Hindu Organizations Protest PS2 Game

[Doug]

Spoiler: Space saving

People really need to think before they act. Good people worship these Gods in a somewhat metaphorical way. The Hindu's have a god of computer technology, they don't think of their God's in the same way Christians do. You need to keep in mind that people do respect these God's and not to just use them for the sake of entertainment. People need to respect other's religion when those who practice it have nothing against them and are not intending to harm them. These are good people you're offending, don't completely disrespect people's religion because you think all religion is pointless. Richard Dawkins would probably have more respect than these people, because they aren't trying to force their beliefs on others which dispute hard gained science, they're trying to prevent others from from doing as they please with their God's. You could hardly consider the Hindu's to be the bad people in this. The developers started it, they made a mistake. They should have thought before they made this that people actually believe in the God's they are using in their game. The developers are the ones who are doing the pushing in this, the protesters are just saying "Hey, don't push us."
*edit*
I'm going to add that what they should have done was asked some people. When you just burst into someone's territory and assuming it can be used as you please, people get angry, and will be unlikely to be accomodating, in fact if they were after all that, they should really do exercise and eat vegatables and whatever else you have to do to raise your testosterone levels. For example, under the Bush Administration, the United States declared Canada's North-West Passage international territory, even though ocean 200 miles from a nations coast is offcially the the territory of that nation. Canada simply wanted the United States to ask to use the North-West Passage, but ooooooooooh no. Good ol' George said he would send destroyers through the North-West Passage because he considers it international waters. Obama hasn't exactly been a 180 turn from that, he pretty much isn't saying anything, which means silently agreeing as far as I'm concerned, but has backed off on the destroyers. If you just ask instead of completely ignoring the people whose territory you're stepping on, they will usually be more accomodating then if you just tell them to talk to the hand and step on it anyway.

Agreed.

 

[Lonan]

People really need to think before they act. Good people worship these Gods in a somewhat metaphorical way. The Hindu's have a god of computer technology, they don't think of their God's in the same way Christians do. You need to keep in mind that people do respect these God's and not to just use them for the sake of entertainment. People need to respect other's religion when those who practice it have nothing against them and are not intending to harm them. These are good people you're offending, don't completely disrespect people's religion because you think all religion is pointless. Richard Dawkins would probably have more respect than these people, because they aren't trying to force their beliefs on others which dispute hard gained science, they're trying to prevent others from from doing as they please with their God's. You could hardly consider the Hindu's to be the bad people in this. The developers started it, they made a mistake. They should have thought before they made this that people actually believe in the God's they are using in their game.

Ok then please speak on behalf of all those who wish to have every reference to witches in popular culture and videogames eliminated. If one group must suffer denigration or depiction all should. By your logic the makers of God of War erred just as much.

Personally I think every religion should shrug off depictions of their deities and/or followers - but if they ask for special treatment then all groups get to ask for special treatment.

Please read the edit I made to my previous post. However, right here, I'll say that you basically have as much respect for the beliefs which many have today who believe in Hindu God's as you do for the ancient beliefs in witches. There's a huge difference. Religion is more about spiritual fulfillment through metaphorical belief in religious stories for these people then pointless superstition about witches, you are very insulting. You speak of freedom of speech? What if a whole game was made about fucking your mother and making her beg for more made by your childhood bullies? Where does it end? Don't just brush off the things that are important to people as superstition.
*Edit*
They should have chosen God's that no one currently believes in. This game is unintentionally yet pointlessly provocative. It wouldn't have been that hard to have used other God's which are not believed in by anyone. Or, they could have changed the Hindu God's slightly and named them something else. Make their own God's based off of such an awesome God who leads an army of monkeys. (Right up their on my list of favourite God's, right next to Thor.) It might have not offended people.

 

[imperialus]

Should pagans that happen to worship the Greek deities start freaking out over God of War. Same thing - if you can depict one deity in a game you have the right to depict whatever deity you want. some people still believe int hose deities and they have the right to be offended too. Actually scratch that - both games have the right to exist and anyone that whines about them should be ignored.

I wonder who I can email to join the petition to Sony to KEEP this game despite protests. If Sony does pull it I want to start a petition to make them pull god of War- thats offensive to say one religion > another as far as rights go just because one has less followers.

If they want to ban it in India more power to them but they have no right to say how its treated outside of India.

