Archive-name: games/roleplay/part2aπLast-Modified: 3/29/93ππA new section, about this topic has been added, Part 2b. It discusses in πgeneral the fight GAMA and specifically Mike Stackpole have been winningπagainst BADD and other antigaming groups.ππ[due to popular demand (i.e. some have complained that part 2 of the generalπ FAQs was too big), I have removed the questions about gaming/evil/satan/etc.π into a separate FAQ. Numbering begins at 1. ]ππ1: I have a problem with a friend of mine. He is active in his church andπ feels strongly that any Fantasy Roleplaying Game is Evil. What can Iπ tell him?ππA0: Roleplaying is an escapist activity that requires a good imagination,π but it is not recommended for those with a poor grip on reality. Itπ does not make weirdos, it simply attracts them. That aside...ππ I have five different answers for you. You can pick and choose,π depending on which one is most applicable to your own situation.ππA1: tgt33358@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Deus Imperator) replies:ππ Tell him this story:ππ A young boy with STRONG roots in christianity became disenchantedπ with religion in general as he grew up. He fell into veryπ antisocial behavior (thieving, pyromania). While in high school,π he ran across a kid who knew a LOT about magic, and played D&D.π Our disturbed hero fell in with this crowd, and soon was playingπ D&D regularly. He always played evil characters.ππ Now this poor soul never really read for pleasure. In fact, *all*π that he had read for the past three years was _First Blood_ andπ _Rambo_. One of the players recommended the Dragonlance series toπ him. He loved it, empathizing with Raistlin 100%. He read theπ first book in one night, bought the next two, read BOTH in oneπ night, and begged his DM to give him more. His pleas wereπ granted: Thomas Covenant; Dune; David Eddings; Tolkien. Soon thisπ maladjusted youth began writing himself, specializing in poetry.π He expanded his reading range, including such great works as Lesπ Miserables, all of Joyce, and, oh yeah, the Bible. Indeed, ourπ wayward youth regained his faith, and now this year published aπ book of poetry, dedicated to me: The DM. True story.ππ Oh, yeah. For what it's worth, he wants to become a priest.ππA2: DDK2@psuvm.psu.edu (Dan Kopes) replies:ππ Have the religious "friend" read _Le_Morte_D'Artur_ by Maloryπ (or Steinbeck's version). And then have him watch the Familyπ Channel's animated version of the Prince Valiant comic. It's onπ Mondays at 8pm.ππ Yes, you read right. Pat Robertson's Family Channel is running aπ new show based on the Prince Valiant comic. It's a little cheesyπ but it would be a good way to show a religious person that theπ Arthurian Legends are not satanic literature. Because it is fromπ these stories that most frpg's formed. Dragons, knights, damselπ in distress... all of these came from the Arthurian Legends. So,π if one set of armored warriors, pious priests, and knowledgeableπ wizards are OK to read, then why isn't another group?ππ I made a list of crucial elements that were in the first severalπ episodes of Prince Valiant, all of these are also the backbone ofπ most RPGs:ππ 1) Evil baron defeats good guys and exiles them from their home.π - What!? A religious channel is saying that the bad guys win?!π - In FRPs this is the plot hook that sets the good guys intoπ doing something to regain the home.ππ 2) Prophetic dreamsπ - sounds like Robertson's channel is delving into mysticism.π - Used in FRPs to nudge the adventurers into going the rightπ way.ππ 3) Spell casting - by swamp witch and Merlinπ - It seems it's OK to pretend that spells exist in stories...π - One of the spell casters is a good guy so this throws out theπ idea that magic is evil or satanic...only some of it is.π And the good guys do NOT use the evil magic.ππ 4) Authority figures can be evil and corruptπ - another baron suppresses his people and forces the blacksmith'sπ daughter to marry his wimpy brother.π - In FRPs this sets up a lot of adventures...the good guys haveπ to overthrow the abusive leader.ππ 5) Monsters are real and dangerous to let live...π - The very first episode had a giant lizard, probably meant as aπ dinosaur or dragon.π - In FRPs monsters as opponents are a staple in an adventurer'sπ diet. They have to be killed/defeated for the greater good.ππ Now, have your religious "friend" watch this show which isπ broadcast nationally on a religiously affiliated network.