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Eternal Hostility: The Struggle Between Theocracy and Democracy, by Frederick Clarkson
Right-Wing Populism in America: Too Close for Comfort
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God's Profits: Faith, Fraud and the Republican Crusade For Values Voters
By Sarah Posner
Liars for Jesus: The Religious Right's Alternate Version of American History
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Kingdom Coming: The Rise of Christian Nationalism
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With God on Their Side: How Christian Fundamentalists Trampled Science, Policy, and Democracy in George W. Bush's White House.
by Esther Kaplan
Straight to Jesus: Sexual and Christian Conversions in the Ex-Gay Movement
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Attack on The United Churches of Christ
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link > The "Stop the ACLU Coalition" Shaming Project
How you can help stop "Stop The ACLU" just by sending a few emails
The Shaming Projectdoes the violence of "Left Behind: Eternal Forces" bother you ? If so, what can you do ? Well, to begin with you can email Jonathan Hutson's stories to people you know. That will help to bring more public scrutiny of the game. Public shaming really works ! Just click on the "email" icon and link at the top or bottom of the story and you'll be taken to a form that will allow you email the first story, The Purpose Driven Life Takers or the latest installment without leaving this site. Thanks.
Left Behind: Eternal Forces Teaches "Spiritual Warfare" and "Verbal Defence" |
| Sat Feb 10, 2007 at 12:35:08 PM EST |  print story | |
...teens...killing nonbelievers, teaching teens that most musicians are "singing the praises of the Antichrist" and portraying non-Christian humanitarian aid workers as part of enemy forces. Talk to Action, of course, has been at the forefront of making these concerns public, particularly in a series of articles by Jonathan Hutson. The Christian Retailing piece features input from Jeff Frichner, the president of Left Behind Games (LBG), who responds to the criticisms: |
...Frichner questioned how it could remain true to the Bible and the novels if it omitted the violence that appears in both.The LBG president said too few youth are taught to defend themselves-not physically, but in verbal confrontations with those who question the validity of their faith.
So how is LB:EF teaching Christians the arts of verbal defence? Frichner explains:
..."You can win the game by not firing a shot, but by conducting spiritual warfare. There's a prayer button (and) a worship button..."
I look forward to the "Oxford Debating Society" videogame, in which players will defeat opponents by use of a "rebuttal" button.
LBG is also trying to win over critics by spamming blogs that discuss the game. Since I've mentioned it a few times on my blog (see here and here), I've received several of these. GamerZ@leftbehindgames.com asks me:
Hey, with so many people having an opinion about this game, how many have actually played it? And what credibility do they have? Focus on the Family has publications which can set the record straight for everyone...at http://www.pluggedinonline.com/thisweekonly/a0002989.cfm.
While Sandi@leftbehindgames.com tells me that:
There has been alot of misleading information spun throughout the public and media regarding Left Behind Eternal Forces game. I encourage you to visit www.menofgod.us & download a trial version. I believe the first hand experience will allow you the opportunity to judge for yourself and put these rumors to a rest.
A long statement from LBG CEO Troy Lyndon follows, which includes the following disingenuous distinction:
...Our game does NOT teach the pre-tribulation theology of the book series, except that this worldview is utilized as a FICTIONAL backdrop of the game...
Is the Bible in general a "FICTIONAL backdrop", then?
Meanwhile, Left Behind co-author Tim LaHaye is feeling no reason to be modest as he speaks to Christian Retailing journo Ken Walker:
"We are fishing for a younger generation to know who Jesus is, what He did and how they can receive Him...That is why we included a mass-market paperback of the Left Behind book in the final packaging. I do not know of a book that has led so many thousands to Christ."
That's put C.S. Lewis in his place. LaHaye rejects as "preposterous" the claim that the game encourages killing enemies:
"The whole point of our lives and ministries is that we love all such people...our goal is to persuade them, not hate or do harm to them in any way."
Indeed not. That will be Jesus' job, as described in the final Left Behind novel, Glorious Appearing. And horses won't be let off lightly, either:
Men and women soldiers and horses seemed to explode where they stood...It was as if the very words of the Lord had superheated their blood, causing it to burst through their veins and skin...Even as they struggled, their own flesh dissolved, their eyes melted and their tongues disintegrated.
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