Any form of communication is valid for spreading a mind virus. It's up to the observer to inoculate themselves.
Question of the Day, August 17, 2010
- Thread starter The Escapist Staff
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Well, I agree with live and let live, but the 1st Amendment only relates to the US government making laws. Not someone calling someone else a name or hurting their feelings because they disagree about a flavor of sky narc. And, actually, religion and speech are EQUAL under the 1st amendment (that's why they use the word "or"), so, you're wrong on that one. Religion IS speech.2xDouble said:
So, yeah, I agree, just maybe choose a different supporting point.
I'm a big proponent of Free Speech... Which means while I'd prefer that the 2 remain separate, I'd fight for any developer that wanted to combine the 2...
Sure, why not? If you have a message to spread and figure that video games are the best way to do it, go for it. The problem is that making a good religious game is incredibly difficult. I'm thinking that a 2D puzzle platformer might be the best way to do it.
If you're like the DDR preacher and just want to incorporate them in your sermons to liven them up, and maybe make some sort of interesting analogy, that's also pretty awesome.
Oh, and to all you naysayers out there- nobody's shoving God down your throat by using video games to talk about him/her/the gender of an almighty being is mute because it can be whatever it damn well pleases. If you don't like it, don't play the games, or don't listen to the sermons. It's called free speech, people.
If you're like the DDR preacher and just want to incorporate them in your sermons to liven them up, and maybe make some sort of interesting analogy, that's also pretty awesome.
Oh, and to all you naysayers out there- nobody's shoving God down your throat by using video games to talk about him/her/the gender of an almighty being is mute because it can be whatever it damn well pleases. If you don't like it, don't play the games, or don't listen to the sermons. It's called free speech, people.
I'm not saying they should, I'm saying the could, rather.
I'm also not saying I'm going to enjoy a game that promotes any religion. Unless is has awesome gameplay and a cyborg Jesus kicking the shit out of Satan.
I'm also not saying I'm going to enjoy a game that promotes any religion. Unless is has awesome gameplay and a cyborg Jesus kicking the shit out of Satan.
May I remind some that they've already tried that with The Bible Game? I've never tried it, but I remember it came out for the PS2 and looked stupid.
Anyways, they should have the right to make games to promote religion, but they shouldn't actually do it. Seems fairly stupid to me.
Anyways, they should have the right to make games to promote religion, but they shouldn't actually do it. Seems fairly stupid to me.
"Just because you can, it doesn't mean you should" sums up my thoughts.
I'm pretty torn on it, though. I don't see why you can't but I think it should be almost mandatory to point out that it is a religious game to avoid the "shoving down people's throats" aspect. Most of the time it'll be pretty obvious, but the human race has ceased to surprise me with those sort of things.
But at the same time, I don't think religion is something that should be promoted. It's something you believe in, something that's personal to you. Not all Christians agree on an interpretation of the Bible, and many have their own personal views on what it says as an example.
I'm pretty torn on it, though. I don't see why you can't but I think it should be almost mandatory to point out that it is a religious game to avoid the "shoving down people's throats" aspect. Most of the time it'll be pretty obvious, but the human race has ceased to surprise me with those sort of things.
But at the same time, I don't think religion is something that should be promoted. It's something you believe in, something that's personal to you. Not all Christians agree on an interpretation of the Bible, and many have their own personal views on what it says as an example.
Games can and routinely are used to promote a certain philosophy (most notably in Bioshock) so why should religion be any different?
I said no purely for the fact religion shouldn't be "promoted". It shouldn't be advertised, the "word of the Lord/Allah/Whoever" shouldn't need to be spread. Religion is a template that people want for their lives, by letting them understand and find their own form of worship that lets their character grow, and strengthens their faith.
That said, i'm (maybe quite obviously) an atheist.
That said, i'm (maybe quite obviously) an atheist.
religion should be separate from EVERYTHING! Why? We already hate each other on most things, we don't need to drag personal beliefs into it.
EXAMPLES:
Politics: We already have huge divisions on the political spectrum. We don't need to drag religion into politics to make it worse. Plus, we lose some potentially good candidates if we only want a certain type of religious affiliation running a country.
Driving: I'm pretty sure we all hate most other drivers for being crap. Do we really want to add religious bumper stickers to add more fuel to the road rage?
Games: I play games to get away from all the BS of modern life. Last thing I want is to have some religious message thrown in my face while I'm killing zombies, earning Gym Badges with Charizard, or simply leveling up my Paladins to defeat some Wyvern Lords. We should just stick to hating other people in games for being crap at them... or for being cheap. And then proceed to call them gay and t-bag them (I'm just kidding on that last bit).
