Oh, but we're not through this wreckage yet. Time to keep chopping....
This time, the William Schnobelen article in the link.
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Just recently, a spectacular movie called Dungeons and Dragons was released. Additionally, the pop culture is virtually drowning in sorcery and occult related topics.
Is that why the movie bombed harder than a bad day in Baghdad, lost massive amounts of money, and is HATED almost universally?
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Now, obviously not all of this can be laid at the door of D&D. But in the 1970's, it was one of the major cultural phenomena that planted the seeds that have sprouted into Harry Potter and all the occult books and movies.
Cuz no seeds got planted by HOMER, XENOPHON, THE BROTHERS GRIMM, BRAM STOKER, HG WELLS, MARY SHELLY, ROBERT E HOWARD, CS LEWIS, TOLKIEN, did they?
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The astute reader will have noted that already, some genuine magical terms from real witchcraft and occultism have been introduced.
*SIGH* And lord knows, the myths and fiction works of classical literature and film didn't at all borrow from comtemporary or real world terms or incidents, did they?
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One other issue needs to be raised about alignment. The morality expressed in D&D is fuzzy at best, and is certainly NOT the morality of the Bible.
See, the irony here is that the alignments and notion sof good and evil within these games and indeed in most fantasy settings is that they're MORE defined and LESS ambiguous than in the real world. See, going against your alignment in the game has actual consequences, going against your diety's taught morality and teachings has ramifications (if you're a paladin or cleric, doubly so.)
The real world, for better or worse, doesn't work that way.
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For example, you can have a "lawful evil" character. A handbook states that: "A lawful evil villain methodically takes what he wants within the limits of his code of conduct without regard to whom it hurts. He cares about tradition, loyalty and order, but not about freedom, dignity or life."7 Talk about a mish-mash of moral ambiguity.
Plenty of Christian society's got away with that notion. Ever read Puritan laws?
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It is important to understand that each of the above magical artifacts exists in "real world" sorcery and witchcraft.
So there IS an actual Sword of Kali or Hammer of Disruption?
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You are to take treasure or magic away from other players using whatever means are available, including force, magic, intimidation, coercion or negotiation).
SHOW OF HANDS, GAMERS! How long would a character who robbed, bullied, and assaulted his teammates last in YOUR group?
In mine, you can measure it in seconds.
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I have played D&D a few times and spent dozens of hours talking with players and Dungeon Masters (DMs). Admittedly, my first hand experienced with D&D is from the 1970's-80's, but I would think it still counts for something
Not for a whole lot given your perceptions and the groups you obviously hooked up with.
Also, the game has ADAPTED. It's expanded. Dungeon crawling is just one way to do it, and heck, it's not even really the most popular in many circles.
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Perhaps Hitler and rape are no longer praised. That is good
Did I miss this in any of the 1st edition books? If so, please say where.
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Now, admittedly, few people who play D&D actually intend to do magic when they play. But I knew some who did, and even today I have corresponded with people who were gamers and also active magicians on the "inner planes." If you are a gamer, you might be playing with such an individual.
Firstly, you're appealing to anecdote and passing it off as fact. Again.
And no, I've never yet played with an individual in 20 PLUS YEARS who made such claims, even the ones who were genuinely wiccan or pagan.
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Now this is not to say that every serious D&D gamer is going to become a Satanist or demonized. But the odds are good that they might.
Ugh.....considering Satan isn't evne mentioned as a....forget it, there's no response to this crap. I'm going to be slogging through this one for awhile, but I can tell you right now that a good deal of it honestly doesn't even apply to us non-Christians, and is loaded with tons of correalation fallacies "______ hung himself and was a D&D player. D&D related!"
