Don't prejudize me man!

[Azulfae]

Lol i was thinking, (yep you know it's gonna suck if the post starts with lol and the words I & Thinking, was.)

If we got something together where all D&D players world over could register as being D&D players and declaring D&D as a 'way of life' a 'code' comparable to what other people possess as a religion or belief system. Would that mean that in the work place or in school more importantly, if someone was treated with prejudice because of their D&D hobby... no no scrub that... because of their D&D beliefs, could their oppressors be diciplined/sacked/expelled?

I was thinking about it and my inlaws are Muslim, they pray 5 times a day! I was thinking, 5 times a day I could never commit myself to something like that. Then I thought, damn! the reason why is because I spend more time in the day playing D&D than they do praying. It absorbs me. I don't have time for a religion, I already have a way of life, a system if you like.

This sh*t is a religion, in the technical sense.

[Xeesheava]

I think that will be boring. That will erase the bomb effect what a D&D Player can cause on a group of people.

Time ago I was with a group of people, and a girl said: "I really hate that anime and roleplayers nerds, I can sense them, they are so obvious! I can't talk about anything with that bastards!", then I said: "Right, well... then it's time for me to leave yourself in your own ignorance, a not pleasure" and left.

Prejudizing it's something the human society (because im an elf, wooo) can't avoid. Even in the PW we play we prejudize another character because his/her race, class and religion.

Also, we are entering in the terrain of the "normality". But I will not say too much, only I can say, I met a lot of people who declared themselves huge fans of Pink Floyd and they are "another brick in the wall".

[Product of Void]

umm DnD is not a religion. I am religious but I will only discuss that with those who want in private. Tells, Pms, or IMs. And only if they wish to, I am not going to be the one who starts.

Its a game, and a fantasy. A way to break from reality and have fun. In embracing a day dream no matter how old you are it makes you feel young.

Everyone has personal rules on builds, or rp. Seeing some things as bad rp or just cheesy. Myself included, though these are also something best kept personal only discussed if others ask to discuss it first.

I study the manuals, spells, classes, and races so I can min max...yes I am one of those bastards.

Hardly a prayer book (which I keep in the john).

Ignorance, and arrangance to think you can Spot/Smell a DnD nerd or some other type of person I rather doubt. Though its rather fun to leave a Manual of some sort on my desk to see who spots it and who knows it.

[Kangleton]

There are actually very technical specifics that qualify an institution, group, or ideology as "religious" in the literal, legally recognized sense. You'd need a certain amount of followers, a unified place of worship, a holy book or source of scripture, a being or beings to worship or draw knowledge or wisdom from, and a few other specifications that don't come to mind. I haven't studied religion in a while.

Essentially though, while you couldn't turn D&D into a religion, you could probably turn the worshiping of the Faerun pantheon into a legally recognized one.

[Phantom Lamb]

You'd need a certain amount of followers
Check.

A unified place of worship
Does the local comic book store count?

A holy book or source of scripture
Check on source books.

A being or beings to worship or draw knowledge or wisdom from
Gary Gygax is now in the great beyond. Check.

Maybe I'll leave my DnD 4th edition in the John from now on?

[Shunt]

LOL.

Never played the fourth am a 3rd ed follower :P

[Product of Void]

You'd need a certain amount of followers
Check.

A unified place of worship
Does the local comic book store count?

A holy book or source of scripture
Check on source books.

A being or beings to worship or draw knowledge or wisdom from
Gary Gygax is now in the great beyond. Check.

Maybe I'll leave my DnD 4th edition in the John from now on?

HAH...right...sorry don't buy it.

1. Might have alot of folks who play dnd but like ordering pizza few agree on everything.

2. comic shops I visit hardly talk about DnD usually what new movie is being transfered from a comic or other such things.

3. While folks base their campgion off the manuals alot of folks customize their PnP campgions due to others know to much about monsters etc. Even then you have rule mongers who will argue for 2 hours about stupid stuff. Plus you have folks agrueing about what edition is best.

which created Dragon lance, Ravenloft, Ebonanana, etc. All from custom campgions desigened by the dm. A tool to tell the story and have fun.

