack RPGs for this alone and only (I can think of alot of other things we make our idols). I can't think of anything more to add to this post.

Not every Role-Playing game incorporates magic (I know a few campain settings, not D&D that don't use magic, or any susbstitute for it) there are also quite a lot of RPGs that don't take place in a high-fantasy setting like I said; and not every character is specifically a magic-using character there are for instances, pure melee classes or thief/rogue classes as well. I mean if a game master wanted to he could say no players can make magic-casting characters (there are discretionary personal preferece rules each game master has). I chose not to play as a magic casting character for a number of reasons (one of which are my personal convictions), another is the fact that I just don't have an interest in magic at all even in a game setting ya know?

My youth pastor wrote and published "Spiritual Warfare: The RPG" it takes place in a fantasy world setting but its all centered around Christ, he also wrote 2 supplements (add-on books or additional content or new campaign settings), one is called "Blaze of Glory" fighting Satan and his demons in a Wild West setting and the other is called "Last Days: Modern" a contemporary setting campain during the last days. I bought all of his books; a Bible is required to play his RPG campaigns books etc. also you get gifts of the spirit etc. its all written very professionally and everything.

Actually in all fairness; an RPG is nothing more thana set of rules (there many different systems out there, I prefer Dice Pools myself) but anyway; the system comes first (you roll dice to do mostly everything in an RPG). Some RPG systems use cards but that's usually for LARP (Live-Action Role-Play) or a "rock paper scissors approach", then the setting comes into play; my youth pastor has even written his very own Christian RPG campain book and has his own game studio too; really awsome guy. Anyway the next thing that comes after Mechanics and Setting is up to the game master (a referee/player/narrator/enemy player/NPC player) to determine what is in and whats out be it mechnics ets setting etc. I myself don't play D&D (I don't like the d20 system, thats the dice system used and I don't like the high-fantasy setting either plus I don't like playing as a magic casting character); overall an Role-Playing game is a group of people 4-6 usually getting together and telling a story/plot much like cops and robbers only with a set of rules.

As a gamer and RPer; it is indeed a sad thing, however it's great to know without him (and a few other people) RPGs and video games in general would only be a passing fad.

Well I believe, that tradition is meant to draw one closer to God, but that of course can easily become "ritual" and ritualism can only push one away from God and that I think is what needs to be done away with, the whole concept of "God is a doing a new thing" thats unbibiblical; that mentality right there is cultic and dangerous, so no God isn't doing a "new thing" with church simply doing away with ritual not tradition. Does that make sense?

Indeed, the religious right has always (and probably will always) be the centerpiece of scandals, cover ups, apostasies etc. I mean they're pretty much the poster children for us (sadly). Of course I don't enjoy the left anymore or less than I do the right, and I hate politics in general and I find them stupidly pushing government to legislate God's will and commandments on a sinful and lost culture. In a sense its sort of like you can lead a horse to water but you can't get him to drink.

I think this topic is rather stupid really; everytime someone in or of our faith messes up (or anyone else in this world) messes up we do 2 things, 1. we withold our love from them and 2. we continually shout "They DESERVE what happened to them"; I find this topic distressing and proof that this is true. My pastor preached on this not too long ago, and its true sadly to say; I think we're always so quick to jump on someone just because we don't like what they do or how they act etc.

I must say I'm appaled at some of the answers I have read; when are Christians going to learn that being in the world means being within EVERY part of the sick and the hurting and the dying. Is it too much to ask that we as Christians get our hands dirty? I mean the church is for worship of God but its also a place for the hurting too. I'm not condoning the homosexual lifestyle but pictures or no pictures; this man was a person; was a creation. "But I would still take exception to allowing a homosexual lifestyle or belief system becoming commonplace in the church setting" - guess what, news flash that's the world and as Christians we need to wake up and realize that when people come into the church its not for the faintest reasons of "attacking" or "disrupting" the service; LET the service be interupted. I don't know about you people; but Jesus if you want a Christian example of making a point; try loving people JUST loving people, and not trying to make "Christian" examples by barring some and letting others.

There is an irony in everyone's words here I think and that simply is, we Jesus isn't about politics etc. etc. etc., Jesus even said His Kingdom wasn't on earth yet the irony is that, if we say Jesus isn't about politics than why are we using Jesus to push our political agendas on people and bring about the "redemption" of America and American values? When we ourselves argue and bicker over the pettiest of things; why do we have to make politics be one more of those stupid arguements?

The problem today is, is that we tried to make Jesus fit for our personal poltical agenda, fact of the matter is the early Church was a commune in that it shared EVERYTHING and that Jesus was more closer to an anarchist really (I am not saying He was, just more closer to that); when you think about it, Jesus came to fulfil the law? Yes, No Jesus wouldn't agree with either Republican or Democrat and I think its wrong we base our lives around such petty politics, we are divided by so much in Chrisitanity, denomination, politics, views on beliefs, conservative and liberalism and I saw we demolish all of that. Why? Because we are divided and disorganised and even disenfranchised if there's ONE thing that I could say that is gonna make Christian's angry, its this: "Chrisitans are not ready for America."

That's usually the main reason behind cutting but like I said; there are many reasons.

I beg to differ on self-hatred; that's ONE of the reasons why people cut, however it may not be her reason.

Specifically referring to action figures and the like.

The reason I posted this is because I was reading on old topic on hear with a chapter from a book called: Turmoil in the Toybox, while I partially agree with what is said in the book, (atleast the chatper I read on here) I don't agree with alot of what is said in said book or chapter. (then again this is from the late 80's early 90's and most of the toys that are talked about I used to play with in some way or another)

Since i can't post this in controverial issues yet, I'll post it here, are toys evil? What is your take on it?