The religious nuts are getting crazier...

[vrikasatma]

Was it this one?

http://www.religioustolerance.org/reconstr.htm

[Machine-Whisperer]

Has anyone read that article about the "reconstructionists"? The ones who want to turn back the clock a few thousand years and kill everybody for ridiculus reasons? I'll find it as soon as I go to my firends house she has bookmarked.

A FEW thousand?! most religeons have only been really widespread for around 1500 years.

[Set]

I don't even go looking for these things.

This has to be one of the stupidest articles I've read in awhile. Though I didn't think it was worthy of its own topic.

http://www.raptureready.com/rr-liberal-media.html

And yes Terastas, I'm aware you've seen it already. *goes back to lurking*

[Renorei]

I don't even go looking for these things.

This has to be one of the stupidest articles I've read in awhile. Though I didn't think it was worthy of its own topic.

http://www.raptureready.com/rr-liberal-media.html

Too bad it's all true.

[vrikasatma]

The article is ridiculous but what I find most disturbing about it is they're taking shots at the liberal media, and <i>COMPLETELY IGNORING SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS THAT REALLY ARE HELLISH</i>. Like dictatorships, plutocracies, and countries like Somalia, which HAVE no government.

Did you know that Somalia's coast is crawling with pirates? And not the cool fun ones either, I'm talking serial killers at the helms of stolen gunships.

Iran has no liberal media, and neither do Egypt, Syria, the Central African Republic, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Turkmenistan and North Korea. Liberia was founded by freed slaves and it's become a corrupt, dysfunctional joke. I'd include this country but that's open to debate and I want to keep it to countries that are incontestible examples of hell on earth. If the jokers on that site were the Christians they pretend to be, they'd be expounding on those countries and leaving the bullshit conspiracy theory angle out of it.

[Terastas]

Too bad it's all true.

Minus four respect points Renorei.

Also, comparring this to Grand Theft Auto is hardly fair. GTA is social commentary.

First of all, the protagonists are always victims of circumstance -- people born into a life of crime. And second, the settings and atmosphere are bursting with social commentary, to the point that even the fact that GTA is a violent game itself becomes a part of it. From the characters to the commercials you hear on the radio, everything but the base plotline is all parody and social commentary.

In all seriousness, GTA is the most intelligent and meaningful game I've ever played in my life.

This is just Purpose-Driven Life Prolefeed -- another product he can instruct his followers to buy. And from the sounds of things, unlike GTA, this game's only mode of gameplay involves killing everyone.

I'd also like to remind everyone that we are not talking about Christians in general. But I would also like to remind all the spiritual Christians -- the ones that actually look for the true meaning in the Bible and can accept the fact that I got some of the same answers elsewhere -- that according to Rick Warren and his followers, you're agents of the devil too. These are people that want to eliminate everyone, including any Christians that don't share their insane views on them.

Nobody here overgeneralized Christians as a whole, but that's more than can be said for Purpose-Driven Life. They've already overgeneralized the entire planet.

[Renorei]

Regardless of whether GTA is social commentary or not, doesn't really matter. Besides, there's plenty of games besides GTA that I could have used as an example instead that are even more violent than GTA and this Christian game combined.

And furthermore...even if GTA is a social commentary...do you really think the average 12 year old kid is going to pick up on that? There's a handful that might be smart enough, but for the most part, no! All they'll see is the violence and theft.

My main concern is video game violence...as much as people try to ignore it, it can't be good for the people that are playing those games. The fact that this Christian game is yet another violent video game does not make me happy. I dislike all violent video games.

If you people are worried that these games are going to turn kids into violent people who force their religions on others, then why aren't you worried about every other violent game they're playing? IMO, you should be.

However...if violent games truly don't have any effect on kids...then that means games like GTA don't turn them into muggers and murderers. If indeed all other violent video games have failed to make kids into violent people themselves (which I highly doubt) then what makes you think this game will succeed?

My point is, that this game is not substantially better or worse than any of the other thousands of violent games out there. Either violent games do have an effect on people who play them, and the next generation of kids will grow up to be killers. Or, they don't have an effect on those who play them, and the next generation won't grow up to be killers. Or somewhere in between.

This game will not be substantially more or less effective than any other game at turning kids violent.

[Terastas]

And furthermore...even if GTA is a social commentary...do you really think the average 12 year old kid is going to pick up on that? There's a handful that might be smart enough, but for the most part, no! All they'll see is the violence and theft.

You'd be surprised. I keep telling people their kids are much smarter than they give them credit for. It's only when people treat their children like they're stupid when they're young that they grow up to be stupid as teenagers and adults.

