Fans for Christ Has Ended its Ministry

Fans for Christ was started in 2003 with a vision for Christian Fans to find fellowship. It existed for 13 years. We thank our members for their service. If you wish to join in Christian fellowship with other geeks and nerds, do not despair, there are many groups you can find now online. Here are links:

The Bridge

An offshoot of FFC that will be taking over for many aspects of the ministry

Geeks Under Grace

Christian Gamers Guild

Christian Comic Arts Society

Costumers for Christ

Game Church

Geeky Guys for God

May you find peace and acceptance as children of God as well as gamers and geeks.

Dragon*Con 2014

Yes, it's that time of the year again!  For the 10th year Fans For Christ will be attending Dragon*Con.  Our fan table will be in the Hyatt with the other tables near the art show.  Look for us in the Saturday morning parade!  And join us for the church service at 10am on August 31 in the Augusta Ballroom at the Westin Peachtree Plaza in Atlanta.  This year's message is "Giant Slaying 101".  Be sure to stop by our table to pick up FFC swag, including several new things such as buttons, bookmarks, and new dice!  All purchases help support FFC's ministries.  Hope to see you there!

FFC Statement of Faith

We in FFC encompass, represent, and are made up of all walks of Christianity.  Our members are Catholics, Lutherans, Baptists, Presbyterians, Methodists, Episcopalians, non-denominationals, and pretty much every other group of Christians.  Being so broad in scope it has been difficult to codify the core beliefs of Fans For Christ as a group.  However, we also seek to be strong, devoted followers of Jesus Christ and never want to deny Him or our belief in God.  We also have people who ask what we believe, something commonly called a "statement of faith".  In the interest in standing firmly on our beliefs and faith in Christ and separating ourselves from those who are CINO (Christians in name only), we have adopted a statement of our particular beliefs.

Many who read this will quickly recognize it as the Nicene Creed, first written in the 4th century AD as a way to define the true tenets of the Christian faith.  Since then it has become the most widely used profession of faith in Christian liturgy.  It has been normative for practically every aspect of Christianity, including the Catholic Church, Anglican Communion, Protestant, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Church of the East.  Many consider it to form the mainstream definition of Christianity.

Because of its simple yet profound and basic statements, as well as its acceptance by all mainstream Christian denominations, churches, and sects, the leaders of Fans For Christ have adopted this creed as the basis of belief for our own group.

We believe in one God,

the Father, the Almighty,

maker of heaven and earth,

of all that is, seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,

the only son of God,

eternally begotten of the Father,

God from God, Light from Light,

true God from true God,

begotten, not made,

of one being with the Father.

Through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation

he came down from heaven:

by the power of the Holy Spirit

he became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,

and was made man.

For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;

he suffered death and was buried.

On the third day he rose again

in accordance with the Scriptures;

he ascended into heaven

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again in glory

to judge the living and the dead,

and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,

who proceeds from the Father [and the Son].

With the Father and the Son

he is worshipped and glorified.

He has spoken through the Prophets.

We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.

We look for the resurrection of the dead,

and the life of the world to come. AMEN.

Awesome Con 2014

Our next con appearance is at an event new to us:  AwesomeCon in Washington, DC.  As we are growing we are seeking new opportunities to expand our ministry in new geographical regions.  Awesome Con will be our first expedition towards the northeastern US, and only our second out of the South (the other being Cincinnati Comic Expo last year).  The con itself looks to be a lot of fun, with guests like Kevin Sorbo, Jewel Staite, Sean Astin, Cary Elwes, Billie Piper, and more.  There are lots of fun panels and events to keep everyone occupied.  Yes, we're fans and geeks also, and being at a con is simply fun!

But our main purpose is to share the Gospel of Christ, minister to the geeks and fans, and spread our ministry.  Fans For Christ was welcomed to this event when we made an inquiry, and they seem genuinely interested in our presence.  The biggest blessing came when we asked about a church service.  We don't typically do that on our first visit to a con unless we are approached by con organizers.  But since Awesome Con falls on Easter weekend we felt we needed to honor our Savior and make the attempt.  And they granted us a room!  We're not on the schedule or officially part of the con (we wouldn't expect that), but we are free to advertise it.  So here are the details.....

Message:  "Winning Helm's Deep"
When:  Sunday, April 20, 10:15am
Where:  Room 209C, Walter E. Washington Convention Center, Washington DC

If you are considering coming or know someone who is, be sure to find our table to say hi, and spread the word about our church service.  If you can't come, please pray for the FFC staff who will be there, and especially pray for a divine appointment from God!

Special thanks go out to Ben Penrod and Emily Whitten on the Awesome Con staff for helping make all of this possible!

What FFC Is and Isn't

Fans For Christ has been around for about a decade, starting at Dragon*Con and now spreading to an international presence.  We're not as big as other ministries such as GameChurch, but we're growing and have active expansion plans.  New people join our Facebook group every day and this is only going to continue as we add new cons to our roster every year.  Recently many of our new members have found us through referrals or web searches and haven't had a chance to really interact with people in-person.  I thought that it would be a good idea to take a moment and delve into what FFC is and isn't.

WE'RE NOT:  

A church.  We don't have a specific physical presence or building.  We're not associated with any particular denomination.  We don't hold regular services or minister to parishioners as a group.  We don't subscribe or hold to any particular Christian doctrine that would be commonly associated with a denomination (Such as Catholic, Baptist, Pentecostal, and so on).  We don't ordain pastors or deacons, or otherwise have a traditional church organization.  We don't have a "statement of faith" like most churches and denominations do.  

A conservative/liberal/[insert political/religious viewpoint] organization.  Our members encompass the entire spectrum of Christianity and Christian theology.  Some members are very liberal and hold to a very open interpretation of the Bible and the teachings of Jesus, seeing the Word as inspired by God but written by fallible men.  Other members are very conservative and could be called "fundamentalist", believing in the Bible as God-breathed rather than just inspired, and take a very literal stance on the scriptures.  And then we have everyone who falls between the two extremes.  People's political beliefs typically follow their religious ones, so we have Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, Independents, and others within FFC.  We want to embrace ALL fans and Christians and we try not to exclude someone merely because we may disagree with them.  All members need to realize that they are going to encounter those who may have a radically different interpretation of the Bible and Christ's teachings than themselves.  We need to show each other love in Christ, following His example of how to treat even our enemies or opponents.  As a group we are not liberal, conservative, or centralist.  While our individual members certainly ascribe themselves to one of these or other particular views, FFC as a group does not and will not take a hard-line stance on any one point of the spectrum of Christian/political beliefs.  You are encouraged to have your own beliefs, but should not expect the group to agree with you in every respect. 