EXAMPLES:
Politics: We already have huge divisions on the political spectrum. We don't need to drag religion into politics to make it worse. Plus, we lose some potentially good candidates if we only want a certain type of religious affiliation running a country.
Driving: I'm pretty sure we all hate most other drivers for being crap. Do we really want to add religious bumper stickers to add more fuel to the road rage?
Games: I play games to get away from all the BS of modern life. Last thing I want is to have some religious message thrown in my face while I'm killing zombies, earning Gym Badges with Charizard, or simply leveling up my Paladins to defeat some Wyvern Lords. We should just stick to hating other people in games for being crap at them... or for being cheap. And then proceed to call them gay and t-bag them (I'm just kidding on that last bit).
Great, lets bring lawyers and other know-it-all-ism into it... that'll reduce the conflict... *facepalm*.SaintWaldo said:Well, I agree with live and let live, but the 1st Amendment only relates to the US government making laws. Not someone calling someone else a name or hurting their feelings because they disagree about a flavor of sky narc. And, actually, religion and speech are EQUAL under the 1st amendment (that's why they use the word "or"), so, you're wrong on that one. Religion IS speech.2xDouble said:
So, yeah, I agree, just maybe choose a different supporting point.
OT: Are they asking if developers should make religion-based video games? If so, no. 1000 times, no. Religion, in spite of what some idiot may have told you, is focused on conflict resolution. Preferably peaceful conflict resolution, in most cases. Games, on the other hand, are focused on the conflict itself and the ensuing drama. While the ultimate resolution of the conflict remains a goal, it is a far lesser quality of the game. The shift in focus makes direct crossover impossible (or very unlikely in the current market).
On the other hand, if the question is, as stated, "Should videogames be used to promote religion?", my answer is... of course it should. Like every form of advertising, it depends on what games and how well the marketing campaign is applied as to whether it becomes a good or bad thing. (Oh no! Judging something that may or may not be controversial based solely on its own merits with no bias in any direction? appalling! [/sarcasm])
Let me leave this Godforsaken topic with a bit of "ancient wisdom": "There are three things I've learned never to discuss with people: Religion, Politics, and the Great Pumpkin" - Linus vanPelt
The whole thought of it sickens me. I view Religion not really as a form of worship to an inter-dimensional being, but moreso as a form of understanding everything in the universe. The only thing that sickens me about Religion is the fact that there is such a thing as Conversion. Has converting people ever helped the world? Look at the Jews, the poor bastards have been proclaimed the hardest hit religion on this planet, and they still pull through to this day. But if a game were to come out and be released to the most easily influenced *I?m looking at you, damn no brained teenagers* and if it were based on the whole premise to convert people *in a more safe word, ?promote?* Than where do you think that will go?
I myself am Agnostic, and I don?t follow any one religion but all of them. As far as I?m concerned, all religions are cut from the same cloth, all of them have the same ideas, in Christian/Greek/Roman, and all Mythologies and Religions, you have so many ideas that are intertwined that I really don?t see the use to have so many religions. The only Religion that doesn?t share any other peoples views *Well maybe a few* is Buddhism, and they don?t even count as a religion since they only see Buddha as a Prophet, since he was actually a spoiled prince until he discovered enlightenment and sat beneath a tree for an odd number of years. I can say his Father was rather cross with him.
Where was I? oh right. CONVERSATION OR PROMOTION OR WHATEVER OF RELGION IS BAD!... M?kay.
I myself am Agnostic, and I don?t follow any one religion but all of them. As far as I?m concerned, all religions are cut from the same cloth, all of them have the same ideas, in Christian/Greek/Roman, and all Mythologies and Religions, you have so many ideas that are intertwined that I really don?t see the use to have so many religions. The only Religion that doesn?t share any other peoples views *Well maybe a few* is Buddhism, and they don?t even count as a religion since they only see Buddha as a Prophet, since he was actually a spoiled prince until he discovered enlightenment and sat beneath a tree for an odd number of years. I can say his Father was rather cross with him.
Where was I? oh right. CONVERSATION OR PROMOTION OR WHATEVER OF RELGION IS BAD!... M?kay.
They can, but that's a totally different question from if they should. I think it would be a foolish endeavor. Not only is a significant portion of the gaming populous uninterested in the message (just look at the R&P forum - easily 85% atheists), but it is simply unappealing to buy a product which then tries to sell you something. Of course, if it were promoting religion, it wouldn't be a monetary sort of "selling," but any game who's sole purpose is promotion of something basically breaks down to an advertisement you have to buy.