Just a wild guess but possibly because there is something in the neighborhood of 1 billion Hindu's on the planet... I doubt you'd find enough Greek Pagans to fill a motel six conference room.

Not only that, but from what I understand of Ancient Greek views on religion in general, they would have thought that God of War was pretty effing cool.

 

[SomeBritishDude]

They should just throw all their eggs in one basket and put all the Gods into some crazy beat-em-up game. It would be awesome.

That'd be awesome, Like Super Smash Bros with gods. Jesus vs Buddha would be epic.

 

[TsunamiWombat]

QQ Moar, Hindu's. Do I complain when the "absolutlynotthecatholicchurch" is used as the villain in countless films and videogames?

They should just throw all their eggs in one basket and put all the Gods into some crazy beat-em-up game. It would be awesome.

That'd be awesome, Like Super Smash Bros with gods. Jesus vs Buddha would be epic.

Want! Especially since the two of them are pacifists, that would be a LONG fight.

 

[toapat]

I really wish religion would keep it's nose out of video games, and well, everything really. :<

would that everything include the lives of every human being on earth?

and have you honestly heard Neo-pagans or greeks complain about god of war? those games make the bullit holes put in Tom the Cat look minor. no one back then had that technology, the blades of chaos and athena's blades were never in greek mythology, there were only 3 cyclops, only 1 minotar, and there are hundreds of other inaccuracies in those 2 games. no one cares though because they are fun hack&slash games which stay somewhat accurate to mythology

 

[imperialus]

Number of followers doesn't matter - is it right for Christians to persecute Jews just because they have greater numbers? No. A fringe religion has every bit as much right to be protected and respected (so long as their ideals don't lead people to cause others harm) as one with a billion followers.

Hate to break it to you but in the real world size matters. I mean in a perfect world we'd all be sitting around doing our own thing and no one would get offended by it... The world is not perfect.

I mean lets face it... Imagine you're a Sony Marketing Exec. You get an articulate, polite, and well reasoned letter protesting your treatment of the Greek Gods in God of War from a guy who claims to be a priest of Zeus... You raise an eyebrow, perhaps have a chuckle over it and shred it. Why? Because God of War has sold a bajillion copies and made your company a mint. You're never going to change it because you've offended one, or two or even a hundred people.

You get the same letter from a Hindu religious leader (I know next to nothing about the structure of Hinduism) of some sort. Same letter, just as well written. This might get your attention though. Why? Because 1 billion Hindu's are a massive and growing market share and not a demographic you want to piss off.

I mean do you remember what happened to McDonald's when Indians got word that they were using Beef Tallow in their fries?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1312774.stm

 

[dmase]

I'm glad that sony didn't make a game based on muslim beliefs. There was near world riot when they had a drawing of allah imagine if they actually did a videogame.

Not saying this to be mean or offensive but the reason that religon is so important is because the countries were the offended religons are based are poor and unruly(for lack of a non offensive word) and have only there religon that stays true.

I have never realy understood why people who believe in a certain religon care if other people poke fun at their god. According to most religons if you make fun of the god then your going to a bad place of some kind so i would think the believers would be like well at least i don't have to deal with that SOB when i get my virgins or achieve nirvana.

 

[CRAVE CASE 55]

Wow well if it offends people they probably should not put that out ONLY IN INDIA!!

 

[BlackHat]

To be honest i think its fair enough, if they made jesus christ super star the game people would be pissed off

or if you played as david killing goliath or anyother relgious figure.

It is important that game developers respect the right to relgious freedom and that means respecting other peoples reglious belifes as well

im sure if they made 'athiests the path to hell' where you try and use science to defend youself from demoms but you always eventually lose, atully that sounds kinder fun CHOLORINE GO

but alas, the gods of the hindus are still repsepcted by many where as the old western relgions have much less of a following does this make them redundent, does it mean there should be a double standard for diffrent relgions based on popularity, no

but game desinges should be concious of people relgious views

 

[damselgaming]

They should just throw all their eggs in one basket and put all the Gods into some crazy beat-em-up game. It would be awesome.

That'd be awesome, Like Super Smash Bros with gods. Jesus vs Buddha would be epic.

Jesus's power could be to swarm the screen with fish and bread, enough for say, a large number of people. And Buddha would be all like *FISH* *BREAD *FISH* *BREAD *BREAD* *BREAD* *FISH* and BAM goes flying into the background.