Author Topic: Beware "My Millionaire Friend"  (Read 25166 times)

Starsman

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Re: Beware "My Millionaire Friend"
« Reply #40 on: December 19, 2012, 03:45:50 PM »
In that case, it's pretty straight-forward: Probably most American gamers are Christians. Maybe only sunday-christmas-easter types, but still. I don't think there's this broad-based Christian animosity towards games and gamers. It's an illusion.

Has to be more than an illusion if a minister is shocked over it. But, as I ask: may be a regional thing. Also: may be a specific denomination.

Regional culture can actually influence national stereotypes in the eyes of the people in that region.
For the sake of the community: please stop the cultural "research" in your attempt to put blame on the game's cancelation.

It's sickening to see the community sink that low. It's worse to see the community does not get it.

I'm signing off and taking a break, blindly hope things change.

Starsman

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Re: Beware "My Millionaire Friend"
« Reply #41 on: December 19, 2012, 03:47:55 PM »
Anyway, bringing this thread back on track:

I won this Noriegan lottery ticket for a trillion dollar inheritance from a prince... all I need is the help of some candid investors to pay for the paperwork so I can claim my trillion... I will share the money 50/50!

Any takers?  8)
For the sake of the community: please stop the cultural "research" in your attempt to put blame on the game's cancelation.

It's sickening to see the community sink that low. It's worse to see the community does not get it.

I'm signing off and taking a break, blindly hope things change.

Ceremonius

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Re: Beware "My Millionaire Friend"
« Reply #42 on: December 19, 2012, 03:48:49 PM »
In that case, it's pretty straight-forward: Probably most American gamers are Christians. Maybe only sunday-christmas-easter types, but still. I don't think there's this broad-based Christian animosity towards games and gamers. It's an illusion.

I can sign this as a man who played and worked with people all over the world. Most of them are christian because they were raised that way.
I for myself only believe in my wife and me, but I don't bother when someone believes in some sort of a higher entity.

The whole stuff has nothing to do with beeing a good christian or not.
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corvus1970

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Re: Beware "My Millionaire Friend"
« Reply #43 on: December 19, 2012, 04:16:28 PM »
In that case, it's pretty straight-forward: Probably most American gamers are Christians. Maybe only sunday-christmas-easter types, but still. I don't think there's this broad-based Christian animosity towards games and gamers. It's an illusion.

As a former Pentecostal Christian who is a much-happier Agnostic, I can safely say that the ones who stand up and decry games, music, books, etc, etc tend to be a loud-mouthed, irritating minority. I think the fact that the majority of Christians don't usually tell the self-righteous zealots to sit down and shut up feeds the perception that the vocal minority is representative of the majority.
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Segev

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Re: Beware "My Millionaire Friend"
« Reply #44 on: December 19, 2012, 04:21:18 PM »
Oh, we do. The problem is, when we do, we are treated as if we're the minority by the pop culture reaction, and get a "you're a credit to your religion" sort of treatment rather than a "oh, okay, so your religion doesn't stand for that." So the illusion is propagated by at least SOME desire for it to be true on the part of those who hold it. It doesn't help that it's a lot easier to get camera time if you're going to bellow fire and brimstone insanity than if you're going to speak calm and simple brotherly love.

Arctic Force.

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Re: Beware "My Millionaire Friend"
« Reply #45 on: December 19, 2012, 04:53:34 PM »
I have a millionaire friend that just sold me a nice bridge in Arizona.   :P
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Minotaur

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Re: Beware "My Millionaire Friend"
« Reply #46 on: December 19, 2012, 04:53:59 PM »
As a former Pentecostal Christian who is a much-happier Agnostic, I can safely say that the ones who stand up and decry games, music, books, etc, etc tend to be a loud-mouthed, irritating minority. I think the fact that the majority of Christians don't usually tell the self-righteous zealots to sit down and shut up feeds the perception that the vocal minority is representative of the majority.

This is about right. I appeared on a local TV chat show (as an audience member, I might have been called upon to talk but wasn't) in about 1988 on the subject of roleplaying. We had a whole cross section in the audience from re-enacters, the local C&W society, the university games club, a Marilyn Monroe impersonator and a woman who ran weekends where stressed executives would dress up in nappies and be treated as babies.

The only scary person there was the fundamentalist Christian who basically went off on one (well several actually) about how D&D involved a chaotic evil which would take people over and make you murder your parents (slight exaggeration, but only slight). It had clear associations with Satanism (which amused several of us as we knew a couple of the Viking re-enacters were card carrying Satanists) and ...

He refused all invitations to actually sit in on a D&D session and see what it really involved.

srmalloy

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Re: Beware "My Millionaire Friend"
« Reply #47 on: December 19, 2012, 05:05:31 PM »
There is a misperception of Christianity in the more agnostic and atheistic sectors of our society that assumes the religion is restrictive to the point of self-righteous anal-retentiveness. While there are examples of such people proclaiming the christian faith, they are not nearly as pervasive as those outside it tend to believe. I'm not sure why there is this desire to assume Christianity is a hateful, narrow-minded faith that denies one any ability to have fun or participate in the real world without looking like you're squelching through the most disgusting mire you can imagine, but there is, and it pervades popular culture.

When you're eating at a restaurant, which do you notice? The small children who are quiet and well-behaved, or the ones who are crying loudly, screaming, and running around underfoot?