A place to argue a particular belief.  There are many, many theologians over the millennia who have far more knowledge, wisdom, and training than any member of FFC.  And many of of these Christian leaders have disagreed in big ways on important issues.  Just look at the differences between John Calvin and Jacobus Arminius as a prime example (see a nice comparison here:  http://www.graceonlinelibrary.org/reformed-theology/arminianism/calvinism-vs-arminianism-comparison-chart/).  We in FFC should not presume to have the ultimate answers about the Bible, no matter which stance or position we may hold dear.  While we should be staunch defenders of our faith, we should also do so with humility and the realization that it is unlikely that God has given any particular member a special revelation that surpasses the Bible.  And even with regards to the Bible again there have been many church leaders that have disagreed on how to read and apply certain passages.  Regardless of your particular stance on a given subject or verse, always be humble with the realization that all of these ideas have been debated for over 2000 years and we are unlikely to settle the issues until we meet God in Heaven.  These differing beliefs are what have lead to splits between denominations, churches, and people.  Having a hard-line stance on many topics is what keeps Christianity world-wide from working together and loving each other to promote God's Kingdom on earth.  The leaders of FFC do not want to see those splits within the group.  Whenever interacting within the group keep in mind the well-known saying "In necessariis unitas, in dubiis libertas, in omnibus caritis", or "In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity."

WE ARE:  

A ministry.  Our first focus as a group is to reach out as Christians to the lost and hurt within fandom.  We seek to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to those who may not have heard it, may have turned away from it, or in any other way need to embrace it.  We are far beyond a social group and when we decide which cons to attend it's always with ministry and evangelism in mind.  We are not pushy or typical "Bible bangers", but we also don't shy away from the Great Commission handed down to the Church by Christ himself.  The harvest is ready and FFC wants to help gather the wheat.  Our members and especially our leaders should always be aware of how we as Christians are perceived and how our individual actions and attitudes affect those around us.  When we attend a con, drive with our FFC bumper stickers, or wear our FFC badges and shirts we need to be very aware that the people with whom we interact are seeing us as ambassadors of Christ himself.  We as a group want to bring the lost back to the Shepherd and we are not ashamed of this goal.

A fellowship.  Every one of us knows how hard it can be to share aspects of our faith with our geek friends and how hard it can be to share our fan interests with our church friends.  FFC is a place where everyone "gets" us.  We are somewhere that people can talk about Doctor Who or the Apostle Paul equally and have plenty of others who will share and discuss without thinking that either side of our hearts is weird.  Whenever possible we want to gather together online and in person to support each other, pray for each other, love each other, and have fun with like-minded people.  As a fellowship we should be able to count on our fellow FFCers to be there when we need them.  If we as Christian geeks can't count on other Christian geeks, where else can we turn?

A fan group.  We're geeks and proud of it!  We embrace our multitude of fandoms and wear our interests proudly.  Being a fan group allows us to attend cons in ways that a church or social gathering wouldn't be able to, and we want to take full advantage of this unique aspect.  And as fans we want to celebrate our passions.  

So that's Fans For Christ in a nutshell!  

2014 Cons. Where Are We Going To Be?

A new year brings new plans and FFC isn't slowing down.  This year we have plans on attending some of our old staples as well as expanding to new locations.  As part of our plan we're starting to expand into the Midwest and Northeast.  And we haven't forgotten the West Coast, though we're still developing in that area.

This is a list of the cons we have planned so far.  Some of these haven't been confirmed but we have either submitted an application or are planning to do so.  As the year goes on this list may change as we either eliminate or add a con.  

Remember that the cons we officially attend are based on multiple factors.  With limited staff and even more limited money (all travel costs come out of the pockets of the staff attending...there are no FFC funds for travel to cons) we have to be picky about the cons we choose and tend to be at ones that we can reach the broadest audience.  Nothing against small cons (we love them too!), but we can't hit all of them.  We also have the con rules to consider, as some of them don't allow fan groups or for one reason or another don't give us approval to attend.  And of course we want to have fun while ministering, so staff pick cons that they can relate to and enjoy.

How can you help out?  Mostly we need prayer and volunteers.  The table doesn't staff itself and the more people who help out the more time everyone can have to enjoy the event and activities.  Since we are doing God's work and spreading the Gospel we often face barriers, so prayer warriors are certainly needed.  For our marketing and web needs we always take donations, primarily through PayPal (ffcdonations@gmail.com).  And there's always the FFC Web Store!

So here's the list.....
SCARAB--January 17-20, Columbia, SC.  Confirmed
Wizard World New Orleans Comic Con--Feb 7-9, New Orleans, LA.  Uncomfirmed
Anachrocon--Feb 14-16, Atlanta, GA.  Confirmed
Pensacon--Feb 21-23, Pensacola, FL.  Confirmed
ConNooga--Feb 21-23, Chattanooga, TN.  Confirmed
CoastCon--Mar 7-9, Biloxi, MS.  Confirmed
MACE West--Mar 21-23, Ashville, NC.  Confirmed
Awesome Con--Apr 18-20, Washington, DC.  Confirmed
ConCarolinas--May 30-June 1, Charlotte, NC.  Confirmed
Origins--June 11-15, Columbus, OH.  In association with Christian Gamer's Guild.  Confirmed
ConGregate--July 11-13, Winston-Salem, NC.  Confirmed
GenCon--Aug 14-17, Indianapolis, IN.  In association with Christian Gamer's Guild.  Confirmed
Dragon*Con--Aug 29-Sep 1, Atlanta, GA.  Application pending.
Cincinnati Comic Expo--Sep 19-21, Cincinnati, OH.  Applied, awaiting reply
MACE--Nov 7-9, Charlotte, NC.  Confirmed

So You Want FFC To Come To Your Con.....

It’s always great to be wanted!  And we know that there is a big need for Christ to be shown and shared within fandom.  Fans For Christ began at Dragon*Con in Atlanta in 2003 in order to show Christian geeks that they were not alone, and non-Christian fans that God loved them just as they were and would accept geeky hobbies.  Over the years we have begun spreading out of the southeastern US, on a mission from God to reach out to people in fandoms and traditional churches.  We try to attend more and more events every year, and find out about many events that we hadn’t originally considered.  Unfortunately we simply don’t have the resources and staff to be able to honor every request.  But that doesn’t mean we won’t consider some cons.  Keep reading to see what it takes to get FFC at your con.

Our Budget

FFC operates completely on personal donations.  We are not associated with a church or denomination, so we do not have outside funding.  We have a webstore and sell FFC-related items when we can, but much of our operating funds come from single donations when we ask.  The vast majority of this money is used to cover website hosting, printing banners, cards, and other marketing material, providing some giveaways at our fan tables, and generally just maintaining our presence.  We do not have enough funds to pay for staff or members to attend cons and other events.  So when you see people from FFC working at one of our fan tables, keep in mind that they paid their own way to be there.  As anyone who attends cons will know, it takes a good bit of money to pay for registration, hotel, food, and gas or airfare.  Because the staff pays for this out of their own personal accounts there are real limitations to how many cons people can attend.