π Robertson himself has spoken out against Fantasy Roleplayingπ Games, but he broadcasts a TV show that is very similar to mostπ FRP campaigns.ππA3: Many people seem to think that Fantasy Roleplaying is inspired byπ black magic and Necronomicon-like grimoires. In fact, J.R.R.π Tolkein's _Lord of the Rings_ and _The Hobbit_ and the world ofπ Middle Earth, which are primary influences on almost allπ Roleplaying games, were primarily inspired by Christianπ (Catholic, to be precise) ideas.ππ J.R.R. Tolkein was a devout Christian, and a close friend of C.S.π Lewis, one of the great Christian thinkers of our (or any) time,π and writer of the fantasy and science fiction classicsπ (respectively) The Chronicles of Narnia and the trilogyπ comprising "Out of the Silent Planet," "Perelandra," and "Thatπ Hideous Strength." Some of Lewis's work in "That Hideousπ Strength" is acknowledged inspiration from Tolkein's writing (notπ to mention a large dose of Christian theology).ππ Yes, Virginia, Christianity and fantasy can coexist.ππ Another FRP-like Christian fantasy is _The Faerie Queen_ byπ Edmund Spenser, with the Red-Cross Knight and other allegoricalπ characters engaging in typical FRP exploring and monster killing.ππ Roleplaying gamers should also emphasize that their games existπ in a moral world (that is, of course, if their players do notπ regularly play evil or psychopathic characters) and thatπ wrongdoing and skullduggery usually rebound on the bad guys.π Despite the fact that TSR strongly discourages evil playerπ characters -- providing scenarios that are aimed almostπ exclusively at good and neutral alignments -- most critics thinkπ that players are all thrilling in immoral deeds. They don'tπ realize most of us play the good guys, in the white hats, whoπ ride off into the sunset after the last scene.ππA4: Finally, one of the things that humans enjoy the most is tellingπ or listening to a bashing good story. Jesus was well known forπ telling stories, as have been many very holy men and womenπ through history.ππ Fantasy Roleplaying Games are just another way of tellingπ stories, which may or not be objectively good, but are generallyπ enjoyed by the participants and certainly involve lots ofπ bashing.ππA5: In case you are being persecuted by those who think they areπ only doing the christian thing by trying to convert you fromπ what they see as a satanist or evil conspiracy to the onlyπ right and true way you may find the following arguments to beπ useful.ππ Pierre Savoie of CaRPG supplied the following refutations ofπ commonly quoted "facts" used by the anti-roleplaying set.ππ The original claim of a teen committing suicide due to D&D was aπ hoax. In 1979 James Dallas Egbert III disappeared from Michiganπ State University, as described in a book by the detective on theπ case, William Dear (THE DUNGEON MASTER, 1984, Ballantine,π biographies). Dear rambles a lot and he may be dramatizing tooπ much, but he made headway not from talk about D&D played inπ underground "steam tunnels" on the campus, but only after heπ contacted a man who was keeping boys as young as 11 in hisπ apartment, who claimed to know where Dallas was. It turns out theπ boy was 16 years old and in his sophomore year, a genius but alsoπ lonely, on drugs, and gay. He "ran away from it all", got stonedπ down in those tunnels, and staggered over to the home of a gayπ friend. This person got nervous when later the police searchπ started, and Dallas was shuttled from gay to gay until he endedπ up in Louisiana with "friends". It could have been a prostitutionπ ring involving juveniles.π Dear's only concern was to bring the boy back, so he kept theπ facts hidden for 5 years until he wrote the book. For thatπ reason D&D continued to be blamed, esp. nine months later whenπ Dallas committed suicide (probably out of embarrassment). Iπ don't know how far to trust Dear's account, particularly becauseπ of his choice of title to "market the book better".ππ The very first published anti-D&D writings were from the Rev.π John Torrell in 1980 (Christian Life Ministries, now calledπ European-American Evangelistic Crusades, in Sacramento, CA).