4. Did not know who the hell he was until he was dead.

DnD 1st 2nd 3, 3.5 are not the only pnp games out there nor Rping game. What about Larpers, or Vampire the masqraud(sp?), and the dozen other PnP games.

Its a hobby, not a religion. This would be like saying folks who work on cars are religious due to reading manuals, or someone who cuts hair worships it due to reading styling manuals.

[Kangleton]

Yo. Stop prejudicing against us. Srsly.

[rustediron]

"unified place of worship", "holy book, or souces of scripture" and "being or beings to worship" seem like rather unfair conditions :S

I mean, it wouldn't be hard to imagine what we could colloquially regard as a 'religion' without having to check at least one of these boxes.

[Thief Of Navarre]

PoV, how many muslims or christians believe in the same thing?

chances are that very few share a similar belief in their own faith; thats why both of them have factions whose beliefs differ yet their religion remains the same.

Think of the methodist, catholic and protestant churches as 2nd edition, 3rd edition & 4th edition rules in D&D. The likenesses between 'religion' and 'hobby' are almost uncanny. You may say D&D is a break from reality, but isnt religion the same?

[rustediron]

HAH...right...sorry don't buy it.

1. Might have alot of folks who play dnd but like ordering pizza few agree on everything.

2. comic shops I visit hardly talk about DnD usually what new movie is being transfered from a comic or other such things.

3. While folks base their campgion off the manuals alot of folks customize their PnP campgions due to others know to much about monsters etc. Even then you have rule mongers who will argue for 2 hours about stupid stuff. Plus you have folks agrueing about what edition is best.

which created Dragon lance, Ravenloft, Ebonanana, etc. All from custom campgions desigened by the dm. A tool to tell the story and have fun.

4. Did not know who the hell he was until he was dead.

DnD 1st 2nd 3, 3.5 are not the only pnp games out there nor Rping game. What about Larpers, or Vampire the masqraud(sp?), and the dozen other PnP games.

Its a hobby, not a religion. This would be like saying folks who work on cars are religious due to reading manuals, or someone who cuts hair worships it due to reading styling manuals.

1. Again, the denomination argument from theif.

2. Some people go to church often, others hardly ever go; yet both of these types of people are still regarded as Christian. Can we not then apply this to the comic book store?

3. Even Christianity doesn't wholly agree on their scripture:
The Roman Catholic Church include the Apocrypha in their... what? Edition? of the bible; Martin Luther translating the then only Latin bible into German caused a huge uproar; The Book of Mormon from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints.

4. Jesus, much?

[Product of Void]

sorry just not buying it and if I saw this as a religion I would sell all my books and quit playing.

by the same account you would have trekies, starwars, lord of the rings, car ethusist, hair ethisuist, etc etc all be pegged as religious.

Three easy ways to start a fight.
1. religion
2. gender issues
3. spill someone's beer

you can argue this all you want, I do not see it that way.

Problem with religons as a whole is not the beliefs but the inablity to accept others believing differently. Only the dead know the riddle of lifes answer, and they aren't talking. Lack of religion is also a belief system which studies nothing, believes in nothing yet is pushie about the idea that the accept this is it.

My view is simple I am perfectly fine in you believing what ever you do long as you do not attempt to enforce your ideals upon me or limit my personal freedom.

as for the title of such like some go and some don't yet call themselves X. Scam artist and madmen also call themselves things hardly makes them so. A title is just something to get a reaction from people or a sign of what limitations and responsiblities your willing to accept.

[Machiavelli]

Okay, I'm shutting this one down before it leads to conflict or ill will. There are plenty of places on the interwebs to discuss such issues. You are welcome on Sundren irrespective of your religious persuasion... unless you worship the flying spaghetti monster; that thing made a huge mess in my lounge room and I'm not happy about it.