This reminds me of an Onion article from a while back, that said the Bush administration wasn't eevn trying to pretend about its relationship with the oil industry.

And here of course, it's the relationship between Christianity and totalitarianism. (Let's be honest: mass killings? Show me a liberty government that does this.)

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

This is just one more tidbit of how sick some people can be, especially religious fanatics. And, we're being lead by one in the White House, who also happens to be an active alcoholic.
Wow! We are certainly sliding down the shute of moral ignorance...saluting all the way to the Emperor who has no clothes.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

This is precisely what makes religion so dangerous: People who can believe the outlandish assertions of the Bible and other such books are capable of believing anything -- and doing anything in the name of those beliefs.

A good example: Hitler's Nazis, many of whom wore belt buckles emblazoned with "God Is With Us", "God Is On Our Side" and similar sentiments. Often overlooked is the fact that Hitler and other Nazi leaders were obsessed with Christian mysticism.

And now we also have extremist Muslims running amok.

Humanity could be entering its final years on this planet, mainly because we haven't learned to put religion behind us and function as rational beings.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

"the books, which are targeted toward adults"

The Left Behind series is also available in a condensed young-adults version. It would be a major business blunder to leave the youth market unplundered I suppose. This game sounds exceedingly sicko though. Hope Christ can forgive us.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

I actually quated this song last year on AlterNet. At the time, the First Fool used a line from it in one of his speeches to promote one aspect or another of his mind-twistingly perverted agenda. The song is called, "I Heard The Bells On Chrismas Day". It was written during the Civil War and was a minor hit for Bing Crosby in the late forties.

Here's the line that Dubya conveniantly omitted:

And in despair I bowed my head
"There is no peace on earth", I said
For hate is strong
And mocks the song
Of Peace on earth, good will toward men....

Merry Christmas, everybody!

Pray for peace

Tom Degan
Goshen, NY
Tom Degan's Daily Rant

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

He PRAYs the violence won't affect children???? He thinks the violence won't affect 99.9% of the kids playing this game won't be affected??? Is this what he said when he screamed out against Grand Theft Auto? I highly doubt it. He probably said it WOULD adversely affect 99.9% of the kids.

This is just one more example of Christian hypocracy in the extreme. THOU SHALT NOT KILL!!!!....Unless, of course, you yell "Jesus" first. Then it's okay. Killing in the name of Jesus is fine. So, if Bundy had said, "The Lord is good," before murdering his victims and said, "I'm killing you in the name of Jesus," then his crimes would not have been crimes at all, but mere expressions of his love for his Lord Jesus Christ.

Great game, Mr and Mrs moral Christian. Very moral game. Kill, kill, kill, but only if you say you do it in Jesus' name. Let the bodies pile up...as long as they are what you consider your evil enemy. Face it, in the viewpoint of the other army, your christian army are the godless, evil ones.

Unless they rigged the game for the Antichrist army to always lose, a lot of those kids are going to be playing the Antichrist army and defeat the Christian army. These kids are damned good at these games. So is the game rigged? If so, what kind of game is that? What does that teach? Your religion is so flawed that the only way you can win a battle is to cheat? Do you think that is what will happen if the battle actually falls on your doorstep in reality? Will the Antichrist group lose because you've rigged the game?

Also, what does it say about a religion that has to go with the attitude of "if you can't beat them, join them"? Does this not show that religion does not have the Truth behind them? After all, if it's the Truth, it will stand on its own and many people will just be drawn to it. People aren't drawn to Christianity. They're shoved into it, either by being taken for brainwashing as children or by being scared into it as adults.

I could go on and on. I would like to end my tirade with this thought, though. Christians, this just proves our theory that the One True God of which the Christians speak is called money.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Violence can be presented in a 'tasteful manner"? Oh, what a sick culture we are living in! There seems to be a serious case of mass psychosis engulfing the US.
Just read this list, then take a good look around you!
The signs and symptoms of psychosis include:

* loss of touch with reality
* delusions, or false beliefs
* illusions, or mistaken beliefs
* seeing, hearing, or perceiving things that are not there
* disorganized speech
* excitement
* confusion
* depression
* agitated and inattentive behavior
* Lack of awareness of mental change

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Some American fundamentalist Christian groups do not claim to be pacifists (while some do). If they don't claim to be pacifists, then this game isn't an example of hypocracy (it wouldn't be hypocracy anyway, since this is a non-violent activity that contains depictions of violence).

