Fantasy Role-Playing as a tool for Christian Education - PAGE 5
by Mike Perschon - Copyright © Mike Perschon 1997
Biblical Prohibitions on the usage of Magic
     A further objection must be noted as this point, since even if RPG’s didn’t draw players into the occult, the Bible expressly forbids such action in both the Old Testament; “Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist who consults the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord. . .” (Deuteronomy 18:10-12) and in the New Testament; “The acts of the sinful nature are obvious. . . idolatry and witchcraft. . .” (Galatians 5:19,20), along with countless other references which are all prohibitive, or at least negative. It has been shown, to some degree, that there is a world of difference between playing out spell casting and actual doing it, but as Black admits in his article regarding the ‘magic spell-casting’ objection and its proponents; “They have a point.” (1995, p. 33)
     The argument is extended to include Jesus’ words on adultery in Matthew 5, where he shows that sin belongs in the heart, what we desire to do, not what we actually do. “To fantasize about those things which God has expressly forbidden in His Word is tantamount to doing them.” (Bjornstad & Weldon, p. 50) The problem raised at this juncture then, is not whether or not one can actually become involved in the occult, but that by association, they are effectively already involved. According to this line of argument, if you imagine yourself to be something, then you are being that thing.
     The normal argument by pro-gamers to this concern is that this is then the same for serious actors, which would preclude a Christian from ever playing the part of one of the witches in the opening scenes of Shakespeare’s Macbeth. There is some validity in this point, but the difference being that many players identify much more strongly with their characters than an actor does with their part. In addition, the actors did not choose to be witches in the play; the writer made them so as a plot device. The Game Master does not control what sort of character an individual chooses to be in a RPG. The individual does.
     So the argument remains. At this point, the focus must be shifted to the sources of inspiration for these games, specifically Tolkien’s writings, and the works of C. S. Lewis and Charles Williams. It is usually these writers, with the recent addition of Stephen Lawhead and John White, who Christian gamers fall back on for what is probably the strongest argument for the presence of magic in the role-playing environment.