Are We the Devil's Children?

[Mystic_23]

Emmett, Idaho! My God, there are like 35-40 people there. I am suprised the lynch mob hasn't caught up with you yet. (Ok, there are more than 40 people, I have an evil twisted weird uncle that lives there).

h

Well, when I refered to "Around here" I meant in the general Boise area, as opposed to Emmett. I pretty much agree with your assessment of Emmett. That's why I don't flaunt my hobby around there. And you're right...there are more than 40 people. The neighbor just had a baby.

 

[Desdichado]

I mean, we are dressed professionally and look about as satanic and evil as that teddy bear on the Snuggle Fabric Softner commercial.

Dude, haven't you seen those latest billboards, with the bear humping the legs of beautiful women in lingerie looking all hot and ready? That thing is EVIL and SIN with a capital E. And S. Or is that a capital T that rhymes with P... I'm so confused.

 

[MojoGM]

It's funny how it's okay to characterize Christians as nuts, wackos, et cetera, and how rude behavior directed at Christians is applauded.

Well, not funny really. More like pathetic.

But each to their own, I suppose.

Now, to be fair, I don't think we were being rude, we were just poking fun at his accusation. And even if we WERE being rude, it was not because we wanted to slight any religion, but rather because this person was being completely idiotic.

I mean, WHO walks up to total strangers in a bookstore and starts spouting off about how they are evil for reading a particular book?

I don't condone anyone being ridiculed for their religious beliefs, but I also don't take any garbage from some nutjob looking to push his agenda either.

 

[Mystery Man]

That said, when accosted by a genuine wacko who feels perfectly free to abuse you for his beliefs, it's entirely fair game to respond in kind. If you can produce a compelling enough argument to crush their entire belief system and leave them shattered and in tears, more power to you. This is not anti-religion, this is anti-unhinged-wacko-nutjob.

Thats exactly what I was thinking. I know plenty of Christians who are awesome.

I'm more of the bash the nut job who happens to be a christian who's in my face type guy.

 

[Celebrim]

"But that right ends when you shove your beliefs in my face and treat me like a degenerate for not following what you hold dear."

Heaven forbid that someone should care enough about someone else to expose himself to possible ridicule and derision merely because he believes he is trying to be helpful.

"Closed-minded idiocy doesn't necessarily have anything to do with one's religion, it's more of a personal defect that in some cases encourages people to spout off loudly about their beliefs in inappropriate settings."

Indeed. Failed wisdom check. But is that the worst defect one can have?

"These are the people we've all had run-ins with over the years, not the good-natured sort who quietly follow their beliefs and stay out of other people's lives."

Imagine the state of being motivated to not stay out of other peoples lives if you can. What the heck good is a philosophy if it doesn't motivate you not to quietly do your own thing? What the heck good is a religion if it doesn't motivate us to intervene in the lives of our fellow man? Imagine, a philosophy that said there is more to life than doing what is comfortable and convienent.

"That said, when accosted by a genuine wacko who feels perfectly free to abuse you for his beliefs, it's entirely fair game to respond in kind."

Yes, now that is the responcible and loving attitude. Harm no one, do as you will, but man if you annoy me are you ever going to get it?

"If you can produce a compelling enough argument to crush their entire belief system and leave them shattered and in tears, more power to you."

Heaven forbid that we should actually have to practice tolerence and empathy at a time that it is trying for us to do so. Imagine, expecting someone to be tolerent in the face of intolerence! Imagine, expecting to repay someone's hate with love! What kind of folly is that?!?!

"This is not anti-religion, this is anti-unhinged-wacko-nutjob."

I guess that makes it OK.

 

[Desdichado]

That said, when accosted by a genuine wacko who feels perfectly free to abuse you for his beliefs, it's entirely fair game to respond in kind. If you can produce a compelling enough argument to crush their entire belief system and leave them shattered and in tears, more power to you. This is not anti-religion, this is anti-unhinged-wacko-nutjob.

I've been abused online plenty for being Christian. Not so much here, though, at least, but I suspect only because religion tends to get threads locked down pretty quickly.

That said, my reaction to the above situation, if it were to ever happen to me (which it hasn't despite growing up in an area where you'd think it would) would be to also point out that I'm a Mormon. If they're the kind of folk who are scared of D&Ders, they're probably the kind who think Mormons are much worse.

I wouldn't do anything overtly rude to him, but at the same time, I consider that behavior to be more than rude as well. And, I tend not to suffer fools very well, which isn't a really great personality point for me, but there you have it: no one's perfect, and in my case, that's clearly true.

