Jesus drives a Warthog

[CptStern]

Churches Use Halo To Spread the Word, Raise Eyebrows

The New York Times has a lengthy look at an unorthodox way to spread the religious word: Halo 3 multiplayer matches. Churches across the country have adopted 'Halo Nights' as a way to get kids together in religious centers and church basements.

"The alliance of popular culture and evangelism is challenging churches much as bingo games did in the 1960s. And the question fits into a rich debate about how far churches should go to reach young people. Far from being defensive, church leaders who support Halo -- despite its "thou shalt kill" credo -- celebrate it as a modern and sometimes singularly effective tool. It is crucial, they say, to reach the elusive audience of boys and young men."

but I thought Halo was a murder simulator, that it was training children to be effective murderers ..or so says Jack thompson ..maybe they're training children to become murderers for Jesus, man that dude has it all ..ever lasting life, a hot virgin mom and now an army of children learning how to kill for him ..I want a private army of killers


http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/10/09/1429240&from=rss


oh and the religious nutbars are already coming out in droves to fight this:

When you play a ?Versus? sort of game, or in that sort of mode, you are in the first place setting up a scenario for individual winners and losers. There is nothing about this that builds community?

Secondly? I do have a major problem with a game that takes endless hours to play, or win, and is so absorbing that it encourages the worst sort of narcissism?

Thirdly, there are numerous studies out there to be had about how these games affect and indeed encode violent images on young brains in various ways that going to a movie that lasts an hour or so would not do.

**** off an die


http://gamepolitics.com/2007/10/08/faith-community-debates-halo-3-youth-ministry/

 

[Stigmata]

Rapists take note: Invest in a small electrical generator and an Xbox 360 for your unmarked white van.

 

[Cormeh]

Once, they were angelic, youthful, polite, well spoken and bright young christian boys.

Then, after a night of Halo 3:

"Oh my god you British fag! You ****ing rocket-whore. **** you. I'm gonna rape you brit-fag"

etc etc.

 

[CptStern]

well I did say drive not fly


lol @ stigmata ....wait you dont have a white van do you? STAY AWAY FROM MY KIDS

oh and brits dont swear, they're far too polite for that ..they use polite words like fag and tosser

 

[Tyguy]

Halo is like a lesson in trash talking. Play matchmaking for an extended period of time and note how many verbal abortions ensue. Its unreal.

 

[Darkside55]

Disgusting, really. And pathetic. "Come to church and you can play Halo." Trying to rope in a demographic by any means necessary just goes to show how sad the church is these days.

 

[Reginald]

...as a way to get kids together in church basements...

Umm...?

 

[Parrot of doom]

Disgusting, really. And pathetic. "Come to church and you can play Halo." Trying to rope in a demographic by any means necessary just goes to show how sad the church is these days.

Obviously completely different to Valve using an attractive female love interest as a counterpart for Gordon in HL2 then.

 

[CptStern]

Obviously completely different to Valve using an attractive female love interest as a counterpart for Gordon in HL2 then.

ummm apples and oranges ..Valve is selling a video game that they created for the sole purpose of making money, the church is selling the promise of salvation ffs using a tool that was never meant to be a recuitment for religion ..there is no comparison

 

[Parrot of doom]

Or, Valve is using a sexually attractive female character to make money, whereas the Church is using a popular game to educate children of the benefits of being a member of their local Church.

Religion isn't all bad. In fact most of it is actually very good.

Why wasn't Alyx ugly as sin, and fat?

