Left Behind Is Left Out of Freedom Packages
Operation Straight Up, an evangelical group that sends care packages to U.S. soldiers overseas, has apparently decided that controversial video game Left Behind: Eternal Forces might not be appropriate to send to the troops. The organization, with the full endorsement of the U.S. Defense Department, planned to send socks, snacks, baby wipes (?) and copies of Left Behind as part of the America Supports You program.
Ingrid and I have a long-standing fascination with this game, myself mainly from the standpoint that with all the flak against violent video games these days, the use of similar tactics in a game design to destroy non-believers and save the Christian day.
Brief game plot recap:
In a post-Rapture society, where all that remains are those “left behind” when the righteous ascended to Heaven, you, as a soldier of God’s word, are in charge of converting as many lost souls as you can. The irredeemable are to be destroyed. Convert or kill.
Backlash against the violence and intolerance shown in the game has come from every corner: liberal, conservative, members of the Christian establishment, members of other faiths. I understand that Operation Straight Up, being a Christian organization, may include some semi-religious materials in their care packages, but I really have to tip my hat to whomever among them decided that it might not be the best idea to send free copies of these games overseas.
Check out the promo, and weigh in with your opinion.
The Nation via Kotaku
So, can you choose to be the ‘anti-christ’ side then? Or do you have to be a warrior on the side of God?
I like that ‘evolution defined’ webpage that got slipped in there.
I don’t think it’s any more offensive than the GTA series though. It’s a kind of very extreme lifestyle. I guess the difference would be that the GTA people don’t expect it to carry over into real-life, whereas these guys do.
I bought one of the “Left Behind” books once, from a guy in the street. It cost me 20pence. So I’m not sure that “63 million copies sold” is really that impressive.
Your description/recap of the game is false. There is no “convert or kill” in the game at all. The game promotes peaceful solutions to problems – even problems that involved hostile actions by enemy forces – and violence is explicitly denounced. In fact, using violence in the game can lead to immediately losing the game.