Catholics, Buddhists Join Hindu Protests Against Smite
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Thank you!Azuaron said:
I was getting very tired of all the posts being along the lines of " Go QQ in a corner silly religious people!".
And there was me, thinking this board had a wide range of opinions.
You go on trucking, you wonderful person you!
They're well within their rights to ask this of the games developers, and I don't fully agree with that they're trying to do, but I can defiantly understand it.
This has also proved that some atheists can be just as annoying as devout followers of religion.
No where in the article did I see them saying do not make the game. All I see is I don't like how are trivialising some icons. Rereads through the article to see it is only a very small few preachers from other religions. Looks at thread on escapist. Facepalms.
While personally, this doesn't seem too bad and I don't fully agree with the complaints this is thread is way out of whack with what was said. You would swear the Westboro Baptist Church had protested outside of one of the devs mum's funerals with signs saying she is going to hell because her son/daughter helped make this game.
Also where are people getting the idea that this is a fighting game it isn't. It is a Dota game and looking at the gameplay I'd rather play LoL while waiting for Dota than buy this game.
While personally, this doesn't seem too bad and I don't fully agree with the complaints this is thread is way out of whack with what was said. You would swear the Westboro Baptist Church had protested outside of one of the devs mum's funerals with signs saying she is going to hell because her son/daughter helped make this game.
Also where are people getting the idea that this is a fighting game it isn't. It is a Dota game and looking at the gameplay I'd rather play LoL while waiting for Dota than buy this game.
I'm kinda torn, it's really nice to see those of different faiths coming together like this, but they're doing it for a cause I don't agree with so I'm not sure how to feel.
On the other end of the spectrum we have the Japanese/Shinto worshipers who are so proud of their culture that all their entertainment media especially video games and even Pokemon are chock full of references and you can actually catch them like monsters.
Also, HOLY SHIT! Hindu Priest & Catholic Father together. It's like some Deadly Alliance.
Captcha: modern love... ahahahahahahaha!!
Also, HOLY SHIT! Hindu Priest & Catholic Father together. It's like some Deadly Alliance.
Captcha: modern love... ahahahahahahaha!!
I'd LOVE to see that conversation.
Catholics:
So, I know you're all going to be burning in the fires of hell, but we have a threat to our monopoly of hate and I think we can all call an EARTHLY truce do deal with this matter.
Hindus/Buddhists:
Whatever do you mean, silly man with a slain dude on a stick?
Catholics:
Video games, more and more, and trying to exercise their 'free speech' and we can't have that.
We lost the war against books, music, and movies but we MUST NOT allow this to happen in our war against video games.
Hindus/Buddhists:
Mmmm...yes...mmm.
Very well, let us ignore the logic centers of our brains and protest a silly little video game even though all it's REALLY going to do is give the damn thing free press and maybe make it sell more copies.
Catholics:
Agr...wait, what?
Catholics:
So, I know you're all going to be burning in the fires of hell, but we have a threat to our monopoly of hate and I think we can all call an EARTHLY truce do deal with this matter.
Hindus/Buddhists:
Whatever do you mean, silly man with a slain dude on a stick?
Catholics:
Video games, more and more, and trying to exercise their 'free speech' and we can't have that.
We lost the war against books, music, and movies but we MUST NOT allow this to happen in our war against video games.
Hindus/Buddhists:
Mmmm...yes...mmm.
Very well, let us ignore the logic centers of our brains and protest a silly little video game even though all it's REALLY going to do is give the damn thing free press and maybe make it sell more copies.
Catholics:
Agr...wait, what?
Meh. I don't really know how to feel about this. On the one hand I think it's terrible precious of the Hindus to get offended at something like this. On the other hand the fact is that they are getting offended, and at the end of the day calling the character Kali doesn't really add anything to the game other than the small gimmick of playing as a Hindu god. Therefore I think both sides are being equally petty. The Hindus for complaining about something so trivial and the game devs for refusing to change something which is so trivial. All they need to do is change the name and say that the character is inspired by Kali, without actually being Kali, and the problem is solved. It's not as if the devs are even trying to make any sort of comment or criticism so I don't see this as a suppression of free speech.
I see your point, but I would disagree that they have jurisdiction over their central figures. Look at my other examples. The hbo animated series SPAWN. The 'Prophecy' series of movies. The exorcist. Dogma. The Davinci Code. Or any other movie involving character(s) from various accepted world religions. There are many. These aren't depictions anyone seriously views as true events, they are recognized by all as fictional stories involving religious figures and contradict all sorts of religious teachings about these figures. Imagine a world w/out these movies. Imagine a world where no one would fictionalize a religious figure for fear of being disrespectful.yunabomb said:
I think what sticks in their craw more about this situation is that kali isn't just some part of a story in the background of the game, rather, you can play *as* kali.