Our Staff

As you can imagine, doing geek ministry can be a challenge, especially when trying to present the right attitude to people.  When someone is officially representing FFC at a con we need to make sure that they’re going to treat attendees properly, be able to explain what FFC does in a way that is consistent across the country, and generally be open, patient, and loving.  We will not turn over management of one of our fan tables to just anyone.  We do actively try to teach and mentor people as the Apostle Paul did when he founded churches, with the goal of being able to turn over a region to local members while senior FFC staff moves on to establish FFC in unreached areas.  Some people may do fine staffing a table and talking to people for a few hours, but not all members have the interest or skills to completely organize and manage these efforts.  We’re always looking for new leaders, but currently we have 3 people in the eastern half of the US and 1 person in the western half that are able to manage a table at a con.  Having this small number limits our con presence as each senior staffer has jobs and family outside of FFC.  None of us do this as a full-time ministry.

Our Schedule

Since our staff has to have time for jobs, family, and vacations besides cons, we have to plan well in advance of an event.  In fact, we will often try to plan a year or so ahead.  Because of having to allocate money and time efficiently we need to have a lot of foresight and be proactive.  While this doesn’t mean that we can’t jump into a smaller, local con a the last minute, it may mean that we can’t attend a con because we’ve already made other plans during that time.

Why XYZ Con?

You’re probably getting the picture by now that time, money, and staff are limited.  Because of these limitations we have to be picky about which cons we attend.  If someone is going to spend $400 of their own money to attend a con in the name of FFC, we want to make sure that they are going to be able to reach the largest number of people possible.  Not only does this increase our chance of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but it also can gain us higher numbers of members, some of whom can then be developed into leaders.  Typically we try to attend medium to larger cons (at least 2,000-3,000 attendees) and prefer multi-genre cons.  When possible we will also attend smaller or more specific cons (such as a 500 attendee gaming con), but these outreaches tend to be when it is local to the staffer attending.  It’s simply a better use of our limited time and money to go to a few larger cons than multiple smaller ones.  But we’re always open to suggestions and options.  We don’t want to be so rigid in our decisions that we fail to follow God’s lead to a place that may provide a great harvest.

Okay, So How Do I Get You At My Con?

If you’re still reading, we appreciate it.  We want to get as many places as possible, but we also want attendees, organizers, and staff at events to understand why we may have to say “no”.  A negative reply to a request is not a slight or an insult from us, and we hate having to pass up cons.  But we have to be strategic about what we do.  That being said, the single biggest barrier is money.  None of us are wealthy and we don’t have any lottery-winning patrons.  Sometimes we may be able to make our schedule work but don’t have the money.  If you want us to attend your con, it may be as simple as paying our way.  Depending on how far away the event is from where the staff lives this may include either gas or airfare.  Lodging and food are the other big expenses, as well as registration for the con itself (if necessary…some cons give fan tables free passes).  Depending on all of these factors the total cost may be as low as around $300 or closer to around $1000.  We will always work with you to try to find the least expensive way to attend.  We’re not out to make money or gouge anyone.  We just want to cover expenses. 

So What Now?

If this is something that you are interested in the next step would be to get in touch with us to check schedules and talk about the details.  Then we can try to make it work.

If you are interested, contact us at fansforchristfreaks@gmail.com.  

FFC Web Store

If you didn't notice when we posted on Facebook and Twitter, we have our own web store.  Now you don't have to wait for ConNooga or Dragon*Con to be able to buy FFC swag!  And we have many more options than at these cons.  Be sure to click the link and check it out!  All funds go to support our ministry.

Fans For Christ Webstore

Church at Dragon*Con

As we have over the previous six years, we will be holding a church service at Dragon*Con.  As always it will be a nondenominational, casual service with everyone welcome, including people in cosplay.

This year's service info is:

Sunday, September 1st
10:00am
Westin Peachtree Plaza
Ballroom

The theme is "The Geek Armor of God".  Hope we'll get to see you there!

New Edition of God Loves The Freaks

FFC founder Steve Weese has completed the second edition of his book, God Loves The Freaks.  If you're not familiar with this book, it describes how the sub-cultures of fandom (goth, anime, sci-fi, fantasy, RPGs, comics, and others) can be reached out to by Christians and can be participated in by them as well.  It is focal to our FFC ministry and a must-read.  We'll have this available at our FFC/Christian Gamer's Guild table at GenCon, our FFC table at Dragon*Con, through Blackwyrm Publishing, and through Amazon.

Order God Loves The Freaks!

Christians or Christ-Namers

Recently on the Official Dragon*Con Facebook group someone asked if anyone had seen religious protesters at the con.  Of course those people have been there, but the're obviously different than FFC.  During the discussion our ministry came up.  While that may be a little scary as not everyone receives Christianity well, the people who commented had only positive things to say!

 I've seen some fliers for a Christian Fandom group. Seems positive and supporting, but I didn't actually meet people.

There are some that protest, supposedly, but I've never seen them, and I live in Atlanta and have attended since 1996. I have seen the Fans for Christ at the con, having as great a time as anyone.

I'm a Pagan, but I can respect Fans for Christ. They all pay their own way like everyone else and aren't pushy. They're obviously proud of their beliefs, but they don't force them on anyone. 

Tony, yeah I know he wasn't from your group. My daughter is Christian and we attended your service. You guys are cool; he acted like he was better than everybody ... decidedly NOT cool.

Tony, I've come across Fans Of Christ, they held church services at the hotel I was staying in. I was invited to attend, but I declined. Nice people though, a few were steampunks. I'm Pagan, but a part of me wishes that I had attended. A service with people in costume would have been pretty awesome 

Fans for Christ are good people--they're not pushy, they're there to be supportive.

Fans for Christ are precisely that: FANS who happen to be of the Christian faith and all around decent folks from what I've seen. The people I've seen protesting are pretty much trolls to anything outside their little clique.

Chad, you and Tony seem to be the kind of Christians I like, whereas the protesters are the kind that makes me wary of Christians. My mom was a Christian, but she was also a hippy that was big into sci fi, fantasy and vampires. Hell we went to see Interview With The Vampire together when it first came out. She also marched for civil rights, did AIDS walks, had friends of different races, religions and sexual orientations. She went to the local con. I think she would have wanted to join your group.

 Renee, there are Christians (people who try to be like Jesus - if he existed, I myself am not a believer - and who realize that he seemed to be an approachable person who looked for the good in others and tried to get them to grow that goodness in their lives), and then there are Christ-namers (ones who read verses about non-believers going to a Lake of Fire, and readily damn them without ever trying to speak to them or touch their lives at all).

