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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Yaarel" data-source="post: 7818062" data-attributes="member: 58172">The CORE RULES must be setting neutral − especially religiously neutral.The settings must be strictly optional − especially a setting that focuses on a particular religious worldview.It must be that a gaming group of a DM and players have a choice to actively opt in a religion − rather than try disentangle themselves out of one.It should be ok for Muslim parents to let their kids play a popular game without worrying that D&D is telling their kids to conform to polytheism.It should be ok for fundamentalist Christians to play D&D on their terms. Why not? It is a fun game.It should be ok for Orthodox Jews to play D&D. Currently it is formally forbidden in many communities because the appearance of idolatry is as forbidden as actual idolatry.It should be easy for seculars to play D&D without having to deal with any religion at all, or feel like they are cartoonizing other people’s religious sensitivities.It should be easy for polytheists to present a more authentic polytheistic worldview.It should be easy for animists to talk about minds or spirits, without everything getting misunderstood as gods.And so on.To write core rules that are religiously neutral, is culturally respectful and easy to formulate.Besides, as a DM who likes to worldbuild, I need access to setting-neutral core rules that stay out of my way of building worlds that have little to do with the Forgotten Realms setting or the Multiverse setting.All of these D&D gaming groups from all of their different religious perspectives should be able to easily explore whatever worlds they find interesting − without feeling like they are coerced (by core rules or peer pressure) to violate their own religious sensibilities.If someone plays Vampire The Masquerade and wants to (respectfully) pretend to be a Christian, have at it. Enjoy the religious freedom. But if one requires someone else to pretend to be a Christian. No.If someone plays Forgotten Realms and wants to (respectfully) pretend to be one of the very many different kinds of polytheism. Have at it. Enjoy the religious freedom. But if one requires someone else to pretend to be a polytheist. No.Allowing for a very blurry definition of polytheism, perhaps 25% of the human species today employs some form of polytheism. Polytheism is a reallife fact. Our world is too small too think polytheism is ‘fantasy’ or ‘exotic’.To cartoonize polytheism is ignorant religionism, just like blackface was ignorant racism in the previous century.There must be zero coercion in spiritual matters.It is easy for WotC to clarify core rules to make them more religiously neutral − and setting neutral.And ethical.Any religious themes require an opt in − rather than a disentangle out.</blockquote>

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