The True Story Behind This Mostly True
Comic
May 24, 2003
Before I begin, NO, I'm not bashing Christians. I'm
ranting on people who don't back up their arguments.
In June of 2000, I found a typically over-the-top "why roleplaying games
are evil" article which cited kids who played them murdering others and
committing suicide. Now, let's be honest - if that shit happened in our
media-driven society, wouldn't it be all over the news? But what made
me particularly annoyed was the fact was no where in the bibliography
were the sources of these "facts."
So I emailed the minister in charge of the site - and yes, my original
email was REALLY testy. And while he didn't say the idea was "stupid,"
he did deny there was any such article on his site. (Yes, I did remove his email address - HOWEVER, it's not
hard to find if you REALLY want to discuss this with him - the URL is
left in the emails. However, if you do, please don't flame, attack or
threaten him - be better than that. My original email is very
aggressive and, if I knew then what I knew now, it would have been
calmer. I was polite, but polite with an edge of wanting a reason to
jump at the recipient, which is inappropriate and incidentally, I don't
normally consider posting private emails as being polite so I generally
don't, so this shouldn't end up as a frequest thing):
Date: Tue, 27 Jun 2000 09:51:04 -0400 (EDT)
From: Randal Milholland
To: [snip]
Subject: Games People Play
Dear sirs,
I am curious about this "Games They Teach Our Children" section of your
site. It lists many "documented" cases of suicides and murders linked
to
Dungeons and Dragons. Where are these cases documented? Can you point
me
to any new periodical these stories were printed in? I'm assuming you
can, and would be so kind as to do so, since it would be inherently
wrong
to post heresay.
Of course, it hasn't stopped most "Christian" organizations from doing
so.
Over the years, I've seen many articles posted on the evils of Dungeons
and Dragons, and whenever I ask the author to see the legal reports or
new
articles, or even then names of those involved, I have received nothing
but a runaround. It has begun to make me think that they didn't really
know. I remember, in high school, the various witnessing students
warning
me to steer clear because their minister said roleplaying games killed.
when I asked on person in particular, a student by the name of Matt
Thompson, whom it had killed, all he did was shrug. He told me his
minister had been told by someone else. No doubt, the person who told
him
had been told by someone else.
Isn't that sort of a dangerous thing? Just passing along information
and
not knowing the source? Not being able to critique it? People have a
tendancy to change the facts as they pass them along - and not
necessarily
intentionally, but they do.
And, of course, there are those people who spread blatant lies - and
sometimes in the name of God. Please know I'm not accusing you, nor
saying all Christians do - but there are some blatant cases. Mike
Warnke,
for example, who had been a childhood hero of mine. He'd told of his
inspiring story of how he received Jesus while in Vietnam, after he
spent
years as a drug user and a Satanic high priest. Of course, that was
before a few fellow Christians actually got curious and delved his past,
and learned he'd not really gone to Vietnam, and had never come into
contact with any Satanic cult. I would like to think his intentions for
making these stories up were good, for the betterment of God's message -
but it doesn't matter in the end. A lie is a lie, and it ruins
trust.
So you can see why I'm just a bit critical of this article. For years,
no
one has been able to point me to a real news source. All I ever get is,
"Well, I was told by...." So please give me factual news sources, such
as
periodicals or crime reports that I can reference. Please do not give
me
Bible verses or a Jack Chick tract. The verses, while inspiring they
may
be, are not periodicals and do not prove that a 17-year-old Texas boy
walked onto his drama classroom stag, put a sawed-off shotgun to his
head,
and fired. I find this particular story suspect since I lived in Texas
my
entire life, and am now just within months of the age 25. I would have
surely heard about this story if it had, in fact, happened. But I
haven't. No one I know has, either. I've asked people who work with
news
papers and archives, and no one can point me to it.
So please give me your response. I hope that you can direct me to the
correct sources, and that you were not like everyone else and simply
posted "what someone else told" you.
Sinccerely,
Randal Milholland
Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 23:32:39 +1000
From: Anthony Grigor-Scott [snip]
To: Randal Milholland
Subject: Re: Games People Play
Dear Brother Randal Milholland,
Christian greetings in the precious Name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
> Dear sirs,
>
> I am curious about this "Games They Teach Our Children" section of
your
> site. It lists many "documented" cases of suicides and murders
linked to
> Dungeons and Dragons. Where are these cases documented? Can you
point me
> to any new periodical these stories were printed in? I'm assuming
you
> can, and would be so kind as to do so, since it would be inherently
wrong
> to post heresay.
What on earth are you talking about? There is NO such section on our
Site!
NEVER has been, NEVER will be.
[snipping out large section of him quoting my original email because he
doesn't reply to any of it]
Yours sincerely in the love and service of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
Your brother-in-Christ,
Anthony Grigor-Scott
MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL
http://www.biblebelievers.org.au/
Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 10:56:07 -0400 (EDT)
From: Randal Milholland
To: Anthony Grigor-Scott [snip]
Subject: Re: Games People Play
I'm sorry, but your site does in fact have this article. The web
address
is as follows:
http://www.biblebelievers.org.au/aonc06.htm
"THE GAMES THEY TEACH OUR CHILDREN" - Chapter Five of Assault on
Childhood, by Alan Gourley. Your URL is also on the bottom of each
page.
The text is hosts, and distributed from your site.
Randal
Date: Thu, 29 Jun 2000 01:25:10 +1000
From: Anthony Grigor-Scott [snip]
To: Randal Milholland
Subject: Re: Games People Play
Dear Brother Randal Milholland,
Christian greetings in the precious Name of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
Correct. And I stand with Alan Gourley AGAINST these games.
Yours sincerely in the love and service of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
Your brother-in-Christ,
Anthony Grigor-Scott
MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL
http://www.biblebelievers.org.au/
Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2000 11:43:55 -0400 (EDT)
From: Randal Milholland
To: Anthony Grigor-Scott [snip]
Subject: Re: Games People Play
Dear sir,
I am not questioning your stance. If you re-read my original letter,
you
will find I am asking you for references. I would like to know where I
can read actually documentation of these suicides and/or murders which
have been attributed to Dungeons and Dragons. So far, I've been
completely unable to find any proof they exist in any periodical or
crime
report.
If you are unable to provide this, could you please give me some way to
contact the author of the article.
Randal
Date: Thu, 29 Jun 2000 22:39:13 +1000
From: Anthony Grigor-Scott ags
To: Randal Milholland
Subject: Re: Games People Play
Dear Brother Randal Milholland,
Christian greetings in the precious Name of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
My apologies. Write an e-mail to Alan Gourley who is the author and will
be
pleased to hear from you. [email removed because - well, ask Anthony for
it]
Yours sincerely in the love and service of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
Your brother-in-Christ,
Anthony Grigor-Scott
MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL
http://www.biblebelievers.org.au/
I did, by the way, email Mr. Gourley. If he replied, i got lost in the
constant hllish shuffle of my email box (yes, my email box has always
been a shamble - but back then it was because of my Ed Gein website) but
somehow, I doubt he did - although I was considerably more polite in my
request for info.
I feel better now. -R
