Pokemon 

and related games and cards

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A personal note to Christians: We hope you will not be offended by some of the following reactions to our article. While we left out the most hostile pieces of mail on this topic, we tried to include (along with the friendly mail) those letters that could best help Christians understand -

the growing hostility toward Biblical values
the nature and popularity of Pokemon
the serious questions raised by those who question our faith (See 1 Corinthians 1:18-30).

Please pray that God give us the Scriptures and words needed to give a loving and complete answer to each sincere seeker.

"Do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled. But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience...." (1 Peter 3:14-16)

 

Because of the angry mail sent to some of you after I posted your letters, I have deleted all the email addresses.

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From Michael Beck Gym Leader of the Atlanta Chapter of the Pokemon League: I'm not exactly sure where you get the idea that children feel they will get power from carrying around cardboard cards with Pokemon depicted on them*. But I beg to differ.

I run a non-profit organization that gets children in their parents together to play in Pokemon Tournaments. Responses have all been popular, and we get nearly 200 kids per session. It's all in the name of fun - and never once has Pokemon promoted violence or evil, or placing oneself in a position to "not need God in our lives". We promote positive messages - tolerlerance needs not be taught - it's automatic. Pokemon players are good people - and are changing for the better - not worse.

Perhaps an interesting article should be written about Holy Wars, and religious intolerance - or other horrible things that have been done in the "name of the lord" - and believe me - it would far out weigh the "evils" of Pokemon.

One final statement about Pokemon players: On August 28th - we're running a fund raiser for the Children's Cancer Fund. These Pokemon Players (children and adults alike) have already donated close to 300 cards for auction and raffles to raise money that day. Then, on the 28th, they will show up in full force for a good cause. Being a "master" doesn't put them above anyone else - they are coming together to help their fellow human being.

Thank you,

Michael Beck Gym Leader of the Atlanta Chapter of the Pokemon League Atlanta, Georgia http://www.geocities.com/~mrbeck mrbeck@yahoo.com

*(excerpt from the article) What if children try to follow this advice? What if they carry their favorite monsters like magical charms or fetishes in their pockets, trusting them to bring power in times of need?

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From Pastor Brett Peterson, Director Calvary Chapel Bible College Jerusalem, Is. and RSM CA: Thank you for your article on Pokemon. I had just spent days on research myself on Pokemon. You can find it at: http://members.tripod.com/~extreme_faith/pokemon.html

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From David Williams: Realization in order. Once again people are going off their high horses again, just like many decades ago with TSR. We go after the big thing because of a few bad apples or hearsay.

Wizards of the West Coast acquired TSR, just like any other business deal that's been going on lately. The whole idea about these games is to broaden your imagination. In today's computer age, many people have forgotten to use that; especially reading of books. The use of role playing has been used medically and professionally for positive reasons. Imagination is actually healthy for the mind. And the main reason for these role playing games is for such purpose.

I've played D & D (Dungeons and Dragons) for many years, and I am a Whole Hearted Christian. Because a few people take things a little further, does not mean that the whole thing is bad. To say that means anything can be that way. For someone to break down every little word and go by that, what other companies or agencies can fall into these categories.Now I'm not defending either side, but sometimes people like to take things to far and have everyone abide by what they say. Be Wary of One Sided Hearsay. Know the full picture, not just part of it.

David Williams

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Re: POKEMON ARE NOT BAD!!!!

I would just like you to know-
a) Pokemon is pronounced pokAmon
b) it's not violent in battles, pokemon only faint. misty brock and ash fight with each other on the tv show because they're like brother's and sisters.
c) I own the pokemon game and some pokemon cards. I happen to like the game. Just because people play rpg's for fun doesn't mean they're bad.
d) did you ever think that maybe kids just want to have fun once and a while?? I don't think we appreciate people taking from us what we enjoy.
e) anything else bad you say about pokemon does not hurt kids in any way. Just cause there's a mania for it, doesn't mean it's bad.

In fact, I bet your in on a mania. I'm sure you have some Beanie Babies. Nothing wrong with that, really, but it's a lot like pokemon, being that it's a billion dollar business. so please ask people what they think, I garuntee the result will be different.

-2 pokemon fans you probably don't like anymore

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Anonymous: DIE!!!!!!!! Pokemon can kick your [deleted word]!!!

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Anonymous: There's nothing wrong with Pokémon you [word deleted]

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From Todd Reynolds: I write to you as a fellow brother in Christ. I have just finished reading your article on Pokemon and I found it with out grounds. I used to be an avid gamer when I was younger and today I still play trading card games. What I have come to find out talking to other people in the gaming comunity, they laugh at Christians because of attacks like your article. I am tired of explaining to unblivers what Christians are not. With so many attacks on the gaming comunity, you do not show them the love of Christ. You drive them from it! I write this in love and concern. You are not to judge, but reach out in love. I pray you take this to heart.

In Christ, Todd Reynolds

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Re: Magic the card game.

Hello, my name is Stefan Niccolai, I'm 23 years old and live in Sweden.

Recently I read your article about Pokemon. OK, I admit I didn't really read the WHOLE article, I stopped after I had grasped the main bits of it. I have never played Pokemon and not even got in close contact with it, so I won't argue about that, but I do have some questions regarding Magic: The Gathering.

What is so wrong with Magic? I've been playing Magic for about one year and a half and I don't feel a bit satanistic or evil. For me Magic is entertainment, a hobby. I think it's fun to play, mind challenging and I find it to be a social game too. I haven't heard about anyone becoming a murderer because of Magic. On the contrary, I think it might even have helped kids stay away from drugs and such. Another point: Religion (and especially the Bible) has resulted in more bloodshed than Magic ever would. SO many people have been killed in the name of GOD during history.

I admit, I'm not much for Religion, at least not the institutions. I have my own belief which guides me through life. But I most certainly respect religious people. That kind of religious people who doesn't hate other people just because the don't believe the same thing (muslims etc.) or because they live another life than what some passages in the Bible states (homosexuals etc.). What really makes me sad is people who hates other and who have the nerve to call them self religious. What about respect, compassion, love? Burning Pokemon cards, ripping of arms of Pokemon dolls, fanatics, Homophobia, religious wars etc. HATE, HATE, HATE... God most certainly is ashamed of all this hate. Grow up and respect other people, please!

Regards, Stefan Niccolai

Ps. Please correct me if I'm wrong in anything. I am also sorry if I vent my anger in the wrong place or aim it at the wrong people.

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From Scott Gerhardt: I just got done reading your article regarding Pokemon, and I must say I was deeply disturbed by it's content. It promotes a lot of very ignorant views that I am very upset to see my Christian bretheran have.

I myself am a Conservative Catholic Republican. I consider myself god-fearing and attempt to follow the teaching of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as closely as I can. It is these beliefs that truely upset me based on what I have read.

I do not know if you were aware of this (I assume you are), but at a church in . . . [I chose to leave this out since I don't know the facts and don't want to cause more problems for this pastor. Berit] The reason this is of note is because the outburst was caused after reading your essay.

Mind you, the essay is very well written, but it is filled with inaccuracies and misguided points. As I said at the onset of this letter, it disturbs me to see such one-sided views when all the facts are not even prsented. As I also stated, I am a God-fearing Catholic, and have been my entire life. I hold to His teachings and live them as best I can. I am also very open-minded and feel it important to look at all issues from all sides of the coin. I am very pro-life. I agree with the capital punishment. I am against special privledges for homosexuals and homosexual couples. I am very right wing in all my views and opinions. With this all said, I will now justify my point a little futher.

My freshman year in college, a friend of mine wanted me to try Dungeons and Dragons. Having nothing better to do, I did. While I only participated once in the game (honestly, I did not like it), I could see the positive aspects of it. Dungeons and dragons is a game for mature teenagers and adults. Everyone knows the target audience of the game. The mature people who play the game realize it is acting with dice. It is an opportunity to act, not unlike a Hollywood or Broadway actor, only without the audience. References in the games to demons and demonic acts are scarce at best, and always in such a light that they are bad and should be ended. It is mostly a fantasy world where mature adults and teenagers that enjoy that type of thing can go. It is not for the non-mature.

Magic:The Gathering, on the other hand, is an entirely different ballgame. Magic was created as a game. In this game, there are five sides (I will keep the summaries short): Good, evil, chaos, elemental, and nature. It is a game that is loved by millions (myself included) and in no way, shape, or form has any reference to worshipping other gods, or anything that would be considered Un-Christianlike. The game also, despite what you might hear, has NO role-playing aspect to it whatsoever. Despite this, Wizards of the Coast has made a committment to making this more of a family oriented company and Magic a game (described by the MENSA society as "the best game for the mind since chess") that can be enjoyed by a younger audience. Approximately 3 years ago, WotC discontinued all cards with the word "demon" or "demonic" in the name. Despite the fact that these were of the "evil" element, they did not want parents to get the wrong impression about the game. Recently, in the last 6 months, the word "summon" on the cards has brought forth negative connotations. Depsite the fact that summon is meant to "bring to one's service" in just the same way that someone might summon their butler, the word was removed from all cards in recent prints. The game is incredibly good for the youth of today and I encourage anyone with an interrest in it to at least check it out.

