Looking over Pharyngula today (scienceblogs.com/pharyngula) I noticed a post about the new "Left Behind" PC game. To be honest, I never read the books, never saw the movie, and I really have no desire to. The whole "Rapture Ready" thing has always seemed a bit cultish to me, and I don't really want to read about Jesus laying waste to entire armies with heat beams from his eyes or some damned thing. In any case, gamespot did a review that I'll let speak for itself, which can be found here - http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/leftbehindeternalforces/review.html
While looking over the screen shots, I noticed two that promote ID and creationism, which of course struck me as odd. What the hell is that subject doing in the game? It appears that you play as a Christian in 1P mode, trying to make converts, and if you don't pray enough something like a satanically-inspired riff from one of the antichrist's rock-star followers will do you in. I guess they take the stand that evolution is part of the evil brought on by the antichrist, and of course, that makes my brain hurt. I don't want to jump to conclusions because I have no idea if it's in-game or someone added them to some multiplayer function, but they look like they're really a part of the gameplay somehow, and you can see them by looking at the screenshots at the link above.
Part of my has something of a morbid fascination about this and wants to play just to see how crackpot it really is, but I'm guess if I did that someone would find me dead in my apartment, with a little note from my brain saying it didn't have to take such abuse.
I read all the books, and even went so far as to be the first 'prequel, which I haven't read and don't plan on, but even though the rapture isn't something I have faith in, the first few books weren't that. bad. After about number three or four though, the quality of writing deteriorates, the plot drags on and and on and on, like they're just trying to make it last as long as possible, it's melodramatic, and the minor characters introduced late into the series take over the entire plot, leaving the original protagonists absolutely nowhere. So it was a decent idea as a series I guess, but it was a bit of a disapointment in the end.
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~I know you believe you understand what you think I said, but I am not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.~
One of the authors of the LEFT BEHIND series, Tim LaHaye, is a long time creationist. He was, if memory serves me correctly, one of the founding members of the Institute of Creation Research along with the late Henry Morris and Duane Gish. So I think it is safe to say he considers evolutionary theory to be directly from the anti-Christ.
Regards,
Darwin's Beagle
So THAT'S why his name is so familiar. Hmmm, I'll have to do some digging (a friend of mine is a member of ICR). I figured as much, I just have to wonder why it's in the game and what role it plays (if any), but thank you very much for that clarificaiton. :)
"The trouble with having an open mind is people insist on coming along and putting things in it"-Terry Pratchett
I've read all the books and seen all the movies. They're awesome and they depict the second coming of Jesus with great details. Even though they don't quite know what it will be like, the Bible does give great detail about the end times. People are dissing the game and stuff when they haven't even played it. I think that if you want to diss the game, you need to play it first and see what it's like. Pictures may speak a thousand words, but a picture is not gonna tell what the game is really like. You need to play it to find out.
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"Those who say they are a Christian and those who actually try to FOLLOW CHRIST are not always the same people."
http://www.myspace.com/jesusteen
The rapture is not Biblical. It is an idea developed by some Christians based upon one or two vague verses. I think the fact that "Christian pop culture", i.e. FICTIONAL books written for profit and attention, poorly done movies, and awful games, define what Christianity is to the general public is incredibly sad. And don't even get me started on the fact that we are all automatically lumped into the group of "Conservative Republicans". There is a face being put on Christians by other Christians that we do NOT all accept.