We have Met the Enemy…
“…and it is Us.” – Pogo
It is hard enough for Christians to live out Jesus’ words “Blessed are the Peacemakers” in our society today with many leaders linking uncritical support of war with the message of the church. It is difficult enough for us to practice forgiveness and respect (not to mention love) for all of our neighbors when we struggle with our own interpersonal hurt and pain. We even find it more of a challenge when we and our children are desensitized to violence through news, television, movies and secular video games. Now we have to try to preach the Prince of Peace with the name of Christ being used to justify a fantasy world based on the old Inquisition idea of convert or die. I found many references to the following story in my blog-reading today.
Imagine: you are a foot soldier in a paramilitary group whose purpose is to remake America as a Christian theocracy, and establish its worldly vision of the dominion of Christ over all aspects of life. You are issued high-tech military weaponry, and instructed to engage the infidel on the streets of New York City. You are on a mission – both a religious mission and a military mission — to convert or kill Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, gays, and anyone who advocates the separation of church and state – especially moderate, mainstream Christians. Your mission is “to conduct physical and spiritual warfare”; all who resist must be taken out with extreme prejudice. You have never felt so powerful, so driven by a purpose: you are 13 years old. You are playing a real-time strategy video game… Talk To Action | The Purpose Driven Life Takers (Updated)
Frankly, this is pretty sick. There is a part of me that is hoping this isn’t true, but there is another part of me that is afraid it is.
I am ashamed that there are people who created and who will promote this in the name of Christ and will mess up many people’s view of what the rest of us in the church are trying to do to bring the transforming and healing grace of Jesus to a hurting world.
The tragic irony of the premise of this game is that the very kind of religious based hate and persecution that is promoted in the game is what is condemned in every other part of the world by non-Christians. We see it in Iraq with the sectarian civil war there. We see it in Israel and Palestine. We hear about it in Indonesia or Chad or Sudan or anyone of dozens of places in the world. As long as it is against Christians we cry out in anguish. But by embracing the idea of this game the world sees Christians as having no integrity and no righteousness.
And they will not believe anything we now say because some have usurped the name of Christ for personal and political power and gain.
I am angry and deeply saddened. God weeps for the Church that thinks this is gospel, good news. It isn’t.
Here are some other blogs I have seen who have commented on this. I can see how the true message of Christ is being lost.
- Crooks and Liars
- The Moderate Voice
- Pandagon and Pam’s House Blend
- Independent Christian Voice
- Dependable Renegade
