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: :::. : ____,
In Memory, : :: : : |_ _; Karl Marx
,~~ : :::'istorted : `|| says:
--)( : :::. :::: : || "Aufheben!"
()= : :: :igital ::. rection : []
HOOKAH! : :::' :::: :
19 March 1994 : Text File #19 Mongoloid Telecom
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This is a text file that appeared awhile ago from a user named Iron
Eagle. A lot of the newer users didn't have a chance to meet Iron
Eagle ... but I'm re-releasing this old text file of his. Actually,
this runs contrary to most of his conservative views, but that's
the way it goes er sumthin. Without further ado...
'In Response to Anti-AD&D Arguments'
by Iron Eagle
A text file has appeared on the BBS. A text file describing the dangers of
Dungeons and Dragons (R) and Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (R). I feel that
it is my duty that you , if you wish, receive both sides of the arguement.
You have may have already read the anti AD&D arguement. If you haven't
please do so, because you SHOULD hear both sides of the arguement, and this
essay is specifically designed to answer the anti-text file found on Amiga
Asylum. I'm not going to preach to you, and bring in thousands of religious
passages. Instead, I'm going to use simple, plain logic and fact. The same
logic that I believe that God uses.
-Iron Eagle
April 12, 1992
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
First of all, let me get this out of the way. I, personally, have been
playing AD&D and D&D for eight years now. I have never killed anyone before.
I have never made an attempt on my own life. I have never had the urge to
kill anyone before (even in great anger). I have met hundreds, maybe
thousands of other players of (A)D&D. All of them had been playing (A)D&D
just about as long, or longer than me, and they haven't tried to kill
anyone.
Let me now talk about Mr. Molitor's catagorisation of the occult. Some of
what he says is occult, I agree with. HOWEVER, ESP and telepathy are natural
talents that EVERYBODY has. True, some people are born with more talent in
it than others (identical twins for example). Some people develop it through
years of careful practice (like a weight lifter may lift weights to increase
strength).
I believe that Mr. Molitor ment hypnosis when he said that the occult
included the remote influence of the sub-conscious mind. If you do some
reading, while people even in the deepest of hypnotic trances may be more
willing to do certain actions, they absolutly cannot be made to do anything
that they don't want to do (their conscious mind becomes present when someone
tries to do it). The exception though, is the use of mind influencing drugs
(sodium penthanol is frequentaly used, because in amounts that do not cause
sleep, it lessens the will of people; hence the nickname, truth serium).
Let's resolve this right now, brainwashing is NOT hypnosis. Brainwashing
is flooding a person with both conscious ans sub-conscious messages while
placing the person in some uncomfortable situation, position, etc. The brain
eventually assumes that such uncomfortability (pain, humility, etc) can be
avoided if it preforms the action that the messages tell it to preform. The
only similarity between hypnosis and brainwashing is that they both affect
the mind.
Also, many chants that are used by the Catholic Church (and other
churches that use ceremony) have a droning, hypnotic quality to them.
Finally, Mr. Molitor said that self-hypnosis was occult. I have news for
you; whenever you read a book, listen to the radio, as you fall asleep, or
concentrate on any one task, you enter a state of self hypnosis. When you
enter that state, your mind blocks out everything else and it focuses
absolutly everything on that one task. Plainly stated, hypnosis and
self-hypnosis are naturally occuring events in the mind.
Now, let's get back on track, back to AD&D. Mr. Molitar stated that
AD&D subjects the mind to a large amount of violence. Personally, I take in
more violence in an average night of watching TV (news, older TV show and
newer TV shows) than in an equal amount of AD&D. Considering I watch about 3
hours of TV a night (starting at 7 pm and ending at 10 pm), that means that
I'm taking in around 15-21 hours a week of violence by watching TV alone.
That can hardly compare to a simple 4 or 5 hours session of AD&D a week.
