(Trying Not To Start A Rant) The Other Side of the Christian/DnD Thing

[Andrew D. Gable]

Yup, a thread about prejudice. And how I didn't encounter it when I could have sworn I would...

Well, the other day, the hardcore Christian guy at work overheard me talking to one of my gaming buddies. Later that day, he started asking me about DnD... I started the preparations for having a coronary. I know what's coming...

But no, I actually didn't get chewed out. I was so relieved. And it made me feel better to realize that we're not gonna get judged all the time.

Anyway, just wanted to share.

 

[DonaldRumsfeldsTofu]

My friend's a Lutheran, and he plays D&D. He's not a brainless ideologue, and can rightfully determine that Dungeons and Dragons is in absolutely every way harmless, and all of it's association with the occult is propaganda and the fault of the mainstream media during the 70s and 80s. (but of course, now that's all wound down, and it's now just considered a fringe-stream hobby practiced by nerds) Of course, he also tolerates jokes our other friends make about Jesus' relationship with Mary Magdalene, so he's probably an atypical example.

 

[Breakstone]

We were sitting around playing when this big, tall matress mover came into our house to, well, move a matress into my brother's room. One of the players mentions something about magic, and the big guy say, "Magic?" in his deep, deep voice.

Now this guy was big, I mean at least 6 and a half feet tall, and I thought he was going to beat us up and steal our lunch money or something.

But instead I find him saying to my dad, "My uncle helped develope D&D. I could never tell anyone on the football team I played, though."

Just goes to show prejudice can go both ways! I never would have expected him to play!

 

[Psion]

I'm wondering if you realize how many of your fellow ENWorlders are Church-goin' Christians who might take offense at the idea that you have to make them exceptions to the "brainless idealouge" rule. Jack Chick does not represent Christianity as a whole, folks.

 

[BrooklynKnight]

Hey you coulda.............no...never mind........bad art, bad!

 

[Phaedrus]

Chalk me up as one of the Bible-thumpers.

My Sunday School teacher when I was a kid believed pretty much all fantasy was BAD BAD BAD. For whatever reason I was able to filter that part of her teaching out, as I'm a complete fantasy nut and yet still went to seminary to study theology.

Perhaps I'm abnormal, though. (pretty sure that's the case, in fact!)

 

[Dark Jezter]

I'm a christian, and so are all of the people I game with. Heck, most christians I know don't even bat an eye if you mention that you play D&D.

Sadly, if the thread related to The Passion of the Christ is any indication, it will only be a matter of time before someone makes a snide comment about christians/christianity/organized religion on a whole, and gets the thread locked.

 

[Krieg]

I attended a Catholic school from 2nd-8th grade & would routinely play D&D during recess when weather prevented us from going outside. I had a (protestant of unknown denomination) bus driver terrify me with stories about the evils of D&D (all first hand accounts coming from her pastor of course! :\) . She had me freaked out enough that I brought up the subject with our priest during my next confession. Luckily he assured me that D&D was not the "devil's game", but did caution me that it probably wasn't the best choice of pastimes for the immature/addictive personalities/mentally unstable etc. Thus reassured I pulled my 1E books back out of the attic where I stashed them, and resumed playing happily.

Sadly, if the thread related to The Passion of the Christ is any indication,.../snip/...(

Don't forget the "Ape" thread. It's certainly a two-way street.

 

[DonAdam]

Just remember that trends are just that: trends.

I'm a conservative Catholic theology major. Of the few teachers at my school that play or have played, one is a priest that is definitely to the left of me, and another is an unabashed anti-Vatican II conservative classics teacher. Even within the Catholic players that I know, then, there is such a broad spectrum that I am unwilling to identify any concrete relationship between religion and gaming.

 

[Umbran]

I'm wondering if you realize how many of your fellow ENWorlders are Church-goin' Christians who might take offense at the idea that you have to make them exceptions to the "brainless idealouge" rule.

Ah, yes. But you see, human existance is full of this sort of irony. Mr. Gable says this is about prejudice, and how he didn't encounter it. But he did. He encountered his own. Same for the Tofu man, with his comment on his friend being atypical.

Let he who is without sin throw the first stone, hm?