Beyond Evil
I've just had my attention drawn to this. I thought my opinion of cherry-picking extreme right-wing evangelical fundamentalists was already at rock bottom. Seems I was wrong.
Their 'Good Book' - the very Word of God Himself as they would have us believe - says, 'Thou shalt not kill.' This seems like a reasonable proscription to me. Not to the fundies though.
Now they are trying to brainwash children into thinking it's okay to kill - that that inconvenient little commandment only applies to the killing of fellow Christians. And they're doing it oh! so sneakily...
Know those shoot 'em up computer games, 'Doom,' 'Mortal Kombat,' 'Tomb Raider' and such like? Of course you do. Your kids probably play them - hell, you've likely played them yourself.
But they're not real; you know that, and your kids know it too. The adversaries have nothing in common with people that you - or they - are ever likely to meet in real life.
In 'Left Behind: Eternal Forces,' (slated for release by October 2006 in time for the Christmas spending spree) the stated aim is to turn America into a fundamentalist Christian theocracy and "establish its worldly vision of the dominion of Christ over all aspects of life." Your kids will get to "conduct physical and spiritual warfare : using the power of prayer to strengthen your troops in combat and wield modern military weaponry throughout the game world."
Yep, they get to roam the streets and indulge in the mass slaughter of infidels (remember 9/11, folks!) for the greater glorification of Jesus Christ. Hallelujah! And it's not just Muslims, but Jews, Buddhists, Pagans and even other Christians if they refuse to convert to the players' sect - like Catholics. Oh yes, and let's not forget gays; they're fair game too.
Now maybe you think I'm over-reacting? It's just a game, right?
Okay. So how would you feel about teenagers playing a computer game called, let's say, 'Columbine; Cleanse Your Class of Heretics' where they get to wipe out all their classmates who don't accept narrow religious views?
Too close to home? Because these are real people the kids meet everyday? Because it might plant undesirable ideas in their minds? If you find that's disturbing, you might like to consider that the players' victims in 'Left Behind: Eternal Forces' are also real people that they might meet on a regular basis.
It only takes one misguided, brainwashed kid to turn
this 'fantasy' into reality to ignite religious conflict all across America. But maybe that's the real aim of the game...?
Find out more at:
http://www.talk2action.org/story/2006/5/29/195855/959
and 'At Random, 6/9/06' - scroll down to - 'How Sick Is This?'
http://www.hunteratrandom.blogspot.com/2006/06/at-random-6906.html
and there's a contact link:
http://www.leftbehindgames.com/pages/contact_us.htm