Granted, there are hundreds of violent video games you could have used, but riddle me this: how many of said games encourage pointless violence? Most games use violence either as a form of shock and scare value (like Resident Evil or Silent Hill) or to add a (often uncomfortable) sense of realism (like Mercenaries: POD and Grand Theft Auto). You can kill innocents in some of these games, but that doesn't mean you have to.

Really, other than this game and any game on Newgrounds, can you honestly think of any game at all where the instructions are "Kill everyone different from you?"

And you're missing the point: We're not worried that kids are going to play this game and be inspired to reinact it in real life. On the contrary, video games are supposed to allow you to do things you would never be able to do in real life. Why do you think the goal of all the 8-bit Nintendo games was to save the world?

What we're really concerned is that, though kids don't naturally want to recreate everything they do in a video game, that's what Rick Warren and the rest of his ilk at the top want said kids to do. There's a big difference between giving your kid a copy of GTA: San Andreas and calling it a video game, and giving your kid a copy of Purpose-Driven Life Taking and calling it a training program.

I believe the PDL have the latter in mind.

[Renorei]

And you're missing the point: We're not worried that kids are going to play this game and be inspired to reinact it in real life. On the contrary, video games are supposed to allow you to do things you would never be able to do in real life. Why do you think the goal of all the 8-bit Nintendo games was to save the world?

What we're really concerned is that, though kids don't naturally want to recreate everything they do in a video game, that's what Rick Warren and the rest of his ilk at the top want said kids to do. There's a big difference between giving your kid a copy of GTA: San Andreas and calling it a video game, and giving your kid a copy of Purpose-Driven Life Taking and calling it a training program.

I believe the PDL have the latter in mind.

That may be what they have in mind...but do you really think they'll have any kind of significant success?

I seriously doubt it. As far as PDL goes, their intentions don't matter much. What matters is the outcome of their actions, which I think will be approximately nil.

All IMO, of course.

[Set]

If indeed all other violent video games have failed to make kids into violent people themselves (which I highly doubt) then what makes you think this game will succeed?

Because religion makes people stupid.

[Terastas]

That may be what they have in mind...but do you really think they'll have any kind of significant success?

Within their own numbers, yes. As others have suggested, both response to the article and on this on forum, this will probably be the only game PDL members will be allowed to play. Like I said, the circumstances are different for this game because the premesis of the game is what the distributor is preaching in real life. Nobody outside of the PDL will be influenced by this, but as I've stated already, everyone outside of the PDL is an agent of the devil as far as they are concerned.

Like I said, for Rick Warren and the PDL, this isn't a game -- it's a training simulation.

[Fang]

Violent video games do not make violent people. For me GTA is a release
I find that this game is far worse than GTA because it promotes racial and religious discrimination

[MoonKit]

Wow, I cant believe these people are serious. I really hate people like that who think that they know everything and they are the best and everyone else is wrong.

The articles said that women would be reduced to slaves, abortion is illegal, being gay can get you killed and that they're executing all wiccans on the spot. That's insane. Can't imagine what theyd want to do to therians.

But this game is worse then GTA in my opion. GTA was about killing anyone who was in the way. This is about killing people because of their beliefs and because of who they are. Id much rather be killed indiscrimidently then have someone hate me for what i believe and who I am. They're friggen crazy.

[Morkulv]

Regardless of whether GTA is social commentary or not, doesn't really matter. Besides, there's plenty of games besides GTA that I could have used as an example instead that are even more violent than GTA and this Christian game combined.

And furthermore...even if GTA is a social commentary...do you really think the average 12 year old kid is going to pick up on that? There's a handful that might be smart enough, but for the most part, no! All they'll see is the violence and theft.

My main concern is video game violence...as much as people try to ignore it, it can't be good for the people that are playing those games. The fact that this Christian game is yet another violent video game does not make me happy. I dislike all violent video games.

If you people are worried that these games are going to turn kids into violent people who force their religions on others, then why aren't you worried about every other violent game they're playing? IMO, you should be.

However...if violent games truly don't have any effect on kids...then that means games like GTA don't turn them into muggers and murderers. If indeed all other violent video games have failed to make kids into violent people themselves (which I highly doubt) then what makes you think this game will succeed?

My point is, that this game is not substantially better or worse than any of the other thousands of violent games out there. Either violent games do have an effect on people who play them, and the next generation of kids will grow up to be killers. Or, they don't have an effect on those who play them, and the next generation won't grow up to be killers. Or somewhere in between.

This game will not be substantially more or less effective than any other game at turning kids violent.

Don't you want your kid to be smart and see the world how it is? Theft and violence is a fact in this society, and history, even in Christian history. I've been playing GTA ever since it came out on PC (I was a kid back then), and I'm not a serial-killer, thief, or whatever. And furthermore, GTA is not a overall gory game to begin with. If you mentioned "Carmageddon", I could have agreed with you, but GTA is just a interactive freeroaming game, were you can do everything you like, and that also includes a lot of violence and crime alike. But thats the realistic thing about the game: its how the world is. You can either accept that, or deny it.