 Ron, you're thinking logically and with compassion. Like I mentioned before, there are Christians and there are Christ-namers. FFC are Christians. Even as a Pagan, I can respect them because they have given me something to respect. They have engaged me, been kind to me, and never been hateful. They are Christians because they act like Jesus (if he really existed). The ones that come specifically to judge and tell people they're going to hell, on the other hand, are fixated on damnation, and aren't anything like the Jesus that is written about in the 'gospels'. Quite the opposite. They're the ones he preached AGAINST, because they're more interested in rules and consequence than changing people for the better, and that is why I smile when fans (literally) come together and block their way so they can't bother other people.

The comments for the Christian protesters were not so nice.  It's obvious that the ones holding signs and saying that con-attendees are going to Hell are turning people away, not drawing them to Christ.

We in FFC don't condone sin and do believe that without accepting Jesus a person will end up in Hell.  However, shouting that message isn't working, especially at a con.  We strive to emulate the attitude of Jesus, who loved people into salvation.  Yes, he talked about Hell and damnation, but he showed sinners love and compassion.  It's obvious to us that this is the way to take the Gospel into cons.

I don't condemn the people with the bullhorns and signs.  But I would love to ask them a question.  Who talks to more con-goers...them or us?  And who is more likely to show people a Jesus they want to know?

Seeds are being planted and the Holy Spirit will water them.  It's great to know that our efforts as a ministry are being noticed.

New Logos!

Recently FFC held a contest to help redesign our logo and image.  We had many great and creative entries, ending up with two strong candidates.  They were so good that we couldn't decide, so we picked both!

 (By Steve Gibbs)

(By Joel Hoekstra)

Expect to see these pop up at our con appearances and with our marketing material  Congrats to both entrants!

Reboot of web site

Hi.

Steve Racer here. I'm going to try to restore everything here on this site.

Hopefully it will all be back soon!

Worthy is Jesus, the Lamb of God

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches, wisdom and strength, honor and glory and blessing!

Revelation 5:12 : There is within my heart today a cry that says, worthy is Jesus. He is great, he is worthy, he is the most fit, the best and most noble recipient of our praise!

He died, and defeated death itself for us. He made himself a sacrifice, he who did no wrong ever. He loved us with a burning love that we can only faintly grasp. Yet he gave us himself, and his love, freely. Remember to thank him for this, and when you praise him, know that there is no other nor will there ever be one so worthy, so deserving to be adored and lifted up above all others. The King of all, who stooped down and washed our feet! Glory and praise to him and honor forever. Lift up your hearts to him, my friends, and know He, your God, is worthy, good, and overflowing with love for you, his children, his brothers and sisters, and yes, his beloved. His love for you will never die, never be defeated, and never run out. It is flowing to you now and you may dive into the sea of his burning passion for you. Do not forget that today, you are loved. Loved by one so amazing and wonderful, there is nothing more we could desire. Praise to the Lamb, the willing sacrifice, our Prince of Peace. We praise you God, and we will forever.

The Wondrous Cross
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of Glory died
My richest gain I count but loss
And pour contempt on all my pride 
See from His head, His hands, His feet
Sorrow and love flow mingled down
Did ever such love and sorrow meet
Or thorns compose so rich a crown 
Oh the wonderful cross, Oh the wonderful cross
Bids me come and die and find that I may truly live.
Oh the wonderful cross, Oh the wonderful cross
All who gather here by grace draw near and bless Your name.

CCLI Song No. 27893, When I Survey The Wondrous Cross

Bible Study 101: An introduction to studying the bible

Origins of the Bible
The bible is composed of many different books taken together as a literary work. It is divided into two parts, the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament was written over a period from approximately 1400 B.C. to 400 B.C. The New Testament was written in the first century, from approximately 40 to 80 A.D.

There are a total of 66 books in the bible, 39 of them are from the Old Testament, and the 27 left are from the New.

These books are written in different literary styles. These include: letters, sermons, law, poetic descriptions, narratives of historical events, prayer, praise, practical sayings, and the warnings of the prophets.

The Old Testament refers to the time before Jesus Christ came. It begins with Genesis, which includes an account of how God made the world. It includes the original Ten Commandments and the laws God gave to his people at the time, the Jews. The Jews were the first to receive God’s message. The Old Testament has many prophecies, or predictions, of what God intended to do. Part of that included the Messiah, or the ‘Anointed One’ of God.

The New Testament begins with the four gospels. Gospel is a word for ‘good news.’ These four books, written by four people, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, describe accounts of people who were with Jesus. The good news of the gospel was that the Messiah or Christ (in Greek) had come and God was offering his salvation and forgiveness to everyone. The remaining books of the New Testament are written by Apostles, or those appointed to teach the good news and create new communities of believers, or churches.

Over forty different authors wrote the books of the bible. They included shepherds (Hosea and Amos) fishermen (Peter and John), a tax collector (Matthew), a doctor (Luke), and a military general (Joshua).

 Original Manuscripts

The Old Testament was written mostly in Hebrew with some parts being composed in Aramaic - a language similar to Hebrew.  The New Testament was originally written in Greek.

The oldest surviving bible manuscripts (dating about 100 B.C.), the Dead Sea Scrolls, represent every book of the Old Testament except one (Esther). Finding these scrolls was significant, because they were compared to other copies of the Old Testament to test for validity. These scrolls helped validate the correctness of the Old Testament Hebrew writings we have now.
The New Testament is the best attested to piece of historical writing ever. There are over 30,000 manuscripts of parts of the bible, which is more than 30 times the number of manuscripts of any other historical book (the next closest is Homer's Iliad with less than 700). The manuscripts are compared to each other and compiled to make one complete document. The New Testament writings that are used include some dating from the first century, very close to the time Jesus was on earth.

These original documents are used, once compiled, to translate directly into the intended language, such as English. This means that the bible is not translated over and over, it is simply translated once from the original language straight into English by scholars of the historic languages.

 Studying the bible

Reading the bible and studying it are really two separate things. To become a student of the bible it is important to understand a technique known as exegesis. Exegesis is the process of analyzing what you read and understanding the meaning. There are many parts of this analysis that will help you learn more about the meaning of what you are reading. These include:

• History

Knowing the history of the time period you are reading about is important. For instance, when reading the New Testament, it helps to know that Israel is under control of the Roman Empire. However, the Romans also let the local cultures have their own rulers which were subject to them, such as King Herod.

• Culture

Jesus was a Jew, it is important to know what that means. He followed their laws and teachings. It is important to note that at the time, the Pharisees and other teachers of Jewish religious law had added many extra commands and traditions not from the original law. This is why you see Jesus correcting them often.