These fundamentalist Christian views are consistent: their god is the only god; their faith has enemies; violence against those enemies is sanctioned by god. Many Americans feel that way.

Some Christians can argue that these guys aren't *real* Christians because Jesus turned the other cheek, but do we really need a theological debate in this country about what makes a *real* Christian? I realize that this is the way some progressive movements are turning, but I am not sure it is the right way to go.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Christ-and the first 3 centuries of followers were ALL NONVIOLENT!
No Christian ever served in the army until Emperor Constantine realized that to unite his empire he should unite the church, which up until then was a diverse group with MANY different understandings of who Christ was and what he was about. St. Augustine was the first to corrupt the gospel when penned the "Just War Theory"



One topic in my soon to be published novel is explaining the cult of Christian Zionism. Last June Mordecahi Vanunu [the ex-con and Whistleblower of Israel's WMD Program]
and I walked up the Mount of Olives discussing the cults influence and that conversation -distilled through the fictional character Jack, became the following:


“When I was in rehab, I got hold of a very bad book. It was called Left Behind. What got left behind was the gospel of peace and love. These books are bad theology and poor literature. Did you know that in America there are Christians who actually want Armageddon? They believe they will escape the nuclear holocaust because they are now the new chosen ones. They think they will be raptured; they think they will be lifted out of the world. They believe a theology of escapism and they ignore that Christ promised that ‘The peacemakers shall be called the children of God’ and that Jesus is the Prince of Peace.”

Vanunu replied, “The time has come for the United States to see the truth of Zionism. It began as a secular nationalist movement, not a religious one. Then some Christians believed that when Israel became a nation, it was the beginning of the second coming. They are deluded if they believe peace will come through atomic weapons. Atomic weapons are holocaust weapons. Christians should be the first people against them. The Christians in America should be helping the Christians here. America needs to wake up to this fallacy that Jesus will come back by nuclear war. America needs to wake up to the fact that the Palestinian Christians here have no human rights. Aren’t Christians supposed to be concerned about other Christians? Aren’t Christians supposed to be concerned about all the poor and oppressed?”

Jack had become agitated. “It is non-negotiable: all of that stuff Jesus said about doing for the least and the oppressed. It is non-negotiable for Christians; we must forgive our enemies, and we must love those who hate us. Whatever we do or do not do, we do it unto God. Every time I went through a checkpoint, saw the wall, or heard a story of oppression, I wondered how God can stand this situation. I can’t.”

The following is Excerpted From
"Is this creep-show catastrophe biblical?"
by Elizabeth Palmberg
"In other words, the main problem with the Left Behind movies and books is not the biblical literalism they incorrectly lay claim to over and over. The real problem is that Left Behind is a big old plateload of neo-con neo-gnosticism designed to almost completely ignore some of the most clearly stated points of Revelation (and the gospels), in the pursuit of a particular, arguably idolatrous, present-day political mythology....But the Left Behind films are not about discerning the actual signs of the times; they’re about a extreme right-wing political script shaped over the last few decades...."


continues on July 21, 2006 WAWA blog

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Amazingly, this game will be released without any problems but the gov't feels the need to pressure Amazon and Wikipedia (who admitted a conspiracy) to drop the book "America Deceived" by E.A. Blayre III. I guess reading and 'thought-provoking' has become more dangerous than video game mindless violence.
Final link (before Google Books drops the title due to pressure):
http://www.iuniverse.com/bookstore
/book_detail.asp?&isbn=0-595-38523-0

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

I have read the comments here and especially the descriptions of the attitudes and philosophies of the extreme evangelical Christians. I went back through all those comments and inserted "extrerme fundamental Islamics" and came to the clear realization that we are in a religious war that will spare no one.

Good Christians, good Islamic Muslims, good Jews, good other faiths who practice peace and compassion toward everyone are in grave peril. We will be overrun by these crazed warriors that have absolutely nothing to do with Armageddon, or Jesus, or God, or Allah. It is a rush for power that uses hacked religion as the theory and terror and warfare as the methodology for conquest and control.

