5 Craziest Religions in Gaming

"There are plenty of religious messages in video games—negative or positive, they can add to a story and give it depth. It often appears as a means to make an antagonistic organization seem realistic, or sometimes to flesh out the world and give the main character a divine goal. I don’t want to get into that messy area that is generalizing religion’s role in gaming, but I do want to highlight five very crazy religions that I’ve come across during game sessions."

[JellyJelly]

To me all religion is crazy, be it in games or real life.

[MWH]

fact is, only an ignorant would say so. you can't say "All" unless you learned enough about all religions. i'm not saying enough for you from where you're standing but enough to fundamentally understand a religion in order to develop an objective opinion instead of a subjective thinking.

in another word, think outside of the box.

[2pacalypsenow]

same could be said about the big bang theory its just crazy

[omarzy]

what a great show

[360ICE]

No! No, no, no, no, no.
Yeah, even the natural world is pretty crazy and all that junk, but you don't get to make that fake fair and balaned argument regarding the big bang theory. Even more sophisticated theologians like William Lane Craig believe in the Big Bang theory. It's actually an important part of the Kalām cosmological God argument... It's not really a question of faith either, I mean, we can read the background radiation of the universe.

And that's what you follow - what is evident in nature, not what seems less crazy.

[MrMister]

Big Bang is the dumbest explanation ever. Fine, if you don't wanna believe in a God, than okay. But Big Bang is so dumb that the term "theory" is an overstatement. It's merely glorified speculation that is (amazingly enough) considered by the Scientific community to be something to consider as a real possibility. Not even actual science can support the beliefs behind it. Coming from a collision of gases? Man evolving from a species that is STILL here (Apes). Absolute Absurdity.

[360ICE]

@MistaDonzie
Words cannot describe how many dumb statements are made in that comment. Oh, wait they can. Seven. I hope you're a troll.

[wagnus]

Great article, can't honestly argue with any of the choices.

Some runners-up of my own would include:
Diablo (A complete religion-centric series)
The Legend of Zelda (A game that fleshes out it's own, creative religion)

[Kyosuke_Sanada]

Strange,no mention of the Goddess in Silent Hill.....

[Non_sequitur]

They also forgot Los Illuminados of Resident Evil 4.

[joab777]

All religion is not crazy to me as philosophy is religion be it early pro Christian or later relativism...and where would this world be without philosophy. It infects the entire consciousness of every human being both as a single entity and a society as whole. Religion isn't simply an organization or group that believes in an afterlife.

Anyway, I have always wondered why AC2 kinda got a pass on its story and especially the ending. I am very surprised the catholic church didn't protest. Maybe because there's more truth to the plot than fiction...hmmmm.

[Pushagree]

The world would be a much better place if we embraced science and reason instead of religion. Religion is responsible for most wars, witch burnings, racism, sexism, the condoning on slavery, homophobia, the crusades, the holocaust, 9/11, and the systematic rape of children. All this for the worship of God that probably doesnt even exist anyway.

[hrnt33]

You are sorely mistaken if you think there would not be wars without religion

[Sharingan_no_Kakashi]

Christians invented science and it's only possible if the God of the bible is real.

Religion isn't responsible for most wars, racism, sexism or any of that other stuff. I realize that Atheists have their own view of Christian history but I'll try to sort out what you've obviously been indoctrinated with.

Most wars? - Yea like the world wars, the civil war, the cold war, desert storm etc...

Witch burning - I assume you mean the Salem Witch trials where 19 people were hung (not burned) for practicing witch craft (which was illegal)

racism - I assume you forget how Hitler killed 6 million Jews because he believed that they were an inferior race and that by killing them they would be reincarnated into a more evolved race of people. He got this idea from Charles Darwin's book "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of FAVOURED RACES in the Struggle for Life."

Condoning slavery - I can only speak for Christianity here but the bible doesn't condone slavery. Not the kind you're thinking of anyway. I suggest you look up the definition of the word.

