A Modern Woman's Perspective On The Kingdom of God on Earth


October 26, 2012

The Thinly Disguised Message Behind This Video Game

     I am going to take a huge detour today, and you're going to think that I've lost my mind.  But I saw an ad on TV last night, and it shook me to my core.  Peace-Loving Warrior and I just looked at each other and said, "Can you believe how 'In Your Face' that was?"
     What we were watching was a minute-and-a-half commercial featuring the latest version of a popular video game, Halo 4.  Let me start by saying I am not a gamer; I know very little about video games, other than it is estimated by an industry insider that a video game can make upwards of $345 million .... per year.  Approximately 60 games are released annually, so industry-wide sales are around $30 billion each year!  Microsoft announced that they have sold 55 million XBox 360 consoles over the last six years.  So that should tell you what an influence this form of entertainment has on our culture.
     The Halo series has become one of the most popular of this genre.  Geek.com reported that the first day release of the previous version, Halo 3, raked in a whopping $170 million in the United States alone.  Halo 3 made more money in 24 hours than other entertainment sources, including the U.S. theatrical release of “Spider Man 3″; and even more than the American release of the final “Harry Potter” book.  Now, that's saying something!
     Admittedly, I'm not of the generation that grew up with entertaining myself in front of a computer, but that kind of sales power must mean there are an awful lot of kids (and many adults!) spending too many hours addicted to imagery that creates an identification with fictional characters and fantasy worlds.  But is that all it is?
     I began to wonder after I saw the commercial for Halo 4.  Here are just some of the voiceovers describing this game.

"An Ancient Evil Awakens"
"An Ancient Hatred"
"Confined For Millenia"
"Unleashed In A Moment"
"Humanity Stands As the Greatest Threat In The Galaxy"
"The Forerunners Have Returned"

     Now, if you're not a Christian, maybe these proclamations don't raise an alarm.  But since I have just spent the last year and several months engaged in a deep study of the Book of Revelation, let me tell you that they made me sit up and take notice.  Especially when I delved into who "the Forerunners" are.
     At first glance, you think these voiceover proclamations are speaking about the Devil and ancient Evil.  But when you start looking deeper, you realize that the game promotes the ideology that Mankind is responsible for Hatred, Evil and Destruction.
     The following is a detailed description by the game maker of who this fictionalized group is:  (Warning:  you're going to have to try to think like a "gamer" and get into role-playing and seeing yourself existing in these make-believe worlds.) The Forerunners were a very advanced civilization which came into existence after overthrowing another race known to them as Precursors, who were believed to be responsible for their creation. Only one Precursor known as The Timeless One survived and was locked in a time bolt on Charum Hakkor. After becoming the dominant species in the galaxy, their empire spanned over three million fertilized and inhabited worlds. The fact that the Halos were scattered all over the galaxy hints that the Forerunner Empire covered most, if not all, of the galaxy.
     The Forerunners originated from the planet Ghibalb in the Orion complex. Their civilization was based on the Mantle, a belief that it was their responsibility to protect all life in the galaxy. They presumably monitored the evolution of all other species in the galaxy, intervening in their evolution when necessary to make sure that they followed paths of peace, free of conflict. One such interference was the transfer of power from the original human race, due to it being considered a violent species. The Forerunners themselves were a race without conflict and were at a point in their history where they had reached disarmament. This disarmament was the main factor that weakened the Forerunners against the Flood attack.
     Humans are seen as a continuous threat against the Forerunners and a war ensues.  The actual reason for the war was determined to be the Flood. To find replacements for Flood infected planets, humanity had encroached upon Forerunner controlled parts of the galaxy. The Forerunners saw humanity as a threat to their principle of Mantle and after defeating them, the Forerunners destabilized humanity and exiled it to its home world Erde-Tyrene (Earth).
     Are you getting the picture here?  If you are a student of the Bible, you can see the obvious symmetry in this imaginary scenario.  Most church-going Christians will be unaware of the stories within Scripture that depict fallen angels (who rejected God and sided with Satan) who come to earth and intermarry with human women.  It's really there!  Read Genesis 6.  This polluting of the human race results in growing wickedness until it covers the earth.  And because of this corruption of the human race, what does God do?  He brings on the Flood!  But if I am understanding this popular video game correctly, they have reversed the roles of Humanity and Evil. 
     In the Bible, the Flood is a cleansing of God's universe from evil-doers, designed to give humanity a new and pure beginning.  In the video game, Humanity is the bad guy trying to defeat the peaceful Forerunners, who just want to promote disarmament and a harmonious world.  The Forerunners realize that the Flood could return and so create an array of galaxy-sterilizing super weapons as the ultimate defense against such a threat.  The storyline is too complicated and complex to go into in this simple post, but if you want to make up your own mind, then read this wikipedia explanation.
     My whole point in deciding to write on this subject is my concern that millions of people are being led into a blind obsession with this game, in which they become so intoxicated with role-playing that they can't tell the difference between reality and fantasy.  How easy would it be for the Great Deceiver to use mind-altering games like this to convince humanity to follow him and his "false covenant"?  It certainly seems plausible that mush-minded gamers could be convinced that mankind is destroying the planet, needs to be disarmed and that the "Force" behind the Flood needs to be eradicated.
     With the increased wickedness we are seeing on the earth, I think it is a safe bet to say that more people do not see God as the center of their lives.  And with church attendance down, fewer are being exposed to His message.  The millions of people, of all ages, who get caught up in living these videos will have no foundation to counter the message being delivered from the high-definition, three-dimensional screen they've come to love so much.
     I just want to make you aware that this is a real threat to our youth, our culture, and our nation.  Please take some time and do your own research.  If I'm way off base, then I'll admit to my ignorance.  But that still small voice in my soul is telling me I'm right on target.