• Context

Earlier, it was noted that the bible includes many literary styles. Parts are history, poetry, analogy, etc. It is important to note what style you are reading. Jesus often spoke in ‘parables’, or short stories that had a moral. He often made analogies as well. Jesus said, for instance, "I am the gate for the sheep." (John 10:7) He is not literally a gate for sheep. What he is saying, from the context, is that he is the way to enter the kingdom of God, and the sheep are his followers. Context includes examining the text before and after what you are reading. It also includes analyzing the rest of the bible for comparison. In the case of the sheep, many times Jesus refers to his followers as sheep. Therefore it strengthens the case that he is once again using this same analogy.

• Original Languages

Since we have manuscripts of the original languages, many bibles will include a study aid with definitions of the words used in Greek and Hebrew. We can look back at these to improve our knowledge of a specific passage. This would be something for the advanced bible student.

 Using Study Aids

There are many study aids that help us in our examination of the bible. Most good study bibles will include these aids which you should look for:

• Concordance:

Basically an index where you can look up passages that have a specific word or name. You could look up occurrences of the word ‘sheep’ for instance.

• Center reference:

A column down the center of each page will list footnotes with references to other bible verses on the same subject. This is very helpful when studying a specific subject.

• Footnotes:

Many bibles will have notes from a bible scholar in it. These sometimes explain a historical or theological point. However, its very important to realize that these are opinions, not part of the bible. When you get a bible, you should check on the position of the footnote authors, because they may have specific biases.

• Maps:

Maps bring a lot of depth to a bible study. Seeing the maps where Paul went on his missionary journeys, for example, brings a larger sense of reality to the letters he wrote in the New Testament.

• Language Reference:

This can often be a separate book, or sometimes part of the bound copy of your bible. They give definitions of Hebrew and Greek words used in certain passages.

• Bible study books:

Many of these study books are excellent. They lead the reader through a study on a specific subject, listing places in the bible to go read for them. This is a great help since someone has already done the research for the reader. However, keep in mind that these too can have a specific bias.

 The role of the Holy Spirit

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. (John 14:26)
When studying the bible, it is good to be scholarly. Ultimately, however, we want our study to be an experience with God, where he can show us truth. Praying for the Holy Spirit to teach us is a good way to ask God to lead our study of him and his teachings.

 Where to start

If you haven’t studied the bible before, a good place to start is with the gospels, the first four books of the New Testament. These are four accounts of the life of Jesus from the perspective of four different people. One common recommendation is to read the book of John, then the book of Romans. These books contain many of the teachings of Jesus and salvation. As you read, take note of the references and notes that your bible offers. Look up some maps and read about the history of the time period of 1^st century Israel.
As you begin your journey, pray for God to help you learn. Now you are ready to become a student of the bible.

The Greatest Romance

In the beginning he knew the cost. She would turn away from him, she would hurt him. But he loved her from the moment she was born. He knew everything about her, and he wanted her, more than anything, to be free. To experience the ability to make her own choices, to even reject him if she desired.

She is the bride, and was made perfectly for him, as he was perfect for her. He gave her a world, sunrise and sunset, beauty and even beautiful sorrow, for there was comfort for every tear.
From the beginning of time, he knew she would betray him. He loved her anyway. He knew she would run from him, and he still loved her. She was beautiful and wonderful and he would not simply turn away for another. She was his one true love, his only love and there never, ever could be another.

He pursued her when she first left. He already had a plan to make everything right, to repair the damage that had been done. He was willing to die for her. And that is exactly what he would do.
The greatest romance ever, the story I am telling, is the story of God and us. He is the author of romance and love. He knows the purest, sweetest love, for he is that love. Whenever we feel a pure, true love for another, we are in touch with the divine.

God gave us a free will, because he wanted us to be free, not robots. He wanted a bride, not a slave. He wanted love. He poured it out for us in his blood as he died for us.

He made us male and female, as a living representation of his love for us as a whole. If you have desired to love someone, hold them, care for them, even die for them - then you have felt a small touch of God's love for you, and you understand the true love of God. God wants to hold you in the arms of his Spirit, to care for your needs, and he has died for you.

His love is so amazing that he even died for those who hated him, who spit on him and beat him. Even more amazing is his grace and forgiveness toward those same people afterwards. If you want love, think of the love of God. That is the love he has for us, and he is so good he has enabled us to even love others as he has loved us.

I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them, and that I myself may be in them. - John 17:26

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." - John 13:34-35 

There are so many verses that speak of love, I cannot recount them all. Yet we see that not only does God love us with a perfect love, he has given us the ability to love as he has loved us! Is this not a beautiful thing? Jesus prayed that we would be one, that he would be in us. Have you ever felt a desire to be so close to someone that you wanted to just be inside their heart and nestle comfortably there? That too, is a desire from God. He wants us to do that same thing, to make a home in his loving heart. It bursts with love for us.

The Song of Solomon speaks of the lover and the beloved, and it is a beautiful and perfect representation of love between God and us, as well as a man and woman.

"How delightful is your love, my sister, my bride!
How much more pleasing is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your perfume than any spice!"
"Place me like a seal over your heart,
like a seal on your arm;
for love is as strong as death,
its jealousy unyielding as the grave.
It burns like blazing fire,
like a mighty flame. 
Many waters cannot quench love;
rivers cannot wash it away."

Where else should we look for God but within love itself? Is he not the author of all good things? He wants to be one with us in the spirit, as we can be one in the flesh between a man and woman. This is the mystery Paul speaks of in Ephesians. Being one in spirit with God, one in flesh with our mate. They are both the greatest romance ever, and a portrayal of unconditional love and union.

"One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb."" --- Revelation 21:9
We, the beloved of God, are the bride of Christ. God's love is true love. When we pursue someone we love, remember how God pursued us. When we give our love flowers, remember all the beautiful flowers God made for us. When we forgive our beloved, we show how God forgave us. When we cradle our beloved in our arms, we show how God will hold us close to him for eternity and never let us go. When we sacrifice for our beloved, remember his ultimate sacrifice for us.
He wants to be so close to us that we would be called "one." A saint of the Catholic church wrote about this oneness with God. St. John of the Cross penned "The Dark Night of the Soul" (originally in Spanish.) It reads like a romance poem, and it is - one about God.