From a religious standpoint the leaders of the real faiths need to step forward and declare these fake religious armies as heretics and a real threat to true religion. Politicallly, we the people need to make it clear we will not elect religious fanatics or tolerate one more soldier in one more war of theocratic opportunism.

Finally we must seriously ask ourselves, "how many nutcases does it take to destroy the world?" WE are not just talking about elections we are talking about saving humankind. Can we do it? Will we do it?

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

who do people like this keep fooling? the difference between a jihad and a crusade are yelling "allah" and "mohammed" as opposed to "god" and "jesus". this is sick. i think i'll get all the children i know GTA San Andreas instead.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Die by the electron.?!

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

There is plenty to be alarmed about re the religious right, but this article is as alarmist as all the people who have always gone after other video games.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Aren't these the same folks who screamed, bitched and moaned about the hyped-up violence in games like Grand Theft Auto and Halo? Aren't these the same people who called for boycotts and tighter legislation concerning the sales of games like this?

Oh wait, I think I get it now. As long as you're killing 'non-Christians' (even CGI ones) in the name of God, that's okay. This is a game with a 'profound moral message'.

And I've got a bridge in Brooklyn I'm selling for dirt cheap.

Are any of us all that surprised that these sick people are planning to whore this crap out in megachurches and that they're going to market this game to kids?

Hey my fellow liberal/left Christians and even moderate evangelicals...what are we going to Do about this? It's time to clean the thieves out of the temple.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Christianity's Great Commission, that of winning souls for Christ, depends on a display of teary-eyed sincerity paired with slick salesmanship. I think most Christians must understand that they won't be selling Jesus to very many people wth tactics like this. Even if they don't understand now, they will understand when their psychotic video game fails to seduce enough people to justify its continued existence. Let's not worry about this one. Israel is invading Lebanon. That's something to maybe worry about a little bit.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

In the article Bagley says "the last thing I would want to see is people getting on there just to kill." Duh. That's exactly what game players will do, and most of them will play on the Antichrist side (unless they're already brainwashed), because unlike so many of the population of the planet, most game players actually learn critical thinking skills and discernment and are quite allergic to BS and propaganda. In the now famous words of the real alcoholic Antichrist, "Bring it on." I can't wait to pop a few digital hypocrites.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Don't buy it if you don't want to play it:

Problem solved.

For the record (and as a casual computer gamer), there are plenty of video games that prominently feature killing, with characters such as Vampires (Bloodlines: TM), Middle Easterners (BF2), Asians (Mortal Kombat), Barbarians (Every adventure game ever made), Ghetto Pimps and Thieves (Grand Theft Auto), Scientists (Half-Life)...

etc...

etc...

There are games where you play god, steer civilizations, make war, trade, conquer galaxies...

If you don't like video games, then I suggest you go back to the boob tube and check out You Next American Idol. :) If it makes you sleep any better knowing what other people are or aren't doing in their free time, "religious themed" video games have historically all been flops. Young adults and middle-aged men (yup, those two groups are the target demographic) just aren't interested.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Whats the difference between this game and Doom, Quake, GTA or so many other ultra-violent games out now?

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Personally, while all the fundamentalists and Jesus-freaks will be lapping this game up, I seriously doubt that it will penetrate into the mainstream. First of all, the game comes at an inopportune time for its designers, with a whole slew of really good RTSs emerging in the next three to six months (Dawn of War: Dark Crusade and Medieval 2: Total War) just to name a few. It's doubtful that these guys can compete with Relic or the Creative Assembly, regardless of how good the gameplay might be (probably not all that good). Next, the guys at Talk2Action have done a lot of counter-marketing and revealed some very interesting facts, including that the game comes with a whole load of spyware for Rick Warren's ministry. No one is going to want to put that on their computers if the designer is deliberately planted software illicitely. Furthermore, the fact that the game leads evangelical Christians against essentially everyone else is going to close off the market drastically. I doubt any Muslims or atheists or moderate Christians will be playing a game that forces the player to kill Muslims, atheists and moderate Christians. That's why aliens and Nazis are usually very popular video game villians, players can fight them without being personally insulted.

