As for the rift, I think it’s mostly healed. Sure, we still get a lot of knee-jerk reactions like the ones you describe, but most folks on both sides are smart enough to know that it’s only fringe elements who really rail against tabletop games any more. It’s far more fashionable to target video games instead.

As for the rift, I think it’s mostly healed. Sure, we still get a lot of knee-jerk reactions like the ones you describe, but most folks on both sides are smart enough to know that it’s only fringe elements who really rail against tabletop games any more. It’s far more fashionable to target video games instead.

Certainly, they have ample cause for their knee jerk prejudice. I personally lost friends during the culture wars of the 80s thanks to people like Pat Robertson, Jack Chick, and Pat Pulling misinforming parents about the games my friends and I were playing.

I think that this is a rift that needs to be healed in some way. I don’t mean that gamers need to become “people of faith,” rather we need to continue communicating what our games are all about in a positive manner. There are plenty of Christian gamers out there who can help us along the way as well. Certainly, there will be those who will never respect gaming — as there are those who regale against every film that isn’t “pure,” but we would do well to do the opposite of those how cry out against gaming and be inclusive and non-judgmental.

Responsive? Certainly, but with a goal of sharing our hobby with anyone interested. I think a good model for this behavior is John Nephew who encountered negative attack ads during his foray into politics, but overcame them with grace, humor, and information.

Certainly, they have ample cause for their knee jerk prejudice. I personally lost friends during the culture wars of the 80s thanks to people like Pat Robertson, Jack Chick, and Pat Pulling misinforming parents about the games my friends and I were playing.

I think that this is a rift that needs to be healed in some way. I don’t mean that gamers need to become “people of faith,” rather we need to continue communicating what our games are all about in a positive manner. There are plenty of Christian gamers out there who can help us along the way as well. Certainly, there will be those who will never respect gaming — as there are those who regale against every film that isn’t “pure,” but we would do well to do the opposite of those how cry out against gaming and be inclusive and non-judgmental.

Responsive? Certainly, but with a goal of sharing our hobby with anyone interested. I think a good model for this behavior is John Nephew who encountered negative attack ads during his foray into politics, but overcame them with grace, humor, and information.