Upon a darkened night
The flame of love was burning in my breast
And by a lantern bright
I fled my house while all in quiet rest 
Shrouded by the night
And by the secret stair I quickly fled
The veil concealed my eyes
While all within lay quiet as the dead
Oh night thou was my guide
Oh night more loving than the rising sun
Oh night that joined the lover
To the beloved one
Transforming each of them into the other 
Upon that misty night
In secrecy, beyond such mortal sight
Without a guide or light
Than that which burned so deeply in my heart
That fire 'twas led me on
And shone more bright than of the midday sun
To where he waited still
It was a place where no one else could come 
Oh night thou was my guide
Oh night more loving than the rising sun
Oh night that joined the lover
To the beloved one
Transforming each of them into the other 
Within my pounding heart
Which kept itself entirely for him
He fell into his sleep
Beneath the cedars all my love I gave
From o'er the fortress walls
The wind would brush his hair against his brow
And with its smoothest hand
Caressed my every sense it would allow 
Oh night thou was my guide
Oh night more loving than the rising sun
Oh night that joined the lover
To the beloved one
Transforming each of them into the other 
I lost myself to him
And laid my face upon my lover's breast
And care and grief grew dim
As in the morning's mist became the light
There they dimmed amongst the lilies fair… 

We can find rest and peace in the love of God. The Bible tells us, "perfect love casts out fear." God knows love, God is love, and God tells us what real love is.
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." - I Cor 13:4-8
Love never fails… this is the greatest romance ever. The love that never fails, and never ends. The love that always forgives. The love that longs and burns and never dies. The love that seeks to know every part of us and treasure it, to become one. The love that died for us.

[1] Ephesians 5:31-32 "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." This is a profound mystery-but I am talking about Christ and the church.

[2] Loreena McKennit English translation

Christians Playing Dungeons and Dragons: Part 2

Christians Playing Dungeons and Dragons: Part II

By Steve Weese (a Christian who plays D&D)

Part Two: Christian Perspective

Defending the Game

The chief complaint I see about D&D by certain Christians is the magic. Specifically, that somehow D&D either teaches real magic use, or is a front for people to lure the unsuspecting into the occult. An article on the Chick web site (maker of extreme Christian tracts) references many of these arguments, and somehow claims to have researched these things. However, in many cases, no example is given from D&D as to how these things are the case. I will use this article as a source later in this section. If you read the D&D sourcebooks, it is clear it is a game. The rulebooks are just that; a collection of rules to describe how to play the game. It seems that if some of the critics actually read the books, they would see there is no way to actually perform any “real magic” from them. Otherwise, wouldn’t we have hordes of teenagers out there purchasing these books and hurling fireballs and magic missiles at each other? To defend D&D and show it does not conflict with Christianity, I will examine the criticisms of this article. I will also show examples from the D&D books themselves. To prepare for this section, I just have read the entire section on Magic in the 3^rd edition rulebooks. I will also examine some other criticisms of the game and explain why they are flawed.

Morality

One of the claims that is made often is that the players (often portrayed as young, impressionable teens, though this is hardly the norm) are offered confusing choices on morality. For instance, in the game, your character has an alignment. This alignment determines your characters general moral stance. The purpose of alignment in the game, as quoted by the Player’s Handbook is “a tool for developing your character’s identity...Each alignment represents a broad range of personality types or personal philosophies.” In real life, there are good and bad people. In movies there are good and bad people. So, why not in a game? Critics often say that because there is evil in the game, it encourages people to be evil in real life. This is like saying that watching Star Wars might make you decide to become like Darth Vader.

            In every epic story or movie, there is always evil to overcome. Someone has to play the bad guy. Your character’s morality helps you know more about him or her. So, you can decide what they would do in certain situations. Using Star Wars again, Han Solo was a “good” character, but not that good. Remember Luke had to talk him into rescuing the princess by offering him a lot of money.

Luke: "But they’re going to kill her."
Han: "Better her than me."
Luke: "She is rich."
Han: "Rich?"
Luke: "Yes. Rich. Powerful. Listen, if you were to rescue her, the reward would be..."
Han: "What?"
Luke: "Well more wealth, than you can imagine."
Han: "I can imagine quite a bit."
Luke: "You’ll get it."
Han: "I better."

Han might well be described as having the alignment of Chaotic Good, which is described as:

“A chaotic good character acts as his conscience directs him with little regard for what others expect of him. He makes his own way, but he is kind and benevolent. He…has little use for laws and regulations… He follows his own moral compass, which, although good, may not agree with society…” (Players Handbook, 89)

So, alignment is simply background for your character. A criticism leveled at D&D comes from a description of the Lawful Evil alignment. This is from Schnoebelen’s article from the Chick site:

“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." Talk about a mish-mash of moral ambiguity. Our young people are having enough trouble getting their values straight without being immersed in this sort of material!” (Schnoebelen)

Yet, there are plenty of characters in the Bible who fit this description. I would say Pharaoh in Exodus is a good example. He took what he wanted with little regard for others, by enslaving the Jews. He had his order and tradition, but did not value freedom or dignity of life. Admitting that there are people like this is hardly a corruption of one’s values.

Fantasy Magic is not Real World Magic

The magic that we are forbidden to practice in the Bible comes from one source – Satan. God and Satan are here in the real world with us. Fantasy stories take place in other worlds, in other realities that never have happened and never will. It is important to note that in many fantasy worlds, like D&D, magic is different than what we might call ‘magic’ in the real world we live in. Magic in these fantasy worlds is considered a natural force. I would compare it to something like electricity or even gravity. Using magic in these worlds is like turning on a lamp or making furniture. It is simply there, part of the lives of the characters that live in the imaginary fantasy world. It is not the occult magic that is referred to in the world of reality. When a character in the fantasy world accesses magic, they are simply tapping into a power source that is built into their world, not calling on evil spirits, demons, or the devil.

If a game is supposed to be set in a fantasy world, it is hardly surprising that it might include magic in that world. It wouldn’t be very exciting to play a game called “Checkbooks and Yard Work” that was totally based in reality would it? Magic adds an element for our imagination to enjoy when we are stuck mowing the lawn. It’s simply imagination. To say D&D is bad purely for including magic would be to categorize any story that includes some type of magic as evil. We would then have to classify Cinderella, the Smurfs, Lord of the Rings, Mario Brothers, and a whole horde of stories and ideas as evil and corruptive. This would include the famous Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis, the oft-quoted Christian writer.

