Provocative New Atheist Video Game

[jamesatracy]

New Video Game's Objective: Stop The Spread Of Religion By Going Back And Killing The Founders (Lindsey Ward/NBC Affiliate WSLS-TV; June 2)

A video image released by the computer game's creator showing an injured man may not appear to be graphic, but you may change your mind once you know who it is. It's the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

The new game, not yet released, is giving a voice to the atheist community, that's according to the game's creator, a University of Virginia graduate student. He wouldn't release his name, for fear of his safety.

"Atheists have never really had anything to speak for them like this. It's the general atheist premise that the world might be a better place without some of those religions," explained the creator of the game.

The object of the game is to stop the spread of Christianity and Islam by murdering Abraham and the authors of the Bible, before beheading Muhammad.

"This really just mirrors, you know, a lot of violence that we see," explained the creator.

Barkley Thompson is a Reverend at Saint John's Episcopal Church in downtown Roanoke. After hearing about the game and seeing its images he says it's a sign of the times.

"I think that the images speak of a culture that has become obsessed with violence, I think that it is true in all demographics, but it seems to me particularly true of younger age groups," said Thompson.

However, the game's creator argues the game is not just violent and it has a message to young players, helping them imagine a time when the world's two largest religions were new and less organized.

"It's the idea of being able to go back in time and sort of nipping the problem in the bud," said the game's creator.

http://www.wsls.com/sls/news/local/article/object_of_new_video_game_is_to_stop_the_spread_of_christianity_and_islam/11957/

Anyone think that the message of this video game is a good one?

Would you, if you could, go back into time and kill the founders of the major Western religions - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam?

The creator says that "Atheists have never really had anything to speak for them like this." Would you want this game to speak for you?

[Vichy]

I'd kill Mohammed.  He was a thug and a pedophile.  The rest were a pretty diverse group of people, many of whom were just ignorant or at worst corrupt.  But only a certain group is responsible for actually using violence to force these religions on people, and those usually came later than the religious originators.

[myleviathan]

This is the dumbest idea for a video game since Kirby. And to say that it gives a voice to atheists is rediculous. Just makes atheists look like dumbasses, really. Like the idea of killing faith by killing historical figures is somehow what we're about. I would rather occupy myself by reading a book or bettering my community than muse about killing people.

[Neoncamouflage]

I agree, it's giving Atheists a bad name, those anti-Atheist fundies are gonna have a field day with this. Though it would be fairly tempting to stop religion before it took over the world.

[Mister Joy]

I think we should stop worrying so much about giving ourselves a bad name - it restricts our sense of humour. Also, I don't find the threat of fundamentalists getting yet more wrong ideas in their heads particularly damning, personally. A little thing like that will only be a drop in the sea.

Having said that, the game designer in question does seem to have his head up his arse a bit too much about the whole thing, correct as he probably is. If he'd done it in a more comical context - a kind of FU to religion - then it would be better, I imagine. I'm only really nit-picking there though.

[myleviathan]

I think we should stop worrying so much about giving ourselves a bad name - it restricts our sense of humour.

Good point. It is pretty funny. This video game sounds like something off of an episode of South Park. Although if I could tweak it, I would have it Street Fighter II or Mortal Kombat style. So you could choose your deity and rip the heads off of other deity's. Or blow them up or something. I might give that a try. As it is, the game seems too much like "Oregon Trail" to me. Only it's set in the middle east. Instead of hunting bears you have to hunt, like, Mohammed.

[Mister Joy]

Hahaha What I want to see is a Religion Tycoon. Start your own, amass the followers, compete with other big brands, get lots of money etc. You could do all sorts; try hiring people to spread bullshit across TV and the internet so that others end up believing your claims even though they're completely contradicted my science (or ARE they? The scientific world is just one big conspiracy against you! They are not objective!). There's no end to the possibilities. Then once you've got the world under your thumb, have sub-religions forming and occasionally bump off large populations through mass suicide to gain political leverage somewhere else.

[Neoncamouflage]

That would be great, one of the better game ideas I've heard. Are you already working on it? It seems quite well thought out for a spur of the moment thing.

[joeactor]

Meh.  Sounds like a colossally bad idea.  Just breeds more hatred.

As if we killed one religious leader it would solve everything.  He'd either become a martyr, or a new leader would take his place.

This is one Video Game I won't be lending my voice to,
JoeActor

[Mister Joy]

That would be great, one of the better game ideas I've heard. Are you already working on it? It seems quite well thought out for a spur of the moment thing.

Alas, since I don't know how to design computer games as a whole (modding yes, whole engines no) I won't be working on anything like that in the future. Someone definitely should though. I'd buy it.

Meh. Sounds like a colossally bad idea. Just breeds more hatred.

Amongst people who are already hate filled and take themselves too seriously, yes. If I were a Christian I'd still find the concept amusing. Things don't have to be philosophically sound, or true, in order to be funny and/or entertaining.

[tacoma_kyle]

The only reason why it 'gives us a bad name' is because no one has ever done it.

Think if all video games were puzzles or G stuff. Then Gears of War comes out.

Doesn't bother me. The only thing wrong is society. Err I shouldn''t say wrong, but irrational.

[Asmodean]

Would you, if you could, go back into time and kill the founders of the major Western religions - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam?

If I got paid for it, I'd take out all those fire-starters. Maybe we'd have a colony on Mars by now if someone had the brains to kill them before they started distilling alcohol and walking on ice.

[curiosityandthecat]

As for a video game, sounds like it'd have to be done extremely well to be even moderately playable. At first thought, however, sounds like it could be an interesting Assassin's Creed-engine gameplay / Clive Barker's Undying-style story. That'd be good. Probably won't happen, though.

As for the theoretical concept that by killing one person it's possible to stop a movement, it's unlikely. Change often comes by a mandate from the masses, facilitated by a transformational leader. That leader will emerge no matter what. And, as we've seen in the case of Jesus, that person doesn't even have to do the things he or she is purported as having done; as far as faith goes, folk tale and history are conflated.

[LARA]

After reading the article, I'd have to say it sounds pretty offensive.   But that's kind of pulling it outside of a gaming scope.  And as Mister Joy pointed out, it could be kind of funny.  It all depends on how the thing is executed.  (Ummm no pun intended there.)  I think I'd like the Religion Tycoon game better, but I think L. Ron Hubbard already beat it in real life.

Plus I think if we're going after historical figures here, there should be definite includes with Ghengus Khan, Hitler, Mussolini, Oppenhiemer (only after Hitler and Mussolini are out of the picture of course), Ferdidnand II and Isabella I,  William Phips, Moa Tse-Tung, Stalin and maybe even Kim Jong-il.

Not that I actually advocate temporal distortion for the killing of evil dictators and such.

[afreethinker30]