Hey Kids! How About Some Religious Violence?

What could be better than teaching your child that violence is okay as long as you do it in the name of Jesus? Everyone knows that nonbelievers are going to hell anyway! Why don't we help them along?

Amazingly, that's the basic idea behind the new PC game Left Behind: Eternal forces. Based on the overly popular books by money-grubber Tim LaHey, the game follows the events in the Book of Revelations along the narrow and completely unfounded interpretation favored by born again Christians. The game takes place in New York in the not too distant future and the goal is to convert as many people as possible to the born again variety of Christianity to make America into a Christian theocracy ready for Jesus' return. For those that don't join you, the answer is simple: kill them.

While advocates of the game argue that the game punishes players for unwonton killing by reducing "spirit points," a player has no choice but to kill the unending hoards of the Anti-Christ's Global Community Peacekeepers, which is closely modelled on the United Nations. But hey, at least it doesn't show any blood.

Furthermore, the game features between mission "factiods" meant to debunk anti-Jesus ideologies such as evolution (for my thoughts on this matter, click here). So, besides simply endorsing religiously-inspired violence, it also tries to convert people. Great.

For me, this is terrifying. It teaches children and teenagers that it is okay to kill people for not sharing their same beliefs. Now, I'm all for freedom of expression, but all I'm saying is don't buy this hateful piece of garbage.

Besides, it's a terrible game. Just read some of the reviews. Terrible controls, terrible graphics, terrible AI, terrible message. Enough said.