π Torrell claimed that "these players go nuts with it! They startπ confusing fantasy with reality." That's an ironic claim in viewπ of his own published "political" views in his newsletter, THEπ DOVE. In 1986 to the present, he claims that Ronald Reaganπ secretly surrendered the U.S. to the Soviet Union at the Icelandπ Summit in 1986, with a five-year transition period before theπ Russians assumed complete control. Well, guess who surrendered toπ whom! He has also claimed that George Bush's membership in theπ Order of Skull And Bones fraternity at Yale means that he hasπ devoted his life to Satan! Torrell also claimed that the logo forπ the Seoul Olympics was a cyclic "666" symbol, and many otherπ inanities. A perfect conspiracy theorist. Torrell's radio showπ got kicked off one radio station for making anti-Catholicπ remarks, but he wound up on another station.ππ The famous woman who claims her son killed himself due to D&D,π Patricia Pulling of Richmond, Virginia, is in league with someπ pretty questionable people. It seems she's a sort of guestπ director of the National Coalition on Television Violence (NCTV)π run by Dr. Thomas Radecki from near Chicago. This man has put outπ loony claims that people are severely influenced by violent actsπ seen on TV, and counts the number of violent acts per hour.π According to his criteria, The Smurfs average 13/hr.! He alsoπ says tickling, snowball fights, Donald Duck cartoons, theπ Christian Broadcasting Network, etc. are all bad for the mind,π and that anger should be suppressed because "only God has theπ right to be angry", in flagrant opposition to the catharsisπ theories of his psychiatric discipline.π Now, every issue of THE NCTV NEWS has a margin column where aπ "partial list of endorsers" is listed. Notice that it'sπ "partial", so they want to bring out what they feel are the mostπ notable names who "support" them. One of these names is Prof. J.π Phillippe Rushton of the University of Western Ontario, inπ London, Ontario, Canada. This professor published his theories ofπ a "race hierarchy" where Blacks were rated inferior to Whites,π and both ranked below Orientals. He got some of his funding fromπ an American group called the Pioneer Fund, which is said to beπ racist.π And yet he is listed as a notable endorser of Pat Pulling andπ Thomas Radecki from 1985 to at least 1989! This raises theπ possibility that various little "causes" such as D&D-bashing areπ really to raise funds for what REALLY interests these groups...π hatred and racism.ππ The only Catholic tract against the game of D&D had to be pulledπ out of religious bookstores--because of its sources ofπ information. This was called "Games Unsuspecting Peopleπ Play--Dungeons and Dragons" by The Daughters of St. Paul Press inπ Boston (light green cover, sub-digest size, 24 pages or so) andπ authored by Louise Shanahan.π Originally this was from a Canadian Catholic magazine called OURπ FAMILY in Battleford, Saskatchewan, re-made into a tract.π However, two of their "sources" of information on the game wereπ the Rev. John Torrell and also Albert James Dager (who callsπ Catholicism the "Babylon Mystery Religion", claiming it's a mixπ of true Christianity and Babylonian rituals such as communion andπ the confessional). Since both of these were anti-Catholic, theπ tract was discontinued, and the DSP will no longer accept anyπ manuscripts from Louise Shanahan! She obviously didn't researchπ these sources sufficiently.π I did, and gleefully pointed it out to the publisher, whichπ withdrew the tract.ππ In the book CRUEL DOUBT by Joe MacGinnis, he seems to claim thatπ D&D was the link between Chris Prichard and the friends he askedπ to help him kill his step-father. In fact, they ALSO went to theπ same school (North Carolina State) and lived in the SAME dorm,π but these common factors were somehow not considered contributoryπ to their conspiracy the way D&D-playing was. The motive for theπ killing, in these recessionary times, was greed for anπ inheritance, not drugs or game-playing.π Interestingly, a lot of attention is focused on the 70 cases aπ year in the U.S. of kids who murder their parents. The number ofπ parents who murder their kids in the same time is 2000! (see INπ PURSUIT OF SATAN)ππ If videos of Sean Sellers (a teen on death-row in Oklahoma) areπ presented on THE 700 CLUB as testimony of the link betweenπ violence and D&D, it is only because videos are all they can comeπ up with. They can't link up with him live--because he no longerπ claims that D&D caused his crime!π In a letter dated Feb. 5, 1990 from Sean Sellers to game designerπ Michael Stackpole, Sellers concluded with, "Personally, forπ reasons I publish myself, I don't think kids need to be playingπ D&D, but using my past as a common example of the effects of theπ game is either irrational or fanatical."