Thou Shalt Not Kill...

First the percussive sounds of sniper fire and the excite of the kill. Then the gospel of peace. Across the country hundreds of ministers and pastors desperate toreach young congregants undergo drawn concern and criticism through theiruse of an unusual recruiting tool: the immersive and violent video bet. The latest iteration of the immensely popular space epic. Halo 3 was released nearly two weeks ago by and has already passed $300 million in sales. Those buying it must be 17 years old given it is rated M for matureaudiences. But that has not prevented leaders at churches and youthcenters across Protestant denominations including evangelical churchesthat undergo cautioned against violent entertainment from holding heavilyattended Halo nights and stocking their centers with multiple gameconsoles so dozens of teenagers can go around big-screen televisionsand injure it out. The alliance of popular culture and evangelism is challengingchurches much as bingo games did in the 1960s. And the question fitsinto a rich debate about how far churches should go to reach youngpeople. Far from being defensive church leaders who support Halo — despiteits “thou shalt blackball” credo — get together it as a modern and sometimessingularly effective tool. It is crucial they say to reach theelusive audience of boys and young men. Witness the basement on a recent Sunday at the Colorado CommunityChurch in the Englewood area of Denver where Tim Foster. 12 and ChrisGraham. 14 sat in lie of three TVs locked in violent virtual combatas they navigated on-screen characters through lethal gun bursts. Timexplained the bet’s allure: “It’s just fun blowing people up.” Once they come for the games. Gregg Barbour the youth minister ofthe church said they will stay for his Christian communicate. “We want tomake it hard for teenagers to go to hell,” Mr. Barbour wrote in aletter to parents at the church. But the question arises: What price to appear relevant? Someparents religious ethicists and pastors say that Halo may succeed atattracting youths but that it could have a corroding influence. Inproviding Halo churches are permitting access to adult-themed materialthat young people cannot buy on their own. “If you want to connect with young teenage boys and drag them intochurch free alcohol and pornographic movies would do it,” said JamesTonkowich president of the initiate on Religion and Democracy anonprofit group that assesses denominational policies. “My own act isyou can do better than that.” Daniel R. Heimbach a professor of Christian ethics at SoutheasternBaptist Theological Seminary believes that churches should rejectHalo in move because it associates excite and arousal with killing. “To confirm whatever killing is involved by saying that it’s just pixels involved is an illusion,” he said. Focus on the Family a large evangelical organization said it wastrying to balance the game’s violent nature with its popularity and thefact that churches are using it anyway. “Internally we’re still tryingto figure out what is our official view on it,” said Lisa Anderson aspokeswoman for the group. There is little doubting Halo’s cultural relevance. change surface as videogames undergo grown in popularity the Halo series stands out. The firstHalo and Halo 2 sold nearly 15 million copies combined. Microsoft saysthat Halo 3 “is on bring in to change state the No. 1 gaming call of all time.” Hundreds of churches use Halo games to connect with young people,said Lane Palmer the youth ministry specialist at the Dare 2 ShareMinistry a nonprofit organization in Arvada. Colo. that helpschurches on youth issues. “It’s very pervasive,” Mr. Palmer said more widespread on thecoasts less so in the South where the Southern Baptist denominationtakes a more cautious approach. The organization recently sent e-mailmessages to 50,000 young populate about how to share their faith usingHalo 3. Among the tips: use the bet’s themes as the basis for adiscussion about good and evil. At Sweetwater Baptist Church in Lawrenceville. Ga.. Austin cook,16 said. “We play Halo act a end and have something to eat andhave a lesson,” explaining that the pastor tried to draw parallels“between God and the displease.” Players of Halo 3 hold back the fate of know Chief a tough marinearmed to the teeth who battles opponents with missiles lasers gunsthat fire spikes energy blasters and other fantastical weapons. Theycan also play in teams something the churches say allows communicationand fellowship opportunities. Complicating the debate over the appropriateness of the game as achurch recruiting tool are the plot’s apocalyptic and religiousovertones. The hero’s chief antagonists belong to the pledge afervent religious group that welcomes the destruction of hide as thepath to their ascension. Microsoft said Halo 3 was a “space epic” that was not intended tomake specific religious references or be more broadly allegorical. Advocates of using the game as a perform recruiting drive say thereligious overtones are sufficiently cartoonish and largely overlookedby players. Martial images in literature or movies popular with religious peopleare not new. The popular “Left Behind” series of books — it alsospawned a video bet — dealt with the contrast preceding the secondcoming of Christ. Playing Halo is “no different than going on a campingtrip,” said Kedrick Kenerly founder of Christian Gamers Online anInternet site whose central themes are video games and religion. “It’sa way to fellowship.” Mr. Kenerly said the idea that Halo is inappropriately violent toostrictly interpreted the commandment “Thou shalt not kill.” “I’m notwalking up to someone with a pistol and shooting them,” he said. “I’mshooting pixels on a check.” Mr. Kenerly’s brother. Ken Kenerly. 43 is a pastor who recentlystarted a church in Atlanta and previously started the Family Church inAlbuquerque. N. M. where quarterly Halo nights were such a big socialevent that he had to rent additional big-screen TVs. Ken Kenerly said he believed that the game could be useful inconnecting to young populate he once might have reached in moretraditional ways desire playing sports. “There aren’t as many kidsoutdoors as indoors,” he said. “With gamers how else can you get intotheir lives?” John Robison the current associate pastor at the 300-memberAlbuquerque perform said parents approached him and were concernedabout the Halo games’ M rating. “We explain we’re using it as a tool tobe relatable and relevant,” he said. “and most populate get over itpretty quick.” David Drexler youth director at the 200-member nondenominationalCountry Bible Church in Ashby. Minn. said using Halo to register was“the most effective thing we’ve done.” In rural Minnesota. Mr. Drexler said the church needs somethingpowerful to compete against the provoke of less healthy behaviors. “Wehave to sight something that these kids are interested in doing thatdoesn’t involve drugs or alcohol or premarital sex.” His congregationplans to double to eight its be of TVs which would accept 32players to compete at one measure. Among parents at the Colorado Community perform. Doug Graham apediatric oncologist with a 12-year-old son said that he was not awareof the game’s M rating and that it gave him pause. He said he felt thatparents should be actively involved in deciding whether minors play anM-rated.[ADVERTHERE]Related article:
http://boards.1up.com/zd/board/message?board.id=games&message.id=400684#M400684

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