Posted on 02/06/2010 4:35:57 AM PST by NYer
A long-time video gamer and devout Catholic is sounding the alarm about a new breed of satanically-themed video games that target God and the Catholic Church, invite players to make pacts with the devil, and elevate Satan to hero status.
“This has been going on for the last 10 years, but especially in the most recent games,” said Lance Christian, 32, of Alton, Illinois. “It wasn’t until last month when I said, ‘enough is enough!’ I’m a gamer, but I’m deep into my faith and I think God is showing me this so I can make other people aware of it.”
He has seen games gradually become more occult-based, promoting Satan and even the persecution of Christians. For instance, in one game, players kill the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael before going on to destroy God. Another game requires players to sell their soul to the devil and rewards them for “killing unbaptized infants.” One game has Muslims killing Christians in a holy war.
All these games seem to have one central theme - God is the enemy and the devil is the hero. One game guide blatantly states: “The Judeo-Christian God is portrayed as the prominent villain in the series . . .”
“This is just the tip of the iceberg in what I have discovered,” Mr. Christian said. “I feel that the devil has a new tool to work with in this age of technology, and the majority of adults in a position of responsibility are left in the dark.”
He provided us with the following list of the most egregious games:
1) Tecmo’s Deception: Invitation To Darkness (Playstation) – Players “make an unholy pact and sell their soul to Satan in exchange for power” with the object of the game being to ensure the resurrection of Satan and obtain his power. (This game is rated “T” for teen.)
2) Nocturne (Playstation 2) - A game in which the hero (a demon) destroys the three archangels St. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, then goes on to destroy God.
3) Devil Summoner (Playstation 2) – Involves communicating with and recruiting demons. One demon tells the player “That Catholic Church is such an eyesore” and in the end of the game, blows up the Church.
4) Shadow Hearts (Playstation 2) - The hero uses his power to intercept and destroy God and “save the world.” Some games in this series are rated “T”.
5) Assassin’s Creed (Playstation 3/Xbox 360) – Main character is a Muslim assassin assigned to kill Christians.
6) Dragon’s Age Origins (Playstation 3/Xbox 360) – Game revolves around the story of God going mad and cursing the world. A witch attacks believers and players can “have sex” with her in a pagan act called “blood magic” so she can “give birth to a god.” Another scenario allows player to have sex with a demon in exchange for a boy’s soul.
7) Dante’s Inferno (Playstation 3/Xbox 360) – Loosely based on the Divine Comedy, player travels through nine circles of Hell, fighting demons, “unbaptized babies” and other tormented souls. (This game is being considered for a movie by Universal Pictures.)
8) Guitar Hero (Playstation) – Players use guitars decorated with pentagrams. God is repeatedly mocked by the devil and in the end, the devil is the hero of the game. Women dressed as Catholic school girls are degraded. (Rated “T” for teen)
Other games with Satanic themes are Darksiders, Koudelka, Trapt, and Bayonetta.
Game publishers are cashing in on the satanic and anti-Catholic content themes and using them as a draw for buyers. For instance, Electronic Arts launched a catchy ad campaign to sell its satanic-themed game Dante’s Inferno. Buyers interested in the game are greeted at the site by an alleged new game called, “Mass: We Pray.” When they click on the link, they’re declared a heretic and re-routed to Dante’s Inferno. After ordering, they’re offered a “Number of the Beast” discount of $6.66.
Even though most of these videos are rated by the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) as “M” for mature audiences, many are rated “T” for teens. But irregardless of the ratings, they can easily fall into the hands of children from older siblings or parents, Mr. Christian says, and points to a recent YouTube video of an eight year-old playing a Satanic themed game.
Paul Bury, editor of Family Friendly Gaming said the envelope is definitely being pushed with these games. “Role playing games have progressively gotten worse over the years,” he said. “It is difficult to find a role playing game that is not ‘T’. . . . There have been some ‘M’ rated ones where all kinds of decadence is allowed.”
Another problem is that the ESRB has been “shifting” its standards much like movie rating bureaus have been doing. “Compared to movies in the past, they are now allowing more for a PG rating,” Mr. Bury said. “I have noticed the same thing from the ESRB. Games that in the opinion of Family Friendly Gaming that should receive a ‘M’ rating, are getting a ‘T’ rating. They are letting more through.”