Finally, we come to Pokemon. Honestly, I don't even begin to see a valid point on this. The show promotes morals and values, the game teaches logic and mathematics, and there IS no evil side to the game (though I find it quite funny you used the literally 1 episode out of 100 that might have had even the slightest of negative undertones to it). This essay it seems was written from a very misguided point of view. It sounds to me like you heard one or two things, and attempted to find (and if not find, make up) things that were bad in something that is inherently good. My question is why? Why persecute something so wonderful for the youth of today? Is it not possible for something to be good without having multiple direct references to God? Mind you, religious programming, printing, and games are a wonderful, wonderful thing, but they are not the only thing in the world that a child can be subjected to that is good.

I would ask that you please rethink your position on the subject and remove the article from your web site. This particular piece of work makes you seem very ignorant in your views, and from the other essays I have read of yours, I can tell that simply is not the case. Thank you very much for your time and effort and if you have any questions for me regarding Pokemon, Magic, Wizards of the Coast, or any thing else related, please feel free to contact me and I would be thrilled to answer those questions.

Yours in Christ, Scott

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From Kai Huang (Re: Who's got the real problem in their head?): When I learned to write essays in high school (I went to Henry M. Gunn High School in Palo Alto, CA, which by Newsweek's rankings is the 12th best high school in the nation), my teachers always taught me to consider the subject from both my point of view, and from the opposing point of view. The essay must address the arguments of the opposing point of view. One cannot take a book in which there is a death in two out of ten chapters, write an essay that discusses exclusively those two chapters, and claim that death is a theme for the whole book.

I do not know what your educational background is, but from your article, it seems you have not mastered the thinking stage before writing an essay. Take, for example, your argument that the television show teaches ideas of supernatural powers, magic, ghosts, and psychic powers. That argument is based on one television episode. I doubt you have watched the other episodes, like the Charmander episode in which the lesson is "Do not abandon your friends in times of need," or the Pewter City episode, in which the lesson is "Taking care of one's family is as important as one's own life goals," or the episode with the undefeated gym leader, in which the lesson is "Although parents/teachers/coaches may be tough on you, they only do so because they love you and wish you to succeed," or the episode with Lt. Surge and Raichu, in which the lesson is "Size of one's heart is just as important as one's physical size," or the Tentacool episode, in which the lesson is "Humans should do as little as possible to disturb the natural habitat of other species that share this earth with us," or the episode in which Ash, Misty, Brock, Jesse, and James are all trapped inside a sunken St. Anne, in which the lesson is "Although you may not be the best of friends with some people, you can still work together to achieve a common goal," or...

The list goes on and on. In fact, the producers of the show strive to make it a place where children can learn good family values, morals, hard work, caring for others, etc.

In your essay, you did not discuss this opposing angle at all, it is a one-sided essay whose argument appeals to the writer, but does not convince the attentive reader. If you really wish to make a point, list at least ten of the episodes, and discuss what is evil about each. Then also discuss why you feel the lessons I drew from the episodes, as stated above, are incorrect.

Until you revise your essay, I would have to give it a grade of F- at best.

Sincerely, Kai Huang

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From a concerned mother who has received much hateful mail from Pokemon devotees since her letter was posted here: Your article was just what we've been looking for. . . . With your permission, I'll be copying this to the parents of the boys at church who are also "hooked" by Pokemon.

Seems strange to me how long this has been a craze here (Sacramento) and how almost nothing (save your article) has been said about it from the Christian community. Literally all the pastors and Christian leaders we approached knew nothing about it. Even the fellow at the hotline at Spiritual Counterfeits had never heard of it, but as of this morning he's researching it.

Even before we'd heard back from you, we decided to take away the cards and rule out the program and game with our son. He reacted angrily at first, but actually came back rather meekly later and told us he wouldn't cheat -- He wouldn't watch the program behind our backs or participate in it at a friend's house. . . . We talked about the mystical/psychic power of certain Pokemon and how dabbling in such powers is expressly forbidden in scripture because it puts people in bondage to the devil.

Our son was so engaged in this, that he was even "creating" Pokemon himself, spending much time designing and naming them. We really had no clue that this kind of unhealthy fantasy would have such a "pull" on him. Is this normal? It sort of shocks us that even with homeschooling, he managed to find and become ensnared by this.

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From "An outraged Pokemon fan:" What the [deleted word] are you thinking to put this article about a [deleted two words] pastor who's says pokemon is evil. In fact Pokemon is not that very violent. Also the show demonstrates that the trainer need to bond with and love his or her Pokémon. Next The show teaches people never to give up and always to try their hardest. In fact, just as an example, in the episode "Here Comes theSquirtle Squad!" Ash, the main character dives on top of one of the Squirtles (a member of a gang of rougue Pokémon that abducted Ash and company) to save its life. Now if Ash trying to save the life of someone, or something that abducted him and wronged him is satanic well then we have some major problems. Not only does Pokémon teach positive lessons but it encourages socialazation. . . . In short pokemon is good instead of evil.

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From: Stephen Huxman: Pokemon is not evil or satanic. You have managed to turn many loved ones against a simple game. A scattering of colored pixels with an imaginative story behind them, has, because of you. Been declared part of the occult. I ask of you to take back what you said.

PokeGym Members: How do you rate Hitmonchan's Diary on a 1 to 100 basis? Let me know. Also, would you like to see the Diary put into comic book form?

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From Justin Rock: I have recently read your report on the "evils" of Pokemon and I must simply say that I am outraged. But then again, people do make rash desicions because of ignorance. So let me explain everything about Pokemon and other "occult" games. I have played games like Magic: The Gathering since I was around 10 or so, and I am 13 now. I know that Magic does have some scrpitures and images that may be disturbing or occult related, but that's only half of the story. There are plenty of Christianty-related cards that usually make the Black cards (which are generally seen as evil) be destroyed. There are also many quotes from the Bible that are in support of the Angels.

Another thing you might not know is that those children that were saying that they were "being possesed" by the cards to use them have obvisosly never played the game correctly. In Magic, you are Wizard that uses powers to create cretures to help you fight wars. Though this may sound bad, it has another side. If you read the storys and background information about Magic, you will leran that there are people that symbolize good and people that symbolize evil, like any story in the world. And there hasn't been one story I've read where evil wins. It's always the Angel or the hero that triumpts.

Now that I've cleared that up, I'll talk about Pokemon. As you already know, Pokemon is about animals (not monsters) that people capture to have battles with. Now if you've ever seen an episode of Pokemon, you'll see many people treat their Pokemon with compassion. There is even an episode where the hero, Ash, gets ready to sacrafice himself for the good of his Pokemon. There's also an episode where Ash lets one of Pokemon go free because he thought it would be happier where it was. The Pokemon eventually returns because of how good Ash treated it. If that's evil, then the whole world doesn't stand a chance when Armergaddon comes. . . .

I would also like to bring some points about how the Pokemon game has helped people. In a recent interview, one of the workers on the Pokemon game has said that Wizards of the Coast (the makers of Magic and the poeple who print Pokemon cards) has only gotten praise about the card game. A person from Nintendo has also said that everyday they get praise about how Pokemon has helped children start to read and do Math better. There's also a comic store that holds a "Pokemon Day" bi-weekly. And you know what they're doing on the 28th? They're holdin an auction of Pokemon cards to earn money for the National Cancer Society. . . .

Try to play, read the background storys, and don't get scared if the word Demon is mentioned. Just remember that in Magic, there is an equal amount of White (the "good" ones) and Black (the "evil ones") cards.

If you want to see people's points on how Pokemon is not evil then go to pokegym.thedojo.com. And try to be a little more open minded. Some the best things in the world may seem evil to you, but they are good in real life.

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From Esperandi: I have to laugh a little when I read your objections to Pokemon. Everything that you despise in pokemon is present tenfold in the Bible. Adultery, murder, sibling rivalry, merchandising, etc. You should have instead done an article on the problems with overindulgence if anything. . . . .

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From: Derek Wilson : Hello, I have enjoyed and been blessed by what i have seen of you site, and i think it is cool how you have some scripture on your opening page. However, I would have to disagree with your Pokemon article, it is very one-sided and close minded (not that close minded is a bad thing).

