Religious group sending Left Behind game to troops in Iraq
by Kyle Orland 
{ Aug 10th 2007 at 12:04PM }
The Nation has a report this week on Operation Stand Up, an evangelical military entertainment group that is planning to send care packages including Left Behind: Eternal Forces to American troops fighting in Iraq.The game, which raised the ire of many activist groups for its promotion of killing and converting non-Christians, will come packaged in "freedom packets" that also include a pocket-size Gideon bible, a Christian extreme sports DVD and the proselytizing book More Than a Carpenter. The OSU web site describes the game's inclusion as "just one more way OSU Tour can be a conduit in changing a soul forever."
While the group is affiliated with the Pentagon's America Supports You program, it's unclear just how much official support they have has from the military. The group does have the backing of "celebrities" including Stephen Baldwin, Evander Holyfield and, according to sources close to the group, God.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Jacob P. @ Aug 10th 2007 12:07PM
"The group does have the backing of "celebrities" including Stephen Baldwin, Evander Holyfield and, according to sources close to the group, God."
I lol'd at the last part.
WebPimp @ Aug 10th 2007 3:26PM
yeah...now that was pretty funny. LOL
mastafool @ Aug 10th 2007 12:09PM
The Troops need Body Armor, not crappy games.
Word of the street. @ Aug 10th 2007 12:28PM
Dragon skin FTW.
Chameleon @ Aug 10th 2007 3:44PM
@mastafool
couldn't have said it better myself
megapenguinx @ Aug 10th 2007 11:44PM
They can use the game to line their armor!
emmzee @ Aug 10th 2007 12:12PM
Good job guys, way to make all Christians look like warmongers. And supporters of bad video games. For the record, many Christians do not support either the war in Iraq nor crappy games that support bad theology like "Left Behind".
Crashman06 @ Aug 10th 2007 12:24PM
Then maybe you other Christians should be a little more vocal about standing up to this sort of crap. I never heard about mainstream Christians publicly criticizing Millenialist fanatics.
Zertoss @ Aug 10th 2007 12:40PM
We try, but the sensationalist media much prefers the fanatics.
emmzee @ Aug 10th 2007 12:50PM
True, the 'trouble' (if we want to put it that way) with being a Christian as taught by Jesus (to be meek, respectful, etc) is that this is exactly the kind of person that is not often heard in the media (ie loud, obnoxious, etc).
Dan @ Aug 10th 2007 1:15PM
"many Christians do not support either the war in Iraq nor crappy games that support bad theology like "Left Behind"."
Yes, but a great many more do.
Capt. Castellanos @ Aug 10th 2007 1:29PM
damn.
those were alot of good points.
all the guys above me took the words right outta my mouth.
(and them some)
polly @ Aug 10th 2007 12:12PM
Jesus Christ.
Crono @ Aug 10th 2007 12:13PM
Yep!
Gimbal @ Aug 10th 2007 12:14PM
"evangelical military entertainment group"
Praise the lord, pass the ammo?
Chameleon @ Aug 10th 2007 3:47PM
yeah i was wondering about that description as well ...
DVersion @ Aug 10th 2007 12:14PM
So wait...the troops can't go on myspace or youtube but they can play crappy videogames?
Kazi @ Aug 10th 2007 12:18PM
MySpace and YouTube could corrupt their faith in their nation and make them question things (don't want people questioning things). Crappy video games will just give them more aggression to throw around and if things go as planned, make them violent Christians with military training bent on killing non-believers.
Crono @ Aug 10th 2007 1:37PM
No, myspace and youtube are blocked to prevent leaks. I'm sure they can all still get all the left wing propaganda they could ever stomach.
DVersion @ Aug 10th 2007 1:40PM
Yeah, damn that left wing propaganda of people getting hit in the nuts and thirteen year old emo kids feeling like they are being suffocated by the world!
WiNG @ Aug 10th 2007 12:16PM
Sending our troops a game about conquering non christians is the LAST thing we should do, regardless of the quality of the game.
We should have some damned sensitivty.
Send them body armor or a copy of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.
Jouten @ Aug 10th 2007 12:54PM
Call of Duty 4...
It might be a stretch but, I think they are already involved in an actual Call of Duty 4 in real life... Maybe a game that will take them out of that type of plot in it.
As for all this anti-war, anti-whatever. How about supporting our troops while they are over there and stop giving them insurgents/terrorists hard-ons by protesting our presence over there? Don't you think for a second that they won't use that against our troops psyche. They could do this by producing propaganda that conveys the message that we here at home don't want them there so therefore they shouldn't be killing them. Kind of like the Viet Nam War. We were our own worst enemy. Let the Generals and Soldiers win the war and leave out all the politicians. We'll be better off for it.
As a former GW Vet, that's my 2 cents.
Jouten @ Aug 10th 2007 12:55PM
And when I say I'm a GW Vet, I don't mean Guild Wars! lol!
