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From: jordan@noscvax.UUCP (Martin C. Jordan)
Newsgroups: net.games.frp
Subject: Re: FRP games--a work of the devil... :-(
Message-ID: <25@noscvax.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 19-Sep-85 16:30:35 EDT
Article-I.D.: noscvax.25
Posted: Thu Sep 19 16:30:35 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 25-Sep-85 06:37:07 EDT
References: <6601@ucla-cs.ARPA> <16240@watmath.UUCP>
Reply-To: jordan@cod.UUCP (Martin C. jordan)
Followup-To: jordan@nosc.ARPA
Organization: Naval Ocean Systems Center, San Diego
Lines: 42

In article <646@mmintl.UUCP> franka@mmintl.UUCP (Frank Adams) writes:
>
>
>One point one can make against narrow-minded fundamentalists (a proper
>subset), is that generally in FRP the players are *fighting* the demons
>and such, not making friends with them.  Of course, they are supposedly
>using magic to do so, so this argument can't be carried too far.  The main
>point has to be the distinction between fantasy and reality.

        Thank you, Frank, for getting to the heart of the matter. The
main point IS (emphasis mine) the distinction between fantasy and reality.
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. A Christian, on the other hand, believes in the power of Satan
and should not deal with such matters. The line between fantasy and
reality can get very fine here. From the Christian perspective, it becomes
easy for a game to become serious business.
        The upshot of all this is that the narrow-minded fundamentalists
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.
The athiests think the N-MF's are in a fantasy world and don't take either
one seriously. The solution, I don't know. Both are approaching the 
problem with radically different world-views. This I do know, me and a 
whole lot of other Christian fundamentalists have been able to reconcile
differences and have lots of fun. But again, like Frank said, it boils
down to the difference one sees between fantasy and reality. Any other
opinions, comments, flames?  

                                        From the Keep of Webberan,

                                                Martin Jordan
                                                jordan@nosc.ARPA
                                                jordan@cod.UUCP