No. 1: Role playing games are definitely not evil, not saying that some aren't, but not evil by preference. RPGs are just that, Role Playing Games. DESIGNED to put you in a totally different situation than you normally would be in, hence the fun, letting you live a fantasy for a short time escaping the boring day-to-day habits and doing something new, that you normally wouldn't do. Now i would agree that there definitely need to be limits to Role Playing Games to Christians, and i examine every one before i play it. I, personally draw the line with incantations and things having to do with spirits or overly gorey scenerios. As i will explain, (basically going through each point on the article) Pokemon doesn't fit this description.

No. 2: As for pokemon being a stepping stone to magic, i would totally disagree. I have been watching pokemon since before it came to the states and have been playing the card game since it came out, and have never even been tempted at all to play magic. Not saying that it isn't a temptation to a non-believer(since their standards are usually non-existent anywayse), but after hearing the mere name I was turned off, also after seeing the discustion art, and the even more discusting instructions on the cards (especially the pentagram card, got the chills just looking at it) i have never had the desire to play Magic (your personal report has also been an additional reason for this).

No. 3: As for pokemon master being powerful like God? I think not. To totally understand, and be able to judge pokemon, you have to first understand that it is a cartoon (obviously), and like most cartoons, it has outrageously impossible rules (mice cannot take over the world, a man could never come from Krypton, and a "Robocop" could never exist) the crazy rule of pokemon is that animals are captureable and trainable, and each have special abilities: pidgey(a small bird) has the ability of gust of wind, caterpie (a caterpiller) can shoot web out of it's mouth, and gloom(a flower) can spray fumes out its bud. These are their "abilities" very reasonable and relative to the animal they represent. Being a pokemon "Master" merely means you are educated and experienced in the ins & outs of these "pokemon". I have never heard of anyone trying to re-inact the show by carrying toys in their pockets and pretending they are real, but who knows? maybe some have, but i sure haven't & have never seen anyone do it

No. 4: On the "psychic" pokemon, i just think the Japanese cartoonists ran out of ideas and decided to put them in also. There is VERY little emphisis on these types and they play a minor type in the game and in the show. (the sabrina episode & the tentacool episodes being the only 2 episodes out of the nearing 100 episodes that have been personally objectable). Also, you seem to use the word "supernatural" when talking about their abilities when they are merely exaggerating the existing animal's abilities (and sometimes adding some fantasy animals & abilities themselves).

Thats mainly it :) Thanks for reading, I know you are probably going to get some persecution for posting your article, but i think it is good you are standing up for what you thought was right. I wrote this e-mail not to discurage or persecute you, but to educate you on pokemon and show you how misguided your former report was. I hope you will change it accordingly, becuase the people who watch us Christians and complain about and rebuke everything we do now have another reason to turn their mis-directed anger twords us pokegym.thedojo.com <----- at that site especially, but if you still believe pokemon is evil, please keep your former report up ther, for i would hate to mislead someone out of my ignorance, but it is doing fine with me so far. Thanks, and God Bless You!

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From Jim McGarity: I recently read an article by you through a link provided to me. I, being a religious person, took what you said into consideration. I am also a Pokémon fan and feel that as such, I should defend it. First I would like to defend it from being in your words "occult." Now there is a serious difference between something being occult and being a fad. You most likely remember pogs. They were a VERY popular fad. Not as popular as Pokémon but popular nonetheless. But were there pog cults? Did people worship pogs? No. And the same applies for Pokémon. Would anyone in their right mind actually worship video game characters? Again, no. There are "diehard" fans, and I count myself among them. But because someone finds something to be very entertaining that does not mean they worship it or put it above God. . . .

Obviously what you know of Pokémon is very little. First of all the card game encourages many positive things. Logical thinking, social skills, sportsmanship and honor to name a few. . . .

Now onto your inference that Pokémon is laced with Satanic references. You single out the Pokémon, Abra, Kadabra, Alakazam and Haunter. Now there is a huge difference between the naming Pokémon Abra, Kadabra, Alakazam and Haunter and deliberately paying homage to Satan. In fact it is quite obvious why these Pokémon got these names, Haunter is a Ghost-type Pokémon, and his name is fitting. A ghost is not nescarrily a demon, it is a wandering spirit. And if you have ever seen the trio of episodes that Haunter was in, along with the other Ghost Pokémon you would know that all they wanted was to have fun. . . .

And Abra and the rest of them use Psychic powers. Now you probably then think instantly of a medium. The way that psychic is used in Pokémon is completely different from the manner in which it is used in reference to mediums. The psychic Pokémon use their mind to battle, they attack by releasing psychic energy. Now I pose yet another question to you, if God made the human body in His likeness, would it not be logical to think that if humans were to use the 70% of their brains that they do not use they may discover a psychic power? Something similar to telepathy or telekinesis? If God possesses all these powers and more would it not be logical to think that a being made in His likeness would possess some of, if just a small amount of them?

. . . And if I am not mistaken there was even a Christmas episode of the supposedly Satanic Pokémon Anime. Well, if thetas how you pay homage to Satan, by honoring Christ, then we have some VERY serious problems.

In closing I would like to ask that you reconsider your position on Pokémon, RPGs, Magic and other such games. I think that if you gave them a chance you'd find that they aren't as Satanic as you believe.

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Anonymous: What kinda example do you think your setting? Obsessed with closed-minded intolerance.... good job guys..ruin our children

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From Marshall: Hello. I am only a concerned citizen, writing to you about my opinions for your anti-Pokemon article. Now, I am Jewish, but I would imagine, you two being good Christians, you will still read my letter. Now, I know a lot of people who don't like Pokemon, and I respect their decisions. I happen to like it, they don't. It's a simple thing to understand. . . . .

Pokemon teaches morals about how friendship, teamwork, and respect for fellow beings on the earth will always triumph over true evil. And, even though personally, I don't believe in a God, Pokemon does not try to tell kids to place themselves in a position over an almighty force. In the show, people try to become Pokemon masters, and even if they succeed, they realize that they still must maintain respect for everyone else, including an omnipotent force. …

Sincerely, Marshall H.

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Re: Pokemon against the Christian religion? I think not!: I have read your article on how Pokemon affects children’s minds and is against the Christian Religion. It is not. You have given out false information on your article!

….Out of all the bad things that could warp the minds of children today, you chose Pokemon. Why is that? I think you did it so that you would get publicity from Pokemon fans, (like me) and they would come to your site. I really don't think you had children on your mind when you put that article on your site, you had the thought "I bet that I can get more hits to my site and sell more books and Videos to get more money! With all the hate filled things, you chose Pokemon, A harmless GAME! Its not about people hurting people, its about animals "battling" animals. Even in the wild, animals attack each other, and no, its not JUST for food.

Here are some games that are worse than pokemon.hooters from Colombine High played
· Command and Conquer- train armies of men to attack and kill the other players people.
· Casper the movie- Its about the "supernatural" and raising the dead.

· Quake- A game where you walk around with Axes and guns shooting up the living dead and other devil-like creatures.
· Doom- Same as Quake. This is one of the hate-filled games.

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From JT Hall (Re: All things in moderation): Hello, I’m a Christian. Not the best, mind you, but one who falters, stumbles, falls and at times wanders off the path God has set for me.

As a teen, I played Dungeons and Dragons. Often we would have marathon sessions which would last from 5pm Friday to about 5pm on Sunday. We'd not sleep. We'd just eat, play, and take the occasional bathroom breaks. . . .

I don't think that I was harmed in any way by delving into this world. I think that myself and others who played the games with Christian principles introduced that element into the fantasy world. We would sometimes play against another group of teens who were not Christians, and their game play was markedly different. The choices they made reflected the lack of Christ in their lives.

In other words, I would say, one gets out of the experience what one puts into it. . . . God Bless.

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From Shawn (25 Aug 1999): Role-playing games (RPGs) start out simple but they become complex, and before you know it your spending to much time in them.

Back in the 80's there were (computer) games called the bards tale which I played for a short time and never thought anything of it. Then I remember Ultima online. Believe me I tried to ignore the satanic symbols all over the place and even summoned the monsters in the game to protect my computer character.

I’ve been a Christian for 2 years. I fail, but thank Jesus, He doesn't fail us. Now when I look back I think "Man, I was so stupid. I overlooked what I knew was wrong just to play a computer game."

I had the opportunity to play a new RPG game ( beta) Asheron's Call, but I have declined to play it. It seems when you say no they want to give it to you for free.

Please keep up the good work on your pokeman article. The truth hurts even to Christians that have pushed Jesus out of the way.

We have to realize that these games only do one thing: promote self-power. In the game you have to do this and do that in order to achieve a higher goal. Christians have to remember that we can not do anything, we must have faith in Jesus Christ to save us from our sins. No other way is possible. Those games trick us.

ps: People forget that Satan was an Angel, the highest Angel, and he is not some gross looking monster as portrayed in pictures. Easy to deceive when you are a false light. Keep close to the Word and you will not be deceived. Read it! Daily!