Finally, games are becoming more and more story-intensive. Enemies are fought for more than just "they're the bad guys". Anyone who has played Halo or Warcraft III or Prey knows exactly what I'm talking about. It's a mark of a good title that it can suck the player into a deep, multilayered and compelling story, and the Left Behind series doesn't exactly have that. You have the kill the enemy just because they are not you, a poor motivation considering the vivid plots in other RTSs.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

This game is producing an army of programmable Orcs. Sociopaths with guns.

Monsters are being bred by this.

Right and Wrong are being erased from these childern's minds.

Digital Hitler Youths. Brown Shirts on line.

Christians, address this cancer within your own house or go down along with the rest of humanity, having served Christianity's WORST enemy of all time.

The original foe has gotten into the Church.
Only a coward would refuse to admit that now.

It's Satanic.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

There's a Buddhist precept against poisoning yourself. The interpretation of poison is pretty open. This is why people who take their Buddhism seriously don't drink alcohol or smoke anything, or do any harmful drugs.

Many people also interpret this precept to include the mind; that is, don't expose yourself to violence and negative feelings that you don't have to (which is not to say don't turn away from violence and oppression when you can do something about it, but don't take delight in hunting or games of war). By that logic, this game would be poison. It is willful, freely chosen violence against pretend-people. To even spend time thinking about committing violence is activating the wrong parts of the mind.

Thik Nhat Han (sorry... can't remember how to spell his name) talks about everybody having the seeds of both good and evil in the mind, and as for which will grow best, well... which one are you going to water most? The seeds of evil and violence are grown by violent thoughts. This videogame certianly will aid in those violent thoughts.

Why the talk of Buddhism? Well, if you actually read abuot what Jesus said and did, it's pretty close to Buddhism. I do go to a Christian church and call myself Christian, but I'm just a few temple visits shy of calling myself Buddhist, too. And they both share a doctrine of non-violence.

The whole premise of this game seems to be based on a willful mis-interpretation and extrapolation from a few texts within the Bible that has nothing to do with Christ or his teachings.

All of that aside, is this a good game? That's what will determine if children will play it. The supposedly Christian theme of the game may get it sales (parents of teens may buy it for them), but kids won't play it unless they enjoy it, and they won't enjoy it unless it's a fun game to play. I somehow doubt that it is.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

The world is messed up-- and this game will be another small example of that great lesson that will Be Learned, no matter how much us pro-peace pro-diversity showering education liberals try to delay it.

I grew up playing Grand Theft, and James Bond, and Doom, and all other manner of games... the "poison" is a also a dose/window into many people's chosen or unchosen reality, and especially many children of the world. Not that I'm promoting this game as any kind of documentary experience-- but I think that if people believe that children are going to be imprinted as murderers and rapists by one game, then you are people who have no respect or optimism for the future and I have no idea how you can wake up and even try.

Note that Tipper Gore and Hillary Clinton are some of the most outspoken video game critics-- not Christians. And frankly, I think it's all part of a symbiotic spin machine-- where Hillary and "Grand Theft" both get extra press for being seemingly controversial, but truly just distracting us yet again from other issues much more important for children.

Don't get me wrong-- as a New Yorker for six years (and yes I was 20 blocks away when the planes hit), and one who greatly fears threatening christians, threatening muslims, and threatening governments-- this game scares the shit out of me. But I'm so sick and tired of liberals making arguments in support of "reasonable" censorship-- and I think the fact that this topic invigorates us to the "action" of "blogging" shows that we too are merely respondents (as opposed to initiators) in the paradigm of a Violent Culture.

Any ideas for a Peace Initiative that doesn't involve being anti-?

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

You can see a preview of the game here, and my own story about the same subject, for the Associated Press: http://asap.ap.org/stories/505742.s

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

I'm currently writing a book on the positive potential of video games. If you're interested, contact me at demaria99@gmail.com. (I have been writing about games for 26 years.)

