Satanic Panic of the late 80's

[Bilharzia]

I was there at the time, as a teenager and playing RPGs. The satanic panic had zero impact on myself or on anyone I knew, but I was in the UK. I am dimly aware of the panic in the US at the time, for us it was just another example of how deranged we thought Americans were. My parents and school were concerned about RPGs, but the concern had nothing to do with any religious worries and everything to do with how they thought the games were a waste of time. Apparently getting blackout drunk on Cinzano and Malibu was ok, but reading Cults of Prax was a disaster.

 

[Nytmare]

I was there at the time, as a teenager and playing RPGs. The satanic panic had zero impact on myself or on anyone I knew, but I was in the UK. I am dimly aware of the panic in the US at the time, for us it was just another example of how deranged we thought Americans were.

Check out the Satanic Panic psyops the British army was running in Belfast during The Troubles. Also Sabine McNeill's all too recent accusations that a London primary school was ritually murdering children and cooking their bodies in a McDonalds in an attempt to summon demons.

This isn't just an America problem. List of satanic ritual abuse allegations - Wikipedia

 

[nevin]

It was also when everyone was freaking out about drugs destroying society. Technology was starting to change everything and people were freaked out about it. Drug use wasnt any worse than the 50's but with tv every scary thing that might drive was now on the television

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Anyone else remember the arcade game NARC? If I recall correctly, it featured the smiling face of Nancy Reagan and an anti-drug message before the complete and total bloodbath of a game began.

It was also when everyone was freaking out about drugs destroying society. Technology was starting to change everything and people were freaked out about it. Drug use wasnt any worse than the 50's but with tv every scary thing that might drive was now on the television

 

[Wolfram stout]

Lived it. Right in the middle of the Bible Belt as a very active member of a Southern Baptist Church. My parents only had small concerns, and that was only till they realized that by playing D&D they always knew where I was at (Friend's house) and that I was not at parties or cruising, or otherwise getting into trouble.

But, I went to a Church camp after my freshman year in college. I was called a Satanist to my face by a girl for admitting I played, even though I was happy to give my full expression of faith. I was told after I walked away that the girl that had been attacking me said "I can't believe he got so defensive". Now, to be fair, the VAST majority of people there (all college age kids like me) thought she was raving mad.

The funny part, I was in the middle of a year where I stopped playing D&D on my own accord. I figured, well if it is evil maybe I can't see it. After a year, I figured that with no revelations either way, it was as safe as I always knew it was. My gaming group was great, for that year, we played Star Fleet Battles, Car Wars, Marvel Superheroes, Paranoia.

 

[Ace]

I think this is thing with some sects of Southern Baptists and the Jack Chick crowd. I've had bad experiences with cult like behavior from these guys on many occasions including being very controlling about what people read and think which is detrimental to our hobby to say the least.

This is not a "Christian" thing though at all and don't let it color your views of that religion. There are even rather devout "muscular" Christians who play D&D.

For example the Latter Day Saints (aka Mormons) are absolutely fine with D&D and SF and geek stuff in general. There are a lot YouTube stars, performers like Lindsay Sterling and authors (Brandon Sanderson for example) gamers, and such the are active in the church.

There are plenty of other Protestants too

A funny story a guy in my past group was evasive about his religion for years and this in a group with floating membership of Pagans , a Satanist, a Seventh Day Adventist, Catholics , Hindus and everything else. Once we finally found out his terrible secret that he was GASP! Lutheran we gave him a severe ribbing for being silly.

On the whole gamers generally I've noted are very religiously tolerant which is something I love about this hobby

Of note too Gary Gygax was a Christian his whole life unless I am mistaken as was Dave Arneson.

Gary would join the Jehovah's Witnesses in later life after being Catholic.

The Jehovah's Witnesses had an official teaching on it (I have that Watchtower around somewhere as a keepsake probably next to the Jack Chick tract) that from memory is roughly "D&D is fine, don't dwell on evil thought, try and play good and don't let it be an obsession" so its officially cool with these guys too.

 

[billd91]

I think this is thing with some sects of Southern Baptists and the Jack Chick crowd. I've had bad experiences with cult like behavior from these guys on many occasions including being very controlling about what people read and think which is detrimental to our hobby to say the least.

This is not a "Christian" thing though at all and don't let it color your views of that religion. There are even rather devout "muscular" Christians who play D&D.

For example the Latter Day Saints (aka Mormons) are absolutely fine with D&D and SF and geek stuff in general. There are a lot YouTube stars, performers like Lindsay Sterling and authors (Brandon Sanderson for example) gamers, and such the are active in the church.

There are plenty of other Protestants too

I think this kind of oversimplifies things. There may be trends about certain sects of Christianity being more hostile to D&D than others, but back in the 1980s, it varied a lot by the individual and probably still does. For example, we lost a friend to a parental ban because his LDS minster told his parents he shouldn't be playing. And some prominent critics of D&D (authors of Catechism of the New Age: A Response to D&D) were Presbyterian.

 

[Ace]

I think this kind of oversimplifies things. There may be trends about certain sects of Christianity being more hostile to D&D than others, but back in the 1980s, it varied a lot by the individual and probably still does. For example, we lost a friend to a parental ban because his LDS minster told his parents he shouldn't be playing. And some prominent critics of D&D (authors of Catechism of the New Age: A Response to D&D) were Presbyterian.

Absolutely. All excellent points. Funny enough I forget that I've even read Catechism of the New Age: A Response to D&D during religious studies. It was so long ago and like a lot of religious texts seemed to bounce of the proverbial deflector shields.

Also as I mentioned earlier than 80's were far more religious than the 2020's. Its not the difference between now and say the Middle Ages but its very different now.

Also with so many people having played D&D in the 80's, it was a huge cultural phenomenon played by everyone from Jocks to Stoners, the stigma was harder to maintain and no doubt quite a few D&D tolerant or even Pro D&D people made their way into positions of authority. Things got better.

Heck even as early as 1984, some churches ran games especially of the Christian RPG DragonRaid which replaced the "spells" that gave so many the religious types the willies with Bible verses called Word Runes IIRC. I've never played it as I am not at all religious and could never find a group but it sounded fun if you can handle the proselytizing. It was still controversial though , some people feared imagination and pretending and anything "occult"

The D&D fear I think was also mostly an American thing in the developed world at least This kind of mindset is common to the culture here and occasionally crops it ugly head up even now.

Frankly while the panic had no effect on me or mine for a lot of reasons and was good publicity it made a lot of young people miserable. I'm quite glad its gone. Good riddance.

 

[Bohandas]

I think this is thing with some sects of Southern Baptists and the Jack Chick crowd. I've had bad experiences with cult like behavior from these guys on many occasions including being very controlling about what people read and think which is detrimental to our hobby to say the least.

Jack Chick I think is unintentionally useful to society because of the accidental reductio ad absurdium contained within his work. He prominently depicts the outlandishly bizarre things that would happen if his belief system were true, and thus helps those who are not already brainwashed to see that it's not true.

 

[cmad1977]

Check out the Satanic Panic psyops the British army was running in Belfast during The Troubles. Also Sabine McNeill's all too recent accusations that a London primary school was ritually murdering children and cooking their bodies in a McDonalds in an attempt to summon demons.

This isn't just an America problem. List of satanic ritual abuse allegations - Wikipedia

Rookie mistake.
Sacrifices should always be done at an Arby’s.
After all...
They have the meats.