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From Joseph A. Christoff: It's interesting to see how far people will go to defend their "gods". If it's money, power, religion, prestige, role-playing games (Dungeons & Dragons), Pokemon or Magic The Gathering. If those Christian people who were busy playing games instead focused in on their relationship with God, who knows what kind of impact they would have on those around them. As a boy (age 12/13) I began to play Dungeons and Dragons and got involved with my "character" so deeply, that when something was taken from him, I actually cried! Regardless of what some people say about just playing a "game", I beg do differ… They are no "game". Those "games" can actually take over every fiber of your being and you cannot get enough.

. . . Irregardless of what is said, anything you have done (or do) influences you. Television, role-playing games, seminars on how to get money, radio, news… You get the point. When you depend on anyone but God, you are doing just that, not relying on the one and only Christ Jesus!

In the readers comments you posted, it appeared many people want to say "In the name of God, evil things happened…" Well, the evils done by so-called "Christians" did not come from God’s will, grace and love. Rather they were following their own "god" of greed, power and lust! Having said that, the makers of those games that twist young minds also have a "god" -- GREED! Do you actually think the makers of the game care for the "well-being" of those who play it? NO! They care only for the bottom line, what makes the shareholders/stakeholders more profit.

As for those of you who think this was an attack or that I am putting you down, I’m not. I just want you to think twice about whom you serve. Isaiah 5:20,21 states-

"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight. Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks, who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent."

"But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. -But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15

* I have made my choice this day and I choose to love and serve the Lord in any way that He sees fit. *

Later Joe added: I have one word for you... "Plumbline" God places that next to your heart when you become a Christian so you will have a standard by which you can measure good and evil... Thank you for putting this "craze" into perspective for many Christian people...

My comment: Thank you Joe. That's what we want to provide: a plumbline based on His Word.

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Anonymous: You will be judged one day.

Anonymous: dear sick individuals, how you are able to sit around and think about this nonsense i'll never understand. you people represent exactly what is wrong with the world today. you do nothing but breed paranoia and intolerance against people you don't understand and haven't taken the time to get to know. May god have mercy on your souls. i pray only that you haven't brought any children into this world and are now filling their heads with this garbage. if you are i'll see you in hell you morons.

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From Gwen Ripley: I praise the Lord for your ministry, and I will be praying for you. . . . Martin Luther's hymn, "A Mighty Fortress" is so appropriate for today and it was then: "And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us, we will not fear, for God hath willed his truth to triumph thru us...." God bless you as you stand as a "watchmen" for His people in these dark days. . . . . Because He Lives, Gwen Ripley

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Anonymous: I am a Christian and have looked into pokemon and I admit I found a few things, but not to the point of calling it an occult or evil. I disagree that it leads to magic cards and other evils. I believe that more research into these products needs to be made before judging it. I do not believe that Pokemon is evil but just a game where kids can come together, interact with each other, and have fun. I have also looked into the card game for pokemon and I have found nothing wrong with wanting to just collect cards and play a game against each other. I do not find Pokemon to be demonic as you claim it to be.

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From Kathy Balsamo: . . . . I had no idea so many adults were collecting these cards, and Christians too!

MY PEOPLE PERISH FROM LACK OF KNOWLEDGE, BECAUSE THOU HAST REJECTED KNOWLEDGE, I WILL ALSO REJECT THEE HOSEA 4:6 (Full Study Bible, KJV) Lack of personal knowlege of God was destroying the people, but not because the knowledge was not available. The people were willfully rejecting the truth God had given them to the prophets and his written word. even today within the church, some are being destroyed by the sinful ways of the world because they do not know God or his inspired Word. All I can say is "Come Quickly Lord Jesus." September 3

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From Herald: [He begins by quoting from our article:] >>Actually, the programmer who writes the rules is the master. And when the game includes occultism and violence [such as in Magic: the Gathering], the child-hero is trained to use "his" or "her" spiritual power to kill, poison, evolve, and destroy -- over and over. Not only does this repetitive practice blur the line between reality and fantasy, it also sears the conscience and causes the player to devalue life. The child learns to accept unthinkable behavior as "normal.">>

Herald's comment: In this story, there is no death. There is life, the love of live, and the encouragement to understand all that is living. While the child becomes the
"master" of all that he owns, he is taught to love what he has mastered. (Is this not what the Bible teaches?) This is the message that is repeated. It appears in every episode. Every. Single. One. Yes, there is repetition.There is, however, no killing. . . .

>>In a nation consumed with self-indulgence, self-fulfillment, and self-empowerment, godly self-denial seems strangely out of place. But God commanded it, and Jesus demonstrated it. Dare we refuse to acknowledge it?<<

The name of the disease that Pokemon breeds in children is simple. The name is Hope. "I hope to have friends." "I hope someone will play with me." "I hope that I won't be lonely today." Dare you deny even that?

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From Ron & Donna Edge: My wife and I work with the teens at church and this past week, I asked them what they knew about "Pokemon." Boy did that open up a can of worms. It led to a discussion about all sorts of things dealing with the occult. I just can't believe that our children (teens) are exposed to so much; yet, they see no harm in it. Some see no harm in the horoscopes, most think Pokemon is just a game, another likes to "feel energy or power in his hands and likes to throw energy." I couldn't believe it. I passed along your article to our Pastor. He said that he will read it. I hope he will join our next teen meeting. I know you're extremely busy, I would appreciate your prayers as we inform our kids as to the dangers of the occult.

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From Shellie Leete : "Stay Away From Poke'Mon!"

[*Note from Pastor Kevin - this is a real life testimony from someone in our fellowship dealing with a relative who is involved in Poke'mon. Demons are real and the power they possess is also very real. The amount of power is determined in degrees by the acceptance of the child or person of these demons.]

I was able to visit with my sister and my 8 year-old niece yesterday. My niece is totally, thoroughly, completely, entirely and utterly into Poke'mon. Everything she says, how she acts, every thought and every move is Poke'mon. She has trading cards, toys, video games, she writes stories: "Me and My Poke'mon", draws pictures at meal times, has wall posters, interactive videos, books, and help-guides all about Poke'mon, and their theme "Gotta catch 'em all".

Of course, most of what she said about Poke'mon I did not understand, because you have to be into Poke'mon to understand the lingo. It is a very complicated and intrinsic "game". It doesn't end when you put it back into it's storage box.

I asked my niece to explain Poke'mon to me. First by telling me what Poke'mon stands for, this is what she said:

"Poke'mon is short for Pocket Monster of course." (So during the rest of her explanation I will use the full title. I will not use real Poke'mon character names, but made up ones).

"Well," she explained, "What you do is, there are 150 pocket monsters. You need to get all of them to have all the power. So you want to get all of them. I just love them. I love my pocket monsters!"

"How do you get the power?" I asked.

"You use your pocket monsters to get the power."

"Where do you do this? While you play Pocket Monster nintendo?"

"Oh no. You play it everywhere, out there? (pointing to outside the house), not usually in here. But everywhere, anywhere out there, wherever you go."

"How do you get this power?" I asked again.

"Well you have pocket monsters that you have already won. They live in poke' balls."

"What are Poke' balls?"

"That is where they stay when they aren't helping you. Whenever you need their assistance you call them and they roll out of their balls and become full size and help you."

"How do you call them?"

"By their name, silly." She laughed.

"Like how?" I inquired.

"Well, like 'Ginkachu', I need you, come and help me?"

"How do they help you?"

"They use their magic powers to do things to help you. Like for example, 'Blahblahchu' has the power to turn into a ball of fire and burn for you. And they fight the bad ones. Oh yeah, and they evolve. They can change and evolve into other things to give you more power. So you say 'Blahblahchu' help me and they come and help you, they're really cool."

"What are you called? I mean, are you just a little girl or what is your name when you play this?"

"The Master. I am the master. I call them and they do what I ask. They have to obey me."

I felt absolutely sick inside, knowing that this is totally evil and the monsters are demons that she can summon and give her power. I wanted her to know that there is someone who is ALL POWERFUL and who loves her and died for her. I talked to her about Jesus. While I spoke she acted distracted and wouldn't listen, she fidgeted with the dog and wouldn't look at me. But when she wanted to she would immediately tell me something about Pocket Monsters during that time. When she spoke of the Monsters she remained concentrated and focused.

We then went outside and she started right up again about pocket monsters and about all the power you get from them. I told her that "Jesus and God have real power." Acknowledging the fact that demons do possess real powers, and knowing that she doesn't really know what kind of darkness she is playing with, I therefore tried to change the focus from the demons/monsters to Jesus. I said, "The power from the pocket monsters isn't real, they can't really help you, only Jesus can really help you when you need help." She said "I know that", then within a few seconds was telling me this story:

"AUNTIE, THEY ARE REAL AND THEY DO HAVE REAL MAGIC POWERS." "No, " I told her. "It's just a game." Wanting to tell her about Jesus' love, mercy, forgiveness and grace, and not to continue this conversation about demons. "They do come and help you and give you powers Auntie. My friend Sadie and I were playing in the backyard. We were playing Pocket Monsters and I accidentally threw my 'Plahpaquch' over the back fence. We both stood by the fence and called out to 'Mahmuchu' to help us. Then we went off to play. The next day 'Plahpaquch' was back in our yard."