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Don't know about the rest of you folks but I laughed when I read this. An evangelical game?? What could be cheesier than that???? I'm sorry but I have to question the sense of humor of those who took this seriously. The Colombine school shootings did not occur because of Doom. On the contrary: by the time that Doom played a role in this, it was already too late; the kids who perpetrated this were already committed to their purpose. They, on their OWN ACCORD, modified the Doom map to resemble their school and practiced the shooting which they were ALREADY COMMITTED to doing. The school shootings were caused by something else. It was probably that they couldn't handle the school environment (bullying...who knows, this isn't the place to speculate). The point is, video games didn't cause the school shootings to happen and all the same, video games will not cause kids to turn into raving fundamentalist Christians. Taking things like this seriously means that they have already won. The terrorists who brought down the twin towers and hit the Pentagon were successful because they brought the entire nation into a reckless fury. Think about it.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

This is an issue that makes me feel tremendously impotent.
How to criticize an ideology embraced by mindboggling amounts of people?
The seeds of these ideas are found in the Bible and other holy books. However, I cannot blame all christians, jews or bible followers.
I talk to friends about this, sometimes only to find myself being cast as the radical nut that is against anything religious, which I am not.
How to articulate a rhetoric based on humanism, non-violence and respect that is convincing to the "holy"?
In this times of innumerable messages and soundbytes, how to say something that has the strength of truth?
I suppose sane christians, jews and muslims (and please, hindus and buddhists, and...) need to come together more strongly....and soon! And form a front with humanistic agnostics towards the common goal of peace.
Any ideas? Geez, I feel utopian today...

Ahimsa Paramo Dharma
(No-Harm is the supreme duty)

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Most kids are going to completely ignore such an idiotic game. Kids are brutal critics over these things. I doubt any of them will continue after the first time they hear a character say "praise Jesus!" My son thought it was the stupidest thing he's heard about so far and he's been playing games since 1995. (And he hasn't been involved in one school massacre or Satanic ritual yet!)

A game can't be designed to be successful. It doesn't work that way. If the little, brain-warped soldiers for Jesus want to play the game--let 'em. It won't be the first act of hypocrisy we've seen from the "Christian" Right Wing-Nuts. All I know is the Jesus I've read about in the New Testament and other sources would be appalled at how much hate and violence is waged in his name. Ever wonder who the wolves in sheep's clothing really are? That has never been hard to figure out.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

There are so funny. I mean really, if you can't smear your enemies blood all over the floor in the name of Jesus or impale infidels with your cross of steel then what's the point of being a Christain? I mean, the next time a non-believer, particularly and oriental, enters the scene then why not shoot it in the brain to gains the Lords trust and help to purify the earths poplulation so that the second coming will be less stressful for the dearly beloved faithful.
We need to be prepared for rapture - and for the shhh, say it softly, JEW, who may decide at the last moment not to accdept Jesus as his/her lord saviour. KILL for Jesus - Yay says our supreme leaders - the ones collecting millions of dollars of bloodlust. Ah, amen brother. Lets have a kill & prayer party tonight.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

There can be no better example of Luciferian Christianism perverting Pacifist Christianity than this Goddamned (literally) game, conceived in Hell itself.

Hope the makers and designers spend Eternity living it for real, over and over. Not my idea; Rod Serling's.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

911 has been the emergency phone number in NYC and other cities for decades. (I even wonder if that's why the date was chosen for the attacks.)

Anyway, THAT's why the number's on ambulances, as it is today.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

play as a the heathen and kill the fundies--according to other articles I’ve read on this game. Hey, if all this gets you down, remember what Jeebus said: “The poor are always with us.” Now what he meant, natch, is that it’s the poor in spirit, intellect, and compassion. Now get out there kids and kill a commie for god!

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Great article, I think it's great that
Alternet is shinning a spotlight on this
horrible game.

That said, it really bothers me that the
attitude toward video games among
progressives seems to be:

Christians killing non-Christians - Bad, Bad, Bad !!

Thief killing cop, ho or bystander - whatever (it's not real!)

It's always fun to make fun of Christian
hypocrisy, but "why beholdest thou the mote that
is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the
beam that is in thine own eye?"