 

[CptStern]

Or, Valve is using a sexually attractive female character to make money

and? there's 3 surefire props in advertising ..the use of: babies, cute pets or babes ..since the dawn of advertising this is still the mainstay

whereas the Church is using a popular game to educate children of the benefits of being a member of their local Church.

how exactly? by using a video game? what educational qualities does Halo have that directly relates to the Church? teabagging? trash talking? shooting demons with guns? please do explain

Religion isn't all bad. In fact most of it is actually very good.

agreed, things like killing people because they speak out against the religion, or bombing a clinic, or attempting to pass an idiotic story written to frighten children as a means of explaining the origins of the universe we live in ..ya .. a lot of good

Why wasn't Alyx ugly as sin, and fat?

are you saying that a pixelated female is sexually attractive? ....ok

 

[function9]

Or, Valve is using a sexually attractive female character to make money,

Yes, because no one knows a thing about HL(2) other than it involves some "sexually attractive female character" that kicks ass. I didn't know anything about HL/HL2 until I saw a trailer before it was released and it looked great. And even when I purchased the game when it was released I didn't know anything about a "sexually attractive female character" in the game. Has Valve ever had any models dressed up as Alyx at any conventions or what not to promote HL2? I can't recall that happening. Valve seems to be one of the few game makers that isn't trying to exploit the possible sex appeal of their characters.

I also didn't recall any "sexually attractive female character" in HL1.

whereas the Church is using a popular game to educate children of the benefits of being a member of their local Church.

Religion isn't all bad. In fact most of it is actually very good.

Why wasn't Alyx ugly as sin, and fat?

To me, it kinda of cheapens their message. Basically by having to resort to marketing tactics they're saying, "the word and book of God aren't good enough." Which would seem to go against everything they supposedly stand for.

 

[Atomic_Piggy]

Disgusting. The church continues to amaze me at its sheer idiocy. Trying to stop the wavecrest of athiesm consuming the west. Just accept - by the end of the millenium christanity will be dead!

 

[CptStern]

but that's 993 freakin years from now!!! I want it dead tommorrow ..actually today if you dont mind

 

[Parrot of doom]

Has Valve ever had any models dressed up as Alyx at any conventions or what not to promote HL2? I can't recall that happening.

I can.

 

[Parrot of doom]

how exactly? by using a video game? what educational qualities does Halo have that directly relates to the Church? teabagging? trash talking? shooting demons with guns? please do explain

Church isn't just about religion.

agreed, things like killing people because they speak out against the religion, or bombing a clinic, or attempting to pass an idiotic story written to frighten children as a means of explaining the origins of the universe we live in ..ya .. a lot of good

What a nice educated attitude you have there.

are you saying that a pixelated female is sexually attractive? ....ok

So why doesn't the character look like Vicky Pollard then?

 

[CptStern]

Church isn't just about religion.

the Church in this instance = the religion ..not the building

What a nice educated attitude you have there.

yes it is educated, all of those things have/do happen

So why doesn't the character look like Vicky Pollard then?

why doesnt she look like Carmen Electra? why isnt she running around in a bikini? why is she half black? why not a blonde bombshell? after all they created her just to sell the game as you suggest they should have designed her with giant boobs in skin tight latex ...and I still dont understand how Valve creating Alyx has anything to do with religion using a video game to recruit new members ..it is nowhere near similiar in nature

 

[Jintor]

So why doesn't the character look like Vicky Pollard then?

BECAUSE SEX SELLS AND HAS ALWAYS SOLD AND HALF-LIFE 2 WAS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO SELL and anyway after 20 years of rations and starvation and crap I doubt Alyx has been feasting anytime recently.

 

[PvtRyan]

So why doesn't the character look like Vicky Pollard then?

Ever seen a 150kg woman outrun Combine soldiers? Wouldn't be very believable, now would it? What the hell is a fatty doing in a post-apocalyptic world anyway?

Other than that, Valve obviously designed Alyx as an independent, strong woman, but one that's still obviously a woman and feminine. Her looks reflect that. You can't accuse Valve of selling HL2 through sex, considering they're one of the first (if not first) developers to create a believable woman that isn't a Lara Croft. Why would she need to be ugly? Are all women in real life ugly?

 

[Wanted Bob]

Ever seen a 150kg woman outrun Combine soldiers? Wouldn't be very believable, now would it?

New sig quote

 

[Baal]

Are all women in real life ugly?

Nope. I'd say more than 50% of non-fat women are quite attractive.

