Oh, right - I just remembered a couple of things I was going to say.

First of all, as I told Marilyn, Todd Friel burned me today with a big outpouring of urban myth and historical hoax on the Masons, so now we're even. It was full-tilt, Head of Baphomet, fezzes dipped in the blood of Christian children, trample and spit on the Cross, Jack Chick kind of stuff, too. My favorite quote was, "It is possible to be a Christian and be a Mason at the same time, I guess, but if they really are truly Saved, they're ignorant. They're ignorant of the true history of the Masons." Okay, Todd, tell you what - why don't you discuss Masonic history with my father, and see who comes out looking ignorant? From my experience, Masons are generally pretty up on their history.

Like I said before, sometimes I agree with him, sometimes I don't. Today I got burned. But he's a pretty funny guy, and when he talks about the Gospel, or about witnessing, about Law and Grace, he's good. The problem I've found is that when it comes to anything beyond his immediate experience, he's really up for grabs. Oh, well.

Okay, my second thing is somewhat connected to this; it's a quote from a friend on the Christian Gamers' Guild Yahoo Group, quoting a discussion from the Christian Tolkien Fans Yahoo Group (get that?):

I think Christians who are outside the mainstream carry around a lot of
battle wounds. Fantasy fans find their hobby labelled satanic or occult by
other Christians and their beliefs labelled ridiculous by other fantasy
fans. Role-playing gamers find their hobby labelled satanic or occult by
other Christians and their beliefs ridiculed by other RPGers. Science
fiction fans? Same thing. Do you have a scientific bent and honestly
believe that all the different ways of measuring the age of the earth
can't *all* be wrong? Then your fellow Christians label you a compromiser
and an evolutionist and unscriptural. And your fellow scientific friends
label your beliefs an enemy to science. (And sometimes with good cause--
our SF&F club had a church we were meeting in choose not to renew our
meeting contract because the minister felt that science and Christianity
were incompatible.) Sometimes it feels like there is no safe place left
for true fellowship with anyone because you are so very, very weird
compared to mainstream Christianity.



~~~~~

From: "Ellendalf"
Subject: Gamers and Imagination, was: OT- creationism



Ironically, Christian gamers are really a gift to the church if she could
receive their uniqueness. Our heroes Tolkien and Lewis (and many before
them) view imagination as the highest form of reasoning and necessary to
begin to comprehend God on any level. Christian gamers are smitten with
imagination and allow it to flow and enrich their spiritual lives and that
of others. We have much to learn from their passion! Modernist thinkers
want to hold back, fearing being compromised but I believe that God wants
us to be playful because that is the essence of the gospel! We are totally
free - even to make mistakes. And we are perfectly safe within the palm of
His hand.

*sigh* Amen. Okay, I don't think I would say it's the essence of the Gospel to be playful, but I think you get the idea. It's nice to hear encouragement.

Third, Marilyn and I will be going to see Jerry Savelle speak tonight. Should be interesting. It'll be nice to try the Saturday night church service; I'd like to get some extra singing of praise in this week, honestly. I'll be sure to let you know if Jerry presents the Templars' magical speaking Head of John the Baptist and proclaims himself the Savior.