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Path: utzoo!watmath!watnot!watrose!berosetti
From: berosetti@watrose.UUCP (berosetti)
Newsgroups: net.games.frp
Subject: Re: FRP games--a work of the devil... :-(
Message-ID: <7552@watrose.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 25-Sep-85 11:23:03 EDT
Article-I.D.: watrose.7552
Posted: Wed Sep 25 11:23:03 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 26-Sep-85 07:16:51 EDT
Reply-To: berosetti@watrose.UUCP (Barry Rosetti))
Organization: U of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 48
Keywords: Cartoons and Pierre Trudeau
Summary: Get serious about being serious...

In article <25@noscvax.UUCP> jordan@cod.UUCP (Martin C. jordan) writes:
(edited version)
>
>The Bible makes many injunctions against the use of witchcraft, sorcery,
>and such like. Christians who are following the teachings of the Bible
>MUST NOT engage in such activities. 
>        If, in the course of a D&D game, the DM starts handing out spells
>which have been in the past, or are currently being used by certain
>religious groups (i.e. Satanists, Voo-Doo, etc.), the
>play ceases to be fantasy and becomes reality no matter what your own
>personal religious beliefs are. By reality I mean that someone once or
>still takes them seriously.
>        Atheists, who by definition have no belief in dieties, can 
>consider all gods and "spells" to be fantasy and have no trouble dealing
>with them. 
>.. are concerned over the inclusion of spells and ingredients which were
>taken seriously as coming from Satan in the Middle Ages. They want it out.
>But again, like Frank said, it boils
>down to the difference one sees between fantasy and reality. Any other
>opinions, comments, flames?  
>

Get serious.  Who believes in anyones ability (past or present)
to summon a demon or do other neat things?  If you are stating that
all Christians must (or do) believe in these things (why else would
he/she take them seriously?), then you've just destroyed my belief that 
any human rationality is preserved while one worships a diety.

Even given that you do believe in these things (gag, choke), whats the
harm in poking a little bit of fun at them.  Take for example political
cartoons. There's a Pierre Elliot Trudeau game that's out there (I
believe) that pokes fun at politics without actually engaging in this
evil occupation.  Games like RISK use WAR as a basis.  There is not
much difference between this use of reality in playing and the
use of medevil superstitions in playing (or even given that you
actually believe in these things, consider the fact that
most people believe in WAR).  In order to avoid obvious arguments
consider that killing people(RISK) damns your soul just as well
as summoning demons (D&D).

			Barry Rosetti
  				{..!watrose!berosetti}
 Note: If you think RISK should be outlawed (stopped, banned,
	censored, etc) what about all the other similar games out there.
  
----
"When in trouble scream and shout, run in panic, jump about" - Heinlein
(sp?)