my sons play -- like Grand Theft Auto in its many incarnations and all the games that allow the player to choose whether to be the good guy or bad guy -- I'm not that upset about it.  Once you've walked in on your 17 year old murdering people on the street, stealing their money, killing cops, and running over pedestrians (as in Grand Theft Auto) or becoming an Orc and massacreing entire villages (Warcraft), it's hard to get upset about something which sounds like the video game Rod and Tod Flanders played in an episode of the Simpsons a few years ago. 

Oh, and I didn't get the kids their murderous games.  They were easily able to buy them in spite of the M rating.

to live in their society when they grow up, a sort of dress rehearsal. Sure, as we mature we begin to understand the difference between play worlds or fantasies, and adult real life--- or, some of us do, Bush being one notable exception. Absent an offsetting training otherwise, what benchmark of conduct or standards of practice will children have who are submerged only in violent gaming?

There is historically no cruelty, no unrelenting violence that is worse than religion-inspired cruelty and violence. This entire Left Behind message is an abomination, in my opinion, albeit a profitable one for the writers and producers, though.  As we all know, bottom line profit is the be-all and end-all of the current self-righteous Republican philosophy ("greed is good").

Interesting that just as Mel Gibson's bloody, violent "Passion of the Christ" was revered by evangelicals who otherwise condemn the immoral media, so they are now joining the world of murderous video games. 

What's next, Christian rap stars who call you a 'ho in the name of the Lord?

I disagree.  I do not think the Left Behind video is in the same league as GTA (it's much worse). The point of this Left Behind game is to simulate killing others based on their faith, or lack thereof.  Do we really need any more conditioning of kids in this country or world to think in terms of "holy" wars?  In fact, it's actually rated "T" and totally inappropriate. 

Just to clarify, my disagree whould have been susbsumed under the first comment, which suggeted there's no problem with this video.

The scary thing about this is that AQ probably would find nothing controversial in this game.  Prayers to expunge sins?  Killing New Yorkers?  Holy warriors?

Attacking U.N. Peacekeepers?  Destroying the CBS news building (undoubtedly Faux News survives the rapture).

I disapprove of violent games for children (other than Whack the Republican). At some point at least children recognize that cartoon characters are not real.  But if you are further instructing them to kill based on religion . .  shudder

The LaHayes are terrible people -- sorry to be so judgmental but that's the fact, jack.  They exploit people's fears (the end is coming, etc.) for money.  And they do it in the name of Christ.

I'm an atheist so I don't believe in the stuff I was brainwashed with as a kid -- but if there is a heaven and hell I think the LaHayes may be in for a shock.

The LaHayes also very anti-gay (Mrs. LaHaye started Concerned Women for America), though reportedly their son is gay.  http://www.rawstory....  (And he works for CWA.)  What an awful family dynamic that must be.

There are a lot of gays in these families. Maybe the LaHayes' son is gay because one or more of the parents are repressed gays. The repressed desires of the parents often manifest themselves in the children. When I was growing up in Tennessee it was evident that the biggest juvenile delinquents were children of preachers. One pastor's family had to leave town because they were so humiliated by their daughter's behavior. Then there was the good-looking son of a preacher who when I asked him how he was doing at high school one day answered "I just got back from the counthouse on a rape case."as if it was just another normal day in his life. Apparently the daughter of his neighbor had brought him up on charges. Lovely folks these people.

I don't think she's a juvenile delinquent, but Vivian Paige's dad was a preacher.  But I do agree, it's a common stereotype and I wonder if some of those kids start out by overdoing it trying to prove they are just like all the other kids. 

Everyone in my neighborhood was a juvenile delinquent, but it pays off in the long run with plenty of good stories that start off with "member when..."

was a preacher's son -- good guy -- very open to everyone -but he wouldn't even dance with a girl - talked to him after my high school reunion and then visited him -- after college he went to Paris and became, in his words, a bum and a poet, whored, drank, did drugs

(Not that I did not do some of those things.)

He showed me the hot spots of the little conservative largely Catholic city we grew up in -- there was a leather bar near the train tracks! -- and a stripper place!  (I am not making this up -- the stripper came out originally dressed in a full gorilla costume ----)

My wife relates that the preacher's son in her home town went to jail for armed robbery.