[Terastas]

Don't you want your kid to be smart and see the world how it is? Theft and violence is a fact in this society, and history, even in Christian history. I've been playing GTA ever since it came out on PC (I was a kid back then), and I'm not a serial-killer, thief, or whatever. And furthermore, GTA is not a overall gory game to begin with. If you mentioned "Carmageddon", I could have agreed with you, but GTA is just a interactive freeroaming game, were you can do everything you like, and that also includes a lot of violence and crime alike. But thats the realistic thing about the game: its how the world is. You can either accept that, or deny it.

This is what ticks me off the most about GTA: How a lot of people talk like the premesis is all about killing civilians. Heck, in San Andreas you're more likely to ask why you're getting shot at for no reason all the time. Just because you can do something doesn't mean it's the object of the game.

Here's what it says on the back of my copy of San Andreas:

"Five years ago, Carl Johnson escaped from the pressures of life in Los Santos, SA, a city tearing itself apart with gang trouble, drugs and corruption, where filmstars and millionaires do their best to avoid the dealers and gangbangers.

Now, it's the early 90s. Carl's got to go home. His mother has been murdered, his family has falen apart and his childhood friends are all heading towards disaster. On his return to the neighborhood, a couple of corrupt cops frame him for homicide. CJ is forced on a journey that takes him across the entire state of San Andreas, to save his family and take control of the streets."

Did you see "kill civilians" anywhere in there?

Now read the opening paragraph describing PDLT:

Imagine: you are a foot soldier in a paramilitary group whose purpose is to remake America as a Christian theocracy, and establish its worldly vision of the dominion of Christ over all aspects of life. You are issued high-tech military weaponry, and instructed to engage the infidel on the streets of New York City. You are on a mission - both a religious mission and a military mission -- to convert or kill Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, gays, and anyone who advocates the separation of church and state - especially moderate, mainstream Christians. Your mission is "to conduct physical and spiritual warfare"; all who resist must be taken out with extreme prejudice. You have never felt so powerful, so driven by a purpose: you are 13 years old. You are playing a real-time strategy video game whose creators are linked to the empire of mega-church pastor Rick Warren, best selling author of The Purpose Driven Life.

Does it sound like this game is going to even have a story line?

[Morkulv]

If indeed all other violent video games have failed to make kids into violent people themselves (which I highly doubt) then what makes you think this game will succeed?

Because religion makes people stupid.

Thats gotta hurt...

[Figarou]

Ok...what do you guys think of this?

Mel Gibson had a DUI.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060801/en_ ... NlYwN0bQ--

He said this to the officer.

According to the report, in addition to threatening the arresting deputy and trying to escape, Gibson said, “The Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world,” and asked the officer, James Mee, “Are you a Jew?”

Is this the alcohol talking?


Then this happens.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060801/en_ ... NlYwN0bQ--


Hmmmm....

[vrikasatma]

You're gonna freak.

We have a thread on this over at the E-Playa and he had a poll. The choices were, "He should be ostracized from the industry!" and "The guy was drunk, he said he's sorry, he's trying to make up for it, let it go." The votes overwhelmingly favour the latter choice.

I include myself in that number. Personally, I think it was the alcohol talking but another guy on the E-playa thread pointed out that his first mistake was to get behind the wheel. Thank GHOD he didn't clobber anyone! For what it's worth, anyway...he didn't but I'll bet my bottom dollar at least one other person was doing exactly that somewhere else in L.A., at the time of Gibson's arrest.

The thread starter said that he's posted that topic on several other threads and as soon as people started agreeing that what Mel Gibson said in his cups is really small beans in the big picture, the thread was locked, all posts deleted and the thread poster got a warning from the mods for posting an inappropriate topic — <b>NOT</b> a warning about inappropriate verbiage: inappropriate topic.

My guess is those boards don't want to "rock the boat" or appear anti-Semitic. But if you really want to get down to the brass tacks, when I heard about this incident, I thought, "Oh, MAN, did he botch his Timing roll." We could have WWIII break out any day and my bet is it'll start in the Mideast.

So one guy got drunk in Malibu, drove, got arrested before he killed or hurt anyone, and said something out of his bunghole. Big deal. I think more attention should be paid to the multiple personalities disorder certified WHACKJOB who just ventilated six people at a Jewish centre in Seattle.

Bottom line: Mel Gibson is a jerk, the guy who shot up the Jewish centre in Seattle is dangerous. Censure the jerk and move on, keep an eye on the dangerous guy.