Christian Games...Anyone?

[Nacho]

Very few will do. All nuts.

[Akatosh]

These guys would love it.

... yeah, all nuts.

[Anteater]

It'll be very hard to make a game like this that doesn't offend somebody. Heck, remember Spore? A bunch of angry atheists complained about it because the evolution in the game is god-controlled. Alternatively, Left Behind: Eternal Forces got quite a beating from both atheist and Christian groups, and for good reason. Aside from the game itself being horrible, the game features sexism, bigotry, forced conversion, and large amounts of violence for a game that's supposedly Christian. It's also worth mentioning that in the online mode, one of the players assumes the role of the Antichrist(!) and tries to kill everybody.

That said, good luck with the game. As a Christian myself, I wish there were some good Christian games out there (although "The Bible Game" could cross into so-bad-its-good territory) that weren't horrible.

These guys would love it.

... yeah, all nuts.

It's sad that this is the best conservatives can do. Some of the pages are so unintentionally funny that I started laughing out loud. Besides, the entire thing is superfluous.  Wikipedia aims to be as neutral as possible, so if there's something with an obvious liberal slant, make it more neutral. Of course, since the aim of that site is to have a conservative slant, maybe neutral isn't good enough for them.

[Baron]

I think this is a really good idea; obscure bible references would make for some pretty challenging puzzles!  And I'm sure there's a large pool of people out there who would want to play such a game.  If you could help teach moral lessons that would be a great bonus.  Ignore the skeptics: this is a good concept.
      I disagree that there is no place for parody in Christian moral edification: Veggie Tales proves that.  But I can understand why you would want to make it a serious game.  Personally I'm a pretty irreverent guy, however, so I don't think I can be of any assistance.

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

Wow, I actually find myself agreeing with much of what SSH has written here.  MIRACLES DO HAPPEN!

[SSH]

Wow, I actually find myself agreeing with much of what SSH has written here.  MIRACLES DO HAPPEN!

Sorry to have undermined your world view in this way, Progz

[Babar]

And probably disagreeing with Nacho. TEH AGS FORUM DUALITY!

[Ishmael]

I'm assuming this is pointed at me.

That was actually a passive sentence. Of course I can't say it's everybody, but I've seen many religious fanatics who in the end don't really know anything about their religion. That's not my main concern here though, I've just noticed that the stronger someone's faith in something is the more aggressive they are to defend it, and if this happens to be the case on the writer it leaves very little room for any reasonable "opposing force" in the game.

MIRACLES DO HAPPEN!

Coincidence!

[Nacho]

I don' t understand yout line about "Go and say that into a mosque".

I find the principles of every religion stupid. I never said that Islam is more sensible...

Actually, I was refering to Christianism, but I *think* I've been quite harder than Islam than with Christianism during my life (Not because I do really thing that Islam is actually worst, but because Islam is still important in Islamic countries and in the West, Christianism is, and it will be even more in the future, an obsolete superstition which almost nobody follows)

And about being a football club fan, I agree it can be childish. Maybe as childish as being religious, so, draw to 1-1.

The problem is that:

A) Religion is supported by the state with taxes, football teams are not.
B) "Footballcluberism" is not taught in schools, Religion is.
C) Being a football club fan does not involve believing in supernatural events opposites to reason.

So, I think the thing is 1-4, at the end...

I' d like to ask you, Andrew... Are you a "normal" religious or are you a "literalist"? It' s important to know in which direction must I go on the discussion... I deeply apology if I asked this to you before, but I can' t remember which kind of believer you are.

[MrColossal]

Can't a dude just ask a question on this forum anymore?

To Dervish: I recommend starting the game yourself, even if you don't feel you have certain abilities to do it justice, just start it and make some interest, show off your progress in the GiP forum and if people see that you're putting work into something and are serious, they might be more willing to help you out.

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

Christianism is, and it will be even more in the future, an obsolete superstition which almost nobody follows

I can almost imagine you in your computer chair, self-assured that what you've written here is a fact rather and an opinion. 

I wouldn't say that having around 30% of the world population believing in Christianity marks it as a religion almost nobody follows, would you?  And that's not including other religions, of course -- unless you want to argue with the Encyclopedia Britannica?

http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_religious_groups

And also, why exactly do you feel a need to stir up discussions like these where they're unwarranted, Nacho?  I don't remember the thread poster saying 'Oh yeah, Christianity is the best thing ever and I'll show you all by making religious games'.  I don't really see where your anti-religious sentiment was petitioned for or necessary.

[Sam.]

I have tried to restrain myself from posting, and even considered starting a "religion" thread, but I realise that this would almost certainly end in a bitter and personal flame war.

so.

My opinion on the matter of religious games? Make as many as you want, I think there is room in this community for games of all types.

I find the principles of every religion stupid. I never said that Islam is more sensible...

As an atheist myself, I can see what you are trying to say, but perhaps employ a little more tact next time. I do not see religion or religious people as "stupid" or even misguided. The need for belief faith and hope is one that we all share, it just depends whether you put this hope in a Deity or whatever else.

You are cross because football teams are not state funded but God is? An odd argument, but i'll go with it.