The problem is that it's not the people who try to live by the ideals of Christianity that everyone else notices, it's the people who try to make everyone else live by what they believe are the ideals of Christianity. It's the same with any group -- it's the nutcases and extremists who are constantly in people's faces that get taken as exemplar of the group as a whole.

Segev

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Re: Beware "My Millionaire Friend"
« Reply #48 on: December 19, 2012, 05:10:22 PM »
When you're eating at a restaurant, which do you notice? The small children who are quiet and well-behaved, or the ones who are crying loudly, screaming, and running around underfoot?

The problem is that it's not the people who try to live by the ideals of Christianity that everyone else notices, it's the people who try to make everyone else live by what they believe are the ideals of Christianity. It's the same with any group -- it's the nutcases and extremists who are constantly in people's faces that get taken as exemplar of the group as a whole.
Pretty much. I only get annoyed by the stereotype because it's used to make Christianity "socially unacceptable" while other, more politically correct causes wanting to impose their will through legislation *cough*contraceptionmandate*cough* are lauded as caring for others.

But this wavers way too far into politics, now, for which I apologize.

The only scary person there was the fundamentalist Christian who basically went off on one (well several actually) about how D&D involved a chaotic evil which would take people over and make you murder your parents (slight exaggeration, but only slight). It had clear associations with Satanism (which amused several of us as we knew a couple of the Viking re-enacters were card carrying Satanists) and ...

He refused all invitations to actually sit in on a D&D session and see what it really involved.
This is not a direct response to your post, Minotaur, but your post reminded me of it: If anybody ever wants a laugh riot over a real out-there (and by no means mainstream, but probably trying to cash in on the stereotype) "christian" view of D&D, look up the Chick Tract "Dark Dungeons."

(Chick Tracts are so-bad-they're-hillarious comic strips by one Jack Chick that supposedly reveal how evil everything that is not his very narrow, extremely stereotyped brand of christianity is.)

Arctic Force.

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Re: Beware "My Millionaire Friend"
« Reply #49 on: December 19, 2012, 05:11:35 PM »
Hey people could you please take the religious converstation to pm's
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dwturducken

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Re: Beware "My Millionaire Friend"
« Reply #50 on: December 19, 2012, 05:20:12 PM »
All I can say is, speaking as an American Christian who hangs out with a fair number of the same, the typical American Christian has a lot more in common with Miss Bianco than with the stereotype.

This is actually a better description of my circle of friends and acquaintances. Aside from one guy who won't speak to me anymore (he makes Sarah Palin look like a New Dealer), they cover a pretty broad variety of outlooks and beliefs. We have some heated discussions, but no one ever takes it personally.

Except when I accidentally used the word "Paki" in front of the father of an Indian friend. He didn't hear the context, so he didn't realize I was quoting someone, but he got pretty pissed.
I wouldn't use the word "replace," but there's no word for "take over for you and make everything better almost immediately," so we just say "replace."

Segev

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Re: Beware "My Millionaire Friend"
« Reply #51 on: December 19, 2012, 05:26:54 PM »
I'm not sure it's possible to make Sarah Palin look like a New Dealer, but I get your point. (There IS a far extreme on the small-government side of things beyond which it is literally impossible to go; it's called "anarchy.")

dwturducken

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Re: Beware "My Millionaire Friend"
« Reply #52 on: December 19, 2012, 07:05:26 PM »
Given how well ideological discussions end up going, I'm not really comfortable elaborating beyond saying that the Army and the local police department wouldn't take him. My friends who went to high school with him honestly wonder when we'll turn on the news to see that, not only has he set up a "compound," but the FBI and National Guard have it surrounded.
I wouldn't use the word "replace," but there's no word for "take over for you and make everything better almost immediately," so we just say "replace."

corvus1970

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Re: Beware "My Millionaire Friend"
« Reply #53 on: December 19, 2012, 07:09:43 PM »
"We know you've taken the CoH IP hostage! Surrender the IP and come out with your hands up!"
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dwturducken

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Re: Beware "My Millionaire Friend"
« Reply #54 on: December 19, 2012, 07:14:24 PM »
New meme? ;)
I wouldn't use the word "replace," but there's no word for "take over for you and make everything better almost immediately," so we just say "replace."

corvus1970

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Re: Beware "My Millionaire Friend"
« Reply #55 on: December 19, 2012, 07:30:49 PM »
Shows promise, doesn't it? :D
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JaguarX

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Re: Beware "My Millionaire Friend"
« Reply #56 on: December 19, 2012, 07:33:28 PM »
I like it.

I can draw or create a worth a used piece of toilet paper, but any ideas floating around to put a picture with that quote.

dwturducken

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Re: Beware "My Millionaire Friend"
« Reply #57 on: December 19, 2012, 08:22:30 PM »
Everything I'm coming up with actually looks crass, even in my head, after Friday. They haven't even had all the funerals, yet.
I wouldn't use the word "replace," but there's no word for "take over for you and make everything better almost immediately," so we just say "replace."

corvus1970

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Re: Beware "My Millionaire Friend"
« Reply #58 on: December 19, 2012, 08:37:54 PM »
Hrm, good point. Let's hold off on that one, shall we?
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Terwyn

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Re: Beware "My Millionaire Friend"
« Reply #59 on: December 19, 2012, 09:17:58 PM »
All I can say is, speaking as an American Christian who hangs out with a fair number of the same, the typical American Christian has a lot more in common with Miss Bianco than with the stereotype.

Except being American. ;)
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