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From: ln63fac@sdcc7.UUCP (Rick Frey)
Newsgroups: net.games.frp,net.religion
Subject: Re: FRP games--a work of the devil... :-(
Message-ID: <109@sdcc7.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 3-Oct-85 02:42:38 EDT
Article-I.D.: sdcc7.109
Posted: Thu Oct  3 02:42:38 1985
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Xref: watmath net.games.frp:1970 net.religion:7894
Summary: The Bible and fantasy

Forgive me responding to the earlier article from your response, but
I was unable to locate the original and I'm very much interested in
this discussion having played D&D for 4+ years and having been a
Christian (and still being one) at the time.  Anyway, on with the
response.

> > The Bible makes many injunctions against the use of witchcraft, sorcery,
> > and such like. Christians who are following the teachings of the Bible
> > MUST NOT engage in such activities. 

Ok so far.  Just for accuracy's sake, it's nice to include
references with you whenever possible.  I've been yelled at for
paraphrasing and have had to go back numerous times all because I
didn't give the reference(s) the first time.

> >         If, in the course of a D&D game, the DM starts handing out spells
> > which have been in the past, or are currently being used by certain
> > religious groups (i.e. Satanists, Voo-Doo, etc.), the
> > play ceases to be fantasy and becomes reality no matter what your own
> > personal religious beliefs are. By reality I mean that someone once or
> > still takes them seriously.
>  
This sure doesn't seem to be what Paul's saying in I Corinthians 10:25-29.
"Eat anything that is sold in the meat market, without asking questions for
the conscience's sake; For the earth is the Lord's, and all that it
contains.  If one of the unbelievers invites you, and you wish to go, eat
anything set before you, without asking questions for conscience's sake.
But if anyone should say to you, 'this meat this is meat sacrificed to
idols', do not eat it, for the sake fo the one who informed you and for
conscience's sake.  I mean not your own conscience, but the other man's; for
why is my freedom judged by another's conscience?"

This last verse seems to sum up Paul's point, that the sacrificing meat to
idols is not good (he says that earlier, vs. 20) but that we don't need to
worry about it if it isn't us doing the sacrifice.  To try to put it in the
language of your own words, this is part of some evil/satanic religious'
group's practices, but partaking of it does not reflect back on my
spirituality.  

One last point to address that you might bring up is that playing D&D is
optional, therefor it doesn't fit this example, but notice Paul says,
"If you wish to go", not if it's your spiritual, God-commanded duty,
but simply if you wish.  Pauls goes so far as to say don't even worry
about it enough to ask questions.  As Christ says in Mark 7:15, "There is
nothing outside the man which going into him can defile him; but the things
which proceed out of the man are what defile the man."

			Rick Frey
			(...!ihnp4!sdcsvax!sdcc6!ix415)


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