* * * *

And for those of you who believe in science:

"Violent video games can increase aggressive
behavior in children and adolescents, both in
the short- and long-term, according to an
empirical review of the last 20 years of research.
These findings are presented at the 113th Annual
Convention of the American Psychological Association
in Washington, DC."

http://www.apa.org/releases/violentvideoC05.html

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Does the Christian soldier that dies in the game get to go to heaven and be surrounded by 76 virgins? Oh, wait. Is that the Muslims who believe that? I'm never sure. These religions are so similar they are rather interchangeable and I sometimes get confused.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

http://www.thorrific.com/christianpiratepussies.htm

Red Heifer, war profiteering, war contractors, Third Temple, Second Coming, Pentagon, Al-Aqsa Mosque, Jesus, animal sacrifice, Moses, Bible, Armageddon, Apocalypse, HILARIOUS!!!

Not safe for work, may offend whimpys.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Actually, back to the comments about the game, etc. I was interviewed, and some of the comments I made did not make it in, which is typical of most press stories. So, here's my take on it.
1. Yes, I hope that a Christian game, or Christian-themed game comes out that does well in the mainstream market. Why? Simple. We make Christian games (well, we have one for now, and are a year old). The problem is it is only sold in the Christian market, i.e. Bible book stores, etc. As a Christian (and it doesn't matter what "religion" of Christianity one is, though I prefer to be considered part of the Christian faith, and I'm Catholic), we're supposed to witness or make people aware of Christ, his teachings, peace, and so on. Christ did not hang out with the Pharisees and Rabbi's, He hung out with people who needed Him most: tax collectors, hookers..people who needed to know that God was their friend and loved them. Christ taught peace and love. Simple as that. Okay, so back to the subject of the game Left Behind, and what we (Covenant Studios) are doing. Currently, funding for Christian games is tough to get. We produce what we can with what little budgets we have. Then we come out with the games, and non-Christian reviewers say "The graphics aren't as good as Warcraft, the sound isn't as good as Doom..." etc. Investors see that and don't want to help, though we do have people working for us who are some of the most talented in the game and film industry. But we're limited in how much we can do when our budget is $60,000, versus $600,000 or $6 million. That's a basic fact.
So, how do we get reviewers to say nice things? Come out with a game that is AAA, appeals to a vast audience (we want to get EVERYONE to play our games), contains some sort of Christian theme without being preachy, but is a integral part of the story and game play (since that is our goal), have great game play and characters people can identify with, and make it for consoles.
That takes a lot of money.
We're hoping Journey of The Time Pilots will be that game. But if LB breaks down the "Christian games aren't that great" wall, then investors won't be so shy to invest in even better games. I don't like LB or the idea of the game, being able to kill anyone (Christians alike) who is not an evangelical, or Jews, or characters who want to be saved (which Christ did..). Why can't players be given the chance to save npc's?
Our goal is to make games that are extremely engaging, fun, and as non-violent as possible (because we're Christians). JOTTP is a WWII Time-Travel Epic, with lots of action, mystery, aerial dog fights, puzzle solving using biblical scripture, vehicles to drive, and NO killing. Period.
I think it will do very well personally, and a lot pf people, whether Christian or not, will want to play it, without having to resort to all the tricks of other RPG's, MMO's, RTS's, and so on.
Personally, I'm not too thrilled by LB. If it does well, then that helps us to get out a game I feel will be way better, on a lot of levels. I don't think killing is necessary, nor being able to choose between being on the side of God or the Devil (okay, Star Wars is an exception, with good and evil, because it's fictional fun, and shooting clone troopers is like someone mentioned earlier how aliens and Nazis make good targets), is necessary to get people to buy and play a game.
I wish our game came out first and was the one to break down the mainstream market walls.
But for now it's not. But who knows. Maybe LB will flop (one Sony exec seems to think it will). I hope it doesn't cause a backlash against all other Christian games. That would truly suck. And maybe, our game will be the one to make a really good difference.