 

D&D and arcane rituals

Often critics will claim that somehow D&D contains information on how to ‘really’ cast spells and perform magical rituals. The first page of the introduction in the Players Handbook clearly states, “This game is fantasy. The action of a D&D game takes place in the imaginations of the players…In reality, however, you are no more your player than you are the king when you play chess. Likewise, the world implied by these rules is an imaginary one.” (Players Handbook, 6) In his article, Straight Talk on Dungeons and Dragons, William Schnoebelen (who says he was a former “witch”) asserts:

“On top of that, the second issue is that the materials themselves, in many cases, contain authentic magical rituals… In the late 1970's, a couple of the game writers actually came to my wife and I as prominent "sorcerers" in the community. They wanted to make certain the rituals were authentic. For the most part, they are.” (Schnoebelen)

This is one of the most profoundly undocumented claims this writer makes. It is completely off base. Why, you ask? Because, there is no description of any ritual in the D&D core rulebooks. If the author wanted to make this point he should have provided an example. But there aren’t any. Now, in the 70’s there was Basic D&D and Advanced D&D. (D&D History) I owned original books for these versions. There are no details on rituals to perform in these books, from what I can remember. As I said, I just completed reading the entire magic section of my current rulebooks just to make certain this is the case with the new books. What is in there is very simply rules, and not ritual. This is a description of casting a spell from the Player’s Handbook:

“Preparing a spell requires careful reading from a spellbook (for wizards) or devout prayers or mediation (for divine spellcasters)… after preparing a spell, the character carries it, nearly cast, in his or her mind, ready for use…Spellcasting might require a few special words, specific gestures, a specific item, or any combination of the three.” (Players Handbook, 148, emphasis added)

Note that is the character, not the player, that is actually performing these actions. The player does not have a spellbook, nor does he meditate. It is just assumed the character does something to this effect, but it is not explicitly described. The player looks up the exact spell they want in the rulebook so they can understand the effects in the game.  I’ll show you an example of one of the most common spells, Fireball.

Fireball

Level: Sor/Wiz 3

Components: V,S,M

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)

Area: 20-ft radius spread

Duration: Instantaneous

Saving throw: Reflex half

Spell Resistance: Yes

A fireball spell is a burst of flame that detonates with a low roar and deals 1d6 points of fire damage per caster level (maximum 10d6) to all creatures within the area. Unattended objects also take this damage…

            You point your finger and determine the range (distance and height) at which the fireball is to burst. A glowing pea-sized bead streaks from the pointing digit and, unless it impacts upon a material body or solid barrier prior to attainting the prescribed range, blossoms into the fireball at that point… (Players Handbook, 204)

There is a bit more describing the effects such as things catching on fire, etc. However, there is nothing in the description of this spell or any other spell in the D&D manuals that will instruct you how to cast it for “real”. I suppose you could try pointing your finger and hoping a “glowing pea-sized bead” streaks out; good luck with that. The components section lists “V,S,M” meaning to cast the spell your character has to say a Verbal part (some magic words), a Somatic part (waving the hands and gesturing) and also a Material part, which in this case is a ball of bat guano (eww) and sulfur. There is no description for any of these spells saying exactly what the verbal and somatic parts are. Therefore it does not tell you how to cast the spell. Not that anyone can really cast a fireball spell anyway (if you have seen someone do this, feel free to correct me.)

The absurdity of the claim that D&D manuals can help you cast spells is illustrated in a wonderful article entitled “Spellcasting 101” by William J Watson. He tries to cast the spell Hold Portal from the 3^rd edition books:

…the spell description says that "the magic holds the portal fast, just as if it were securely closed and normally locked." That should easily keep my two daughters from running out of the playroom every two minutes to bother me as I write this.

Test Method: The book tells me that the only thing we need to cast this spell is a verbal component... but it doesn't tell me what that magic word is.  Still, a 20th level mage like myself should know all of this by now.  I'll just shout a few lock-related magical power words at the playroom door.

Results:  Failure.

(Watson, emphasis added.)

I highly recommend this article to illustrate the point. The fact is that players do not even say any magic words or move their hands or do any kind of ritual whatsoever. The words and gestures are left to the imagination, and the player simply says, “I cast Fireball.” That is it. No rituals, no magic words, no eye of newt. Just, “I cast Fireball” with maybe an “at those guys over there” after it.

Violence in the Game

One thing that has to be kept in mind is that D&D did come from a war game. A large part of it is based on medieval warfare. A good movie example of this kind of thing is Braveheart,with Mel Gibson. People really fought with swords and lances and shields and it was brutal. In the game, you can fight as well. Personally, one of the things I like about the game is you can fight monsters. In real life, really the only fight that could be challenging is against a human opponent. Killing people is clearly wrong but killing an evil, nasty, slimy monster with 16 eyeballs in a fantasy game is great fun. However, you have a choice, and actions have consequences just like in real life. If you take your party and slaughter a village of innocents, word will get around about what you did and good characters will come after you. In fact, I have often found D&D contains lessons in morality. If you play an evil character, you eventually make enemies. You lie and betray others. People stop trusting you. Others are after you. You often die alone and friendless. Evil reaps its rewards just as it does in real life, while good characters make friends, save lives and help others. They end up with allies and victories. Though they may make evil enemies in the process, they are trusted and known as a good hero.

I want to point out that fighting and casting spells are by no means the only things players do. Players role-play. As their character they discuss options, talk to townspeople, solve puzzles, scout the landscape, create items, and many other things. Fighting is only a part of the big story that is played out as your character goes through an adventure. Sometimes a character can even talk his way out of fighting. It all depends on the player’s choices.

In terms of violence, it is really dependent on the players. Combat is handled through hit points, which represent the amount of hits a character can take. Many gamers simply do combat by talking hit points. For instance, “Okay, I hit it with my sword for 10 points of damage.” No gory details needed. It is a game and when you are fighting the point is to survive and defeat the enemy, so you are essentially trying to get the enemy down to zero hit points while keeping yours above zero. It’s really a game of numbers. The numbers help describe who wins and loses. Some players and game masters can be more descriptive by saying for instance, “you slash the orc across the torso for 5 points of damage.” This is no more violent, however, than your typical action movie.

D&D and negative psychological effects

Another frequent criticism of this game is that it causes violence, suicide, or some type of disorder where the player loses a sense of reality. Several studies have been done testing this hypothesis, and none of them found a link between these and Dungeons and Dragons. An article I found from religioustolerance.org lists five separate studies, and none of them found links to D&D. In fact, one study found that the suicide rate among role-players is over 50 times less than the average population. Another found that gamers are less likely to commit crimes. (Robinson, 3)

            What about the cases where this has happened? There are often stories you hear about D&D players losing it and thinking the game is reality, or that D&D was involved in a crime. However, many of these stories are simply urban legends, or police ended up determining that D&D had nothing to do with the crime. (Wikipedia) Of course there are a few cases where this did happen. Since we have already established that D&D does not cause these problems, it is logical to assume the people in these cases had prior mental disorders. The tiny number of actual cases where gamers are involved in crimes, again, shows that they are less likely to exhibit violent behavior than the average person.

What about the demons in D&D?

One thing that is helpful to understand about D&D is that it takes concepts that it considers to be from various mythologies to build a fantasy world. The game master can use these concepts to create various fantasy flavors. For instance, it could be Norse, Egyptian, Oriental, Celtic, or even Native American in style. The creatures that a player can encounter come from almost every one of these possible mythologies. Christianity is not the only religion to talk about “demons.” For instance, Japanese mythology has a type of demon called an Oni.