Eliot Mizrachi, spokesman for the ESRB, says their rating system focuses on violence, language and sexuality and is based on what the average consumer’s expectations would be about content.
“The ratings are only intended to be a guide,” he said, “but if someone has sensitivities about particular content, the first step would be to check the rating summaries on our website which provide a very detailed description of the content that factored into the rating.”
We checked these summaries and although they were helpful, few mentioned the overt satanic content of the games.
Mr. Mizrachi says concerned parents need to do their homework before choosing what games their children can play. In addition to checking the summaries available on their website, they should also consult game reviews on parent-focused websites.
Parents can consult reviews on the Focus on the Family’s “Plugged In” website at http://www.pluggedin.com/
To voice your concern about the content of video games, check video summaries and access mobile ratings, visit www.esrb.org.
FYI ping.
And that Elvis he’s dangerous too
so don’t buy them!
Often these "warnings" are so overblown they bear little resemblance to the truth. I remember Dungeons & Dragons being called satanic by a number of groups when I was a teenager. They had so many misconception of what that game was about.
So that is, like, the article's raison d'etre...
Mr. Mizrachi says concerned parents need to do their homework before choosing what games their children can play. In addition to checking the summaries available on their website, they should also consult game reviews on parent-focused websites.
I remember Dungeons & Dragons being called satanic by a number of groups when I was a teenager. They had so many misconception of what that game was about.
I used to a lot, and still play Diablo II LOD sometimes. It’s basically you kill a fictional version of the devil for a fictional version of heaven. I don’t see a problem with it, even though there are pentigrams in the game.
That being said I wouldn’t play a game that involves killing god.
Considering how many games have been released this is a very small concern, if any. Like one person said, don’t buy it, just be aware and pass the message.
There no different than Satanic movies that we avoid.
It's not a video game, it's a training simulator for Islamic youth.
This is over the top.
I am a gamer and first you have to understand that many of these games are made in Japan. They don’t exactly believe in Christ over there and instead they believe in the balance of good and evil. Bayonetta is not an anti-god game...it’s fantasy based on Japanese myth and culture.
Dragon age origins is like JRR Tolkiens books...pure fantasy. Most people know how to separate fantasy from reality.
I never got the expansion pack for that game, but I did play Diablo (1 & 2). I remember thinking about whether I should be playing such a game. It didn’t show the clergy in the most positive light, but didn’t make them the bad guys either. It was also clear your objective was to rid the world of Satan’s presence.
I think that's the point: if these issues are of concern to a potential purchaser, being informed about them is helpful.
The story resolved around a centuries old fued between a cult of "Assassins" and the Knights Templar.
The assassins also killed muslims.
The big controversy revolves around "A piece of Eden". Without going into spoilers, the story is worthy of a Kucinich-style conspiracy theory.
On the whole, Christians won't like it. If you like revolutionary games, it's amazing. Sadly, this "revolutionary vehicle" conveys a disappointing and pathetic message.
Haven’t played most of these. “Assassin’s Creed” was just boring. “Guitar Hero” is a real stretch. As another FReeper said, it’s mostly just over-the-top heavy metal nonsense. “Rock Band” is vastly superior anyway... :0)
Do you play WoW? I just started playing it, however I plan on being a loner, so I don’t become “THAT GUY”. Keep it casual I always say...
My wife’s younger cousin lived with us for almost a year, and he was “THAT GUY”, and it was nothing to pump out a 16 hour day on WoW.
Was he name LeRoy, by any chance?
Yet another reason not to bother with such leisure entertainment.
You wrote:
“And that Elvis he’s dangerous too”
I have enjoyed Elvis’ music, but even I can admit that our culture from a Christian viewpoint would have remained more wholesome without him. That’s simply undeniable.
You wrote:
“so don’t buy them!”
So, you think something that lauds the Devil only effects those who actually buy it? It is sometimes surprising to me to see how many supposed “Conservatives” have bought into the mechanicalistic view of people and society. That’s actually a progressive view.
No. There’s more than one of “THAT GUY”. LOL. Probably 60% of the people that play it.
He lived with us because I got him a summer job where I worked. He would stay up all night playing WoW and would come in without a shower and 2 hours of sleep.
It’s really funny now looking back on it, at the time it was incredibly frustrating.
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