DUNGEONS & DRAGONS.....
THE GAME
Mind against mind, the battle rages on with only the sharpest
and fastest thinkers going out ahead of the pack of hungry and
fighting players as each scheme and plot against the other to survive.
The "War Room" is in the mind of each player as the make-
believe battles and struggles pit player against player; against the
elements; against the environment; against creatures from this world
and from other worlds; against lords - gods - demons - devils - curses
- witchcraft - every known power of warfare that the mind can conjure
up.
"Only the strong survive" doesn't apply here. The limitation
of the mind determines the outcome. Rules and regulations, limits and
players tools governing the "Game" are contained in the different
manuals and volumes of books containing hundreds of pages. It isn't
easy reading much less and easy game.
It is a challenge not only to win, but to stay alive. The
sharper the mind, the better the memory, the longer the player will
stay alive in the game.
Dungeons and Dragons (commonly known as D & D) is an elaborate
fantasy game which evolved from the war games popular in the late
1950's. The DM (dungeon master, or god) sets the stage in the fantasy
world. Each player assumes the identity of the character he creates.
Their creatures are based on a chance roll of the dice. Each character
will have six basic abilities: strength, intelligence, wisdom,
constitution, dexterity, and charisma. The manual guideline will
determine whether the character will be "good" or "evil".
The object of the game is to maneuver these characters through
a maze of dungeons (tunnels) filled with monsters, magic, ambushes,
and adventures in search of treasures. To survive, each character is
equipped with special aids - such as magical weapons, potions, spells,
and magical trinkets (holy water, garlic, wolves-bane, etc.) They are
also given more conventional weapons: daggers, hand axes, swords and
battle axes.
Each player can stay in the game as long as his character is
not killed - from hours to years. If it continues long, most players
identify themselves with their character, and the line between fantasy
and reality tends to grow fuzzy. One authority concerning this "game"
said: "The stuff that makes me nervous is over-identification with
characters. I've seen people have fits, yell for fifteen minutes, hurl
dice at a grand piano when their character dies."
Fantasy Role Playing (FRP) is promoted by many schools in
"gifted and talented" programs as a means of challenging and
developing the mind of a "bright" child.
The Fantasy Role Playing in D & D has come under fire by
different individuals and groups claiming that the player may align
himself to "God"; promoting violence, teaching religion, encouraging
sexual perversion, indoctrinating in witchcraft, and even leading to
death.
Well, lets look at some facts.
CONCERNING VIOLENCE - The following occured to D & D players as an
apparent result of the game. In November a 12 year old boy shot his
brother. In January a 14 year old boy walked into school and killed
a teacher. Psychiatrist Laurance Johnson cautions, "If I had a
child who tended toward schizophrenia, I'd never let him near D &
D. There's a danger that it would reinforce feelings of
grandiosity, of omnipotence. Reality and fantasy are hard enough
for schizophrenics to differentiate."
CONCERNING BECOMING GODLIKE - "This game lets all your fantasies come
true. This is a world where monsters, dragons, good and evil; high
priests, fierce demons; and even the gods themselves may enter your
character's life". *
"Changing Alignment: Whether or not the character actively
professes some deity, he or she will have an alignment and serve
one or more deities of this general alignment indirectly or
unbeknownst to the character" (Dungeons Masters Guide, p. 25). You
serve a deity or deities whether you want to or not.
CONCERNING WITCHCRAFT / DEMONOLOGY - Swords and sorcery (witchcraft)
best describes what this game is all about.... *
"Magic users draw upon arcane powers in order to exercise
their profession... He or she must memorize and prepare for the use
of each spell, and its casting makes it necessary to reabsorb the
incantation by consulting the proper book of spells..." *
George Marsh, member of the Cardova Park School Board
(California) stated in a letter, why he voted to remove D & D from
the school district's summer program: "The Supreme Court has
already barred religious activity from public facilities. D & D is
clearly religious in content."
CONCERNING DEATH - "If the Assassination is being attempted by or in
behalf of a player character, a complete plan of how the deed is to
be done should be prepared by the player involved, and the
precautions, if any, of the target character should be compared
against the plan. Weapon damage always occurs and may kill the
victim even though 'assassination' failed." (Dungeon Masters Guide,
p. 75).
CONCERNING SEXUAL PERVERSION - "... These evil creatures will
certainly expect to loot, pillage, and rape freely at every chance,
and kill (and probably eat) captives" (Players Handbood, p. 31).
The game may be just a game. However, it has become much more
to many people. - In Seattle a father is under treatment because
his son used his service revolver to kill himself after being
involved in D & D for only 2 years. - In January a 17 year old
walked onto a school stage, pointed a sawed off shotgun to his head
and fired.
Many - many cases are on public record of involvement in D & D
leading to violence - murder - suicide.
Yes, it's only a game. But it contains the spiritual teachings of
witchcraft.
"For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he..." Prov. 23:7.
"Keep thy heart with all dilligence; for out of it are the issues of
life." Prov. 4:23.
We become what we think. If we dwell on murder, rape,
demonology, sadism, prostitution, witchcraft, etc. we absorb that
knowledge and the thin line between fantasy and reality is removed and
may leave no way out but death.
If you are involved - even a little bit with any fantasy role
playing, stop and ask yourself of its influence on your mind and life.
"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever
things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are
pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good
report; if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these
things." Paul the Apostle wrote these words. You can read them for
yourself in Philippians chapter 4 and verse 8.
* D & D Handbook
If you want or need further assistance please call or write to:
Gospel Tract Society, Inc.
P. O. Box 1118
Independence, MO 64051
Reprinted with permission - the Gospel Tract Society is maintained by
the gifts of God's people. Help them if you can.... Sysop
R-E-A-D.ME
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