Religion, is a basis for a way of life and a general social behaviour. There are written rules as well as in many countries, religion is the basis for law.

In many countries, religion has become so entrenched into life, that to remove government funding, no matter what your beliefs, would be impractical and dangerous.

Football never has and never will be the basis for laws.
If football ended tomorrow, the world and the social infrastructure would remain untouched.

That can't be said for religion.

In my opinion, religion will always have it's place in society, and to nicely bookend this post, in the AGS community.

[SSH]

Please can some mod split Nacho's "Religious people are stupid" thread off from the origial topic?

[Nacho]

Prog: A high percentage of that 30% are "social believers". They get married in the church because society asks for it, they baptize their kids there because society asks for it, they make a christian funeral because that' s what society expects you do to.

Almost all the people I know makes religious ceremonies in those cases (aprox 90%, but the level of religious ceremonies is decreasing in front of civilian ones any way).

NONE of that people I know REALLY believes in that. Maybe it sounds weird for you, apparently in America the level of believers is higher, but I never had a friend saying "I do believe in God". There was a guy I knew in high school, yeah, and I see Jehova' s witnesses here and there from time to time, but, under my experience, and I think it' s so broad that I can use it to extrapolate data, here in Europe the amount of believers is very few.

Anyway, we can go on discussing here the numbers of "true" believers there are till the trumpets of the armaggeddon sound, we won't  reach to an agreement because there is no way to measure how deep the believe of people is... But you must agree with me that the level of believers is decreasing, no?

At least here. If in America is not, the only thing I can say is that I am sorry for America, since believers societies are worse.

Anyway, I don't want to focus the debate on figures. One person should be enough if that person is right. The problem? That person is not.

SSH:

Please can some mod split Nacho's "Religious people are stupid" thread off from the origial topic?

If they can find that sentence in any of my posts I am sure they will delete it, SSH.

The problem is that what I wrote was this:

"I find the principles of every religion stupid" Not "Religious people are stupid".

I keep it. Saying that one guy was bored and decided to make everything in 6 days is stupid. Saying that he made Adam from mud, and Eve from one of Adam' s ribs is stupid. Saying he got annoyed with his sons and decided to kill us with a deluge is stupid. Saying that engramas are a psychic wound made by one of the 13 billions of aliens (grown by the explossion of an hydrogen bomb inside of volcanoes) sent here by an evil gallactic warrior called Xheru is stupid (Scientology).

That' s why I asked if you are a literalist of not. If you are not, we can go on discussing about the suitability of creating an ethic code based in lies or partial lies.

If you are, sorry, man... your believs are supids. You can ask me to be polite, to hide my beliefs for the shake of civility of the forums, etc, etc... I might agree or not, but those beliefs would go on being stupid.

There are written rules as well as in many countries, religion is the basis for law

Sorry... I didn' t got that line. Want the reply? The short or the extended? The short is "NO". Religion is not the basis for law. Roman right is, in Western contries at least. If there are counties where religion is basis for law, then, poor of them.

[SSH]

And this is on-topic how?

I notice that often its the gays in the closet who most vehemently protest against homosexuality. So perhaps Nacho is a closet christian...

[Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens]

If you are, sorry, man... your believs are supids. You can ask me to be polite, to hide my beliefs for the shake of civility of the forums, etc, etc... I might agree or not, but those beliefs would go on being stupid.

You're right, my beliefs are immediately stupid because you say so.  Thanks for clearing that up for me.  Now that you're done being rude (hopefully?), perhaps this thread can get back on topic?

[Nacho]

Dunno... maybe as same on topic when you called me coward for not critizising Islam, and childish for being a football club fan?

EDIT: Prog; If you are a bible literalist, yes. Probably the most stupids I' ve ever heard, sorry. Maybe I am the only one in this forums to WRITE it, but I am sure most of you will think that believing that filling a boat with a couple of animals of each kind is stupid.

I don' t know you, but I am perfectly able to keep respecting, admiring, and loving, if needed, a person with stupid beliefs. I do lots of stupids things myself. A person is not stupid for having some stupid beliefs. A person is stupid if all, or most, of their beliefs are stupid. I do not judge people. As I wouldn't say "this guy is silly" for thinking that 2+2=5, I don' t say that you are stupid for having stupid beliefs.

But if you ask me, 2+2 is not equal to 5, and believing that a man can walk over the waters is silly.

[Ghost]

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to make my hilarious new game about how all the players and supporters of Barcelona FC are child molesters

Isn't that mole-stars? Since they're moles?



Seriously, I remember the text adventure "Christminster" dealing with several christian and also some philosophical points. I daresay our betters (IF) can teach us a lesson or two- they had the benefit of being eventually seen as "serious" enough to transport such a theme. I daresay an indie game would not so much be a balancing act but a sure stumble.

[space boy]

I belong to a Skeptic Association... Any Christian game I would make would be a parody! 

I don't really like how you equal skepticism to mocking religion.

[Nacho]

Parody=mocking? Not in the sense I was meaning...

EDIT: One question, Space Boy... Why Star Wars can be parodied, and Religion not?