Greg

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

What does it mean to be a fundamentalist of any religion? It means that they strickly abide by their doctrines that is found in their book of teachings. Some books like the Koran are very violent and some muslims are fundamentalist in following it which makes them violent. However, I am a fundamentalist concerning the doctrines of the Bible and NO WHERE does it give Christians permission to kill those around them who don't believe as we do. The people of "Left Behind" are good examples of people who don't read the Bible and learn what it says. They get a very small portion of it like the rapture (which BTW isn't an accepted belief by all Chrisitians) and decide how it's going to happen and then write books on it. When they realized they are making money off ignorate so-called Christians they decide to make a movie, now a video game. This has NOTHING to do with Christianity. These people call themselves Christians but they are not because they don't abide by the commands of the Bible. It's not fair to judge Christianity by what some people do...actually by what a lot of people who call themselves Christians do in this country. If you knew what the Bible had to say, you would know that these people do not represent the Bible and its truths

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

As a follower of Jesus Christ (Well, I guess that makes me a 'Jesus Freak'...) this saddens me.

The first thing that saddens me is that someone representing the name of Christ would come out with a product like this.

Are these guys real Christians? I don't know. I DO know that not everyone who claims to be a Christian is one. Jesus Himself told us this in Matthew 7 when He said "Many will say to me Lord, Lord..." but he will cast them out of His presence because they weren't true converts.

The second thing that is tragic about this is that it teaches a false theology and of course a false application. As a conservative, Bible believing Christian, the idea of killing those who 'won't convert' is about as far from biblicism as one can get. We give the message and if its not received, we leave it with them and pray that a seed was planted and will oneday grow.

Did God tell the Hebrews to take the land from the Caananites and direct them to kill them? Yes. But God had already given them that land and the Caananites They were a people who refused to give up their false worship and God had passed judgement on them. But this kind of stuff has no basis in scripture. And those of us who know the Lord know this.

As this world spins down and the time of the end draws ever nearer, this will be on the increase. It will be junk like this that will contribute to an increasing stereotyping of biblical Christianity.

Is real Christianity being portrayed accurately? Of course not. But to many that doesn't matter. The only thing that matters to alot of people is that it shows them what they want to see. But this isn't the Christianity born of God's Spirit. And this really saddens me. In a day where it's politically correct to bash the Christian faith, the enemy of the human soul has provided a straw man to mislead those who choose to not see. And in accepting that lie, they refuse to see the truth.

What better way to lead people to hell than to get them chasing rabbits?

10 out of 10 people die. Do you consider yourself to be a good person?
http://www.needgod.com

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

"Did God tell the Hebrews to take the land from the Caananites and direct them to kill them? Yes. But God had already given them that land and the Caananites They were a people who refused to give up their false worship and God had passed judgement on them."

That's crazy talk too. If you believe that racist genocide nonsense, and if you actually think that you have just put forth a factual, rational, and rational argument, then what you believe is just as insane as that "Left Behind" crap.
Quit whining and wake up to reality. What you believe just isn't true.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

one day everyone will know the truth and it won't be pretty for some

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

Once again, Zack P.-H. introduces me to a subject I knew nothing about. I'm concerned that our president may not know the difference between a video game and reality. I'm not an afficionado of video gaming; I guess there wouldn't be much of a market for a game in which peace broke out and the little characters co-operated! Thanks, Zack, for your excellent work.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

"Thompson said he hadn't read the "Left Behind" series, but says there is a difference between the books, which are targeted toward adults, and the book-based videogame for adolescents."

Actually, there's a whole division of the Left Behind empire that translates the books as "Left Behind- For Kids." I used to work the customer service desk and Barnes and Noble and meet a lot of psychotic, bigoted parents who would be forcing their kids to read that instead of Harry Potter. I guess mass extermination is better than harnessing magical powers to enact great good.

P.S.- I might be kind of nuts, but as hateful and horrible as the game sounds, I feel like it might be kind of fun to play. I'm completely against the Hilary Clinton bullshit censorship wing of the democratic party. Violence is a cultural phenomenom (and btw, it's almost exclusively a male past-time). It's not caused by a single video game and restricting freedom of expression is not going to prevent anything, though it cause a lot of already disenfranchised teens to be turned off to politics. We need to create a society that reacts to violence- the real violence, not just simulated violence- with disdain and distrust (by, say calling for a cease-fire in Lebanon- or punishing U.N. member nations that participate in war crimes of said war crimes).

