In Nomine and real religious reactions?

[ladyarcana55]

It was interesting, when I introduced IN to my gaming group, I got the following responses off hand

I can't play demons. I gotta play the good guys (from the more devoted Christian)

I'm not comfortable playing a game that plays with religion (from the non-practicing Christian, borderline athiest)

Ooh! I know exactly what I want to play (The devout Catholic)

Cool...(from both Buddhists)

Okay (Catholic)

It was interesting to me to see the different reactions.

[The Final Door]

Originally Posted by Andygal

heh, I myself am an avowed atheist, and I (obviously) have no problem RPing angels.

Ironically, the project in question makes Atheists look rather counter-fact, and even has a shaky coalition between worldwide Atheists and certain fundamental religious factions (both sides insist the reappeance of God is a hoax, of the worst kind). I am myself an Agnostic, and my faith gets its own unflattering moments, too :) In essence, the setting paints most faiths and denominations as all too human in the face of (apparent) Divine Presence...

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by Rocket Man

To be fair, it's not always a question of separating reality from fiction -- it's a matter of deciding "Is this particular fiction something I want to pursue? Am I comfortable doing this, even in pretense?"

Real life comes first. And if a story or game gives you real-world qualms for some reason, it's probably best avoided. That doesn't make the story or the game necessarily evil ... but it does mean that it's probably not the right one for you.

True. Preference is almost never wrong. I was mainly referring to the fantasy/fiction problem.
Though I don't see the problem with playing a game loosely based on real world religions.
I just don't believe in anything that strongly, so the whole problem goes over my head, so I should probably just shut up.
And no, my atheism is a lack of belief, not a belief.

[Archangel Beth]

Originally Posted by The Final Door

It made me think, did In Nomine ever (unintentionally) provoke any reactions from the religious community?

I never heard of any. And I got email from people wondering how to cast real satanic spells, and from one of the three incarnations of Lilith's Daughters complaining about how Lilith was depicted. (For the second, I explained that In Nomine was just a game and wasn't intended to capture reality. For the first... http://archangelbeth.livejournal.com/9977.html )

[robkelk]

Originally Posted by Flyndaran

Get over it. Do they throw hissy fits over ball in a cup, or hula hoops?

All that wasting time tossing a ball into a cup that could have been spent productively, or all that near-obscene gyrating of the hips needed to work a hula hoop... Of course the sort of people who complain about roleplaying games complained about ball-and-cup toys or hula hoops. People who are capable of thinking that way are able to complain about anything. Best to ignore them when we can.

As for negative reactions to In Nomine, I only had one player in my group object to the game, and that was because he insisted despite all evidence to the contrary that it had to be played high-contrast. His and my playing styles are vastly different, though, so I don't really mind that he isn't in my IN game...

[Acolyte]

I wouldn't know about when the game came out, being I gather younger than most In Nomine players (to use Fleurity's analogy, I sped through pot*sneezeD&Dsneeze* and shrooms*cough*WoD*cough* and started hitting the crack right away) and only a relatively recent convert. But the people I game IN with are all my age or younger (excluding this about-to-start IN:Noir RocketMan mentioned), and none of us has ever had any problem with it, even though we come from extremely divergent faith backgrounds.

I think it's a valid question, though, and the most valid answer is that while anytime you even lightly touch on religious topics, you're going to inflame and anger someone, but unless you set out with the direct goal of insulting people and/or are cluelessly insensitive, most people will realize that you're making a game, not a religious statement. "Most people" will therefore not have a big problem with you, and will recognize that the people who are making a stink are just making a stink, no more.

I will second the comment made above that the players of mine who evinced the most reluctance to play/discuss IN weren't the religious ones, but the solidly arreligious ones, who weren't excited about playing in a primarily Judeo-Christian-themed setting. Of course, it takes about the time necessary to read "A Bright Dream" for someone like that to realize In Nomine isn't a vehicle of proselytism but a decidedly quirky (possibly even kinky) take on the topic. Later readings only confirm this--the section on Khalid in Superiors: III doesn't sidestep the relationship between many modern Islamic states and terrorism, at the same time treating the Muslim faith with dignity and respect, all the while focusing on how these issues relate to the War between Heaven and Hell as In Nomine sees it.

From the perspective of an IN GM, I have more difficulty in my games dealing with the 100% "realworld" nature of the setting rather than its religious implications. The fact that I often have to consult Google Maps and give precise street addresses for important locations is a challenge, although it's also given me a lot of new options for setting the stage. So far, I've enjoyed the challenge, and I don't see that changing, generally-speaking.

[ISNorden]

For what it's worth, I am a modestly observant Norse pagan in real life--something which surprises potential players when they hear about my IN gaming style (bright, Heaven-friendly, with some Catholic overtones and a lot of traditional angelic lore). "How can you run a game like In Nomine, especially in that style, when the premise goes against your faith?" The answer is simple enough: First, IN is a game, not a religious teaching tool (even though I know of people who use it as one). I happen to like traditional religious lore when it comes to angels and demons, so I bend the rules to accomodate that lore...without making a session sound like a church-drama rehearsal.

Second, IN is flexible enough for me to strengthen ethereals and cast them in a more favorable light, without wearing my real-world beliefs on my sleeve. (So far, two Norse pagan NPCs have appeared in-game; one of them was an irascible sorcerer, not likable by most people's standards.) As long as the game doesn't become a soapbox for anyone to push his own beliefs or denigrate someone else's, I see nothing wrong with modifying In Nomine that way.

[ladyarcana55]

I know this isn't necessarily involving In Nomine, but it is along a similar vein and I thought you may find it interesting.

I was in college and I had been introduced to WoD. I was reading the book when someone who was in the Christian Club on campus saw me reading it. I was also wearing a pewter pin of a sorceress. Next thing I know I am being screamed at by this nutjob, accusing me of being satanic and wearing a pin depicting a woman copulating with a snake and "promoting my brand of heresy."

Needless to say, I was like WTF!

And I'm not kidding nor am I exaggerating when I say this, but for a couple of weeks, him and a bunch of friends would chase me around campus throwing the small mini bibles at me. I was never in better shape since that time. Although I still wonder why a Christian group would be throwing bibles, but whatever.

I still laugh at that to this day. When I saw In Nomine, I was so not afraid. How can I be after an experience like that? There is a part of me that would love to see someone top that.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by ISNorden

For what it's worth, I am a modestly observant Norse pagan in real life--something which surprises potential players when they hear about my IN gaming style (bright, Heaven-friendly, with some Catholic overtones and a lot of traditional angelic lore). "How can you run a game like In Nomine, especially in that style, when the premise goes against your faith?" The answer is simple enough: First, IN is a game, not a religious teaching tool (even though I know of people who use it as one). I happen to like traditional religious lore when it comes to angels and demons, so I bend the rules to accomodate that lore...without making a session sound like a church-drama rehearsal.
....

Just like how the rest of us would have no problem with playing a game that portrays norse mythology as fact.

[The Final Door]

Thanks for all the input, folks! I feel confident being part of the project now, and it was just given the go-ahead. So later this month, playtesting starts on the setting. I'll keep an eye on the thread, though, because it is a topic that I have now taken a personal interest in. And I'll notify you when there is something public on the thing, so you can all scream in horror and through mini-bibles (seriously?) at me. Or mini-INs, if SJG will print them :D