 

[Djeta Thernadier]

Guys & Gals...

This was not meant to be an anti-religion post. Let's not get it closed ok? I don't even know what religion the guy was. Virtually every religion quotes the OT. I'm an atheist and I've quoted the OT.

I think whoever said "This is not "anti-religion", this is "anti wacko-nutjob who walks up to total strangers and starts calling them devil worshippers for no good reason other than he's a busybody and doesn't like what they do for a hobby" said it best.


DjetaT

 

[Liquid Snake]

Never happened to me, but I have a sad story about one of our Orcus-worshipping lot lost to the soul-savers.

Back in high school I had this friend -well more of an acquaintance really- who used to play with me and by buddies , by the way he was a terrible gamer and Magic player too. I remember this one time where we were playing Council of Wyrms and while on a gnome village he squished gnomes who didn't agree to be his friend (and he was a good dragon).

Anyway, one summer he went to a Christian camp or something and when he came back he layed on us this sermon on how he had "opened" his eyes and he was renouncing to D&D and that we should do it too if we wanted to save our souls. We had a special sacrifice to the Dark Lords that night.

Do you think it would be any use to go all zealous on them? And responded something like:

Play D&D!
The Power of Gygax compels you!
Dave Arneson saves!

 

[Ristamar]

It's funny how it's okay to characterize Christians as nuts, wackos, et cetera, and how rude behavior directed at Christians is applauded.

Well, not funny really. More like pathetic.

But each to their own, I suppose.

I understand where you're coming from. I was born and raised Catholic, though I stopped going to church around my senior year of high school. A lot of my friends and classmates had also attended church. We never had any problems playing D&D, nor did any of our parents disapprove.

I've had a few friends that would occasionally fly off the handle about Christians with extreme comments (and they wouldn't be joking), essentially grouping all Christians together as crazed zealots the same way others group all D&D players as devil worshippers. I certainly don't consider myself a religous person, but it would still irk me.

Two sides of the same coin...

 

[PowerWordDumb]

Heaven forbid that someone should care enough about someone else to expose himself to possible ridicule and derision merely because he believes he is trying to be helpful.

Give me a break. We're not talking about someone coming up and engaging you in conversation about your hobby out of genuine concern, we're talking about the kind of people who see you holding a book and loudly and publicly declare you a satan-worshiper and a degenerate, and likely worse, for your horrible sin. If someone wants to talk to me about what they think are the dangers of an RPG, I'm happy to talk to them and disabuse them of their notions, without any necessity for argument or anger. This is not that person, as one who read the thread could plainly tell.

Indeed. Failed wisdom check. But is that the worst defect one can have?

Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt.

Imagine the state of being motivated to not stay out of other peoples lives if you can. What the heck good is a philosophy if it doesn't motivate you not to quietly do your own thing? What the heck good is a religion if it doesn't motivate us to intervene in the lives of our fellow man? Imagine, a philosophy that said there is more to life than doing what is comfortable and convienent.

There are methods and there are methods. If I (or the person we're discussing) were truly motivated by concern for his fellow man, he would find a productive way to engage in conversation. Breaking out the "demon worshipper" epithet is a sure-fire way to end all chance of conversation, isn't it? You at least owe me the courtesy to back off once you ascertain I'm not interested in your flavor of world-view, no matter what it is and no matter how important it is to you. If you think I'm going to hell (or gehenna, or whatever), then so be it, but keep that opinion to yourself.

Yes, now that is the responcible and loving attitude. Harm no one, do as you will, but man if you annoy me are you ever going to get it?

So it's okay to cause someone pain by assaulting them in a public place, but it's not okay to respond in kind, because at least the initiation was due to deeply-held convictions? Sure, and the crusades were about bringing peace and love to the Saracens too.

Heaven forbid that we should actually have to practice tolerence and empathy at a time that it is trying for us to do so. Imagine, expecting someone to be tolerent in the face of intolerence! Imagine, expecting to repay someone's hate with love! What kind of folly is that?!?!

I'll practice as much tolerance and empathy as is presented to me. Make no mistake, I don't follow any belief which says it's better to turn the other cheek. I'll discuss things rationally if people want to go down that route, but I'll also happily get down in the dirt with you if that's how you want to go about it. But I forgot - it's okay to be rude and insulting as long as you've got a belief system that says it's okay, right?

I guess that makes it OK.

It does. I may not start any fights, but I'll sure as hell end them.

Look, this isn't about religion at all. It's about the only thing that ever solves a difference of opinion - the preference to have a rational discussion, backed up with the firm resolve to prevail in any confrontation that someone sets at your feet.