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It is amazing that there are still people who claim that Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) is satanic. Much of the original opposition to Dungeons and Dragons was supported by Patricia Pulling and Jack Chick in the 1980s. Both of these people were completely convinced that Dungeons and Dragons was and is satanic. Jack Chick has gone on to write various tracks that claim that people who engage in the game of Dungeons and Dragons automatically join in with the occult and start worshiping devils. Some religious authorities today still follow this train of thought and claim that the game leads people away from God and toward the devil.

I would instead claim that if Dungeons and Dragons is satanic because people are distracted, then there are much more serious problems in the world that lead people away from God and towards Satan. Many people spend large amounts of money playing golf. They spend good portions of their money on supplies for the game, and they spend a good deal of time playing golf, which draws them away from God. They also go with their friends to play golf, leading them away from their families, and opening up their mind to other activities related to golf, like drinking after the game and going to strip clubs. Therefore, golf is satanic - at least just as satanic as Dungeons and Dragons.

In fact, the game of Dungeons and Dragons is nothing more than a game. Many people are attracted to the game that are introverted and perhaps less athletically gifted. This group of people is attracted to the game because the game requires a person to use their mind and their imagination more than the average game. Instead of being bad for people, the game can help people learn to use their brain and to exercise their creativity. The game also helps people form lasting relationships and can even help the introverted teen to learn how to associate effectively with other people.

I also notice that the majority of people who are opposed to the game and who say that the game is satanic have never actually played the game. Contrary to urban legends, there are no satanic rituals that are part of the game. There are no blood oaths involved with the game. There is no witchcraft and no actual spells that are cast by players of the game. Instead, characters that exist only in the imagination might cast a spell that has an effect. The game does nothing to promote real people learning how to cast real spells - because after all, there's no such thing as magic, right?

For an entertaining look at how a real tabletop session of Dungeons and Dragons might look, watch this 8-bit theater video.

Learn more about this author, Jeffrey Ober.
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