IN: Are you Christian?

[korbeau]

I'm practicing Witchcraft and i'm partially part of a wicca coven for the major sabbat celebration.

[Kauboi]

We have decided in my group that, as an RPG, this game will not represent modern religion but a belief system in a parallel realm. We replace terms with the following so as not to scrape too closely to the real thing:

God = The Presence
Heaven = The Elysium
Hell = The Abyss/The Pit
Satan = The Adversary/The Accuser

We continue to discuss new references as we continue...

That, and we don't really play Demons...makes it easier to steer clear of any conflict.

[BillionSix]

Originally Posted by Kauboi

We have decided in my group that, as an RPG, this game will not represent modern religion but a belief system in a parallel realm. We replace terms with the following so as not to scrape too closely to the real thing:

God = The Presence
Heaven = The Elysium
Hell = The Abyss/The Pit
Satan = The Adversary/The Accuser

We continue to discuss new references as we continue...

That, and we don't really play Demons...makes it easier to steer clear of any conflict.

No offense dude, but that reminds me of when they change names in comics for legal reasons, so people have burgers at McDoggies. Everyone knows what it really is, it doesn't fool anyone, and all it does is remind you that it's a cheap copy every time you hear it.

[Kauboi]

Originally Posted by BillionSix

No offense dude, but that reminds me of when they change names in comics for legal reasons, so people have burgers at McDoggies. Everyone knows what it really is, it doesn't fool anyone, and all it does is remind you that it's a cheap copy every time you hear it.

It IS a cheap out. The alternative is anyone who plays this game invoking God has to take a break and wonder if they should even say that.

If it makes them feel better, so be it...it's only a name. Otherwise the only people willing to take part in the stories this system can evoke are those who simply don't believe.

[Jennifer]

Originally Posted by Kauboi

Satan = The Adversary/The Accuser

But... In Nomine doesn't use "Satan"; the big bad guy is called "Lucifer". :)

And on a more serious note, "the Adversary" bring in some interesting AU theological possibilities. Is it possible that Lucifer's rebellion was all part of God's ineffable plan, and that Hell fills an unpleasant but necessary role in the Symphony? That would make a lot of Habbalah happy.

And going back to the original question of the thread, I'm not religious.

I've noticed that campaigns that do allow demons tend to end up with at least one redemption, whether that was the original intention or not.

[Attercap]

I'm a Militant Agnostic, but I've been in some groups where we decided it was best to not play In Nomine as some of the gamers didn't want to delve into the the theological implications of the game against their own beliefs. Said gamers have been Jewish, Christian and atheist. Other people I've gamed with have had just as strong faith and had no problems with the game. One of my Jewish friends even draped his Habbalite of Media in plenty of Jewish/Hebrew lore, trying to set his "pychic" servant as a Jewish prophet.

[ISNorden]

I was raised as a fundamentalist Christian, but have followed Norse paganism for the past 17 years. Oddly enough, both my old and my new religion have shaped the heretical campaign I now run: it's a bright (angelic) game with strong contrast, but also treats Ethereals as a genuine third side. (Some Superiors and campaign history got changed as a result...)

Like most role-players, I draw a pretty sharp line between fictional and real versions of the supernatural. IN was not meant to be a religious teaching tool, so I don't expect the rules to treat any particular theology as correct.

[Andygal]

I'm an atheist myself.

And I have no problem with playing IN (obviously).

It's a game that takes place in a fictional reality that has no bearing on actual reality.

Real life bores me most of the time, I like to escape from real life. That's why I read fantasy and play fantasy games.

[Xipe_Totec]

I was raised a pretty devout Catholic (as a matter of fact, I went beyond my family's devoutness and actually pursued an apologist's career for a while), but have in the mean time gone atheist (quite militant, one might say, but that depends on the topic and the surroundings). My grandfather (whom I never met) was muslim, and I have a turkish-slavic name (turkish baseline with a slavic suffix). Having inquired about Islam, as well as many other religions, I can safely say I'm at home playing any kind of character. As a matter of fact, despite my atheism, I must confess that judeochristian mythology is my favorite. And I don't mean "mythology" just in the militant atheist sense of invalidating religious beliefs, but also regarding things that are commonly accepted but with no concrete backing (for instance, the idea of Lucifer=Satan as a fallen angel, when the basis of it is a tease toward the king of Babylon, etc).

As a GM, OTOH, I try to get the vibe of my players, to judge what they'd deem too much, and to proceed only at their aprooval. I've ran into problems running gray-morality fantasy, and I can see that being much more of a problem with IN.

Side note:

Originally Posted by Jennifer

And on a more serious note, "the Adversary" bring in some interesting AU theological possibilities. Is it possible that Lucifer's rebellion was all part of God's ineffable plan, and that Hell fills an unpleasant but necessary role in the Symphony? That would make a lot of Habbalah happy.

That is actually my personal understanding of the role of Satan in the Bible, and I see the role more of a kind of "Devil's Advocate" (to pardon the pun) then a good-evil duality. As a matter of fact Satan (as Adversary) and Lucifer (as Evil Fallen One) are IMO so different they almost require a three-way interaction. It would be fun running an IN game which includes the Adversary as a fixed role different from Lucifer, and explore what follows depending on what side the Adversary is positioned on. Unfortunately, I think that would be too much of a gray-area for my players, so it remains only an idea. :/

[Notdan]

I'm a staunch atheist, and In Nomine is quite possibly my favourite role-playing game. I think that the setting is really rich, and generates a lot of extremely interesting stories.

I know some of my friends have found it a little odd at first that I can play an Angel so enthusiastically, but I really don't see it as different from, say, playing a highly devout Cleric in D&D (which I also really enjoyed.) I understand the difference between a fictional world in which gods are real, and a real world in which gods are fictional.