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Left Behind - The Scandal that is none

At the moment, media is reporting about the video game "Left Behind - Eternal Forces". This game is based upon the best-selling (in the US) Left Behind series: set after the Rapture of the true christian believers, the majority of humanity finds itself "left behind" for the Tribulations of the biblical Apocalypse. Now a part of mankind starts to serve the Antichrist (of course an European using the UN), while others (the Tribulation Force) interprets the signs "right" and begins to turn to the biblical God.

Within the game, the player has to lead the Tribulation Force to an apocalyptic New York and increase his disciples. Clashes with the "Global Community Peacekeepers" of the Antichrist are predictable. As fights may arise from these clashes, it is said that one has to "kill in the name of God" playing this game and that it would hurt "religious tolerance".

Now that does not really get the facts right. It contradicts the setting of the game to kill as a christian player, as every character has a tendency towards good or evil, an alignment that is influenced by his actions: killing earns evil points, praying good points. That is not a very innovative concept, as other games like that based on Dungeons & Dragons know alignments as well. If the player behaves nice in Knights of the Old Republic, his character will become a Jedi, if he constantly uses dark powers, he will become a Sith. If one is determined to become a Jedi, the choices can be limited: to work with a corrupt trader won't serve this goal, so one has to abstain from it, even if the credits would be handy.
Evil characters in the game will eventually join the Antichrist, so if you're killing too often, you'll loose your people.

Concering religious tolerance, one has to look more closely. It is quite obvious that Left Behind is based on a very fundamentalistic interpretation of Christianity, one that teaches that unbelievers will end up in Hell no matter what life they had. To believe in such thing is legitimate. I don't, for I am no Christian, but who does has every right to do so.
Tolerance means to me that I am ready to tolerate views different from mine, without having to join or acknowledging them. Whether someone believes that I live in Sin or not is not my problem, as long as he does not try to actually force his views upon me. Tolerance means that I may be confronted with ideas that I don't like, and that I have to tolerate exactly that.

Now the game is somewhat fair game in my country. We tend to belittle the US for their common religious bigottry, and the game serves as another proof. However, I think that one has to treat the opponent with due respect as well and has a duty to report truthfully about him

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