Baineblade @ Aug 10th 2007 1:31PM
Yeah, the army tried sensitivity training. It failed on a massive scale. Like, uber massive.
Foxwind @ Aug 10th 2007 1:38PM
Here here, Jouten! Let's not forget that we're, you know... making progress. (Gasp!) I really wish various people would stop trying to make this into 'Nam. The situations are complete opposites. There is absolutely NOTHING similar. Not a thing. Not the cause, not the death toll, not the troop composition, it's not a proxy war... (technically)
Let's give troops Loco Roco! =D That's as far from CoD4 as you can get. Or a Katamari game. Something fun with bright colors that lacks realistic violence. XD Okami! There we go. Let's send troops Okami!
OrganicShadow @ Aug 10th 2007 12:18PM
They didn't make it look like ALL CHRISTIANS are like this, they clearly stated the group's name.
I will be starting my own group soon. With enough donations I hope to be sending the troops copies of The Darkness and the book "The God Delusion". I might also throw in Overlord and a Satanic Bible or something too, just to make sure we have a good even mix.
Kazi @ Aug 10th 2007 12:24PM
If you throw out the Satanic Bible, and send them Gears of War instead of Darkness, I'd donate to that group.
JL @ Aug 10th 2007 12:18PM
Hmm sounds a little like brainwashing.
Jouten @ Aug 10th 2007 1:11PM
You should see what they show suicide bombers...Now THAT is brainwashing!
fawazr @ Aug 10th 2007 7:27PM
So we should make our own soldiers like suicide bombers? Killing monsters with monsters, eh?
erik @ Aug 10th 2007 12:19PM
There... is... no ... god.
WiNG @ Aug 10th 2007 12:21PM
Wrong! You forgot about Money.
erik @ Aug 10th 2007 12:26PM
Good point, Wing. After all, money buys me lots of video games. If there was a god, he/she/it would have given me some because I am so awesome.
The Wicker Man @ Aug 10th 2007 12:31PM
whoa no god? why do i keep giving the minister all that money? oh wait your telling me there is no easter bunny, santa, or gasp even the great pumpkin? aaaarggghhh stoopid beagle! Guess some people have never heard of science and reason.
Luigi193 @ Aug 10th 2007 12:27PM
Dang, I hope everyone doesn't believe all christians are like that...thats the biggest pile of crap i have ever seen. Wow...come one! that just twisted! I never knew there was a christian extremest groop! Please joystiq especially...not all christians are like jack thompson or these nut jobs. wow....
Truepatriot @ Aug 10th 2007 12:27PM
havent the troops suffered enough?extended tours and ide`s now left behind games?
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS!!dont let them play shitty games.
Word of the street. @ Aug 10th 2007 12:30PM
How the ESBR allowed this?.(J/K)
Violence and Sex is bad but Brainwashing is OK,really WTF.This is when we need "ban" and "laws".
shinsnake @ Aug 10th 2007 12:40PM
Brainwashing? Some of you drama queens are too much. It's almost like you have no idea what freedom of speech and freedom from religious persecution are. Talk about fascism, the people who try and scare the country into believing that Christians are trying to turn America into a theocracy are the real fascist thought police. "DON'T QUESTION SCIENCE! DON'T BELIEVE IN A GOD! DON'T THINK FOR YOURSELVES!"
It's humorous to say the least.
Word of the street. @ Aug 10th 2007 12:48PM
Wow.
Well another funny thing is how people use "The freedom of speech" card, the fact that it exist doesn’t mean you can abuse it. So questioning a religious game in your opinion is bad but throwing religion to people faces is OK to you.
I remind you the game is about killing and converting non-Christians, If you were Jewish or Buddhist would you think that is ok, kill people for it religion and believes is alright to you, man you are an ignorant.
Religion is good but what these people are doing is totally wrong.
There is no way to protect this.
shinsnake @ Aug 10th 2007 1:11PM
Well when one "freedom of speech" is saying this is how I believe, you should believe it too and the other "freedom of speech" is saying don't listen to this garbage, it should be banned and outlawed, it's not to hard to see which side the freedom of speech card applies to and which side it doesn't.
Word of the street. @ Aug 10th 2007 3:24PM
So again you believe throwing religion to people faces is OK.
Freedom of speech means that you can speak your mind and no one has the right to tell you to STFU but you forgot this part…
“Restrictions on free speech”
“Hate speech that is defamatory or causes incitement to violence.”
Isn’t the idea of killing people of other religions violent and wrong?, isn’t hate speech?.
What these guys are doing is wrong, the idea killing people for what they believe is wrong, the idea of killing other human been is wrong.
In videogames is fictional yeah but all are based in the idea of “they did this to you now is payback time” and that is why they are rated “M” is for adult minds that understand that is fictional and that killing people is wrong and that is just a game and it doesn’t have anything to do with the real life and they doesn’t support the Idea of discrimination (Except GTA)
But when you do something supporting the Idea of killing people for being from other religions is right. WTF, maybe because you are Christian you don’t give a f*** but what about Jewish, Buddhist Catholics and so on. Jesus Christ, try to be a little sensitive.
Also isn’t what Christians promote, being tolerant and give the other cheek? Forgive the ones that offend us, forgiveness hello?
Crono @ Aug 10th 2007 3:37PM
Word, you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about in reference to this game.
shinsnake @ Aug 10th 2007 12:34PM
4 Comments and/or comments:
1) I wonder what makes people so afraid of religion.
2) Games like these are bad because it is someone expressing their point of view, but other games that express points of view, like God of War, American McGee games, Postal, etc... are good. Interesting.
3) Games like these are bad because it is someone expressing their point of view and we wouldn't want someone expressing their views because that could corrupt their non-faith and make some people question some things (wouldn't want people questioning things).
4) How is it that people are up in arms about this crappy game being sent to the troops but other crappy games are sent to troops all the time and no one utters a word? It couldn't be because it's religious in nature, could it?
shinsnake @ Aug 10th 2007 12:36PM
I meant 4 questions and/or comments
WiNG @ Aug 10th 2007 12:43PM
People don't like religion b/c didn't Richard Dawkins prove there is no such thing as religion?
lol j/k
Crashman06 @ Aug 10th 2007 12:46PM
1. Religious fanatics are so sure that they're right, that they are willing to do crazy things because of their faith. See bombing abortion clinics, suicide bombings, or those crazy Christians who go to military funerals and claim the reason why are troops are getting killed is because God hates gays.
2. This game was specifically designed to push a right-wing, apocalyptic Christian agenda. Other games are pure fantasy, or created for entertainment or art's sake; the people who wrote Left Behind believe what happens in the books is actually going to happen.
3. Maybe the makers and supporters of this game should question why the goal of the game is to kill or convert all non-Christians. Or maybe they should question why they believe that the Bible (a 5000 year old book written by many different human beings over generations) is literally true.
4. Name 1 other crappy game... Wait, 1 other game at all, that's being sent to the troops unsolicited.
The Wicker Man @ Aug 10th 2007 12:54PM
People IMO dont like religon because they see what horrors have been carried out in its name. (I must admit there good acts of charity and compassion) The world has been shaped by religion. I think this disturbs a great amount of people, who think that in this day and age people are being slaughterd over an intangible. Thats the irony of faith it seems. A belief system that should serve as a moral compass that begets treating your fellow person with dignity, respect, and compassion; yet it more often results in fanaticism and the belief that others that are not of the same faith are not equal. This is all common sense though. In some cases its just an old way of doing things lashing out with its inability to adapt to society's evolution and growth.
Jouten @ Aug 10th 2007 1:04PM
Exactly! Just like the Sony Defense Force! =P
Kazi @ Aug 10th 2007 1:05PM
Answers and/or Comments:
1) Blind faith is a frightening thing (Religion asks for this). From things like the Spanish Inquisition, the KKK, Crusades, Homophobia, Racism, Anti-non-believers, Anti-Anything put a religion behind these kinds of things it becomes horrifying. Not all religious people are kooks but all religious people no matter how sane they are can easily become one of those kooks because of their religion. The people in the KKK and Inquisition they all thought/think they were/are doing the right thing, if that's not scary I don't know what is. Even the people in 4chan know what's right and wrong.
2) Those other games aren't in the obvious brainwashing red light region. Not to mention they're not being sent to our troops (AFAIK) that and GoW and McGee games are good (never played postal). Add the reasons from #1 and you have a pretty scary game.
3) All people have a point of view, which is why not all people will agree with this game. I don't like the idea behind it and I'm sure many people after me will feel the same way. Just because they're giving a point of view doesn't mean we all need to agree with it. And this isn't a game that would make people question things, it's an obvious attempt at brainwashing which is the opposite of raising questions.
4) Yup, that's exactly why people would be up in arms about it. If it were simply a crappy game about killing random people it'd be a crappy game about random killing. But this is a crappy game with a scarier message than even that because even a child can tell it's wrong to kill random people, but if that kids been brainwashed by the religious system can he tell if it's wrong to kill people not of his religion? I personally believe a child shouldn't be subjected to any religious belief before they're 12 to protect them from being blind to their beliefs, but that's another thing altogether.
Not that I'm against their right to give out free copies of their crappy game with a crappy message and I believe in that right. But it doesn't mean I have to like what they're doing.
polly @ Aug 10th 2007 2:36PM
"3) Games like these are bad because it is someone expressing their point of view and we wouldn't want someone expressing their views because that could corrupt their non-faith and make some people question some things (wouldn't want people questioning things)."
Funny you say that...
http://scienceblogs.com/dispatches/2007/08/atheist_mistreatment_in_iraq.php?utm_source=mostemailed&utm_medium=link