Latest in evangelistic video games

June 3, 2006 By

stbbc8So, be honest. Which of the following two news stories scares you the most?

Option (a), or option (b)?

Which story makes you the most depressed about the future of public discourse in our culture? The future of organized and non-organized religion?

OK, I’ll cut to the chase. Which is the bigger news story?

But wait. Is it possible that these two stories are actually the same news story, only looking at fads in different zip codes?

Have a nice day. I need a nap.

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Filed Under: Books, Evangelicals, Humor, Pop Culture
About TMatt

Terry Mattingly directs the Washington Journalism Center at the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. He writes a weekly column for the Scripps Howard News Service.

  • paddyo’

    Naaaa, I don’t think it’s the same story, figuratively OR semi-literally (never mind semi-LITERATEly). Neither “scares” me, either, but I’ll certainly allow that both make my eyes roll and my throat gag.

    But look: One’s a gamer-geek review of a badly-put-together video game (DaVinci) and little else. The other’s a mainstream media news story about an apparent trend in “Christian” video games that try to replicate the bang-bang-blood-and-gore of the R-rated worldy ones.
    It’s a reach to say either has anything to do with red-blue Zip codes, either. Trash is trash, anywhere on the map.
    What a killer quote, though, from Option B, on so many levels:

    “It’s got all the Christian stuff, and it’s still got all the cool stuff.”

    Good heavens.

  • http://clientandserver.com dw

    Didn’t the Simpsons cover this years ago? “Billy Graham’s Bible Blasters?”

    Convert the heathen!

  • Stephen A.

    Paddyo picked up on the same quote that caught my attention.

    Yikes.

    It’s like, we all know, Christian stuff ain’t kewl, right? :-)

    Back to the DaVinci game, what this reviewer said about it is almost universally acknowledged: the game is slow and plodding and missed chances to be interesting, much like critics say of the film. The book “rules” and has a faster pace than both, and that at least says something good about literacy.

  • c.tower

    Actually, comparing DA VINCI CODE to LEFT BEHIND is very instructive, as in ALL their forms (book, video game, movie), the “anti- Christian” DA VINCI CODE focuses on puzzles and problem-solving, wheras LEFT BEHIND is pure blood-and -thunder pulp adventure… with a little “Bible-Thumping” to make it acceptable to the “Christian” audience. It’s easy to dismiss both as paranoid and pedagogue, but I find it strangely reassuring that the more popular of the two is also the more cerebral (or at least the less violent).

  • Michael

    Except that the Left Behind theology is as flawed as the Da Vinci Code; the DVC doesn’t pretend to be religious literature, however, while Left Behind is housed in the Religious section.

  • c.tower

    Well, that was kind of my point; one of the reasons no major studio wanted to do a LEFT BEHIND movie is that unlike DVC, where controversy would be good for the box office, LEFT BEHIND would be more trouble than it’s worth. (Let’s face it: there’s a big difference between conspiracy theorists and religous fanatics)

  • http://www.psonnets.org/ Michael Rew

    I just thought of the perfect Christian first-person shooter game. An American Christian soldier sent to fight Muslim terrorist-insurgents would face down his own doubts about fighting a war as a Christian. This storyline would rely completely on movies within the game, rather than trying to include Christian elements within the fighting arena itself. The storyline could include scenes like this:

    1. The Christian soldier asking himself, alone, if what he is doing is right.

    2. Debate about God’s nature among the soldier’s unit, including unbelieving and nominal Christian soldiers’ views.

    3. Discussions with the chaplain about all of this. An evangelistic service could be included, with soldiers asking Jesus into their hearts the day before going to battle; baptisms; etc.

    4. Testimonies from non-player character Christian soldiers, based on actual testimonies of real Christian soldiers who have been miraculously delivered by God’s providence on the battlefield.

    5. The conversion of a Muslim Arabic interpreter, based on the faith and witness of Christian soldiers.

    Of course, all of these movie moments could be clicked past to get to the “no holds barred” bloodbaths typical of any first-person shooter. But this game would include firing on mosques, fighting in mosques, civilian casualties, and other controversial elements of the war on terror. It could quite possibly be the most offensive first-person shooter to date. It would offend Christians with all of the gore and/or, if the critics are patriotic, with the honest questions raised in the game. It would offend Muslims because of virtual fighting in and around mosques, the virtual conversion of a Muslim, etc. And it would offend unbelievers who do not like evangelistic messages.