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Sazerac · 02-21-2002, 01:04 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Cerek the Barbaric:
Saz, I knew immediately who you were referring to as the "religious lunatic fringe". I was soooooo tempted to begin this thread with a "tongue-in-cheek" response from a "mad-as-hell, Bible-thumping Southern Baptist"....but that would triviliaze how truly unfortunate this entire situation is.

I'm saddened for the person in question because of his apparantly delusional state of mind...and I'm saddened for gamers because - as you pointed out - it is EXACTLY this type of occurrance that "fans the flames" of AD&D being labeled a social taboo.

It's ironic that...when Gygax first came out with the game...it was considered a revolutionary product and several schools actually incorporated it into their Advanced Curriculums because of the creativeness and imagination it inspired.

I actually know as many religious people who like AD&D as those who don't; many who are regular players. The struggle for good vs. evil has long been a theme in religion, and AD&D lets people play that out. I've seen Baptist lay and youth ministers and Catholic priests play the game, and are fine with it. Like I said, it's the lunatic fringe you have to watch out for. The 1/2 of a percent of the population out there that yells at the top of their lungs so you think that it's a lot more than what it is.

They're also the same ones who ban (or burn) books and records because it doesn't "jive" with their blinkered world view.

Ah well...

02-21-2002, 01:04 PM	#18
Sazerac Ironworks Moderator Join Date: January 7, 2001 Location: Monroe, LA Age: 60 Posts: 7,387	quote: Originally posted by Cerek the Barbaric: Saz, I knew immediately who you were referring to as the "religious lunatic fringe". I was soooooo tempted to begin this thread with a "tongue-in-cheek" response from a "mad-as-hell, Bible-thumping Southern Baptist"....but that would triviliaze how truly unfortunate this entire situation is. I'm saddened for the person in question because of his apparantly delusional state of mind...and I'm saddened for gamers because - as you pointed out - it is EXACTLY this type of occurrance that "fans the flames" of AD&D being labeled a social taboo. It's ironic that...when Gygax first came out with the game...it was considered a revolutionary product and several schools actually incorporated it into their Advanced Curriculums because of the creativeness and imagination it inspired. I actually know as many religious people who like AD&D as those who don't; many who are regular players. The struggle for good vs. evil has long been a theme in religion, and AD&D lets people play that out. I've seen Baptist lay and youth ministers and Catholic priests play the game, and are fine with it. Like I said, it's the lunatic fringe you have to watch out for. The 1/2 of a percent of the population out there that yells at the top of their lungs so you think that it's a lot more than what it is. They're also the same ones who ban (or burn) books and records because it doesn't "jive" with their blinkered world view. Ah well... __________________ "And all my days are trances, and all my nightly dreams, Are where thy grey eye glances, and where thy footstep gleams, In what ethereal dances, by what eternal streams..."