Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site noscvax.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!decwrl!pyramid!nsc!hplabs!sdcrdcf!sdcsvax!noscvax!jordan 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