"Your neighbor threw it back in, that's all." I said. "No Auntie. It was a 'Spanichu', I know because he came back with his head cut off. That's how I know they are real and the powers are real too."

"Maybe you neighbor did that?" I said.

"Why would they want to do that? Why would they chop off its head." She explained. "That's how I know it was a 'Spanichu'."

What does the Bible say?

POWER Matthew 28:18 "And Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth."
Ac 10:38 "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him."
Romans 1:4 "And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead;" Hebrews 1:3,4 "Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; Being made so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they."

HELP Ps 33:20 "Our soul waits for the LORD: He is our help and our shield."
Ps 46:1 "God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in trouble."
Ps 121:1-3 "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence comes my help. My help comes from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer your foot to be moved: He that keeps you will not slumber."
Hebrews 4:16 "Let us therefore come boldly into the throne room of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."
Hebrews 7:25 "Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them."
John 15:7 "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you."

TEST THE SPIRITS 1 Tim 4:1-2 "Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron," 1 John 4:1-4 "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know the spirit of God; Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh if of God:
And every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof you have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world."

FINAL THOUGHT The Bible says that in the end times people will turn away from the truth and turn unto spiritual darkness, having itching ears. We need to guard our hearts and minds from these evils by seeking the Lord daily, searching the scriptures and talking to Him in prayer. 2 Tim 4:3-4 "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables." Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Philippians 2:9-11 "Wherefore God also has highly exalted Him, and given Him a name which is above every name;
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the father."
Rev 19:16 "And He has on his vesture and on His thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."

THERE IS ONLY ONE NAME WE CAN CALL ON FOR HELP, THERE IS ONLY ONE WHO CAN SAVE US, JESUS CHRIST!

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From Bob: "....my son is consumed by Pokemon with all of his friends. We visited your web-site and was "enlightened", if I may use that term without sounding too new-ageish. I want to thank you for bringing this to our attention. My husband and I are finding it extremely hard to keep the forces of evil away from our children. . . . . Then,if we as parents take a stand on any of these issues, we are said to be overacting and a "Religious Freak". We are told that we limit our children's chance to experience this world they live in. It makes our job as parents a lot harder to raise our children the way God wants us to. If being a "Jesus Freak" is what it takes then so be it.

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From Lisa, a homeschooling mom: I am alarmed at the amount of ignorance of the biblical teachings on occultic practices that is manifested in the comments section, especially how many young people are permitted by their Christian parents to get into these types of things. If parents could wake up half the battle could be won. Thank you for your persistence and stand for the truth, and also for the gentleness of spirit that is evident in your responses.

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From a concerned mother: My boys, ages 10 and nearly-12, are reasonable, rational, very bright young boys. They also live in the late 20th century -- they've hated being restricted materially. . . every new action figure should grace their toybox!! And they haven't wanted to hear any reasons 'why'. Well, the more ol' Mom 'n Dad study God's Word (and we each asked Jesus Christ to be our personal Savior when we were each 12 yrs. old -- 1963 for him and 1969 for me, but have only seriously been in a personal relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in the past 5 years for him and 12 years for me), the more we pull out of the material/secular world. The boys, at first, came along with us because we ordered the tv set turned off during the school week and refused to support all the whims that fell into a McDonald's Happy Meal bag. They kicked, screamed, accused us of being 'bad parents', even suggested they might turn us into Dept. of Human Services for depriving them! We all lived through it and they're now beginning to evaluate what passes before their eyes. We still have a long way to go, all four of us. Pokemon has been a particularly tough subject to get beyond. We insisted the boys not watch it on tv but our reasons weren't very strong, except we just 'felt like' there was evil attached to it. Your article is so full of direct information that I can share with them and scripture that we can read together (they're pretty proud of being able to look up scripture themselves). . . things are going to get better and we'll all be better able to withstand the devil's daily barrage of evil subtley disguised as 'fun', 'happiness', 'stuff you just gotta have', etc. Again, "Thanks" doesn't begin to capture the hunger with which I plowed through your site. . . .

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Anonymous: i am a big pokemon fan and now that you have kicked me out of it you ruined my life it is my favorite video game and same with a lot of other kids lives you've ruined also PPG's are not bad games.

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[Berit's comment: Like many others, this last message illustrates the power and influence of role-playing games. His life is "ruined" because he can no longer play his favorite games. Such passionate obsession hurts families, friendships, and churches as well as the individual.

The next comments are part of an email "conversation" you may find interesting. It sheds more light on the growing hatred for Biblical values - and why uncompromising Christians can expect to face persecution.]
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Anonymous: Hello, you don't know who I am, but I'm giving you a warning. I am a christian just like you are but you are taking this WAY TO FAR!! You are trashing Star Wars and Pokemon and there's no reason for that. Here's your warning, either take all the stuff that's trashing star wars and pokemon off your site OR your site goes bye bye.

My response: Thank you for taking time to write me your warning. But may I ask you some questions that are on my heart?
1. Are you suggesting that voices such as mine be silenced? 2. Do you want censorship of websites that express a different set of convictions than your own? 3. Would you want to trade "free speech" and the other rights guaranteed in the First Amendment to our Constitution for enforced compliance with your own beliefs? 4. Should there no longer be freedom to discuss all sides of an issue openly in America?
If so, you raise some serious questions about the future of the freedom many of us have treasured in America. Therefore, I hope you don't really mean what you seem to suggest in your warning. If free speech is thrashed in this country, there will be no place where either you or I can delight in the unusual freedom Americans have enjoyed -- and now take for granted.
Grateful for your time, Berit

A: Alright, I warned you! I'll give you one last chance!
1.Should your voices be silenced? YES! Especially if it's wrong to even put them on! 2.YES! 3.Of course not but that has nothing to do with anything! 4.Are you talking?

My point by point response: 1. Please explain to me why you should have freedom to speak your piece and threaten me, while suggesting that I shouldn't even have freedom to present my values to the Christian parents who come to our website. Remember, I did not reach out to you or impose my beliefs on you. You came to our site. I can understand why you wouldn't agree with me, but I don't understand why I can't share my values with those who do agree and who frequent our site. Notice, I didn't tell you what to do, but you are telling me what to do. How can you justify that?
2 and 3. Please explain how you can reconcile your second answer with your third answer.
4. Most websites speak from a particular perspective. We each have freedom to communicate our values from our individual websites. That makes Internet an open market place of ideas, encouragement and values. But I have done what few do: I have posted the letters of those who disagree with me so that their ideas can be expressed as well. I would be glad to post your messages, too. In other words, all kinds of opinions can be expressed from our websites so that visitors can make a choice. Keep in mind, you can better express your viewpoint at our website than I can express your viewpoint. I speak from my heart, others may speak from their heart at our website. Wouldn't you agree that's more balance than most websites offer?

A: Enough is a enough. You have the right to say what you want, BUT WHAT YOUR SAYINING IS WRONG AND SHOULDN'T BE OUT FOR THE PUBLIC TO READ! If you have something to say keep it to yourself. Who cares if students are coming in late cause they're playing pokemon cards? NOBODY!! How in the world would kids throw their pokemon cards out in time of need? NOBODY DOES THAT UNLESS
THEY'RE MENTALLY RETARDED!!!... WAIT MAYBE YOU ARE!
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From Abel Lastings (Re: you should be kept away from all other humans!): from your pokemon article. >>Today, government schools from coast to coast are teaching students the >>skills once reserved for the tribal witchdoctor or >>>>shaman in distant >>lands.

Oh yeah I remember goat sacraficing class 101???? What is wrong with you people? It seems that you have empowered yourself so high on "white bred" christianity that you have become intolerant bumbling fools. Explain this statement give me an example, if your defense is that hindu, buddhist, and other faiths are discussed in classrooms than you should just wear a nazi armband and parade up and down the street spouting your garbage beliefs. [My note: Find documentation and lots of illustrations in chapters 1, 3, and 5 of Brave New Schools.]

>>Occult role-playing games teach the same dangerous lessons. They also add >>a sense of personal power and authority through >>personal identification >>with godlike superheroes. Though the demonic realm hasn't changed, today's >>technology, media, and >>>multicultural climate makes it easier to access, >>and harder than ever to resist its appeal.

Oh wait they give kids a sense of responsibility for themselves and their actions and choices? Oh they learn that there are consequences for every decision made. Gee, they learn how to plan ahead, think fast, and explore the creative sides of their imagination??????

