The game that got left behind

http://blog.christianitytoday.com/outofur/archives/2006/08/praise_the_lord.html

Ever read an article that seemed like a really sick joke and laughed about it...and then found out a few minutes later it wasn't a joke at all? Well, get the party started...I've joined the club.
In “Praise the Lord, Pass the Ammo”, Skye Jethani describes a new video game based in the Left Behind universe. Left Behind: Eternal Forces is a top-down strategy game in which the player can choose to command either Christian or demonic forces in the post-Rapture battle for New York. From reading both comments on this blog as well as seeing the wealth of posts being written about it in other sites, it's obvious that the Christian world is divided over the “morality” of the game.
Granted, with an issue so hot, there's bound to be some misinformation being spread. And, not having played the game myself, I don't know whether it's true or not. Some rumors have it that characters scream “Praise the Lord!” when they kill enemies; others say that praying helps you regain power before you go and kill some more. Whether these are true or not, I've done a little looking on the game site as well as the blog post, and tried to piece together exactly what is going on.
The game's creators do, admittedly, have a good mission. Video games are a staple in the media diet of almost all children and teens. Marketing Christianity here opens up a whole new set of ears that just might be willing to let in the Gospel. However, as Skye Jethani goes on to ask, is a violent game really the proper medium for evangelism? Is violence okay in games if Christianity comes along with it?
Absolutely not.
Let's look at the purpose of the game. The creators' stated purpose is creating “Christian-themed” “interactive media” for the consumption of the general public. Evangelism with video games. The specific Left Behind: Eternal Forces game is supposed to teach about the Bible as well as have “all the cool stuff”, as the company's owner states. (Cool stuff, in this case, meaning violence, killing, etc). And in defense of “the cool stuff”, one commenter on Skye's blog reminded everyone that “It's just a game.” All the violence isn't “real”. Only the Bible stuff is, right?
In a post a while back, I talked a little bit about games and reality and et cetera. Games should not replace parents as moral teachers, or else little kids with porous, untrained minds will begin to soak up all that nonsense as an actual worldview. Older children and adults, on the other hand, have solid worldviews and will have a point of reference-what is really moral and what is not-on which to base the game's content. This principle does not change just because a game is “Christian”. “Spiritual” youngsters-new Christians or seeking unbelievers-do not have a point of reference on which to base the Christian content of the game. Their “porous” spiritual minds will soak up all they see-even if it means that Christianity becomes a game of war. Older and more mature Christians will be able to file this game under a title of what they already know about their faith, but then again, the point of the game is to evangelize, right? Not entertain older Christians.
I also enjoyed what another commenter said. What has our culture come to, that the only way we can evangelize is with high-tech video games and entertainment? Very true. But then again, this also admits that our culture has come to that point-and Christians need to adapt accordingly. Perhaps Christian video games are the way of the future? But not in the overt way Left Behind: Eternal Forces goes about it. Why not stick Christian characters into “regular” games and stories, instead of blaring out “CHRISTIAN MEDIA” all over the cover of a story? People are much more likely to listen when they have to process what's going on, instead of instantly knowing that religious messages are going to pop out of the box when they lift the lid. That more than anything probably turn offs many staunch atheists. But who knows. Ideas, ideas.
Oh, and one more thing. These “game designers” need to learn something about texture resolution. Har har.