The Almighty Bible: Graphic Novel Version
Goodness, I receive some strange spam. I took the time to read this before hitting the delete key:
Bible for kids:
The Bible is the most influential book of all time, but it is an incredibly difficult, complex text. How can we make it more accessible to today's youth?
The answer is The Almighty Bible, a beautifully illustrated version of the Bible aimed at capturing the imaginations of young readers.
Studies have shown that faith reduces childhood problems and improves academic achievement, and there is no better way to introduce teens and children to the fundamentals of Christianity than through the Bible.
This is why The Almighty Bible was made and why we are letting anyone get a copy of the Book of Genesis for free.
That's right, you can get a complimentary copy of the Almighty Bible: Genesis, the perfect way to teach faith to your children. Don't wait, claim your copy before it's too late.
I love the "studies show" part--not to mention the implication that the point of faith is to improve academic performance. But really, I don't see why they don't go the whole way: What about the Bible as video game?
Wait! I see someone's got there before me! I am not making this up:
Bungie's popular first-person shooter makes its debut on the Xbox 360 with Halo 3.
The epic saga continues with Halo 3, the hugely anticipated sequel to the highly successful and critically acclaimed Halo franchise. In this third chapter of the Halo trilogy, Master Chief returns to finish the fight, bringing the epic conflict between the Covenant, the Flood, and the entire human race to a dramatic, pulse-pounding climax.
The Halo trilogy is an international award-winning action series that grew into a global entertainment phenomenon, selling more than 14.5 million units worldwide, logging more than 650 million hours of multiplayer action on Xbox Live, and spawning action figures, books, a graphic novel, apparel, an upcoming film adaptation, and more.
Now at this point, I reckon you're thinking, "It's not possible for this exercise in bad taste to exceed itself."
Oh yes, it is. I promise you. Just try clicking on any of those links.
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Comments :
May '10
Re: The Almighty Bible: Graphic Novel Version
Ahhh, you're knocking Halo now? At least neither Bungie nor Microsoft alleges that playing Halo enhances academic performance.
May '10
Re: The Almighty Bible: Graphic Novel Version
You just know that going to Hell would be way more fun in the video game than going to Heaven. "Oh, Mom, do I have to go to Heaven? Bo-o-o-r-r-r-ring"
Devil wins.
Oct '10
Re: The Almighty Bible: Graphic Novel Version
Claire, are you claiming that every version of the Hero Myth is equivalent to the Bible? Because if so, that's an entire genre of movie, TV, and almost every computer game ever made. Which might be true, but lacks discriminating power, in my opinion.
May '10
Re: The Almighty Bible: Graphic Novel Version
Scott Reusser: You just know that going to Hell would be way more fun in the video game than going to Heaven. "Oh, Mom, do I have to go to Heaven? Bo-o-o-r-r-r-ring"
Devil wins.
That explains why everyone reads the Inferno part of the Divine Comedy and forget the rest.
Edited on Mar 1, 2011 at 4:09amOct '10
Re: The Almighty Bible: Graphic Novel Version
It occurs to me (belatedly—hey, it's early!) that Claire might be reacting to names like "The Covenant" and "The Flood" without actually having played any of the Halo franchise. If that's the case, Claire: "The Covenant" is an alien race, and "The Flood" are retrovirally-constructed monsters of any race. Any resemblance to Judeo-Christian scripture begins and ends at the name.
Dec '10
Re: The Almighty Bible: Graphic Novel Version
Wouldn't there be quite a long line of illustrated-- and illuminated-- bibles?
Nothing to see, here...
I do like your observations of "studies show." The prosperity gospel certainly has deep roots. Kind of creepy. But I imagine there's a pretty long tradition of that, too. "God helps those who help themselves," and all that.
Dec '10
Re: The Almighty Bible: Graphic Novel Version
Oh, and as an aside:
Video games are awesome, and way more educational that 90% of what is on television. I know that's setting the bar low, but still.
Re: The Almighty Bible: Graphic Novel Version
Those are pretty significant names with which to begin and end, mind you.
Jan '11
Re: The Almighty Bible: Graphic Novel Version
Do they have a Lego New Testament? Oh ... no ...
Oct '10
Re: The Almighty Bible: Graphic Novel Version
Claire Berlinski, Ed. Those are pretty significant names with which to begin and end, mind you. · Mar 1 at 4:38a
m
Absolutely, but ripping off the Judeo-Christian scriptures for entertainment value is an old an honorable (?) passtime in literature, film, and games. Do I think it tells us something about where Jason Jones and friends' heads are? Certainly. But what that something is I certainly haven't been able to glean from the games. "The Covenant" do think of, and describe, Halo in religious terms. They may call themselves "The Covenant" because they're bound by a pact of some kind; I don't know. And... that's all. Not much to go on. By comparison, "The Lord of the Rings" is a shockingly Christian work.