 

[CptStern]

Nope. I'd say more than 50% of non-fat women are quite attractive.

boy in certain countries that severely limits your pool of attractive women

meh I like all kinds ..as long as they're not "too" anything as in "too fat, too skinny, too tall, too short (crotch level is acceptable), too many missing limbs" etc

 

[Parrot of doom]

the Church in this instance = the religion ..not the building

yes it is educated, all of those things have/do happen

why doesnt she look like Carmen Electra? why isnt she running around in a bikini? why is she half black? why not a blonde bombshell? after all they created her just to sell the game as you suggest they should have designed her with giant boobs in skin tight latex ...and I still dont understand how Valve creating Alyx has anything to do with religion using a video game to recruit new members ..it is nowhere near similiar in nature

1 - Church is not the same thing as religion.

2 - by nutters. You'll find that most churchgoers are quite normal sane people and not murderous lunatics.

3 - If you can't see the analogy then perhaps you're not as educated as you think you are.

 

[CptStern]

1 - yes it is ..when I refer to to the catholic church it can mean the religion

2 - yes however that doesnt change some of the church's policies ..how do you feel about gays, abortion etc? you could easily dismiss this as something you dont adhere to but then you wouldnt be true to your religion

3 - there is no analogy, there is no commonality here, by saying "if you cant see it then you're not so smart" does nothing to further explain your reasoning and is indicative of someone who's back is up against a wall and has nothing further to say

Valve has zero moral responsibility, it can sell pornographic video games featuring a monkey and a fat guy in a gimp suit ..the church by it's very nature must adhere to it's own moral sense of responsibility ..using a video game that many within the circle decry it as abhorrent in order to attract new recruits is hypocritical ..it's as if they set aside their principles in this instance because it justifies their recruitment goal ..Valve has no such responsibility

 

[Jintor]

Stern is totally right. Church must uphold its own morality or it's hypocritical.

 

[Higlac]

awesome photoshop, but you know nothing about Catholicism. Do your research.

Edit: Er... in retrospect, I should read the whole thread before posting.

EDIT2: Er... I should read the posts that the references are in.

 

[CptStern]

awesome photoshop, but you know nothing about Catholicism.

despite being born catholic and attending a catholic school right up to university ...yes I know nothing about catholicism


btw Jack Thompson went on tv today to discuss the "Jesus drives a Warthog issue" hopefully someone will have it on the interwebs before long

 

[Parrot of doom]

1 - yes it is ..when I refer to to the catholic church it can mean the religion

2 - yes however that doesnt change some of the church's policies ..how do you feel about gays, abortion etc? you could easily dismiss this as something you dont adhere to but then you wouldnt be true to your religion

3 - there is no analogy, there is no commonality here, by saying "if you cant see it then you're not so smart" does nothing to further explain your reasoning and is indicative of someone who's back is up against a wall and has nothing further to say

Valve has zero moral responsibility, it can sell pornographic video games featuring a monkey and a fat guy in a gimp suit ..the church by it's very nature must adhere to it's own moral sense of responsibility ..using a video game that many within the circle decry it as abhorrent in order to attract new recruits is hypocritical ..it's as if they set aside their principles in this instance because it justifies their recruitment goal ..Valve has no such responsibility

1. The Catholic Church is not the same thing as Christianity.

2. The Church's views on these issues are not set in stone.

3. There is most certainly an analogy. That you don't see it belies your inflated sense of self-worth.

4. The people at Valve do have a moral responsibility, regardless of your opinion.

 

[CptStern]

1. The Catholic Church is not the same thing as Christianity.

you're splitting hairs, we were talking about catholciism

2. The Church's views on these issues are not set in stone.

abortion and homosexuality? I'd say they were pretty set in stone ..the language/issues may change somewhat over the years but the message is the same

3. There is most certainly an analogy. That you don't see it belies your inflated sense of self-worth.

please explain as succinctly as possible exactly how they are in any way related

4. The people at Valve do have a moral responsibility, regardless of your opinion.

they have absolutely zero moral responsibility. they are a business they are not a centre of morality or ethics ..they have exactly one responsibility: their pocket books ...saying they have a moral responsibility doesnt make it so