There is nothing appealing or spiritual about you and your brand of faith. It is a simple engine to destroy the creative will of the masses. If allowed to take over it would propel humanity in the depths of horrid mediocrity and self-destruction. I hope that when you die you find a God laughing at you. Cackling maniacly about the idiocies that you promoted in your life, and how you wasted his/her gift of life claiming to know his/her will, and being horribly off base the whole while.

Human history is longer than the confines of christian history. There is more to the world than the white american male dominated christian church. I hope someday you can see it with open eyes. I feel sorry for people like you, people who have before them the whole beauty that is reality and instead of embracing it, you choose to cover it in the filth that is your brand of spiritual and moral pollution.

your prescious bible was scribed by men it is as valid as the egyption book of the dead (also supposedly divinly inspired). The bible isn't even the saddest part of your beliefs. What is even sadder is your choice to take your own religious document and warp/twist its passages to fit your needs. How sad. Do you suffer from spiritual ADD? Is bible toting your crack fix?

open your eyes the world may pass you by and when it does you may not find yourself peering into pearly gates but instead, rotting in the soil of mother earth.

I have a 5 month old daughter and it is a shame I have to work so hard to keep people like you away from her.I know in my heart she is intelligent enough to spot cult-like christians like yourself when the time comes. I fear for all the children and adults your lives touch. I hope that they can free themselves from the guilt, and horrible visions you fill their heads with. You offer etnernal psychological torment not eternal life. . . .

Pick up the Tao Te Ching. Please read it. Please observe nature get this garbage notion that there is an otherworldliness out of your heads (those dancing candy canes and suger plums too). Is this world not good enough for you? Can you not handle the total of natural reality? Is your will to weak? Do you need a crutch? Do you want to trip others so they need crutches too? I think so.

There is nothing wrong with pokemon, magic, monopoly, chess, baseball ect. they are games. All games. Monsters are a part of human history/culture. Kids pretending to be one wasn't caused by pokemon or magic. I remember loving greek mythology in my youth. I often wished to be a titan or to visit hades. I knew these were fantasies and the kids today know that pokemon are fantasies.

I can't waste any more time on you. you are pathetic. live a nice life and die.

I ask anyone who follows these to disgusting beings to recalculate their choice. Read what I mentioned. Suspend the iron curtain of fundementalist christianity from your mind for a brief while. Enjoy the whole diversity that is humanity, that is life! Look at the stars at night and the sunrise in the morning, ask yourself if you need anything more than that? Do you need more than existence itself? It's a great thing you've won in the cosmic lottery. Don't waste it aspiring beyond it. Indulge in it. Take care of yourself and your fellow humans. Stick to this planet. Expunge fools like these from your lives.

<><

A portion of the second letter from abel: Demons!! Demons!! Gods who give their lives. Goddesses who care and embrace their children. Demons!! Animals who inspire native tribes because they are natures perfection! DEMONS! Oh my, please free yourself from your cage. See the human element of all religion. See the dreams, the hopes, and the fears that make up all religious doctrine. Christianity is as primal, valid, and subject to human flaw as the rest of them. Satan was invented by the Christians, (as we common American society views him) not by the Indians, or Aztecs, or Zoastrians, or Babalonians. Get past the myths. Look at the beauty of human ideological evolution. . . .

Get past the fear tactics, the threats, the disgrace that is Christianity. Someday that dark stain will be erased from human history much like the Egyptian faith was (which reigned for nearly 8,000 years, my a lot longer than we've had to live with Christianity).

I think the purist monks of Zen and Taoism had it best (and later Nietzsche picked it up like the genius he was). We live in a natural world of opposites and flux. In order to live in tune with nature which we are a part of we must mirror this state of flux and unify opposites. What we consider good/evil, right/wrong, and the truth is mearly a construct that we errect around ourselves to shield us from the state of nature. While it is indeed necessary to keep pieces of this structure around us to protect ourselves (much like helping a baby through its first steps)we must advance beyond it with time. Each era (in humanity and our own lives) tearing more and more pieces from the wall, until we can live in harmony with what we really are, natural beings.

You see moral rules, and ethics are good things to have. Are they divine. Of course no. Should they be rigid stern and never bend. NO! Society changes. People change. Values change. That is the state of nature, change. Some people can't handle that. The Christian faith in general has a problem with coping with change.

If you need something spiritual to hold on to, look at nature. Look at the beauty of the seas. The night sky and the moon hold a certain calming peace to them, take one night out and watch them both, it'll change your life if you let it. We all have tragedies. We all have deaths, sicknesses, and loss in our life. That is reality that is nature. It cannot change. If I lost my baby daughter,my world would take a tramatic hit. Would it cripple my view of life? Would it destroy my faith in this world? No. I am here in this world to stay. I am here to carve out my niche, learn as a person and pass away. Things perish. Things change, deal with it and let it evolve you as a person. Let it inspire you to evolve this world. Don't sink to the primal security blanket. Stay here on this earth. Keep your mind focused on this world. Don't give your energy and ideas to some imaginary being. Keep your lifeforce focused here. Put it back into this planet, this soil that gave you life. Give it back to humanity and nature.

We don't need a big book or some grey bearded invisible man to tell us the obvious. Oh wait, all the good people live forever in the happy fun-land, where grandpa and doggie wait for you. Those baddies we send to the fire because we don't like the baddies and don't want them in the happy-fun land. Aren't I a good person now? tee hee.

So go forth and be Christian. Let the earth fall to a polluted ruin. Eat mass cattle herds pumped full of hormones and antibiotics (which evolve super viruses). Care what sex your neighbor likes to sleep with. Wish for pennies from heaven. Pray for Aunt Martha to recover from hip surgery, breast cancer, and her allergies. Protect the big book that documents death, war, disease, and human corruption. Call it holy, call it everything like all those religions did with their big book before you. Convert the stupid, crippled, weak, grief stricken . . . .

If you need to cling to the otherworldly you do not deserve this world. Take yourself and those who you have condemned with your words into the abyss. Buy some nikes, purple cloths, and Cool Aid. No really I hope you'd grab some good books, take in some common sense and nature, and convert to reality. . . .

I am begining to wonder about your financial investment in your church. I don't know anything about it yet. But I know a great deal of you wackies like to fund their lives off of the foolish and weak. Perhaps someone with more energy will take a look.

No I have better literature to read sorry. I doubt you could show me any new enlightening points based upon your already tell tale remarks from your site. I will be sure my daughter is fully aware of people like you by the time she can say momma.

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From Dan: I have seen some of the negative responses to your articles, but to an unsaved person, God's Word is foolishness, and I can see why you get such rabid responses.

Only God can open a person's eyes to all the deception that is being unleashed now upon the earth. But most people don't want the truth. The 60's generation and ideology has come full circle and now we are reaping the results big time. Biblical truths are out, and "feelings" are in. May God help us. I pray that as Christians we remain strong in the face of all opposition. Please keep up the good work. I continue to save your articles and pass them along to those that will receive them.

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From Joy: Hello. I am a 20 year old christian woman, and I have seen this pokemon and i belive tha your focus on this artical is a bit misplaced i admit that pokemon is a giant markiting ploy but i see it as no worse than Barbie or microsoft shure it's a blatent example of greed. but i think if your gonna worrie about anay cartoons that you should start with nickalodian and show sutch as real monsters where they teach kids to scare other kids and condone lieing and playing in dark and dangreos places or catdog witch is a show about a half dog half cat creature that gets in mortal trouble in every show and treats his other half badly

AND then theres beatle juice and well i don't even think i have to spell out whats wrong with that show. and as for pokemon and magic well when they decided to make pokemon cards they sold the rights to the makers of the magic game because they where able to handel the volume and demand so thats why the sites are linked the owners of magic never plotted and have no say in the design or content of what goes on a pokemon card.

thank you for taking the time to read about my comcerns

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From Dr. Marian Clark: I heard a recent radio clip on the Pokemon, and agree with you 100%. Before becoming a Christian I was into the earth-spirit-wicca ideology….

The standard for right or wrong (i.e. good and bad) is not what humans think or how humans act, but what the Divine Holy and Righteous God of the Universe says (Deuteronomy 18). All religions created by humans fall into the same trap of glorifying self and setting forth rules to live by so that we humans can become better and eventually become like gods and or goddesses.

Contrasting this ideology with the God of the Bible who says that all humans are sinners. We can only become righteous through the completed work of Christ on the cross, and our acceptance of his work on our behalf is a difficult bridge to cross. Being humble enough to agree with the Lord that we cannot save ourselves is a big step toward letting the Lord be in fact Lord of our lives.

