Playing with demons - How Dungeons and Dragons was seen as a sin

This was seen to be a big issue. Those geeks in the 1980s that were locked down in the basement with their 3 manuals battling goblins and finding treasure were seen as sinners. Why? Well before I explore that issue, I stumbled across a comic on the internet which I thought was first of all ment to be a comical one...it can be found here.



D&D was seen as evil and sinful because it was associated with witchcraft and occultism. They assume that players would attempt to cast real spells like they would with their character in the game. Or the player could join a cult in real life after being influenced by the game. The figurines and the stories apparently are associated with evil, they represent evil and the bible teaches to keep away from all evils. The manuals apparently contain "authentic magical rituals" which could be re-enacted in real life and associated with Satan (the devil). The game blurs the boundaries about what is right or wrong, as alot of a character's actions in D&D are usually justified somehow but not seen as right and wrong completely. Also, the fact that a character can choose to follow several deities at once shudders the foundations of Christianity -- They believe an individual most follow one God.



But what are the effects of playing such an evil game?

Individuals have apparently performed rituals or acted out fantasy moments in the game by sacrificing their own friends. The game enables demons to possess an individual and to do bad things. The demon tricks them and enters thoughts in their minds to do these things. The website mainly reports people who were in their teens who have performed such terrible deeds. The most interesting one to me that was reported was how an 18-year-old girl was murdered by two friends that she played D&D with frequently. The killers were also heavily into D & D. The victim was bound and gagged and died by strangulation. It sends shivers down my spine as it reminds me of the cruelty of human nature. The game desentises indiviuals which enables to perform such cruel deeds coldly without thought.



Maybe D&D is evil...I have to admit I've only played 3.5 and a bit of 4th and 3rd edition but were the first few issues of D&D very demonic and voilent? Did they involve alot of demons? Rituals? Killings? You think that maybe D&D has toned down alot over the issues published?



I can understand how people can be worried about the effects of D&D on their children and themselves, it does, at it's core (aside from role-playing) involve alot of combat and killing. The most creative DMs have the ability to creatively guide the players on very disturbing stories. Even if the Christian view (well...the hardcore Christians) that D&D is evil and you don't believe it, don't you think that's telling us something?