Oni are devil-like demons with long nails, wild hair, a fierce look and two horns on their forehead like the devil images known in Western Christian cultures. They wear tiger skins and can fly. Oni hunt for the souls of those who did evil things in their lives. (Japanese Mythology)

In fact, since demons are not really given a physical description in the Bible, it may be Christianity was influenced by demon concepts from other cultures. The point is that the “demons” in D&D are not directly correlated with the Christian concept of demons.

            The truth is, in the 20 years I have played D&D, I have had my characters encounter demons maybe twice. There are such a wide variety of monsters and creatures in the game that demons rarely show up.

            Back in 2^nd edition D&D, TSR (the company that formerly owned D&D) actually removed all references to demons, in what was believed to be a gesture toward the religious pressure on it. However, they were placed back into 3^rd edition by the new company, Wizards of the Coast. (Wikipedia)

Personally, as a Christian, I will say I don’t like the idea that there are “demons” in D&D. I would rather there not be, and in any games that I run myself I exclude them. I know that demons are real and would rather not play around with the concept. Since D&D is so versatile, it should be no problem to fully enjoy D&D without including any demons.

I found out in my research that 3^rd edition released a book just on demons and demon worshippers. It is called the Book of Vile Darkness and is for “Mature” readers only. This is not part of the core rules, and is definitely not required to play the game. In defense of the D&D publishers, I would say that they probably don’t believe in demons and think of this as another “mythology” to add to the campaign. For example, in the movies Young Sherlock Holmes and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom the heroes were up against strange cults that worshipped evil gods and peformed human sacrifice.

Regardless, as a Christian, I would recommend for a good D&D experience just to cut out the demons altogether.

Sex and D&D

D&D is a fantasy world where characters can experience new adventures, conquer enemies, win rewards, gain experience and even find love. Since you are only limited by your imagination, your character could do just about anything, including have sex. However, this game is definitely not designed for this purpose. There are no sections or chapters on characters having sex.

            Christians have certain guidelines to follow on sex, and they would apply to playing this game as well. Just as they apply to watching movies, or other types of entertainment. Therefore, a player should keep these guidelines when playing D&D.

            Do the rulebooks feature some scantily clad women? Yes. This is part of the fantasy genre. If you go to the library and look in the fantasy section, there will be many of these. (I dare say the same about the romance novel section.) D&D is not marketed to Christians, obviously. There is no actual nudity beyond the occasional breast in the books I have seen, and those are the older rule books. I just paged through all 286 pages of the Players Handbook. I found only 3 pictures with scantily clad women, none of which appear sexually suggestive. They are either just standing there or casting a spell. I think this may be part of marketing also to attract more women players by having less of those types of drawings and artwork in the newer books.

Benefits of D&D

Dungeons and Dragons, as we have seen from an earlier description, actually requires math skills. It does not require advanced math, but it does require regular addition, subtraction and multiplication. Practicing these things in the context of a game actually encourages math development among the players.

The Swedish National Board for Youth Affairs published a report on role-playing, describing it as a stimulating hobby that promotes creativity. (Wikipedia) The National Association of Gifted-Creative Children has endorsed D&D for its educational content. (Robinson, 3) D&D does actively encourage creative problem solving. There are puzzles to solve, social situations to resolve, and decisions to be made about actions and consequences.

The Imagination

I find that one of the most beautiful parts of D&D is the chance to stretch the imagination. A player can imagine other worlds, mystical creatures, endless seas, magnificent cities and more. When we were children we imagined things like this, at least I would say most of us did. Isn’t our imagination a gift from God? Where did the great painters get their ideas for paintings if they did not first see them in their mind’s eye? The great building and structures of our time were first imagined in the mind of an architect. As adults we should be free to imagine and enjoy the gift we have. We imagine differently from children, this is true, but we still imagine. We played “cops and robbers” as kids, can’t we play Dungeons and Dragons as adults? I say we can, and we can enjoy it.

Accepting Christians who play D&D

D&D is not for everyone. I’m not saying that Christians have to play D&D or even like D&D. However, Christians should, after learning the facts, be able to accept other Christians playing the game. In Romans 14 Paul writes:

The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls.

Christians playing D&D are not sinning and not becoming involved in the occult. As this article has demonstrated:

• Role-playing involves imagination and fun, not a departure from reality
• The D&D sourcebooks are primarily a listing of rules to play a game, not instructions for the occult
• No credible link has been established between D&D and suicide, violence, or other mental disorders
• D&D does have some content that Christians should be wary of
• Playing D&D can have educational and creative benefits

Playing D&D as a Christian should be viewed as any other entertainment. Some movies and books we are ok to read, and some we should not. Just as we can eat too much cake or watch too much football, we can play too much D&D. As Christians this is how we function in the secular world. We can do many things, within reason and limits. If we have a peach with a bad part, do we throw the whole peach away? We can, or we can cut the small bad part out with a knife and eat the rest of the peach which is perfectly good. D&D is not just one game, it is really an almost limitless structure within which a player can have adventures. Christians can play easily within this structure without going astray.

Biblical Perspective

I would be remiss if I did not put this article in perspective of the Bible. Interestingly, in the article on the Chick web site, the author quotes I Thessalonians 5:22 as saying: “Abstain from all appearance of evil.” This is from the King James Version. This appears to be a slightly inaccurate translation in the KJV, as three modern versions, the NIV, NASB, and New Living, translate it as such (respectively):

Avoid every kind of evil.

abstain from every form of evil. 

Keep away from every kind of evil.

Paul the Apostle, and author of this book, was not talking about appearances at all, but evil itself. The author of the Chick article is apparently ignoring other versions of the Bible to make hispoint, which is actually about appearance. However, we know God does not judge things by appearance.

The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart - 1 Samuel 16:7

Just because someone dresses differently from you, or looks like what your ‘culture’ might consider evil, does not mean they are evil. The next time you hear someone saying evil about D&D, tell them to look for themselves. Not at the appearance, but at the actual game and the people who play it.

Sources: Spellcasting 101: Don't Try This At Home, William J. Walton http://www.theescapist.com/random011102.htm Should a Christian Play Dungeons & Dragons? William Schnoebelen  http://www.chick.com/articles/frpg.asp Straight Talk on Dungeons and Dragons, William Schnoebelen http://www.chick.com/articles/dnd.asp Dungeons and Dragons, Players Handbook, 3rd Edition, Wizards of the Coast Wikipedia entry for Dungeons and Dragons: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeons_&_Dragons Dungeons & Dragons - history, versions, and revisions http://www.lyberty.com/encyc/articles/d_and_d.html Dungeons and Dragons™ and other fantasy role-playing games, B.A. Robinson http://www.religioustolerance.org/d_a_d.htm Japanese Mythology http://www.artelino.com/articles/japanese_mythology.asp