castlewalls said:
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I have been having an online debate with him about how gaming isn't evil. He comes back with quoting scripture,..." The appearance of witchcraft..." that sort of thing.
I asked him why as a former player, he subscribes to that kind of thought and he say's "If I knew then what I know now..."
Your thoughts -
Have you encountered people/friends/family that actually believe that D&D or ANY other kind of RPG is evil?
Have you seen any websites/articles that support that it is evil or support gaming as a good healthy thing?...
Several things...
Most importantly...
You are presently involved in an argument.
Be aware then, that you should restrict yourself to reason and evidence.
Emotional reactions (such as frustration, most prominently) significantly undercut your ability to argue your point of view.
Avoid them.
Argument is most effectively made with the hearer in mind: understand what he belives and why, and argue with him by his beliefs, not yours. It is difficult, but it can be done.
Next...
While I do not wish to insult anyone's faith, the fact is cults and quasi-cults Christian do exist. I was involved for a short and unpleasant period with LA CC. I hear they have reformed now (but at this point I don't care. They were very heavy works focussed, and the treatment I recieved there bordered on harrassment.)
One of the symptoms of cult-like groups is extreme rejection of any secular influences.
When rejection is made not on a case by case application of common sense and Christian teaching, but on a wholesale basis without the application of clear and understandable criteria, that is bad thing, make no mistake.
A 180 reversal that you describe is very unlikely to have been precipitated by a reasonable argument, or a legitimate experience of faith. Based on your description, my best determination would be that your friend has fallen in with a cult-like group.
When you attempt to reason with him, he will likely percieve it unconciously (if not conciously) as an attempt to separate him from his new group.
Why, you ask?
Because those are the terms under which he first formed his relationship with his new peer group. If he accepts that RPGs can be completely benign, then he is rejecting the thinking of his group, which will likely mean his rejection by the group, and that would be a frightening and traumatic experience for him.
Your best COA with your friend is likely
#1 patience and caring consideration, let me stress patience
#2 calmness and reasonable argument
Your friend must first ask his own questions...
Moving along...
The problem with kreynolds' responses is described in one of his posts, where he admits to enjoying the hostile reaction provoked by inflammatory statements. Rather than demonstrate empathy and an interest in a reasoned argument that employs evidence as its tools, he makes statements which he knows are subtly offensive, "sly digs"...if you will.
Another thing...
The frequent misuse of a quote is a pet peeve of mine, specifically "Judge not lest ye be judged".
The thought taught here is most accurately expressed...
"Condemn not [as in, condemn to hell, as though one had the perfect judgement of the Almighty] lest ye be condemned, according to the same measure you applied."
In other words, telling someone that they are going to hell for misusing the name of the Almighty (for example), when you do exactly that yourself, invites a like judgement to yourself, with the like consequence.
Just needed to say that, because people take that quote and make it mean all kinds of things that were not intended, by removing it from context and so forth.
