Left Behind: Hateful Christian Game?
December 12, 2006 by Ingrid Diaz
Filed under Gaming
A while I ago, I posted about Left Behind, a Christian video game based on the Left Behind books. The purpose of the game: convert the sinners. Sounds innocent enough, but this RTS game is gaining backlash from the Christian community itself.
Killing non-Christians is probably not the right way to go about convicing them to turn to God.
Despite protests, retailers like Wal-Mart refuse to pull the game from the shelves. Why should they? It’s selling, and that’s all they care about.
“We look at the community to see where it will sell,” said Tara Raddohl. “We have customers who are buying it and really haven’t received a lot of complaints about it from our customers at this time.”
Clark Stevens, co-director of the Campaign to Defend the Constitution, said the game is not peaceful or diplomatic.
“It’s an incredibly violent video game,” said Stevens. “Sure, there is no blood. (The dead just fade off the screen.) But you are mowing down your enemy with a gun. It pushes a message of religious intolerance. You can either play for the ‘good side’ by trying to convert nonbelievers to your side or join the anti-christ.”
The Rev. Tim Simpson, a Jacksonville, Fla., Presbyterian minister and president of the Christian Alliance for Progress, added: “So, under the Christmas tree this year for little Johnny is this allegedly Christian video game teaching Johnny to hate and kill?”
Both groups formed in 2005 to protest what their 130,000 or so members feel is the growing political influence and hypocrisy of the religious right.
Players can choose to join the anti-christ’s team, but of course they can never win on Carpathia’s side. The enemy team includes fictional rock stars and folks with Muslim-sounding names, while the righteous include gospel singers, missionaries, healers and medics. Every character comes with a life story.
When asked about the Arab and Muslim-sounding names, Frichner said the game does not endorse prejudice. But “Muslims are not believers in Jesus Christ” — and thus can’t be on Christ’s side in the game.
Right-o. Here’s a game that’s not on my wishlist.
Via | SQL Space
There has been alot of misleading information spun throughout the public and media regarding Left Behind Eternal Forces game. I encourage you to visit http://www.menofgod.us & download a trial version. I believe the first hand experience will allow you the opportunity to judge for yourself and put these rumors to a rest.
Here is a statement from the CEO, Troy Lyndon, to clarify some of the misconceptions and propaganda:
LEFT BEHIND: Eternal Forces
A PC Game
FOCUS ON THE FAMILY endorses our game. Read below to find out why!
Our game DOES NOT encourage killing.
Our game is NOT anti-Semitic.
Our game is NOT anti-Muslim or anti-Islamic.
It is anti-EVIL! The ultimate bad-guy is the Antichrist who wants to eliminate all faiths and all religions, except his and he is deceiving the entire world.
Our game does NOT teach the pre-tribulation theology of the book series, except that this worldview is utilized as a FICTIONAL backdrop of the game.
In the past several days, numerous people have been and continue to spread misinformation about the game.
Our game is the first game ever to encourage the use of PRAYER and WORSHIP as the most effective means to resolve conflict.
Physical warfare is discouraged as the LEAST EFFECTIVE means for resolving conflict…and a gamer loses points for using a gun.
This is the world’s first high-quality inspirational game which intends to model positive behavior by discouraging physical warfare.
Please play the game for yourself and help us to get out the TRUTH.
In an industry which creates so much gratuitous violence and gore, LEFT BEHIND: Eternal Forces presents a healthy alternative. We need your help to get the word out!
PLAY THE GAME and find out for yourself that this game is about the battle of good versus evil.
Here are a few things said by others:
- The Anti-Defamation League, although they speak out against the book theology, says “Conversion to Christianity in the game is not depicted as forcible in nature, and violence is not rewarded in the game.”
- AOL says it is a “Positive Moral Message”
- Focus on the Family says “Finally! A game Mom and Dad can play with Junior”
- Concerned Women for America says “A game we can wholeheartedly recommend!”
- Wired Magazine “Few are as ambitious and polished as this PC title.”
- ArsTechnica.com “This is a game that Christian parents can buy their kids, and one that Christian kids can play themselves without any guilt about “questionable content.””
- Women of Faith says “In an industry that is full of destruction with no hope, the LEFT BEHIND game
- Clint Thomas from Chaos Theory says “For years we’ve been telling kids what to run from and not what to run to, until now!”
Should you have any concerns about this game, please go to the contact us page on our website at http://www.leftbehindgames.com and we’ll do our best to connect with you.
Sincerely,
Troy Lyndon
CEO, Left Behind Games Inc.
This statement is posted from an employee of Left Behind Games on behalf of Troy Lyndon, our Chief Executive Officer.
There has been in incredible amount of MISINFORMATION published in the media and in online blogs here and elsewhere.
Pacifist Christians and other groups are taking the game material out of context to support their own causes. There is NO “killing in the name of God” and NO “convert or die”. There are NO “negative portrayals of Muslims” and there are NO “points for killing”.
Please play the game demo for yourself (to at least level 5 of 40) to get an accurate perspective, or listen to what CREDIBLE unbiased experts are saying after reviewing the game at http://www.leftbehindgames.com/pages/controversy.htm
Then, we’d love to hear your feedback as an informed player.
The reality is that we’re receiving reports everyday of how this game is positively affecting lives by all who play it.
Thank you for taking the time to be a responsible blogger.
The game and the paperback series should be boycotted by reasonable people everywhere. Left Behind? Only a fundamentalist believes that god is somehow exclusive and will take others and leave the sinners behind. This is a Christian myth and deception. Only the “in” group goes to be with jesus. How quaint! How discriminatory! How primitive a mindset. These authors and gamemakers got rich off gullible people by propagating a lie. They will get theirs. Fortunately the Universe is designed so that what we put out we get back.
i admit… i skipped reading shortly after “Killing non-Christians is probably not the right way to go about convicing them to turn to God.”
what about the Inquisition… and, more recently, the crap they pulled with the native americans…