Left Behind: Eternal Forces
article
dominion games website
The Dominionist Church has developed a new roll-playing video game for kids, set in New York City. The player can either "be" a christian, and battle UN Peace-keeping forces (evil), or the player can command a host of demons and UN Peace-keeping forces, to battle christians.
The setting is post-rapture Earth. The evangelicals have raptured up and the rest of the species remains. (As the "left Behind" series posits to be the case today). Satan has been elected UN Secretary General. The aim of the game (should the player opt to fight on the side of the christians), is to convert the remaining humans who've not joined the church, ("neutrals"), to the church, to serve in your squadron. Before the UN recruitment officers deceive them into serving mammon. While battling the UN Peace-keepers, military-style. In a city like NYC, there's bound to be some collateral damage:
"If you happen to blow away a neutral party - and collateral damage is inevitable in the End of Days - then you will lose "Spirit Points". But you can power back up with merely a brief timeout for prayer, or by converting one of New York's terror-stricken citizens."
Note that in the screenshot above it seems the child was either the heathen of the family, or somebody's taking a time out right now. Was it the lit bundle of TNT the avatar is holding, that got the unfortunate little heathen? If you (the player) make a mistake and kill a "neutral," it's okay! Collateral damage IS inevitable in urban warfare, and the Lord is a forgiving God; you can just take a quick time-out, pray a quick "oops, sorry Lord," and all's forgiven. Back to the front, soldier!
I've not found details on how one "converts" a neutral, and wonder if the player types in "have you heard the word of... today?" "Would you care to make a small donation..." is probably key to failure.
The "collateral damage" doesn't go away, and the bodies pile up. A million New Yorkers dead in the streets might offend some, that roving death squads roam the streets of a major American city, leaving piles of collateral damage in their insane war against perceived demons, may offend others. That kids will acquire the ability to demonize whoever authority calls a demon, and kill them, may offend still others. That all this killing is ascribed to God's wishes should offend many. But it's okay, there's a lot of praying going on! And the remaining neutrals will have to take sides, now.
Good, psycho, roving death-squad, nine-commandments, christian mayhem fun, to indoctrinate the youth into what must be done, in the name of the Lord: have an enemy defined for them, and kill it, amen.
posted by kb at 12:34 PM
4 Comments:
This report is very inaccurate. The game does not have the player try to establish a theocracy or kill people who don’t convert. In fact, as you admit you are penalized for killing people, even though Christian forces are fighting against the anti-Christ’s army. See more about the nature of the game, with quotes from secular reviewers who have actually played it:
http://christiancadre.blogspot.com/2006/06/truth-about-left-behind-video-game.htm
The review linked as "article" at the top of the thread states the following as fact:
"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."
Another review likened a player's role in the game's "righteous army" to being part of a "roving death squad."
You seem to have knowledge of the game, does it not involve the player "ending the earthly existence" of "opponents" such as described above or not? If not, and the reviews I referenced above are incorrect, please feel free to correct them here.
You fight, and yes kill, the soldiers in the anti-Christ' army. This does not entail, however, being on a mission to kill Jews, gays, and those who resist becoming born again. Rather, the game is full of non-Christian, non-combatants who you try to convert. If you begin killing them you lose the game and lose your soul in the process.
So no, the game is not as described. But yes, the Christian play does engage in physical warefare with another army.
An independent review of the game stated that the "UN" also has recruiters, who also try to enlist these "neutrals." If you, (playing as a christian, fail to successfully convert a neutral, and that neutral goes on to enlist with the "UN Peace-Keeping Forces," can you kill them then without losing points? Or do you lose less points?
And given that ALL military recruiters lie through their teeth, can you really hold a young person responsible, to the tune of killing them, for having fallen for the lies of an organization as noble-sounding as "Peace-Keeping?"
That the UN has been chosen to represent Satan/ the enemy in this game, doesn't that teach players that the outside world is evil? Or, is that the intent?
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