Job 11:11-12       "Surely he recognizes deceivers; and when he sees evil, does he not take notice?  But the witless can no more become wise than a wild donkey’s colt can be born human."
     

   

8 comments:

  1. Not many people use the term "forerunners." I have studied the end-times extensively and use that term widely. Interested to hear why that term caught your attention...

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    1. If you will click on the link I provide in the post, it will take you to an explanation of the game, where "Forerunners" are a group of "beings" who have a huge part in the game. I am very well aware of the implications of "forerunners" in eschatology. That's my whole point with this post. They are taking Biblical components and theology and turning it around. There is huge potential for confusion and leading the unsaved towards a false doctrine. It was a difficult post to write, because trying to sum up the game in a few paragraphs was nearly impossible, That's why I urge everyone to click on the link and then do their own research.

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  2. I think your observations are reasonably accurate, considering the origins of this game from a cultural archetype mixed into Hollywood hype. In fact, it's likely that the new Halo 4 story line is even a bald-faced rip-off of Revelation scripture.
    But having a 17yr-old son who likes to play shoot-em up games, and who plays on-line with other teens from literally all over the world, the game story line is pretty meaningless to them. They just want to play, enjoy the graphics and effects.
    For myself, I used to be a devotee to the old magazine Heavy Metal - much to the horror of my mother once she found out. And now, some (number not disclosed) decades later, I don't see any long-lasting impacts to my faith, my family or mental health. (In fact, youngest Jinni gets Confirmed in our church on Sunday, Hurricane Sandy permitting.)
    Surely, there will be kids who are poorly influenced or who will place too much significance into video game story lines. But my experience from dealing with 1000s of young sailors/soldiers/marines over those previously mentioned decades says that a certain percentage of our population will always be wierd. No matter what the cause. We used a term for those kids: NQR = Not Quite Right. Or this one: DOHAC = Dropped On Head As Child.
    One good thing about our video game industry is that it openly embraces the fact that it is make-believe. None of the teens I know who play have any other belief beyond that.
    PS I would also anecdotally note that kids who are predisposed toward 'unresponsible' lifestyles actually have less access to video games and are way busier hanging out in malls, stealing beer, or blowing weed behind some abandoned building.

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    1. But you see, you are of a previous generation (sorry to bring it up, but it's true!) and you have the foundation of faith and learning the truth from your parents, from church and schools that still mentioned God. It's the younger kids who do not live in homes with parents who can provide their children with the proper perspective. PLW is a huge "battle junkie" and loves the "shoot-em-up" games, but he grew up in a home where God, the flag, the goodness of man and America, and the proper use and need of guns was stressed. If you haven't received those bedrock teachings, then you are susceptible to being led in a different direction. We can recognize the symmetry with Revelation, but what if you've never heard of the Revelation or even opened a Bible? Now how does this picture influence you? Those are the kids I'm worried about.

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    2. OK, thanks for calling me old...tho' it was said nicely. I don't feel old (too much).

      But fair enough - the number of kids that regularly attend some type of church is clearly dropping. And the level of clap-trap pop-psychology learning in public schools is going up. I see it every day with stuff coming home with my two youngest.

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  3. Do you have study resources for the book of Revelation?

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  4. I am listing a link to the book that served as the foundation of my study: http://store.ihopkc.org/store/product/11274/Book-of-Revelation-Study-Guide/. It only costs $10 and I found it very useful. As I progressed through my study, and in leading our discussion group, I found other books by authors David Pawson and John Walvoord very helpful. I was also fascinated and learned SO MUCH through the "Lost In Translation" series (Author Adam Klein, I think) about the Jewish perspective of the Book Revelation. You can search these authors and "Lost In Translation" on Amazon. Once you begin this study, your knowledge of God's Plan will expand exponentially!

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    1. I've studied through IHOP and David Pawson. I am definitely going to check out "Lost in Translation." Thank you so much!

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