There is a new video game for kids on the market in which the players must either convert non-Christians to Christianity or kill them to win – a sort of Grand Theft Auto for missionaries. The game is based upon the Left Behind series of books by Tim LaHaye. Not everyone is happy about the game.From the San Francisco Chronicle:
Liberal and progressive Christian groups say a new computer game in which players must either convert or kill non-Christians is the wrong gift to give this holiday season and that Wal-Mart, a major video game retailer, should yank it off its shelves.
The Campaign to Defend the Constitution and the Christian Alliance for Progress, two online political groups, plan to demand today that Wal-Mart dump Left Behind: Eternal Forces, a PC game inspired by a series of Christian novels that are hugely popular, especially with teens.
The series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins is based on their interpretation of the Bible's Book of Revelation and takes place after the Rapture, when Jesus has taken his people to heaven and left nonbelievers behind to face the Antichrist.
Left Behind Games' president, Jeffrey Frichner, says the game actually is pacifist because players lose "spirit points" every time they gun down nonbelievers rather than convert them. They can earn spirit points again by having their character pray.
"You are fighting a defensive battle in the game," Frichner, whose previous company produced Bible software, said of combatting the Antichrist. "You are a sort of a freedom fighter."
A Wal-Mart spokeswoman said the retailer has no plans to pull Left Behind: Eternal Forces from any of the 200 of Wal-Mart's 3,800 stores that offer the game, including just seven in California. The nearest are in Chico and Redding.
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In Left Behind, set in perfectly apocalyptic New York City, the Antichrist is personified by fictional Romanian Nicolae Carpathia, secretary-general of the United Nations and a People magazine "Sexiest Man Alive."
Players can choose to join the Antichrist's team, but of course they can never win on Carpathia's side. The enemy team includes fictional rock stars and folks with Muslim-sounding names, while the righteous include gospel singers, missionaries, healers and medics. Every character comes with a life story.
When asked about the Arab and Muslim-sounding names, Frichner said the game does not endorse prejudice. But "Muslims are not believers in Jesus Christ" -- and thus can't be on Christ's side in the game.
"That is so obvious," he said.
2 comments:
Not True -- Yes, their is violence in the game and the game is not for the younger ones. Have you read the bible lately?? Any violence? Seen any movies depicting Christ?? Any Violence?? Yes, The game has violence - but no one said it was for the younger ones. But just to get the facts straight - the game is not played by killing non-Christians. The game is played by converting non-Christians into Christians. And that may upset people - but the game is titled Left Behind - Based on the book and movie. So, if you are someone that may not enjoy those books or movies - then this game is probably not for you.
It's hard to make an opinion on a product if one is basing that opinion on someone else's negative opinion. Go to the source - review it - then make the opinion...
Anonymous,
So, the news article is inaccurate? The owner of this blog simply reported and quoted an existing article by the San Francisco Chronicle. So, what the owner of this blog did was not inaccurate. In addition, it sounds to me like the writer of the original story did her homework.
Bless,
Z
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