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From David Stillberg, Stockholm, Sweden: I have just read your article about PokeMon, and I felt that a reply was in order. I have yet to play PokeMon, and I don't think I ever will either, since I probably am too old for that game (I'm nineteen). What upsets me though is the way in which you attack many of the things that I like and even would say that I love.

I come from a christian home in Sweden, and I had a very happy childhood. I would not consider myself a christian at the moment, I simply do not believe in any religion of any kind, except that I believe in myself. So I know what christianity is about, because I have been there, and backed away from it. I am still human, and would still consider myself humane as well. Furthermore, I have no love for satanism of any kind, and I fight it with words whenever I encounter it. I find it stupid to worship something destructive, whether or not it exists.

I was very worried when I read you article about PokeMon. I have yet to read your other articles, but will get to it after work today. I assume that you have never played a RPG, or for that matter, read a Fantasy book. I have played RPG's and read Fantasy since I was ten, and my parents didn't like it. Today, I can surely say that it has formed me to what I am today, but not in a negative way. On the contrary. I feel it has hightened my intellect, to allow me to be a much more sane person than I would have been otherwise….

The game is not made by blood-drinking satanists, but money-hungry capitalists. Spend your time and energy to fight that instead of imaginary demons. If there truly is an anti-christ, it is capitalism.

…not all games are occult. True, many Fantasy games contain demons, magic, dragons and whatnot. But this is not the magic that is practiced in the "real world". The concept may be influenced by it, but I find it hard to believe that any of the spells in a rulebook could be used in reality. If so, try for yourselves and prove me wrong, I have no need to try.

If some parts of this letter seems unfriendly and hostile, I beg you to forgive me. I hold no grudge against anyone, and I do not mean to be rude, but I think that conservative criticism like the one you present should be countered with replies.

Respectfully David Stillberg, Stockholm, Sweden

PS: I apologize for my English. It is pretty good, but not perfect...

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From Sherry Kertesz: Thank you so much for your article...God made you instrumental in helping to save our children from this evil! I am a very conservative Christian (Not a political definition) and I am very careful what I let my children play with. But, still, this got past me. My children started the cards over the summer and I saw all of them change before my eyes. (They have all previously accepted the Lord Jesus as their Savior) They were nasty and fought over the cards. But because the characters looked harmless and because I SAW CHILDREN AT CHURCH TRADING THEM OUTSIDE OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASS(!) I thought that they were harmless. . . . I couldn't believe that this got by me! We have rid our house of all Pokemon.

I read some of the feedback that you got on this article and wanted to give my two cents. I do not feel that is article is one-sided. You gave the P. site first thing for us to check out for ourselves! Your article is based on fact, not feeling and is CERTAINLY NOT hateful! ( Why is it that when a Christian states that something is wrong, using the Word as a reference, He is considered hateful? But anyone can bash Christians and nothing is ever said...a great mystery!) Your article has changed our direction and has been used by God.

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From Luke Jr.: My parents read the thing about PokeMon on your website. It seems that you have just mainly misunderstood what PokeMon really is either by false information or not enough information.

I have put a PokeMon Defender which tells what PokeMon REALLY is (similar length to your thing) at http://clubpokeworld.freeservers.com/defender.html Please put this in the Comments area of the "The Dangers of Role-Playing Games" section so others who have been incorrectly convinced may also read it. Please also take the time to read it yourselves so that you may understand what PokeMon really is and how non-evil it is. Thanx!

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From a Canadian parent: As a homeschooling mother of four, I am trying to stay aware of what is going on in the world today. I am praying for wisdom constantly as I educate my children in the ways of God (Deut.6:6-9). I have been so discouraged to see all the Christian parents that I know trading holiness for compromise – and trading knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ for evil and a unhealthy fascination with anything except the word of God. …

It is so sad to see people substituting "love" for a type of "moral tolerance". Jesus' love reached out and touched people, held them, healed them, saved them, and forgave them, but NEVER did his love tolerate sin. Jesus showed his love when he said to the woman caught in adultery "Go and sin no more". His ultimate expression of love was to say "don't destroy yourself again in sin". May we have that same courage to love as Jesus did. Thank you again for what an encouragement this site has been. It is a blessing to know that I am not alone in seeing these things.

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Anonymous: That pokemon article is the most ridiculous thing i have ever read, and coming from christians doesn't surprise me one bit. This over-protective behavior is damaging to kids. You are hindering their natural creative minds, children like to play games, they have imaginations, and all these pokemon games do is what every other childrens games do. They entertain the kids and keep them out of trouble. I think that it is absolutely RIDICULOUS to ban pokemon from a school, because you believe that it influences the children in the occult. I couldnt help but laugh at these alligations, which are completely lacking any kind of support whatsoever. I dont know how you people came up with the conclusion that these games are "a stepping stone to the occult", im afraid to even ask. If people like you keep slandering innocent games intended for fun and entertainment for a child, your children are going to grow up very dull and unhappy people.

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From a concerned mother: Thank you for your article on Pokemon. I had a bad "feeling" about it, but my mom bought our 8-year-old son a video, and friends bought him cards and a poster, his Sunday School teacher gave him some cards (UGH!), and I had no definitive information against them. Now I do. My husband and I presented your information to our son last night and told him he wouldn't be getting any new Pokemon stuff. We are praying he will make the right decision about it all. As of this morning, he threw away his cards, "because I can't trade them or get new ones and it's the right thing to do." Thank you for your information again.

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From a high school student: im sorry to tell you this but i have been playing RPGs since i was little. and i love them there is no games in the world better than some that i have plasyed. and yes i am almost 15, i collect magic cards, and i have the pokémon blue version, so i fit in the category in all of these. you know i hate to see people like you who try to think that they are big in some way by tryig to take away what is a growing hobby in this nation. i know kids who are 11 or 12 years old who smoke. now would you rather see a kid of that age smoking or playing a game where he can play with kids of the same age without conflicts. AND ANOTHER THING...why are you rippin' on role paying games anyway??? hello the games are fantasy set and they help kids escape reality of the world that they live in with all this conflict going on and they can just sit back pop open a can of soda and play a game with the coolest bad guys and neat spells and to see someone do say that about that just makes me angry. and yes video games are my life i have been playing them since day one and i have an A or an A- average in high school and i am in 3 honors classes so if you think these games are affecting kids lives you are the ones who need lives. and to see you leading some kind of occult that you are by trying to make people to ban these things, you know im just not going to say anything. and i am catholic and i g to church every weekend. so if you feel comfortable enough to write another artyicle like this let me know i gotta see this.

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From Karen: I wasn't sure why I was so against this new phenomina, now I know. Thanks for your article, forwarded to me by "Devotions for Lambs." Your data was confirmed when I went to the Pokemon site, clicked on "Company" and discovered that they purchased the company that originally created Dungeons and Dragons. When will the deception end in the war against our children and their faith?

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From Jeannie: …. My six year old son just asked me the other day if he could start trading these cards and watch the show on T.V. ... In some Georgia school districts already...these cards have been banned from being brought on campus. The children were taking so much of their time making trades and were so distracted.

My husband and I have decided to keep our children away from this latest "craze" and have started doing a lot of research on the internet. I watched the show on T.V. and was more than shocked at the things these characters were saying!!! Two characters said..."We believe in love power...that's because we LOVE POWER." Also, "Let's teach them fury swipes....Will you shut-up!!? Steal the pokemon." It was unbelievable. They were also calling each other, "idiots, stupid, and sucker trainers." Not the kind of language we want our two young sons exposed to everyday. We are trying to teach them to be kind and to build each other up...not the opposite. . . .

I watched another episode early Monday morning before the boys woke up. It was also very disturbing. The main human characters thought their Team Rocket enemies had died...they said they wanted to give them a "traditional" burial at sea. They actually folded their hands at their chests, bowed their heads (as if praying) and shoved them into the ocean. With everything I've seen and heard about with this show and these cards--I was numb all over. Also, in this same episode, they were lost out at sea on a piece of wood and they were trying to decide which way to go to get to land...one of them said (and I won't quote because I didn't write down word for word) I seem to remember when Noah was on the ark, he sent out a bird to find dry land and the bird brought back a branch. The characters thought that sounded like a great idea so they took out their little Pokeball and "called on" on of the Pokemon bird creatures to find a branch. Watching that episode only confirmed that we had made the right decision for our children.

Our church has been researching Pokemon and has decided to ban the cards and will use the children's worship time in a few weeks to explain to the children and their parents (who will be invited to attend) to explain everything.

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From a concerned mother: I only saw one episode of this wretched new age show and it involved the characters of Pikachu and Ash actually having an O.B.E. (out of body experience) where one of the demon creatures pulled their souls out of their bodies (after it had been scaring and tormenting them in a haunted castle scene) and then they - Ash and Pikachu - were flying through the air - just their souls - above their friends, saying "this is fun!" and "oh, you just wanted to PLAY!" etc. The demon characters took them to another castle filled with toys, a merry go round and lots of sweet things to eat. It made me think of "all this will be yours if you will only fall down and worship me" from the temptation of Christ in the desert.