Homophobia - Again, only speaking for Christianity, but though God doesn't condone the practice, hating gays or mistreating them is no more condoned than hating or mistreating murderers, liars, thieves or any other person.

The Crusades - You mean that war where Christians went and took back a city that belonged to them because Muslims had seized it and were oppressing Christians and Jews?

Rape of Children - You mean that thing that Atheists do?

9/11 - I'll give you that one even though it was 50% politics 50% religion.

[Kyosuke_Sanada]

Foolish heathen!!!! :P

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

But seriously even if religion didn't exist people would still kill each other in large numbers because of one main factor, individuality.

Peace can never really be truly attained unless humans were part of a giant hive mind....

[MWH]

@ExgamerLegends christians didn't invent science, humans discovered science, humans from all over the world carried the torch one to another progressively.

and about the Crusade; if you trust your TV then have it your way but know this, they lied to you. study more about what happened with sincerety and an academic open mind in order to sustain the knowledge and develop an objective opinion.

[Sharingan_no_Kakashi]

@segamon

Christians did invent science. Science is a method used to understand God by understanding nature (or it was originally), it's not something that can be "discovered". It's based on Romans 1:19-20.

And my knowledge of the crusades is from Thomas F. Madden's book about it. Not tv. TV is overwhelmingly secular.

[MWH]

@ExgamerLegends i advise you to broaden your information sources. again, christians didn't invent science, science was always there. we, humans, from all over the world, discovered that science exist in everything we know and we invented ways to try to understand and explain the hows and whys.

it was a progressive evolution started with and by past intellectuals and thinkers in various magnitudes from the east and the west, christians, jews, muslims and from before like the greeks and egyptians and even before. their discoveries and theories set the first fire and helped shape the world we know today.

if you still believe that science was "invented" solely by christians and that the rest of the population were too dumb to count their beans then let me burst your naive bubble by simply asking you to tell me who invented "Algorithm" and "Algebra".

this is only one, i hope the answer will express and prove my point and open you up and introduce you to a world of multiple dimensions, to the real world.

remember, outside the box.

@Moby-Royale unfortunately it is inevitable so you may help yourself out quietly before you grow some long distinguishable ears.

[joab777]

I can't entirely agree. Science is a religion too. Unfortunately, it is. And science is a bi product of Christianity, not religion. Too many times people link Christianity with religions like Catholicism, which was responsible for crusades & inquisition (many who died in the inquisition were Christians). And science is always co opted by politics, whether religious or not. Not until enough evidence or scientists convince politicians does science actually change. Everything u see come out of science, especially nowadays is approved by other like minded people. If u think about it, the theory of evolution was responsible for world war 2 & relativism has been as responsible for today's wars as the religions it opposes.

[SirBradders]

@Pushagree If the world had no religions then it would be worse than what it is.
Think of it this way (I am not religious btw) what would fill all those peoples heads who live by religious ways.

99.9% of all religions pretty much say love your neighbour and give them a code/set of rules to live by (A good one at that) So if all these people where not religious around the world (millions and millions) they would be more subject to evil ways when you think about it.

Wars are caused by individuals we the people have never had a say in what goes on it has always been the rulers so you have sort of contradicted yourself.
Information is vastly open to us these days unlike the past so people are more easily brainwashed back then with taunts of hell etc... look where science has got us we can destroy planets if we want to, living by science will only create a technilogical race which is basically happening now, so imagine if religion never existed i could honestly say the world would be at war now.
Also look up ancient sumeria / the sumerians that will clear the whole christianity inventing science crap.

[Pushagree]

"Christians invented science...science is a religion etc..."
No. Science is a method used to understand the world around us. It was invented by men who did not accept "god did it." as an answer for the toughest questions. Religion typically tries to supress science whenever it can. Galileo was imprisoned for simply trying to figure out why the planets move. Evangelicals of today still try to push that bullshit intelligent design instead of the factual Theory of Evolution in schools.

