Opinion on the latest in Gaming, Politics and Whatever

• 9Nov 06

  Faith Healers and Other Lunatics. Episode 1

  As many of you out there, I subscribe to cable television.  I am a lover of comedy(British especially) and frequently tune in to Comedy Central to get my dose of Colbert, Stewart and Mad.  However, something rotten lurks a single channel above this mirthful myriad of comedic stylings.  The Inspiration Network is the baleful source of this stomach turning stench.
      Now, most people watch the Inspiration Network with the same degree of seriousness as Comedy Central.  However, I am in a bit of a different situation as a Christian myself.  I attend an Anglican Church and consider myself largely in line with the Orthodox tradition.  I am a philosopher and part of the dwindling Christian population in America that puts real value in reason.  I vigorouly maintain that both science and Christianity, and reason and Christianity are ultimately true.  So you can understand my dismay at the heretical ramblings of the televangelist set.  Now, believing in the rationality of my audience, I will attempt to expose the false claims of the televangelists in rational and secular terms. Unfortunately, the insanity does not stop at door to the Inspiration Network.  American Christianity is almost completely infected with the same illnesses, but to a different degree.  In several episodes I will cover the false claims I believe plague today's Christians.  If you spot instances of these lies and distortions or wish to dispute any of my claims or arguments, leave a comment and I will try to swiftly respond.
  
  I will kick it off with my favorite Bible passage 1 Corinthians 13.  It reflects my purpose in trying to correct misconceptions. I will start with actual issues next episode.
  
      "If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part; but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love."-St. Paul
  • Posted Nov 9, 2006 11:19 am PT
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• 25Aug 06

  Serenity Now: To PWN or Not to PWN

  Hi, this is Episode 1 of my blog. Don't worry it is 100% Jar Jar free.
  

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      Being one of the ragged worn-torn rebel pc gamers who has not yet submitted an addiction to WOW, I often laugh breifly at the antics of my Warcraftaholic friends and move on with my life. However, as a philosophy major I find it hard to resist a good ethical dilemma escpecially when it has the makings of a soap-opera.  The rise, or emergence if you will, of so-called emergent gameplay often provides both.  From weddings to funerals, in-game innovation is quickly altering the gaming experience.  Not surprisingly the birthblace and womb of this emergent-gameplay has been the PC. The PC games industry's perrenial support of user created content has served to keep the PC gaming industry ahead of its toy-box(consoles, for those that don't speak fanboy) counterparts.
     
      One of the latest ethical issues to arise  concerns the attack of a funeral, yes a funeral, taking place on one of WOW's PVP servers resulting in the utter ownage of the mourning team.  This sounds like a fun bit of guerilla warfare roleplaying on the part of the attacking clan, Serenity Now(kind of ironic all things considered).  However the funeral was not for a decease avatar, but for a real live(now dead) member of the clan.  Hence, Serenity Now have gotten rather unpopular as you can imagine. However, I must ride to the defense of Serenity Now while holding my nose. So many times in our society victims are spared any and all blame no matter the circumstance.  Whether, it is the poor gangster stealing for cash or the girl who gets wasted and wakes to find herself in a bad situation.  The fact is if that the choices of victims OFTEN contribute to their predicament.  I have little sympathy for the person who puts themselves in harm's way then demands to be treated like a innocent victim.  The fact is despite the inconsiderate nature of SN's actions they were perfectly within the rules of the game. More importantly the "victim" team chose to hold the funeral on a PVP server.  This all could have been avoided if the "victim" had excercised some common sense.
  
  
  • Posted Aug 25, 2006 11:52 am PT
  • Category: Opinion
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