[Cerek the Barbaric]

SpiritWarrior - Just wanted to let you know that I took no offense at your post. Like I said, I understand your anger. Believe me, I hear those same arguments quite a bit since I am an active Christian and a Southern Baptist to boot. I do stand corrected on my incorrect assumption that your information about Christians was second-hand.

In many ways, I was more fortunate in that I didn't develop an interest in AD&D until I was in college. So - even though my mom didn't like it - she knew she couldn't keep me from playing since I was an adult. I respected her opinion, but also respectfully disagreed with it.

The mistake most Christians make is not examining things like this for themselves. Too many just accept the views and opinions of those they considered to be more knowledgeable about the subject than themselves. Many of them would say something like "Well, if Christian Life Ministries said it was bad and that it entails ALL those various things they listed, then it really must be bad". Let's face it, it is easier to let somebody else "do the work" and then take their word for it.

Because of my experience with AD&D, I always check things out for myself. Now that might include asking other Christians what they think of a the item in question, but in the end, I make my own decisions.

For example, I wouldn't let my oldest son collect Pokemon cards for awhile because they were also supposed to be "bad". So I finally went online and looked up different Christian sites and read their objections the game. The more I read, the more familiar the arguments sounded..and the more I became convinced they weren't based on genuine research. So I changed my mind and let him have the Pokemon cards. Now we have several videos and even the N64 Pokemon Stadium game. When he developed an interest in Yu-Gi-Oh cards, I let him go ahead and get them. But when he opened them and I started reading the literature that came with the game, my wife and I BOTH became very uncomfortable with the amount of occultic references in the game (FAR more than even AD&D has...because any "occultic" references could be avoided in AD&D, but they can't in Yu-Gi-Oh). So I got rid of the cards. A few months later, my son kept asking if I would re-consider the Yu-Gi-Oh cards. I decided to give them a second chance...but it only confirmed my earlier misgivings. So Yu-Gi-Oh cards are not allowed in our house.

As for the Harry Potter books, I have no opinion one way or the other because my sons haven't expressed ANY interest in them at all. I did have a good Christian friend (whose opinion I respect) tell me that he had actually told his kids they needed to read the books (even though they didn't particularly want to). His wife got upset about it and he got one of the books and started to read it himself. Within the first few pages, he found references to witchcraft that made him uncomfortable with the book, so he agreed with his wife and told his son he didn't have to read them. By the same token, many of my former AD&D buddies are also Christians - and they absolutely LOVE Harry Potter. So if my kids ever develop an interest, I'll have to check it out for myself (although I would be more inclined to allow them since I enjoy fantasy books so much anyway).

As for those who choose to practice witchcraft, or explore the occult, or decide to embrace a pagan religion...I disagree with their choice on a personal level, but I respect their right to follow whichever path they decide is best for them. Because of this attitude, I've developed friendships with many members here on IW that are pagans and others that practice witchcraft in one form or another. We disagree on a theological level, but that doesn't mean we can't still be friends.