"Most wars? - Yea like the world wars, the civil war, the cold war, desert storm etc... " Wars over political conflics is a very recent thing. (only since the 50s). Most wars throughout history have been over religious desiputes. Hundresds of millions dead because of "God."

"Witch burning - I assume you mean the Salem Witch trials where 19 people were hung (not burned) for practicing witch craft (which was illegal) "

And why was it illegal? Because Leviticus says not to practice witchcraft and to BURN them if they do. Most of the burned witches were not even witches at all. They mistook seizures and other mental illness as a sign of witchery. (Something science clarified is NOT a sign of Satan btw.)

"racism - I assume you forget how Hitler killed 6 million Jews because he believed that they were an inferior race and that by killing them they would be reincarnated into a more evolved race of people. He got this idea from Charles Darwin's book "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of FAVOURED RACES in the Struggle for Life."
"
Wrong. Hitler killed the jews because he was raised catholic and caltholicism did not tolerate the jews back then. If hitler believed in evolution like you say, he would know that all races start from africans, so we are all pretty much the same and that racism is stupid otherwise.

"Condoning slavery - I can only speak for Christianity here but the bible doesn't condone slavery. Not the kind you're thinking of anyway. I suggest you look up the definition of the word. "

Once again, Leviticus says it is perfectly fine to own slaves. You can own a slave of your own race (hebrew in this case) for 6 years and a foreign slave can be kept for life. (racism)

"Homophobia - Again, only speaking for Christianity, but though God doesn't condone the practice, hating gays or mistreating them is no more condoned than hating or mistreating murderers, liars, thieves or any other person. "

Homosexuals are not even on the same level as criminals and it;s your twisted religion that causes you to come to such a sick and illogical conclusion. Homosexuals are born that way and can't help who they are attracted to. There is no reason to hate them.

"The Crusades - You mean that war where Christians went and took back a city that belonged to them because Muslims had seized it and were oppressing Christians and Jews? "

No. I'm talking about the era when christians were into ethnic cleansing and killed anyone who was not a christian themself. It was intolerance to the extreme.

"Rape of Children - You mean that thing that Atheists do?"

No. It's what catholics do and try to cover up.

"9/11 - I'll give you that one even though it was 50% politics 50% religion."

More like 95% religion and 5% politics. The extremists who blew themselves up believed that they would be rewarded in the afterlife. They were brainwashed to think that their religion trumped everyone eles life. No logically thinking person would believe that.

[Moby-Royale]

Am I religious? Certainly.

Am I stupid enough to involve myself in this wholly predictable conversation that has developed? ...

Hell no.

*scampers away*

Edit:
_____________________________ ______________
*Scampers back and edits punctuation*

*then scampers away yet again*

[Somebody]

Eh, what...where did you go?

Huh...hey, the punctuation's changed!

Who goes there?

[Hicken]

Somebody seems confused.

[wagnus]

This article isn't to spark a tenacity between Religion vs. Non-religion, this article is to reveal how religion can bring depth to fiction. I think these comments are getting a bit off topic.

[Kyosuke_Sanada]

Articles about race, religion and sexual orientation tend to do that here......

[Sharingan_no_Kakashi]

My bad.

Just have to defend the bible whenever I can. People seem always ready to attack it without foundation. Nice article though. Obviously, I like AC's religious theme most.

[Hicken]

Not to hate, but Christians didn't invent science. It existed prior to Christianity, which is only ~2000 years old. Science is tied to math, both of which are far older than Christianity.

What you're probably thinking of is the scientific method which, if memory serves me, WAS developed by Christian researchers. But even these things existed before their unification into what we now call the scientific method.

[SirBradders]

Sumeria / the sumerians first civilisation on planet research it have fun.

[tigertron]

I'm a unitologist. Infact, there is a monument near my home outside a Mercedes garage that looks just like a marker.

[Thirteenthorder]

Some of the explanations in this article are grossly incorrect. Especially the summation of Yevonism.

[kagon01]

Why they didn't mention Xenogears or Xenosaga?