Besides, violent video games do their part by creating an alternative to a much more serious, much more violent, and much more culturally dangerous activity that is rarely discussed or criticized, but has a much more damaging effect on the youths who participate in it- Hunting. Why criticize someone for shooting cops who can shoot back at you in GTA when one of our most cherished sports (beloved by both 2004 presidential candidates) involves the hopeless slaughter of defenseless animals? Why harp on the fact that social outcasts who torture small animals grow up to be serial killers without also considering who socially celebrated youngsters kill animals with their dads and grow up to be military brats who engage in all manner of atrocities?

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

i am shocked that people can create such a disgusting peice of crap and by slapping a 'christian' title on it, think it is ok. i am a teenage christian humanist and i'm sorry but there is nothing christian or even remotely godly about this video game. how is it that if a muslim orginisation were to create a similar video game where you kill in the name of god it would be labeled a work of terrorism yet when christians do it it's 'tapping into mainstream popular culutre'? it's exactly the same thing becasue it doesn't matter what religion you slap on it. no wonder there is so much hate in this world and no wonder we have religious fanatics dictating global situations that decide the fate of millions of people.

violent video games are bad enough. but this 'The Left Behind: Eternal Forces' hits an all time dangerous low. what have we become?

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

like i said in my previous comment, i am a christian and though i do not aggree with everything the christan officals or even the bible teaches us i do believe and follow when Jesus says 'love thy neighbour' becasue that is what religion, regardles of what faith, is all about- doing right by humanity. So while so many people are intent on killing and persecuting in the name of religion and God, it interests me to see just how many people actually understand what Jesus meant by 'love thy neighbour' because i'm sure many people might say they understand but they don't actually live it out.

it's just like Gandhi said-"I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ."

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

This is a video game based upon a novel. Yeah, there may be some screwed up ideology, but it is fiction. Let's not make this more than it is. I'm 18, and I know teenagers aren't the brightest and most discerning demographic out there, but give us a little credit. Most kids, if they even make it through the game, will have enough sense to differenciate between the computer screen and real life. The graphics can't be that good. No one is going to start 'killing the infidels' because of a video game. As much as we love our first ammendment rights, they are not limited to open-minded, liberal 'free-thinkers' such as ourselves. The crazy views of a few uber-conservative religious fascists should not be used against the group of christians as a whole. There are plenty of intelligent, logical christians who may be conservative in their interpretation of their faith, but not so hypocritical as these people.

And anyway, no one knows for sure about religion in any case. How do we know that what we believe is the truth? Is the truth for us the same as the truth for another?

I just love how people can be "open-minded" until they encounter someone who is strong in their beliefs, which differ from their own. Those people are fanatics.

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

I am just glad that there is a high quality Christian video game. There have been many other Christian games but none have been to the quality of this game. There is a whole slew of new Chrisitan games that are coming out for PC and the consoles. Some recent releases include Larry boy and the bad apple, and The Bible Game. Upcoming releases are Orion: The Rebel Planet and The Axys Adventures both RPGs with the former coming to the Xbox. A lot of these game can be found at http://www.gamepraise.net

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

all sites|free movies|free porn|free teen porn|
preteen pics preteens lolita sex photos|
teens needing to find themselves|
black stockings teens|
german preteens pics|
summer stock for teens children|
outreach program troubled teens|
bmi calculator for teens|
free pictures of preteens naked|
teens talk about puberty on aim|
blowjobs from teens for free|
christian website feeds for teens|
teens chicas guadalajara|
naked teens|
teens masterbating|
teens forums|
young girl teens|
flat teens|
pretty teens|
teens4hire|
preteensex|
sites for teens|
preteensexxom|
preteens pics|
lingerie for young teens|
grandpa fucking teens|
nn preteens|
seducing teens|
mosteroticteens|
freedom village for teens|
chat rooms for local teens under 20|
nude preteens toplist|
castingcouchteens|
nonnude preteens|

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

cash strapped teenshot teens in g stringsyoung naked teensteens showing cleavageteens with big boobsporn movies of teensteens porn galleryfree teen mpegsfree teen sex videosteen girls masturbatinglesbian teen moviesteen girl masturbatinguserbars............

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]

........................
.......

[« Reply to this comment] [Post a new comment »] [Rate this comment: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5]