In my day, being a JD was doing things like smoking behind the bowling alley. Until that Woodstock thing.  Then society changed a lot, in some ways.

I think you missed my point. When you have parents who are very repressive sometimes the kids act out. I think that can be observed. I think we can all agree that these fundamentalists are repressed and repressive. I think killing people who don't agree with you is pretty repressive.

I'm only relating my personal experiences. In my neighborhood being a JD was not the norm, but the exception. When I grew up there was a certain amount of shame associated with some of these JD behaviors, but that was a long time ago. I realize that what was the norm then may not have been the norm when you grew up.

How many people did the Spanish Inquisition torture and murder in the most ghastly ways possible?  What was the toll of murdered innocents during the Crusades?  There is no more dangerous fanatic than a religious fanatic of any stripe because he considers himself absolved of any crime committed in the name of his religion, no matter how henious and vicious the atrocity. He waves his piety like a bloody banner as he thrusts the flaring brand into the pile of brush and logs piled around his hapless victims. Burning people to death to "save their souls" is a peversion that more than one organized religion has practiced.

These people are no different from the Taliban. All the fundamentalist groups exploit and magnify destructive impulse in the human race. The people who believe in the end-times story are believing in a fairy tale and they live in a kind of Alice-in-Wonderland world. Personally, I think most of them have mental problems. As long as people have their anger directed in this way they will never see who is really exploiting them.

There was a recent study which showed that most people who are psychotic support George Bush. I guess it takes one to know one as they say.

It was not my intent to argue their beliefs.  Ther's a fine line between arguing against what they are doing and speaaking against them.  I am not wanting to do the latter.

Beliefs are just that.  They are not evidece based, but rather faith-based.  We may not understand them.  Indeed many people question or fail to grasp some tenets of their own faiths. 
As a person of faith myself (not of the Left Behind variety), I take strong exception to anyone gaming such a thing.  And I take strong exception to those who are intollerant of not just other believers, but of those who don't believe.  In this country, it's a person's right to believe or not.  belief is no guarantee of virtue.  And non-blief has no bearing on a whether a person's ethical systems are finely honed. 

Such belligerant thinking and such bigotry against others' faiths (or nonfaiths) goes against the grain of what the Founding fathers intended.  And it goes against the requirements of all faiths to be the best people we can be and treat others with respect and love. 

BTW, Richard Dawkins says studies have been done on ethical behavior and religious identity, and there's no correlation.

I'd also point out that people's belief systems change.  As a result of maturity (I hope) and lots of reading and thought, my religious beliefs are much different than they were 10 years ago.  I'm not a better (or worse) person.  I just believe something different than I did then.

(I now believe that when one gets to the Pearly Gates, Monte Hall is standing there in front of three doors, and the theme music from Let's Make A Deal is playing.)

(Just kidding.)

Do you know who else these "great evangelical warriors" are fighting against other than the "cult leaders" and the "rock stars"? Frankly I could do without both, but I am old and cranky about brainwashing and noise having survived the "decider".

Are they fighting Jews? Gays? Muslims? Pro-Choice? Separation of Church and State? Are we dealing with freedom of speech or deliberate targeting?

My question is has this game gone over the line and how far? How can we find out without having to buy the damn thing? I haven't gotten over the "Jesus Camp" revelations and know that there are people out there who devote all their time to dragging and scaring the innocent down their particular road of thought.

Catzmaw refers to a game that I would not have allowed in my house, but I know I come from a different time when control of what one's children saw and did was a little easier. I spent a lot of time trying to broaden their acceptance of all people and that diversity was actually a good thing in the world. 

I understand and agree with your premise that this is an afront to religion and all it is supposed to stand for. As an agnostic I do not follow any organized train of religious thought, however I know bad when I see it.

I didn't buy the games, didn't even know my teens had them, until I walked in on them one day.  The GTA is gone, but my now-18 year old still has role playing games like Warcraft, Ages and Empires, Rome, etc.  One of the problems with sorting out with what is and isn't appropriate is viewing the game in its proper context.  GTA is without a doubt just a nasty game without any redeeming social qualities.  Some of the other games - they have themes like the battle between good and evil, except that you can choose to be the evil - and others have historical, strategic, and tactical contexts.  The thing is that my perfectly normal teens seem to be able to distinguish between the game and reality.  Neither of them looks likely to go out and steal cars or hack up villagers any time in the near future. 

