Dienstag, November 29, 2005

This is hilarious (and slightly...sad):

via BoingBoing, via Godlorica.
United States Patent Application
20050212207

Abstract
A game board apparatus having a game board horizontally divided into two sectors representing heaven and hell. The start position is at the bottom of the hell and the finish winning position is situated at the top of the heaven. The players use playing pieces to traverse spaces in the heaven and hell sectors, the amount of advancement being dictated by indicia provided on decks of question cards and answer cards.

The idea is wild enough, but the best part are the question cards which decide which direction you go on the board:

Would you make a deal with Satan?
Yes: Remain on spot. No: Advance 5 spaces.

Do you lie?
Yes: Remain on the spot. No: Advance 10 spaces.

Are you a drug user?
Yes: Go back 4 spaces. No: Advance 4 spaces.

Do you like pornography?
Yes: Go back 4 spaces. No: Advance 8 spaces.

Do you believe money is more important than your personal salvation?
Yes: Go back 11 spaces. No: Advance 11 spaces.

Do you follow God's word?
Yes: Advance 7 spaces. No: Go back to hell or satan green star.


It goes ON and ON like that - 80 questions in all. I am laughing so hard right now it hurts.

OK, and here's the REAL irony of it all: Question 8 of the "Hell Cards":
Do you think being a good person will keep you from going to hell?
Yes: Go back 3 spaces. No: Advance 7 spaces.



Edit:

I just can't get over this. After reading for a few more minutes, here are a couple more of my favorite questions and their consequences:

Are you an atheist or communist?
Yes: Go back to start. No: Advance to next heaven blue star.

Would you sell your country's defense secrets?
Yes: Go back to start. No: Advance 6 spaces.

If cutting off any part of your body would give a satanic power, would you do it?
Yes: Go back to start. No: Advance 7 spaces.

To go a little deeper on this...
I noticed something - the game functions according to what most people view religion as - do something good, get closer to heaven/Nirvana/paradise - do something bad, get further away.
In fact, you could have some type of version of this board game for virtually every religion out there!

Islam:

Have you ever been to Mekka?
Yes: Advance 4 spaces. No: Go back 5 spaces.

Do you pray daily?
Yes: Advance 4 spaces. No: Go back 5 spaces.

Do you observe the Ramadan fast?
Yes: Advance 4 spaces. No: Go back 5 spaces.


Hinduism:

Do you lie?
Yes: Go back 3 karma. No: Advance 2 karma.

Do you eat meat?
Yes: Go back 1 karma. No: Advance 1 karma.

Do you tithe one tenth of your income to God?
Yes: Advance 2 karma. No: Go back 2 karma.


Buddhism:

Do you steal?
Yes: Go back 3 spaces. No: Advance 3 spaces.

Do you lie?
Yes: Go back 3 spaces. No: Advance 2 spaces.

Do you have sex outside of marriage?
Yes: Go back 3 spaces. No: Advance 3 spaces.


Judaism:

Do you keep the Sabbath?
Yes: Advance 3 spaces. No: Go back 3 spaces.

Do you commit adultery?
Yes: Go back 2 spaces. No: Advance 3 spaces.


The ironic thing is that Christianity is supposed to transcend this "game", not join in, adding stupid rules like "Thou shalt not sell thy country's defense secrets." The principle being: Christianity is about a relationship, not about rules!

The author of this board game seems to have heard about this somewhere (see the question on "being a good person"), but he completely misses the point, making even that principle part of the game! Whoa.

Keine Kommentare: