Andy Havens

As a Christian and father of a 6-year-old, a huge fan of Lewis' work -- both Narnia and his specific theological non-fiction -- I've got to ask a pretty irritating-sounding question about this argument:

Who cares if we call it a "Christian" story or a game?

At some point, I hope my son enjoys my reading the story to him. We started it this year, but the description of the White Witch scared him too much. So, regardless of the Christian underpinnings (or lack thereof), he ain't ready for it.

On the other hand, he loves Captain Underpants. Which, (and I don't think any of us will argue this point), has no real, direct Christian flava. That being said, we still discuss many of the things we read together in terms of our Christian beliefs, morals and background.

Where should you go for direct Christian learning? The Bible.

Where should you go for everything else? Everywhere else.

The movie "Forest Gump" can be said to be a "Christian" movie. There's all kinds of Christian symbolism in it. Big deal. Same with "Apocolypse Now." The list goes on. But if you want to *teach* your kids about Christ, use the Bible. If you want to have interesting discussions about how your Christianity is going to impact in their world, use everything you can get your hands on that won't directly harm their minds, spirits and emotions. In the case of "Narnia," we have an arguably Christian work that is, at this point, harmful for my son. So I won't use it yet. But other, less Christian works can be used to teach. So I uses 'em.

In the world but not of it.

I think one of the reasons there aren't many "good Christian games" is that it's probably just a bad idea. What are you going to do? Smite the enemies of God? That's pretty Old Testament, eh? Jesus says to pray for our enemies and forgive them 70 x 7 times. In a truly Christian game, you'd win by following Christ to the cross. By dying for someone else. By letting your health bar reach zero.

Not the best fodder for a video game. Or maybe I'm just not thinking creatively enough about it. Maybe somebody could come up with "Grand Theft Sin of the World" where the hero attempts to convert all the badly behaved people by showing them how they can achieve more by working together. Or "The Sins," where you control the lives of little people and they get happier or sadder based on how well they conform to the mercy and grace of Christ.

But shooters based on the End Times? Fight games? RTS... "Who would Jesus frag?" At this point, I'm just as glad there aren't Christian games out there like that, as I'd then have to explain even more "strange, seemingly un-Christ-like Christian behavior" to my non-Christian friends who are confused by much of what goes on in the community of Saints.