A Biblical View of Dungeons & Dragons By: Scott Jones I. Introduction A. Scripture Reading: I Thessalonians 5:21-23 "Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil. May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it." B. It has been estimated that over 3 million Americans play a game called Dungeons and Dragons. On Saturday mornings there are cartoons which your children can watch that are based on this and other Fantasy Role Playing games ("F.R.P."). The games can be played almost anywhere by anyone. With the increase in popularity of this and other F.R.P.games in the last two years, and with the increased availability of the material to play the game it is essential that Christians know the just what the game is all about in order to "Avoid every kind of evil" asthe Bible instructs us to do. C. The information for this topic was taken from a book called Playing With Fire, written by John Weldon and James Bjornstad. These two men have presented a very clear and verifiable study that objectively looks at F.R.P. from the Bible's view. II. History and Background. A. F.R.P. games of which, D & D was the first, got their start as a spin off of strategy simulation war games. B. Gary Gygax founded a society called the "Castle and Crusade Society" as a special interest group of the International Federation of Wargaming. C. Gary Gygax took some ideas from a man by the name of Dave Arneson and developed the first D & D game called "Greyhawk." D. Originally the game was introduced to college campuses around the country. However, now 46% of the games and materials sold are bought by the 10 to 14 year old age group and an additional 26% of all games are bought by 15 to 17 year olds. E. The game initially received a lot of attention due to the disappearance and subsequent suicide (which occurred about a year later)of an undergraduate by the name of James Dallas Egbert, III, who was an avid D & D player. An investigation into his disappearance and suicide did not produce conclusive evidence of a connection to D & D. F. How the game is played. 1. Ought there are game boards available along with other game materials, the game is mostly played in the mind. This is one of the reasons that the game attracts so many people of above average intelligence. 2. There are no rules, only guidelines. 3. There is no time limitation, thus one game could last indefinitly. 4. There appears to be no absolutes or boundaries. 5. Three or more players and a Dungeon Master are needed to play the game. (REFER TO P#31) G. Principles: 1. These are role playing games, which means that the player must assume the part of the charactor to the point that he must think how the charactor would accomplish any given task. 2. The roles that can be played, are not desirable according to Biblical standards. 3. In the past, role playing games had a historical setting, but today in F.R.P. games the setting is fantasy and mythology. 4. Today there is not only violence and a quest for powerfound in war games, but add to that immorality, idolatry, and occultism found in games such as D & D, one has to wonder just what kind of effect these games might have on one's own philosophy and morals! 5. Unfortunately, most players participate without ever considering the world view in which the are playing, and the Christianplayers who particpate many not consider just how far the game'sideology is so in conflict with the principles of the Bible. III. The world view or philosophy contrasted with the Word of God. A. Each F.R.P. game has it's own universe (i.e., world view or philosophy fashioned by words or concepts that work together to provid each more or less coherent frame of reference for all thought and action. B. In order for a player to be able to play one of these games he has to comprehend the universe of the game and thus the game's outlook on life. C. The comparison : 1. The subject of God. a. F.R.P. games in general support polytheism. b. In these games one is supposed to have a patron god and is expected to have contact with him. c. The Bible clearly states that there is only one true God and that we are to Worship Him only. (Ex. 20:3) d. The Scriptures state that there are many thingscalled god but there is by nature only one True God, the God of theBible. (I Cor. 8:4ff) 2. The subject of creation: a. F.R.P.s in general suggest a non-theisticuniverse(s), that is, without an infinite creator God. b. The Bible maintains a theistic universe(s), one that begins with the personal, infinite God who "created the heavens and theearth" out of nothing. (Gen. 1:1). 3. The subject of man: a. Most F.R.P. games say that man can better himselfand progress through various levels by means of cooperation skill andluck. Üj ÜŒ b. In some games it is possible to attain the level of a divinity or deity. c. The Bible states that man has disobeyed God, thus alienating himself from God. (Rom. 3:23) Payment for sin or atonementis needed, but sinful man is incapable of producing or providing this. God loves us so much that he took the initiative in history by sendinghis Son, Jesus Christ, the second person of the Godhead to pay thepenalty for sin by His deaths on the cross. d. According to the Bible, Jesus Christ alone is theonly way to life and to God. (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; John 3:36) 4. The subject of resurrection. a. F.R.P. games address immortality in two areas; resur rection and reincarnation: (1) Resurrection meaning resuscitation or revival of a person after death by means of magic or by petioning one's patron god. (2) Reincarnation is the belief of bringing back a dead in the form of a new incarnation (or in a new body). b. The Bible clearly states one conclusion for man after death: a resurrection to Heaven for the believer, or resurrection toHell for the unbeliever, depending on what you think about Christ, andwhether you accept Him as your personal Saviour. (Rom. 8:23-24) 5. The subject of morality : a. F.R.P. games see an amoral world at best. Good and evil seem to be presented as equal and opposite sides. b. Such activities as rape, stealing, murder, mutilation and human sacrifices are incorporated into the adventure of the Games. c. The Bible maintains a moral universe, based on the integrity of God. Thus there is an absolute standard by which all moraljudgments can be measured. d. God has revealed this standard to us in the various laws and principles expressed in Word, the Bible. These laws andprinciples are given for our instruction that we might know what isright and what ought to be done in a given situation. D. Principles: 1. The theology found in F.R.P. games is an outright denialof much (if not all) of Biblical theology. 2. The theology found in these games is not true and there is a false understanding of the supernatural and the gods and demons onecalls upon and imagines may not at all times be purely imaginative andnonexistent after all. IV. Assessing F.R.P. games. A. To categorically declare that all F.R.P. games are "evil" andof the Devil would be simplistic and erroneous, just as it would be anerror to accept them all unquestionably as "good" and "harm less." Inorder to make an intelligent assessment of these games we mustcritically examine at least four basic areas. First, the role offantasy; secondly, morality; thirdly, escapism and lastly, occultism. 1. Fantasy: a. Neither fantasy or fantasy role-playing is wrong inand of itself. When carried out with in the context of the Christianworld view, it can serve as a useful and creative activity. Üj Ü b. We are creatures made in the image of an imaginativeGod and we should consider it a privilege to possess and exercise thisgift of imagination. However, we must also recognise our obligationbefore God to use this gift in a wholesome way and to guard against anymisuse, (I Cor. 10:3-5). c. If Christ taught that looking at a woman with lustwas committing adultery in the heart, would it not follow that if youlust after power given by false gods that you are in fact committingidolatry in the eyes of God? 2. The morality of the games. a. In D & D and games of its kind there are no moral absolutes, nor are there any moral conclusions. Good does not have totriumph over evil in the end. b. The good morals that might be brought in to the game have no effect on how the charactor is played. If your charactor is anevil (alignment) thief then that is how he must be played. c. Where there is power and violence there is oftensexual immorality. For example, in D & D "non-human soldiers" areexpected to "rape freely at every chance." d. Remember, in these games, not only does the player become the charactor, but in some games the charactor becomes a modelfor all to emulate. e. The bible is the final authority on right and wrong, and if God declares in the Bible that prostitution, rape, stealing,mutilation, murder, human sacrifice, worshiping other gods, castingspells, using magic, and practicing necromancy are wrong, then shouldone pretend those things or become involved in a fantasy game in whichone participates by imaginative role playing? NO!