π Remember, people on death row are opportunists. They will claimπ that UFOs tampered with their brains and this caused them toπ kill. They will claim most anything to get parole, and who canπ blame them? Of course, as more judges and wardens areπ D&D-players, such a claim will not be possible within 10 years.π In this case, concerning D&D, familiarity will kill the contemptπ against the game rather than 'breeding contempt'. Only distanceπ and ignorance breed contempt against the game. The more the gameπ is known, the less people make claims against it!ππ TSR Inc. does a little to debunk anti-D&D claims, and anπ organization of game manufacturers called the Game Manufacturers'π Association (GAMA; c/o Greg Stafford; Chaosium Inc.; 950A 56thπ St.; Oakland, CA; 94608) has done a lot to research these claims.π However, there is now a fan-based organization I helped to foundπ in 1988 called the Committee for the Advancement of Role-Playingπ Games (CAR-PGa). The principal people are as follows:ππ William Flattπ 8032 Locust Ave.π Miller, INπ 46403 tel. (219) 938-3382 [very dedicated to the issue becauseπ his father assaulted him for playing D&D, with a vacuum cleanerπ pipe]ππ the Rev. Paul Cardwell, Jr.π c/o Hippogriff Booksπ 111 E. 5th St.π Bonham, TXπ 75418 [a gamer who prefers Chaosium-style rules, author of theπ MYTHWORLD game, and an ordained United Methodist ministerπ (teaching, not preaching) aged 58!]ππ Mr. Pierre Savoieπ 22-B Harris Ave.π Toronto, ONπ M4C 1P4 CANADA tel. (416) 690-6985 [age 30, analytical chemist byπ trade. I initially kicked off CAR-PGa with some diligent researchπ on the exact groups which criticize D&D. Sometimes jokinglyπ called "Head of Research" in the organization because I have 5π feet deep of files and correspondence on the subject.]ππ The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation did a radio show on theirπ AM network in the "Ideas" series, Canada's most intellectualπ radio program, entitled "Dungeons and Dragons" (aired May 29,π 1991). It concluded as follows:π "The National Coalition on Television Violence and BADD sayπ they have a hundred and twenty-five cases of D&D-linkedπ deaths. Only forty of these cases have been published and halfπ of those are anonymous.π The ones they do cite details for have no causal link withπ games. In every trial where Mrs. Pulling and Dr. Radecki haveπ appeared, always as expert witnesses on the defence side, theπ defendants were convicted anyway, and in no case adjudicatedπ by the courts has gaming ever been implicated in any crime."π This is not some schlock show, and transcripts are offeredπ for most of their programs, including this one, for 5 Canadianπ dollars per airdate. To order, indicate the title and airdateπ of the show and send CDN$5 or equivalent to: CBC IDEASπ Transcripts; P.O. Box 500, Station "A"; Toronto, ON; M5W 1E6;π CANADA.π I assisted a little in the research for the show, and you mayπ find it a refreshingly positive broadcasting of the facts aboutπ game-playing.ππ There are at least two books in print so far which debunkπ anti-D&D theories in the context of "Satanism". These are:ππ SATANISM IN AMERICA: How the Devil Got Much More Than His Dueπ by Shawn Carlson and Gerald Larue, 1989 by Gaia Press (P.O.π Box 466; El Cerrito, CA; 94530-0466; tel. (415) 527-9414) Itπ is spiral-bound, 280 pages and the price is $12.95π (Californians add .94 tax) plus $1.50 postage.π 50 of these pages is a special appendix by game designerπ Michael Stackpole of Chaosium Inc. directly dealing with theπ anti-D&D claims.ππ IN PURSUIT OF SATAN: The Police and the Occult by Robert Hicksπ (1991 by Prometheus Books; 700 East Amherst St.; Buffalo, NY;π 14215; tel. (716) 837-2475). Hardcover, 420 pages, US$23.95π plus maybe $3 postage. 25 pages devoted to D&D by thisπ criminal analyst, plus additional chilling references. Forπ example, in Chicago there is a wing of the Hartgrove Hospitalπ called for the Center for the Treatment of Ritualisticπ Deviance. It's influenced by silly Satanism seminars, and oneπ of the criteria for being a potential patient is "heavyπ involvement in fantasy and role play [sic] games". Therefore,π a young teen can be "hospitalized" here with the consent ofπ his parents for being a D&D-player--all legal and proper!π This book was given a favourable review in an editorial in theπ July 1991 DRAGON, by Michael Stackpole, who curiously did notπ mention his own involvement with the first book.]ππ --> generic!pnet91!pro-micol!psavoie@zoo.toronto.eduπ (Pierre Savoie; Micol Labs BBS; Toronto. A.k.a. DRACONIAN)ππ
