Liberal and progressive Christian groups are peeved at Wal-Mart for selling a new computer game called Left Behind: Eternal Forces, in which Christian players must either convert un-believers … or kill them. They’re requesting that Wal-Mart remove the game from its shelves.
Left Behind Games’ president, Jeffrey Frichner, says the game actually is pacifist because players lose “spirit points” every time they gun down nonbelievers rather than convert them. They can earn spirit points again by having their character pray.
“You are fighting a defensive battle in the game,” Frichner, whose previous company produced Bible software, said of combatting the Antichrist. “You are a sort of a freedom fighter.”
A freedom fighter battling the right of other people to practice their own beliefs. I absolutely hate the rampant over-application of the word “freedom” to concepts and situations that are blatantly anti-freedom, but that’s just me.
Players can choose to join the Antichrist’s team, but of course they can never win on Carpathia’s side. The enemy team includes fictional rock stars and folks with Muslim-sounding names, while the righteous include gospel singers, missionaries, healers and medics. Every character comes with a life story.
When asked about the Arab and Muslim-sounding names, Frichner said the game does not endorse prejudice. But “Muslims are not believers in Jesus Christ” — and thus can’t be on Christ’s side in the game.
“That is so obvious,” he said.
I’m pretty sure that the last thing we need right now is a video game that teaches children to dehumanize and hate Muslims. Reinforcing the “us and them” mode of thinking through mass media, public policy and now gaming can only make the next Abu Ghraib or Guantánamo less of an outrage.
A heartwarming gift for the holiday season? Onward, Christian soldiers. And don’t forget your piece.
