Thursday, September 27, 2007

Halo 3 Bible Study and Evangelism Methodolgy?


I originally saw this on Little Leaven, this idea of using Halo 3 for a Bible Study..... guess what the joke became reality. However it is still an obnoxious idea of being "relevant" by being more like the culture that you are trying to witness to. The website dare2share.org trys to convince you that Halo 3 is some type of representation of Spiritual Warfare. They use some proof texting and verses out of context to get you to believe it is not only ok for you to spend hours in line and in front of this game but that it is also ok because you can use it as an Evangelism tool. ARGH! Here is a notable quote from their site

"Master Chief John 117 is back - bruised and battered, but ready to give humanity hope that the Covenant can be defeated and survival is possible. (Side note - John 1:17 in the Bible is a reference to Jesus Christ...coincidence? I think not!)"

Are they sure it wasn't John 11:7? Then he said to his disciples "Let us go back to Judea" This verse has nothing to do with a game and frankly neither does John 1:17. It is just a way for people to justify being part of the world?

This game has nothing to do with God, Jesus, Sin, Judgement, Grace, Salvation, or Christian Behavior, yet somehow these guys have the capability of missing what the Bible has said in place for some man-made game that earns money on violence, killing, fear, destruction, evolution, aliens, blasphemy, etc. Now I have played the original Halo so I know what this game entails and what the series is about and there is no doubt about it, there is nothing Godly in this game. Lastly I will say I am not opposed to all video games nor do I have a vendetta against Halo. The issue is trying to make something Godly or creating a Bible Study from anything that is NOT the Bible. Instead of using Halo 3 as an evangelism opportunity, get in the Word, pray and go share your faith with your friends and show them how relevant the Gospel is by how different you are than the world

2 Comments:

Tina - Ladydove said...

I play Everquest.
I am a born again Christian.

Can the two be. Yes.
I have a friend, a deep, personal sister-like friend that I chat with every day online. Through yahoo and Everquest. She lives half the world away, and is moving even farther soon enough, since her husband is in the air force. So I do use the time I am online to share with her the gospel, to chat about our every days lives, and once in a while to slay a dragon, or run a quest. (/shrug)

Does that mean I am ignoring the people that need to hear about Jesus in "real life". Heavens no. I'm in Logan, and I have been involved in the USU preaching recently. I do find it often seems like people are more willing to send money and people to evangelize people they've never met in strange lands, and refuse to spend time, energy and money evangelizing the people that God brings into their lives daily, in their own cities, or online communities. If that means teaching someone through the internet, a chat room, an instant messenger, a game, or even blog comments, is it wrong?

I wouldn't be here, if Christians 11 years ago, didn't take a very angry young mom and talk to her over the course of a summer through Internet chatrooms. They showed me the Truth, and who the Truth really is. Praise Him, who can use and speak through all media, not just in 'real life'

That being said: I agree fully that to try and justify a gaming addiction is wrong. And using it as a soul means to teach someone about the truth is wrong. To try and make a game look biblical, is wrong. We don't call good bad and bad good....Those many 100 of hours spent talking to me in a chat room was followed by many many hours of bible study and walking me through His word. We are to be the salt and light on this earth, and I'm going to reach out to those people that I talk to every day, even if some of them I've never seen in person, because once, someone loved God so much, to talk to me.....

Andy said...

Tina,

Thank you much for your post, I think then we are on the same page. I am also a big advocate of using technology to further the Gospel for God's Glory.