Advanced Dungeons and Dragons is not based on the supernatural, it
contains it. AD&D is based on the interaction of the alter-egos of the
players in a fantasy setting. Being a fantasy setting, it is natural to have
magic. You may say that fantasy is based on the supernatural. Fine, but don't
single out AD&D because there are thousands of ancient and modern fantasy
books (Lord of the Rings, Riftwar, The Illiad, The Oddessy, Song of Roland,
The Arthurian Legend, The Malloreon, The Elenium, First and Second
Chronicles of Thomas Covenant and thousands more) that may or may not
(depending on your belief of AD&D) contain the risk and occult.
Mr. Molitar's essay states that there an AD&D book called "Deities and
Demigods" (it is now called "Legends and Lore") And that you, as a player
charactor, must pick a god, worship him, sacrifice to him, even die for him.
First of all, you do NOT do those things, your charactor does, IF he chooses
to worship a god. And the what the charactor must do for the god depends
solely on which god it is.
If you may or may not see this as a sin. If you do, consider this: An
actor is in a play (let's say it Julius Ceasar) and s/he plays even a common
Roman. 999999999 times out of 1000000000, that Roman worshiped the Roman
pantheon of Gods. Is that actor committing the same sin? If you still say
yes, then classify these plays as sinful: Any Greek, Roman, Egyption,
Chinese and Japanese plays; any parts in a play containing someone of a
different religion and any church play containing a bad guy (since the bad
guy most likely was Satan or one of his minions).
Mr. Molitar states that AD&D contains extreme violence. That such
violence (as he says: "..murder, rape, theivary, pillaging and terrorism")
is natural and a charactor is expected to do such things. Well, first of
all, it depends on the DM, the player and his charactor. Most campaigns only
contain a moderate amout of violence (equal to an average news broadcast).
Mr. Molitar also says that a charactor must murder and rob in order to
survive. Well, it depends of the charactor and his alignment. My charactors
have never murdered or robbed. They have killed before, but those who they
killed were of evil alignment. Considering that most PCs (Player
Charactors) are of good alignment it is natural for them to kill, but only
the evil charactors (it's no different in any police show that you may watch
on TV). It's the same thing in real life. If someone is coming at you with a
gun, ready to kill you and your family, it is natural for you to try to kill
him/her first.
Mr. Molitar goes on to talk about how the sub-concious mind becomes
accusted to violence, and he's right. What he is wrong about is that MOST
people would need to be exposed to incredible amounts of violence (90 times
what you may find in an AD&D game). And those people who don't need to much
violence, and have a hard time separating fantasy from reality, ANYTHING is
dangerous to them (AD&D, TV, radio, magazines, books, etc.) However not to
many people are like that. As far AD&D goes, According to the National
Coalition on Television Violence, About 3 to 4 million people play AD&D, and
less than one percent of players are adversely affected by it.
Even IF Mr. Molitar is right and anybody can be subdued by this game, why
is he singling out AD&D?? There are many more Role Playing Games out there.
Most of which contain A LOT more violence than AD&D (BattleTech, for
example, is set in a time of perpetual war).
Finally, Mr. Molitar states that AD&D is a lure of Satan to take us away
from God. IF it is, then it's a damn bad one.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
I would like to recognize the efforts of Kelli Tyson. A girl who goes to
Wooster High School who wrote a newspaper article which contained some
information that I used.
`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'
Distorted Digital Erection March 1994 Text File #19
DDE is fully supported on the Necropolis BBS
216.966.8970 - subterranean telecom - All TEXT!
vaginal yeast infections are worse, much worse..
Submissions are accepted. Send your t-file submission to Sorc, on
the Necropolis. If using a new account, (I)nclude the file with
the New User Application.
CHECK for MORE Distorted Digital Erection in the NEAR future!
TCC in CHECK! ... and assorted tales of erect rodentia!...
Soon to be supported on TWO MORE 216 bulletin boards!
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-eof-
