Rich Sezov wrote:
> People, 

> Well, it seems I've been voted down by a great majority. Like all of 
> you, I don't like the spaceships. However, unlike all of you, I do not 
> want to see the dark creatures represented as demons. Let me give 
> you some reasons, and then if you all still want to do it this way, I 
> guess there won't be anything I can do about it: 
 
> 1. I think there's a lot of value in what C.S. Lewis said in his 
> introduction to the Screwtape Letters. I'll paraphrase it here, since I 
> don't have a copy with me: "There are two ways Satan trips people up. 
> The first is to disbelieve in demons' existence. The second is to have 
> an unhealthy interest in them." Coming up with this "hierarchy," I 
> think, is dangerous, because it's speculative. For me, it's getting too 
> close to them. 

> 2. I have a problem with basing DragonRaid's theology on the Frank 
> Peretti "demon around every corner" concept. Most of the time, our 
> sin comes from ourselves--our Old Man, the sinful nature rearing its 
> ugly head. I think there's a danger in constantly teaching kids that the 
> sin they struggle with comes from outside of them, and that they need 
> to be exorcising demons all the time in order for them to fight against 
> their sin. That's not sanctification. Sanctification is focusing on God 
> and His holiness, and endeavoring by the power of the Holy Spirit to 
> put off sin and to grow closer to Him each and every day. Blaming 
> your sin on something else and imagining that you're kicking that 
> demon out of your life is not the answer. 
 
> 3. This introduces another possible stumbling block to the game. I'd 
> be very wary, as a Christian parent, of a product that based its system 
> on a speculative demon hierarchy that the players have to fight 
> against. If DragonRaid got killed once for things like rainbows on the 
> cover, it'll definitely get killed for this. I can see it now: "Players are 
> taught to cooperate with demons, because the leader plays the parts 
> of demons. This leader, who must be called 'Adventure Master,' as 
> though he were the leader of some kind of cult, is supposed to be 
> teaching 'spiritual truths.' These so-called 'truths' include vast 
> descriptions of greater and lesser demons. This game is of the devil." 
> [Etc.] There's no telling how people will twist this. 

> So please, please reconsider your thoughts on this issue. I don't like 
> the spaceships, but I'll take them in favor of this demon thing. 
 
> Your brother in Christ, 
> Rich Sezov


I think that Rich makes a very valid arguement here.  I do not want 
people thinking that there is a demon around every bush.  There may 
be, but I don't know that we as believers need to be worrying about 
them.  I aslo don't want to teach that people can blame others 
(demons) for their failures. 

Point 3) should be looked at hard, since Telepathy caused such a 
problem, I think a continent of demons could as well.

I think that the suggestion of having the Dark Creatures be fallen 
inhabitants of EdenAgain would be the most plausible so far.  Dragons 
are still demons, they need to be.

Joe R
VRWC