An amusing story. . .

[d20fool]

Recently (as in yesterday) I attempted to convince a local shop owner to carry D&D and Magic products on consignment. The shop was a new-age shop that recently opened up in my small, bible-belt, rural Missouri town. It's a bit unusual here, where people commonly have religious t-shirts, bumper stickers and even Christian music playing in the local Ace hardware store. Here is a place that has a lady with a "Got Wicca?" T-shirt behind the counter. They had customers request it before, and my initial meeting was hopeful. On my return, however, they told me that "These games are pretend, and the magic we sell here is real."

Initially disappointed, I began to laugh on the way home. All those times I've heard that conservative Christians claiming that D&D and Magic are recruiting tools by witches, and when you ask some real witches to sell it, they get kind of offended about the whole deal.

C'est la vie,

 

[Kae'Yoss]

You know what to do: Perform a ritual to sever their connection to any an all ley lines they use, and then blast them with infernal fire

 

[Ambrus]

My wife, a pagan, works in the largest occult supply store in Canada. For what it's worth, most of the staff are hard-core gamer geeks like me. I know all the staff members personally and have gamed with many of them for almost a decade. Although they don't sell game books in the store, they often order them from their distributor for their own use.

Although I'm not a pagan or wiccan myself (I'm angnostic) and I'm quite fond of many pagans, I've unfortunately seen some examples of the kind of pagan-elitism you've encountered. A few times, while in the store, I've caught some of the staff members uttering a snide comment or joke at the expense of another pagan's particular beliefs. I try to keep an open mind myself, but honestly, I can't understand how members of one fringe group can make fun of members from another fringe group whose beliefs seem essentially the same to me. Goes to show that even liberals can be close-minded about some things.

 

[Rokonin]

I live in rural Missouri, too, but luckily I close enough to Springfield where I can use their gaming stores. My mom and a few people I know are pagan, and they are all or used to be avid gamers. I've seen that kind of elitism before, too, but I don't let it bother me. Good luck!

 

[Turanil]

Recently (as in yesterday) I attempted to convince a local shop owner to carry D&D and Magic products on consignment. The shop was a new-age shop that recently opened up in my small, bible-belt, rural Missouri town. It's a bit unusual here, where people commonly have religious t-shirts, bumper stickers and even Christian music playing in the local Ace hardware store. Here is a place that has a lady with a "Got Wicca?" T-shirt behind the counter. They had customers request it before, and my initial meeting was hopeful. On my return, however, they told me that "These games are pretend, and the magic we sell here is real."

Initially disappointed, I began to laugh on the way home. All those times I've heard that conservative Christians claiming that D&D and Magic are recruiting tools by witches, and when you ask some real witches to sell it, they get kind of offended about the whole deal.

C'est la vie,

Excellent story!

Now consider this: you live in what looks like to me as a near fundamentalist Christian area ("small, bible-belt, rural Missouri town. It's a bit unusual here, where people commonly have religious t-shirts, bumper stickers and even Christian music playing"); then you ask in an occult shop ("the magic we sell here is real") to sell rpg stuff? Are you crazy, or just unconscious? It seems to me that you just want to give (pseudo) credence to those incredibly naive Christian fanatics who choose rpgs for their next crusades' target! :\

 

[Zappo]

These people have a religion, not a hobby; they take wicca and magic as seriously as any christian takes his saints. I think their point of view is clear and consistant. Simply, they are a religious shop, not a fashion/hobby store. You could as well have asked them to carry canned beans.

If anything, they have more reason to be offended by RPGs than fundamentalist christians (well, "less unreason" at least). Most RPGs take pains not to offend christianity, but they have no trouble at all in depicting witches and magic in whatever way best suits the game. Me, I couldn't care less either way, but I can definitely see the rationale for that store's policy.

 

[d20fool]

Excellent story!

Now consider this: you live in what looks like to me as a near fundamentalist Christian area ("small, bible-belt, rural Missouri town. It's a bit unusual here, where people commonly have religious t-shirts, bumper stickers and even Christian music playing"); then you ask in an occult shop ("the magic we sell here is real") to sell rpg stuff? Are you crazy, or just unconscious? It seems to me that you just want to give (pseudo) credence to those incredibly naive Christian fanatics who choose rpgs for their next crusades' target! :\

That wasn't my intention, you can't sidestep around these people so why bother? However, I WAS looking for someone who wouldn't be intimidated by the God Squad. They come from a church in town and ask stores not to carry things. I former comic book shop owner here was asked not to sell Magic (he declined, God bless him) and the Hindu guy who runs a convenience store here is the only guy who sells porno (not that I'm buying, just an observation.) The God Squad even came to my house once. They asked what I believed in and when I told them, they diplomatically told us that we could come to their church and they would set us straight.

 

[Green Knight]

That wasn't my intention, you can't sidestep around these people so why bother? However, I WAS looking for someone who wouldn't be intimidated by the God Squad. They come from a church in town and ask stores not to carry things. I former comic book shop owner here was asked not to sell Magic (he declined, God bless him) and the Hindu guy who runs a convenience store here is the only guy who sells porno (not that I'm buying, just an observation.) The God Squad even came to my house once. They asked what I believed in and when I told them, they diplomatically told us that we could come to their church and they would set us straight.

Yeah, that's so intimidating. A bunch of people inviting you to church. Right. Is that the same manner of "intimidation" which they unleashed on the comic store owner and the convenience store owner? Pfft. They're consumers, and they let the proprietors of these businesses know their feelings. But oh no, how DARE they express their opinions! And what're they backing up this "intimidation" with? Did they throw a brick through the glass of that Hindu guys store? Did they spray paint grafitti on that comic store?

Yeah, that's some heavy intimidation, there, expressing your right to Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Protest, and Freedom of Religion in a peaceful manner. These Plebeians should know better. The Bill of Rights ONLY applies to their Ivory Tower Overlords, not to the unwashed masses.

BTW: If you're having a hard time finding D&D and Magic stuff...

http://www.amazon.com <----------

 

[Heretic Apostate]

Guys, there's a reason why the discussion of real-world religion is banned from EN World. This is a case in point. I'd suggest you edit your posts before a mod sees them...

 

[Hypersmurf]

Indeed. In fact, probably safest to close this one to avoid further argument...

-Hyp.
(Moderator)