Feel free to quote the episode - I believe we saw it on television in Washington state (Seattle area) during the month of August. The out of body stuff was really blatant….I find it very discouraging that too many parents take all this in entertainment for granted, as though no planning or particular philosophy was behind it. …. I think all these shows, music, etc. are prepping the populace . . .

 

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October 14

From Spudnewt: you got some #&#&# nerve to do that to an innocent childs game. pokemon are NOT work of the devil but WORK of NINTENDO. YOU ONLY MAKE THINGS LOOK BAD you are looking at the wrong side of pokemon you are just trying to ruin childrens fun you and your "Bible" well let me tell you something THE "BIBLE" is just a #&#&# book its just stories some little lessons wow

i dont believe in this hocus pocus bible and jesus and gods and #&#&# i dont ever want to do you know what religion is? DO YOU KNOW WHAT RELIGION IS? IT IS NOT FOR MAKING THINGS LOOK BAD ITS FOR LOOKING AT THE GOOD SIDE OF THINGS YOU FOOLS. RELIGION IS FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED FAITH I GOT ENOUGH FAITH I DONT NEED SOME BOOK OR PREIST OF SOME KIND TO HELP ME GET FAITH

"Did you know that in the Bible, serpents and dragons always represent Satan and evil?" uhh sorry as far as i know dragons are majestic creatures they dont represent anything you #&#&# stereo-typing bitches

as far as im concerned your warping parents minds. if you want something to complain about complain about something more significant like why do indians have to be in reserves? why cant they have their land back? hmm? think about it you #&#7#

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From Sherry Delong: I think the backlash you have received from your article should prove the "hold " these cards have on kids they can't wait to open the next pack Whether it is magic or the occult I do know these kids are addicted. My son was in the middle of the whole thing and I thought at first it was harmless It seems I am always having to say no to everything "everyone else is doing" so I said yes to Pokemon then I saw the hold it has on these children's lives they stop speaking English and start speaking Pokemon language. We are getting these cards out of our home now Thank you for caring about the children!!!

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From a mother: ... I defend the game because I believe that it is good for kids, and I don't want them to miss out on a wonderful experience. My kids (and from what I've seen, their friends as well) are not obsessed with the game. When I call them to dinner, they put the cards away and I hear about their day, not the game.

Also, as for your feelings on good vs. evil, "having a foot in both camps" is not a good attitude. Is Magic bad because it has an evil element? The Bible does, too! By your rationale, if I read the Bible, I'm doing something wrong because topics of both good AND evil are covered inside. It would be that way with almost any story or game. Good vs. evil has been a literary element since the beginning of time. You might then say that the Bible preaches good over evil. Well so do these games, and most literature! I read the Bible often, and have seen mention of "angels" defeating "demons," just as the Magic-player was talking about. Thanks again.

Berit’s response: Good and evil have co-existed since the fall (Genesis 3). The issue is whether we look at evil from a Biblical or a cultural perspective. The Bible shows us that God wants us to see evil from His perspective (Deut.18 & 28: Prov. 2:12, 13; 3:7; Eph. 5:11-17, etc.). The world wants us to experience and delight in it. Pokemon and the Harry Potter books fit the second category. Using hypnosis and psychic powers to disable an opponent may seem like innocent fun, but – even it’s fantasy -- it links forbidden activities to permissible entertainment, makes occultism seem normal, and desensitizes the player to God’s view of reality.

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From a mother: I am a Christian, 37 year old mother of two young children. I have been a Christian since I was in my teens. My children have been raised in the church since birth. My older child has been diagnosed with Aspergers Syndrome, a high functioning form of autism. My younger one is on fire for Jesus, the older one has a hard time with abstract concepts, so he doesn't have the same understanding of God that some other children his age has. But he can make a moral decision, definitely has a good understanding of the golden rule, and knows right from wrong. He understands that Jesus gave up his life for our sins.

Both my children play with Pokemon. They have many of the toys. They watch the show, they play the gameboy game. They collect the cards. They do not play the RPG with the cards because the rules are too complicated for their ages. But they do have an understanding about the strategy and classes of Pokemon, who does better against which other one etc. I have watched with them, played the game myself and looked over the cards. I have seen no problem with these cards …. The values I have seen are compassion and caring, understanding of others, fairness and justice, "good" triumphing over "evil". . . . .

My son's disability has social deficits as part of the effects. He has never had a friend, even the children of "Christian" families at church have never tried to include him or make him a friend because he has never had anything in common with them. His encyclopedic knowledge of Pokemon has suddenly made him acceptable, even admired. And while trading Pokemon cards may have been what brought him together with his classmates at school and at church they have discovered that he is a pretty great kid outside of Pokemon! My son now has friends. Personally I am grateful that some marketing guy out there somewhere created the Pokemon craze. …

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From grackle: I recently took the time to read your page as a friend sent me your link. At first he was outraged by your presentation of Pokemon in a bad light, but then we soon saw the humor in everything you were saying. I shall take a few examples from our conversation (of course it is slightly edited for your delicate ears)....

me [quoting from the article]: "…. Another nine-year-boy had stolen money from his mother's purse ($7.00) to buy more cards. When questioned, he confessed and said he had heard the devil urging him to do it." -comment- nine year olds are the only ones who I would allow to get away with an excuse like this...

-my buddy: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAhah the devil . . . .

i didn't even read that whole thing. it was irritating me too much. too bad!!! it's pretty funny.

Well I hope that this illustrates my point. I think it is fine that you have your own ideas and practices, I even think it is fine that you teach your kids whatever you want to. As long as everything is not directly offensive to others and doesn't hurt anyone outright, then you can have your own little world where only you, fairies, angles, god, or whatever other mythical creatures inhabit it live.

I personally think that you feel you are challenged by role playing because it is another way of making people think, different from your own way. It encourages decisions, making judgments under situations and intelligent thinking. There is nothing about role-playing that challenges your god! So long as there are people in this world, someone is going to take offense at something someone else does. This is why I just thought I would let you know that your webpage was so funny. You are fighting a non-opponent, something that doesn't exist. You are fighting free thinking. Your webpage is in response to its symbol as capitalism in this case.

I don't really welcome your replies as I have heard your way of thinking and I know what you would have to say. It is a closed mind perspective and that is why I have chosen to get away from it. You may say that this is fine and I will burn in hell for my choice, but as I don't believe in hell, you can burn there for me.

have a pokemon day and hold true to yourself what you will. but remember this: Gotta catch them all!

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Grackle wrote back later, saying: Well then berit, maybe you are not as bad as I first suspected... It seems like a fine idea. I can appreciate what you are trying to do. It seems that America is filled with just about every kind of opinion out there though as we are such a "melting pot" of ideas. I am kind of honored you picked me to quote from. I still look forward to seeing the page when you post it.

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From Rachael Zavala (Re: I think what you are writing is…): Extremely dangerous. I have taught my children that God is the strongest force that exists. There is no book or game that is stronger than God. Your articles suggest that God is a wimp and that under every rock is an all powerful Satan who can trick us with Pokemon cards out of our faith. I find that so offensive, I just can't even express it with words. I am praying for you that God will some how convince you of his supreme power over such petty nonsense as this. As a devout Christian, I am deeply offended by your implications.

Later she wrote: I am sorry if I was over the top in my shock at your article. ... Kids have been watching Saturday morning cartoons for 25 years and it is immaterial to whether they reject Christianity. Young kids I talk to today who don't want anything to do with organized religion feel that way because of views like the one you espouse which color Christianity with an extremely negative and suspicious brush. I like to answer their questions about God and Jesus and talk to them about the Gospels. Often times they can't/don't hear the message of love and Salvation that Jesus gave us because all they hear is the sound and fury of a few Christians who are too busy talking about how much we should fear and look for Satan. I am not afraid of Satan with God by my side. …

Anyway, it was unchristian of me to denigrate your point of view. I am sure you have come to your views through much prayer and that you want to do the right think by Christ, as we all do. I just know that it would take a very weak faith to be tempted away from it by such trivial things. Sincerely, Rachael

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Anonymous: hey, i was just surfing and came across your page& i thought to myself what poor people are out there that has nothing better to do than "research" card games and movies and say they are evil. Also say Christians are being resulted around the world. well how many people died that were killed by Christians for being pagans and how do you know Lucas is a satanist. LET THERE BE ROCK!

My note: Please see the chart showing the difference between cultural and Biblical Christianity. And please re-read Star Wars Joins United Religions at the Presidio. Notice that I didn't say that Lucas is a satanist.

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Click here for some answers to the questions raised by the above letters.

Click here for Pokemon comments - 2

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