The Null Device

Left Behind: the video game

A new video game is in the works in which the player plays a paramilitary soldier in New York whose job is to convert or exterminate nonbelievers and apostates. It's not the latest piece of viral jihadist propaganda from al-Qaeda, but the latest tie-in to the Left Behind movies, bound for a Wal-Mart near you in time for the Christmas shopping season:
Imagine: you are a foot soldier in a paramilitary group whose purpose is to remake America as a Christian theocracy, and establish its worldly vision of the dominion of Christ over all aspects of life. You are issued high-tech military weaponry, and instructed to engage the infidel on the streets of New York City. You are on a mission - both a religious mission and a military mission -- to convert or kill Catholics, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, gays, and anyone who advocates the separation of church and state - especially moderate, mainstream Christians. Your mission is "to conduct physical and spiritual warfare"; all who resist must be taken out with extreme prejudice. You have never felt so powerful, so driven by a purpose: you are 13 years old. You are playing a real-time strategy video game whose creators are linked to the empire of mega-church pastor Rick Warren, best selling author of The Purpose Driven Life.
I wonder whether some Qaedistas will end up hacking this into a jihad-themed game and distributing it to potential recruits. After all, it sounds like it'd only need cosmetic changes, such as replacing "the dominion of Christ" with "the Caliphate" and Muslims with Israelis or somesuch, and changing some dialogue.

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