Warhawk was my first PS3 game, and it was awesome. Warhawk was also the first on-line game I had ever played. That game is still amazing for it's smooth action and challenging (but rewarding) game mechanics, plus the perfect balance achieved by flying, driving, shooting, etc. I still enjoy playing it after 250+ hrs, but admit the community has gone downhill a bit. The other day my own teammate kept intentionally killing our comrades!

Romans: You rock. It's not easy to try and explain religious beliefs without sounding like you're forcing them onto someone. Cheers for that.

To any atheists: Realize that devoted Catholics who actually follow official Church dogma will recognize that human beings are blessed with free will and freedom to choose. What makes a believer, a believer, is to use your free will to believe things that you can't see with your own 2 eyes. It's a different way of seeing the world, and one that preaches against vices of the world. Simply put, hate the sin, NOT the sinner. And by sinner, I mean all people -- Catholic, atheist, what have you. In layman's terms, "Nobody is perfect" (a motto that I think everyone in the world can usually agree on).

Now back on topic: I realize people think it's ridiculous to be offended by something "silly" like this. However, to turn the other cheek, put yourself in their shoes for a second. If you dedicate your life to helping others (in this case, through religion), and you feel that something special to your life has been placed into a context that does not illuminate its best qualities, then maybe you'd be a little ticked too. I think their initial perception was, "Great...people see our church as nothing more than a stomping ground for fighting aliens." Given the rise in non-believers in the world (an issue of great concern to Christians around the world, for reasons not to be discussed here), that has the potential to be a dangerous viewpoint for someone unfamiliar with the Catholic faith. To knowledgeable folks, as most of you are, it doesn't make a difference. But to a little kid who might want to join a Church someday, I'm sure Church leaders would NOT prefer their first impression of a Church be fighting aliens in a video game. That's all. Fair enough, I think.

Now...I also think they hadn't considered the positives that might come out of this. In hindsight, they were wrong that it would be harmful to the Church. It appears that it had the reverse effect, by actually increasing interest.

Bottom line of my long post is this: Give these Church leaders a break! They've dedicated their lives to helping people, which is FAR more admirable than what most people do in their lifetime. I know that I would never have the personal fortitude to be a public leader on such a touchy topic, and to be a figure that people rely on for inspiration to get them through hard times in life. These guys are usually selfless human beings who are trying to make the world a better place, and who don't do these things for personal profit (b/c let's be real...you don't make money as a priest unless you're seriously corrupt). End rant -- thanks for listening.