Australian Christian Lobby Joins the Fight Against R18+ Game Ratings

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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Australian Christian Lobby Joins the Fight Against R18+ Game Ratings


Michael Atkinson has a new ally in his fight to keep R18+ videogame ratings out of Australia: The Australian Christian Lobby [http://www.acl.org.au/], which has called upon its members and other Australians to speak out against mature ratings for videogames.

South Australia Attorney General Michael Atkinson's opposition to mature ratings for videogames is well known [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/97581-Atkinson-Dismisses-Game-Consultation-as-Unfair] by now: He has made himself the poster boy for anti-gaming sentiment in the country through his efforts to ensure that the highest available classification for games is MA15+. Because of his high profile, the popular sentiment among gamers is that if Atkinson could be eliminated (as a political force, that is, not with an Uzi), the R18+ dominoes would quickly fall and all would be well in the land Down Under.

But it may not be that simple. The Australian government's decision to launch a makeastand.org.au [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/96839-Australian-Government-Seeks-Public-Input-Into-R18-Game-Ratings]. "However, following pressure from the gaming industry, the  Federal Attorney-General's Department is conducting a public consultation asking for submissions on whether the Australian National Classification Scheme should include an R18+ Classification category for computer games."

"Many games force the child to identify with the aggressor and children are rewarded for immoral conduct and violent behavior. Research shows that increased playing of violent first person shooter games can significantly increase aggression," the group said. "And remember, even if R18+ games were only sold to adults, they would inevitably find their way into children's hands."

The ACL claims that current restrictions on game ratings are more important now than they've ever been because improving technology results in ever-more-sophisticated games that are thus more likely to cause harm. Instead of allowing an R18+ rating, it wants to see stricter enforcement of the current MA15+ rating, "to ensure that games aren't wrongly getting through in this category."

It's tempting to dismiss the ACL as just another fringe group that's completely out of touch with the realities of modern society, but the fact is that members of these organizations have a tendency to do something that a lot of "gamers," to use an admittedly broad term, don't: They vote. Furthermore, according to ABC [http://www.abc.net.au/] Analyst Antony Green, most Australians are actually in favor of censorship.

"In my view, the issue of R18+ for videogames won't have much impact [on the election] at all," he told GameSpot Australia [http://au.gamespot.com/news/6248186.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=picks&tag=picks;title;1]. "When push comes to shove, a significant portion of the electorate will reject lifting censorship on this sort of thing because most people tend to be rather pro-censorship as a gut instinct."

The deadline for submissions to the public consultation on "An R18+ Classification for Computer Games" is February 28. Go to ag.gov.au [http://www.ag.gov.au/gamesclassification] to learn more.

via: GamePolitics [http://gamepolitics.com/2010/01/29/atkinson-gains-ally-battle-against-r18]


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Premonition

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Jan 25, 2010
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ATTN: AUSTRALIANS. Emigrate. Or at least, you know, do like a march or something for stopping the discrimination of adult gamers. Because that's what this is basically.
 

Sevre

Old Hands
Apr 6, 2009
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I'm sorry to all my Aussie Escapists for having to put up with this shit.
 

Julianking93

New member
May 16, 2009
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There's no way they'll be able to ban 18 and over video games.

They just make way too much money.
 

Korten12

Now I want ma...!
Aug 26, 2009
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Pyromaniac1337 said:
For God sakes...

STOP MAKING US GOOD CHRISTIANS LOOK BAD YA BLOODY EXTREMISTS.
QFT. all these extremists make us look like Video Game Haters.
 

Macgyvercas

Spice & Wolf Restored!
Feb 19, 2009
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Pyromaniac1337 said:
For God sakes...

STOP MAKING US GOOD CHRISTIANS LOOK BAD YA BLOODY EXTREMISTS.
This x9000. It's people like the ACL that make me ashamed to call myself a Christian. BTW: For all Catholics out there, my pastor said that violent video games are not bad as long as the player can tell the difference between real and virtual. SUCK ON THAT, ACL!
 

MortisLegio

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Nov 5, 2008
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Pyromaniac1337 said:
For God sakes...

STOP MAKING US GOOD CHRISTIANS LOOK BAD YA BLOODY EXTREMISTS.
amen

Seriously, extremists just make the normal people look bad
 

lacktheknack

Je suis joined jewels.
Jan 19, 2009
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Aby_Z said:
Oh what a surprise, the Christians hate gaming too...
Oh, hush. I'm a Christian, as are many other Escapists. These are just very badly misinformed flock-minded sheep who don't understand what they're fighting.
 

crimsonshrouds

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Mar 23, 2009
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oh lord please tell me this isn't happening in 2010... This is the future DAMN IT not the fucking middle ages. Stop blaming inanimate objects for bad parenting and stop acting like censorship is not stupid. GAHHH!!!! Things like this decrease my faith in humanity more and more...
 

Callate

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Dec 5, 2008
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It would be nice if you could hear the word "Christian" applied to things more frequently without having to let out a groan.

Christian charity organization selflessly risks their lives in strife-torn hotspot!

Christian political organization...
 

lacktheknack

Je suis joined jewels.
Jan 19, 2009
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Pyromaniac1337 said:
Macgyvercas said:
Pyromaniac1337 said:
For God sakes...

STOP MAKING US GOOD CHRISTIANS LOOK BAD YA BLOODY EXTREMISTS.
This x9000. It's people like the ACL that make me ashamed to call myself a Christian. BTW: For all Catholics out there, my pastor said that violent video games are not bad as long as the player can tell the difference between real and virtual. SUCK ON THAT, ACL!
Your pastor is a badass. God approves.
My pastor dodges the issue, because he doesn't have issues with them but some church members do...
 

delet

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lacktheknack said:
Aby_Z said:
Oh what a surprise, the Christians hate gaming too...
Oh, hush. I'm a Christian, as are many other Escapists. These are just very badly misinformed flock-minded sheep who don't understand what they're fighting.
Oh, all the power to you and other people of any religion who have actually attained the amazing and surprisingly unheard of thing known as 'acceptance'. It's the overzealous jackasses who like to use their 'christian morals' to kill something that I hate. That, and the fact that no one seems to realize that Jews don't in fact celebrate Christmas or Easter, and that Thanksgiving isn't a religious holiday that only certain people can celebrate...
 

lacktheknack

Je suis joined jewels.
Jan 19, 2009
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Callate said:
It would be nice if you could hear the word "Christian" applied to things more frequently without having to let out a groan.

Christian charity organization selflessly risks their lives in strife-torn hotspot!

Christian political organization...
Oh, we do the charity risking-lives thing tons, but it's not fashionable enough to report on or write news stories about.
 

CD-R

New member
Mar 1, 2009
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If they are anything like the Christian lobbying groups in the
us than they've been involved in at least one sex scandal, money laundering scandal, or one of thier leadng members is gay. Start digging people.

Really it's not hard this was on thier wikipedia article.

"Promotion material stated that the purpose of the groups was to make a stand against "humanistic legislation" and "minority groups""

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Christian_Lobby#Recent_activities

Make a stand against minority groups? Surley the classification board won't listen to the ravings of an extremist, racist hate group would they?

Ya'll Aussies better click this shit ---------------> http://www.ag.gov.au/gamesclassification
 

ultimateownage

This name was cool in 2008.
Feb 11, 2009
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Anyone else really want to know where they get there "research" from, because research shows the exact opposite, violent games satisfy the violent part of your brain.