Besides - Religion is the exploration of the *real* world. You get jurisdiction over a character when you write a book via copyright/trademark because its fictional. But no one should have 'jurisdiction' over depictions of a religious figure, because real or not, they are *purported* to be real. And one way for people to decide for themselves if they believe or not is to explore the idea of these characters, both through science (archeology, physics, astronomy), social science (history), and even fiction (satire, or perhaps just to see - does this character even make sense, even seem possible).
Look at science. We don't say that adherents of mutually exclusive scientific theories have to respect each other by refraining from poo-pooing each other's ideas. Just the opposite. Only by encouraging them to go after each other can we slowly whittle out the bad ideas and get closer to the truth. And just as science is the exploration of the *real* world, so, supposedly, is religion. We need more dialog about religion and all its ideas w/out restraint, for the same reason. We need skeptical cynical examination of religious ideas and figures. Not this walk-on-eggshells attitude.
but again, we're leaving the real issue in the dust and not addressing it here - is what they did disrepectful? I don't see how it could be seen as such. It was not reverent, but they aren't believers, so that's to be expected. But depicting kali in a work of fiction, to me, is not the same as being actively disrepectful towards people who might believe in kali. At least not by itself. (obviously if your intent is to be disrespectful, then that same work of fiction could easily be made to be so).Believers cannot expect non-believers to show reverence toward things they do not believe in. The best way to achieve that would be to convince them to be believers themselves.
That reminds me. I should start creating a game that I shall call Immortal Kombat.Paragon Fury said:
Never bring religion to anything you do and both sides will be happy. Imagine if THEY tried to do this to gamers and made Super Mario or Master Chief and any character you care about follower of some religion, would YOU be happy? no? so STFU. Of course this wouldnt be escapist otherwise.
This whole uproar against one game makes no sense.
This is a list of Final Fantasy Summons, containing dozens of religious figures, from Muslim Ifrits and Djinn to Hindu Shiva, Christian Golems and Alexander being summoned to the Tower of Babil
http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_Summons
This is a list of Final Fantasy Summons, containing dozens of religious figures, from Muslim Ifrits and Djinn to Hindu Shiva, Christian Golems and Alexander being summoned to the Tower of Babil
http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/List_of_Summons
If all religions are ultimately based on works of fiction, isn't this basically just a crossover? Perhaps they are right to be concerned, crossovers often end up being shit..............
It's hard to go against such friendly looking people who look like they are going to shoot rainbows, but why should religion be free of video gaming persona's? As a white person, am I offended by the cartoonish heavy in team fortress as he is a poor representation of us? if I had a pony, would I be offended by mlp's cartoony ones? should we ban cartoons forever even the harmless ones because someone might not want to be a cartoon?
I don't see why religion should get a free slate. I would be very dissapointed if they buckled.
I don't see why religion should get a free slate. I would be very dissapointed if they buckled.
Ok. Can they perhaps explain how a fictional depiction of a deity can be disrespectful and trivializing to its followers, questions about the real or fictional nature of the deity itself notwithstanding? That's the part that I can't wrap my head around. Thanks.
Very unlikely that they do, the cristian faith would go up in arms protesting and sueing and the muslims (the very dangerous minority) would do much more than that. However I think the game developers expected that to happen, if not count on it for free publicity, it is easy to mess with hindu, tao and buddist figures, since they are more or less the peacefull ones of this world (see Vishnu doing coke in South Park).felbot said:
I have been seeing a lot of comments along the lines of, "It's good to see people from different religions rallying together for a common cause". I for one think it's about time people started working together.
My only problem I have with this, is that they aren't doing it for the sake of the world and humanity, but to get a video game's depiction of their god/gods changed. Why don't they make a combined effort and join together in solving some of the biggest problems in our world, like famine, poverty and disease? Sure it's not as easy as writing it down here and then being done, but you have to start somewhere and anything that you do makes a difference.
My only problem I have with this, is that they aren't doing it for the sake of the world and humanity, but to get a video game's depiction of their god/gods changed. Why don't they make a combined effort and join together in solving some of the biggest problems in our world, like famine, poverty and disease? Sure it's not as easy as writing it down here and then being done, but you have to start somewhere and anything that you do makes a difference.