As for the kids playing the Left Behind game, sure, some of them may be inspired to think less of others of different faiths, but they are not unaffected by society altogether.  They KNOW it's wrong to kill or hurt people because of religion. And as some of them grow older they will not be unmindful of the similarity between the LaHaye extremists and the Taliban.  The LaHayes are a piece of work. I remember during my first pregnancy a well-meaning Baptist missionary where I was living at the time gave me a book by Beverly LaHaye on raising children.  It was replete with advice to discipline my children with harsh spankings and urged me to teach my daughter to be "submissive" to her husband.  Lots of quotes lifted from Proverbs, especially the portions advising the beating of slaves, except she said it should apply to children, also.  Shudder.  This missionary did not see the disconnect between the book she gave me and the kind, loving way in which she was raising her own daughter.  I don't believe she ever lifted a hand to that child.

Please do not think I was passing any kind of judgment on what your teens are playing, but rather bemoaning the fact that it is so much harder now to keep up with it all. My "children" are now 27 and 37. I know I had it easier.

I had to deal with Strawberry Shortcake and Princess of Power.  Parents now have to deal with GTA.

I do believe that those who have a well-rounded upbringing can and do distinguish between the game and reality, right from just plain wrong, and will make their choices accordingly. Like yours do.

It is the "others" that I worry about. Those whose family life mirrors or accepts the messages that some of the games send. They don't agree with the "message"? Kill them. They don't live the lifestyle we deem "correct"? Kill them. They don't "believe" as we do? Kill them.
While society as a whole does have some influence on their behavior, I am not always so sure that it will be enough.

People die every day in the name of religion. Something that continues to amaze me and break my heart.

This is what scares the hell out of me and "almost" makes me glad that my only grandchildren thus far are St. Bernards...

Only a parent who has dealt with Strawberry Shortcake will understand . . .

Seriously, you're right with your concerns.

Referring to the debate on the "outing" of Mr. Dion, one reason for standing tall and being vocal when rights are trampled upon is to teach those who had bad parents that discrimination and use of violence is not acceptable to society.

I just got off MSNBC.com where I read their current story: DOES GAME VIOLENCE MAKE TEENS AGGRESSIVE?  It's a report concerning brain scans researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine did of kids playing both a very violent action video game and one of the same kids playing a non-violent action game.  The results are very disturbing.  Being a computer-illiterate I don't know how to link that story to this comment so if someone who has more computer smarts than I do can add the link I think it would be well worth being able to read the whole story.  It certainly is relevant to the wider theme of this diary.

will scare you even more here.
In sum, the author argues that Left Behind will dehumanize an entire population in preparation for mass execution by civilians; the same efforts were made before the genocide in Rwanda, the Spanish Inquisition, and the Rape of Nanking.

The images in the video are apparantly so disturbing, the game owner is trying to prevent even the PROMO pictures - the ones they are showing your teens - from being displayed to parents, claiming a violation of intellectual property.

Don't believe all that you are reading: There has been alot of misleading information spun throughout the public and media regarding Left Behind Eternal Forces.
Don't fall pray to the hype, misconceptions & propaganda. Experience the demo and find out for yourself.

This statement is posted from an employee of Left Behind Games on behalf of Troy Lyndon, our Chief Executive Officer.

There has been in incredible amount of MISINFORMATION published in the media and in online blogs here and elsewhere.

Pacifist Christians and other groups are taking the game material out of context to support their own causes. There is NO "killing in the name of God" and NO "convert or die". There are NO "negative portrayals of Muslims" and there are NO "points for killing".

Please play the game demo for yourself (to at least level 5 of 40) to get an accurate perspective, or listen to what CREDIBLE unbiased experts are saying after reviewing the game at www.leftbehindgames.com/pages/controversy.com

Then, we'd love to hear your feedback as an informed player.

The reality is that we're receiving reports everyday of how this game is positively affecting lives by all who play it.

Thank you for taking the time to be a responsible blogger.