Holy Hell
Submitted by James Protzman on Sun, 10/07/2007 - 12:49pm
The New York Times is filled with good stories this weekend, but this one takes the cake.
Across the country, hundreds of ministers and pastors desperate to reach young congregants have drawn concern and criticism through their use of an unusual recruiting tool: the immersive and violent video game Halo. The latest iteration of the immensely popular space epic, Halo 3, was released nearly two weeks ago by Microsoft and has already passed $300 million in sales.
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Far from being defensive, church leaders who support Halo — despite its “thou shalt kill” credo — celebrate it as a modern and sometimes singularly effective tool. It is crucial, they say, to reach the elusive audience of boys and young men. Witness the basement on a recent Sunday at the Colorado Community Church in the Englewood area of Denver, where Tim Foster, 12, and Chris Graham, 14, sat in front of three TVs, locked in violent virtual combat as they navigated on-screen characters through lethal gun bursts. Tim explained the game’s allure: “It’s just fun blowing people up.”Once they come for the games, Gregg Barbour, the youth minister of the church said, they will stay for his Christian message. “We want to make it hard for teenagers to go to hell,” Mr. Barbour wrote in a letter to parents at the church.
As my daughter asked, why don't they just hire prostitutes to have sex with all the teenage boys? Wouldn't that keep them coming back, too?
In rural Minnesota, Mr. Drexler said, the church needs something powerful to compete against the lure of less healthy behaviors. “We have to find something that these kids are interested in doing that doesn’t involve drugs or alcohol or premarital sex.”
Like extreme violence. Nice.
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When my grandson lived close by
he was encouraged to attend the Wednesday night youth meetings because they gave away toys as awards. They would award prized for best attendence, most attentive, best behaved. Alex got real good at pretending he was paying attention.
Of course since he is Autistic, he wasn't always welcomed with open arms. I do not think that the church followed the message that their commericals try to impart: Open hearts, open minds, open doors. Yea, sure.
No matter that patriotism is too often the refuge of scoundrels. Dissent, rebellion, and all-around hell-raising remain the true duty of patriots.
Progressive Discussions
I'd be interested in knowing if that Christian message is
made up mostly of the teachings of Christ (tolerance, love, help, forgiveness, mercy, grace, render unto Caesar, turn the other cheek, put down your sword, etc.), or if they teach the Fundamentalist version of Christianity where the Old Testament tales and laws are Inerrant Truth and the harshness of the Epistles and magical fantasy of Revelations is muuuuch more essential and relevant to modern living than the Gospels and teachings of Christ.
All that love and peace stuff is really up for
liberalconservative interpretation.I mean, how do we prepare the earth for Christ's return if we're all meek and poor and peaceful and tolerant? That Jesus stuff is for wusses. For real. Jesus talked in metaphors all the time, anyway ... like ... um ... the stuff about "give the thief your shirt when he takes your coat" doesn't mean "be nice to thieves."
WE are the children of a King and the followers of the only true God!!! You don't have to be nice to anyone who doesn't believe like us. Feel free to kick the crap out of the dirty thieves, hippies and commies. What that thief and shirt story really means is that you shouldn't complain when your company makes 20% year over year profits and you and your buddies get no more than 5% raises year over year.
Seriously .... If you wanna build a powerful Holy Kingdom, you and America can't be like Jesus ... poor and property-less. You and America have gotta be more like King David, right? Yeah!!
... before you all metaphorically kill me ... / SNARK!!
What's the point, anyway?
It's people like these who make me think I've been living a lie my whole life, trying to fit into conservative Christian churches in my childhood (there was no choice anyway) and liberal Christian churches in my adulthood (guilt, etc). If I'm honest with myself, I've never really "felt" anything, while at church or away from it.
It just seems like churches, even the most liberal, progressive ones (my most recent experience was the PCUSA) ultimately rely on the fact that you go and you have faith because you think you should and that it's the right thing to do (they just don't ram it down your throat).
Is it too dangerous to just admit that all the major religions of the world were contrived by folks who were yet to enjoy all the revelations of science to explain those things we couldn't understand? How is monotheism less non-sensical than having gods of fire, rain, war, etc?
And it's all come to this---followers of the Prince of Peace, whom I dig for the most part, along with the Dalai Lama and others, are teaching their kids to play wargames?
War is over if you want it.
I think your daughter has a valid point.
If these ministers are truly interested in these teen-agers' salvation, and teach that things of this world do not lead to said salvation, then they should not use violent video games in order to lure teen-agers to hear a message from Scripture. Not only does that reek of bait-and-switch methods, but it gives tacit approval to the violence found within the game.
OR, were the ministers misled by the game because its name is Halo?
Hardly misled
Many churches are expanding their video game arcades to lure even more youngsters in with violence.
"If boiling people alive best served the interests of the American people, then it would neither be moral or immoral." Max Borders, Civitas Institute
It is you who is misled.
It is you who is misled. These ministers and youth pastors are not using a "bait-and-switch" method to "lure" youth into the church through violent video games. You are, sadly, far too cynical. The reason church leaders play video games alongside the church's youth is to show them that they're real people. Church leaders want to break down their perception as holier-than-thou figures with no grasp on reality. They're real people, and they want the youth to see this. A church leader's intention in playing Halo alongside the youth is not to encourage violence or to trick them into getting involved in the church. Instead, it's to bond and to build a friendship. When they give advice, then, it's not from a distant figure of morality, but from a mentor with whom they have a relationship. Church ministers are interested in these teenagers' salvation, even though they may not go about it in the most traditional method. They're preaching in the way they live their lives as role models alongside the youth, instead of merely preaching at them.
You miss the point of the post.
Halo is violent. What kind of minister would spread that kind of "word"?
Have you called to support H. Res 333 Impeach Cheney Today? call 202-224-3121 & ask for your Congress member by name
I don't buy it.
Violent video games have been proven in many studies to lead to real-life violence, just as violent pornography leads to rape and violence against women.
Maybe the pastors should start watching x-rated movies with the boys. Wouldn't that be sweet?
"If boiling people alive best served the interests of the American people, then it would neither be moral or immoral." Max Borders, Civitas Institute
There are more productive ways to build trust and friendship
than engaging in violent video games. I mean, they could buy them beer, or share some weed. I mean, it's the end that justifies the means, right? Shoot a few virtual hos, save a couple of souls. All in a days work. Excuse me while I grab my eyeballs, they just rolled into the corner over there.
Be the change you wish to see in the world. --Gandhi
Public radio had two interviews today that fit this link
I think. Fresh Air had this: Shalom Auslander, Voicing a Comic 'Lament'
In his memoir Foreskin's Lament, author Shalom Auslander writes about his attempt to break free from the strict, socially isolated Orthodox Jewish life he knew growing up. Auslander is the author of the short-story collection Beware of God.
listen
and this...Know-it-All Author A.J. Jacobs Tries 'Living Biblically'
The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible chronicles Jacobs' attempts to follow every rule in the Bible — and considers the lessons he learned along the way.
Listen to this story...
Have you called to support H. Res 333 Impeach Cheney Today? call 202-224-3121 & ask for your Congress member by name
A,J. Jacobs "The Year of Living Biblically"
If you'd like to hear A.J. Jacobs talk about his new book, "The Year of Living Biblically," check out this audio interview link.