Aug '10
Re: The Almighty Bible: Graphic Novel Version
I'm looking forward to see how they illustrate the stories of Dinah, Tamar, the Midianites, Jepthah, the Levite's concubine, basically all of 1st and 2nd Samuel, Song of Solomon ...
May '10
Re: The Almighty Bible: Graphic Novel Version
The Covenant in Halo fit the Left's typical profile of a religious people: raving, thoughtless fanatics. The only direct treatment of religion (at least in the game -- there are books, too) is the old Hollywood meme of a primitive people worshipping advanced technology because they don't understand it.
The Halo (a ring-shaped space station that contains the Flood), Covenant and Flood were certainly named with conscious reference to religion, but for dramatic purposes only.
Game design occurs mostly in cities like Los Angeles and Edmonton. Enough said.
EA's tagline for Dante's Inferno was "Go to Hell." They apparently turned Dante into an anti-hero.
I've never played a video game that treated religious belief with respect. But at least series like Fable and Mass Effect encourage players to think about moral questions.
I'm currently playing Borderlands (again). Leave it to developers in Dallas to make fun of scientists and intellectuals.
May '10
Re: The Almighty Bible: Graphic Novel Version
I almost forgot. Developer Bill Roper chose demons as the enemies for the Diablo series and Hellgate: London because he believed kids are better off fighting evil than killing human characters.
Jan '11
Re: The Almighty Bible: Graphic Novel Version
Claire Berlinski, Ed.: Now at this point, I reckon you're thinking, "It's not possible for this exercise in bad taste to exceed itself."
Oh yes, it is. I promise you.
I'm waiting for the movie.
Jul '10
Re: The Almighty Bible: Graphic Novel Version
I don't know, you could probably draw some comparisons between Master Chief and the Archangel Michael.
Still a bit of a Reach, if you'll forgive the pun. :)
May '10
Re: The Almighty Bible: Graphic Novel Version
The strategy video games (whether real-time strategy--e.g., Age of Empires--or turned-based strategy--e.g., Sid Meier's Civilization) have an attitude toward religion that is inherently cynical. As a believer, I'm always amused/disturbed by that. There's something very weird about spending gold to "research" Monotheism, Martyrdom, Astrology, Jihad, Divine Right, etc., etc. and then deriving benefit from them. There's something creepy about creating a priest who then heals your wounded warriors via literal hand-waving (hilarious!).
Lately I've been playing Civ4 with my son. The other day we were laughing about the game reporting that "Judaism has been founded in Boston in 1300 BC," or something similar, and my wife muttered, "I don't like that game." I pointed out to her that its creator, Sid Meier, is a nice, church-going Lutheran (he met his wife in the church choir) and her opinion flipped immediately. I'm not sure I agree with that logic, but I'll take my domestic peace however I can get it.
Edited on Mar 1, 2011 at 10:15amAug '10
Re: The Almighty Bible: Graphic Novel Version
First the attack on Disney Jr., now attacking Halo?! What is happening here at Ricochet?
I tell you what...play Halo for 30 minutes and see if you feel that it is in "bad taste." I beg to differ. Here's a likely scenario for how the game got it's name:
Designer 1: Dude! I just read Ringworld by Larry Niven and the concept is awesome. Let's make a multiplayer first person shooter on a Ringworld.
Designer 2: That's awesome, but we don't want to get sued by Niven. (pulls out Thesaurus) What's another word for "ring?" Ah, Halo sounds cool.
Designer 1: Wow! That's awesome, now we can use epic descriptors like Covenant and the Flood. Those words resonate with powerful underlying meaning.
Designer 2: Now...how can we make the game both look like "Starship Troopers" and not?
Jul '10
Re: The Almighty Bible: Graphic Novel Version
Nathaniel Wright: Designer 2: That's awesome, but we don't want to get sued by Niven. (pulls out Thesaurus) What's another word for "ring?" Ah, Halo sounds cool.
Designer 1: Wow! That's awesome, now we can use epic descriptors like Covenant and the Flood. Those words resonate with powerful underlying meaning.
Designer 2: Now...how can we make the game both look like "Starship Troopers" and not? · Mar 1 at 11:51am
Not too far from reality, most likely.
Interestingly, its creators say that the first game was subtitled "Combat Evolved" because they felt the name "Halo" was too girly. I found that odd, since when I first saw the title I assumed it was a reference to High Altitude Low Opening.