Questions about Pokemon

[silvershock95]

Okay, so I'm fairly new here and I didn't really want to start a bunch of new topics, but I really have to know this answer!

I've always loved Pokemon as a kid. I took a break from it for a few years and got back into it a couple of years ago. I currently roleplay on tumblr for a character (though I'm cutting down on both the games and RPing because of University, and spending more time in the Church and reading the Bible again- it was necessary because it was distracting me from worship and praising God)

I recognise there is a LOT of controversy around the games and the anime, especially considering its 'evolution'. To me, I've never seen it as supporting Darwin's theory or going against creationism in any way- it's just metamorphosis from them growing stronger and growing older because of trust, love and friendship.

Also, the symbolism of Arceus-- to me, I thought it was a good thing that people were being reminded that there is a creator. But now that I reflect on it, it actually seems quite uncomfortable to witness because surely, doesn't that symbolism count as an 'idol' in a sense?

And another thing-- I heard people say it's full of occult symbols and the like, but again I've never seen it as 'evil' and by playing it, it has never influenced me to go against Christianity or destroy my faith in any way. If anything, it's purely a work of fiction and people have the sense to know that these creatures aren't real and cannot make them real.

So, I really do love the game and I know that sometime in the future I will lose passion for it completely. BUT I am afraid that this is something that is dishonouring our Lord by playing it. Yes, there are parts that I don't agree with but I just ignore it and overlook it. How do I know if God does or does not want me to play the game?

Any thoughts and suggestions? I know it seems silly over one little game but I can't stop questioning it! Any help/opinions would be greatly appreciated!!!

[Nate]

IF PRIMEAPES EVOLVE FROM MANKEYS THEN WHY DO WE STILL HAVE MANKEYS

CHECKMATE POKEATHEISTS

[silvershock95]

IF PRIMEAPES EVOLVE FROM MANKEYS THEN WHY DO WE STILL HAVE MANKEYS

CHECKMATE POKEATHEISTS

I'm really really sorry, but I'm not sure I understand your comment D: Is it still okay for me to play it?

[Xeno]

Play your games and enjoy them. There is nothing occult about pogeymans or any other game geared towards the pre-teen audience (that is the game's general demographic). The evolution in pokemon is not at all related to scientific evolution, it's metamorphosis (which is again, not evolution). Have fun, don't worry about people coming up with reasons to make you feel bad or guilty for enjoying simple things.

IF PRIMEAPES EVOLVE FROM MANKEYS THEN WHY DO WE STILL HAVE MANKEYS

CHECKMATE POKEATHEISTS

You have defeated me, I cannot combat your iron-clad logic. Bread goes in, and toast comes out, you know why it does but I can't explain it.

[silvershock95]

Play your games and enjoy them. There is nothing occult about pogeymans or any other game geared towards the pre-teen audience (that is the game's general demographic). The evolution in pokemon is not at all related to scientific evolution, it's metamorphosis (which is again, not evolution). Have fun, don't worry about people coming up with reasons to make you feel bad or guilty for having enjoying simple things.

THANK YOU so much. Honestly, that's cleared a lot up. I was just concerned because there's a verse in the Bible (I can't remember specifically which one though) but it said something like 'If you are unsure about whether to eat a certain food, and you go ahead to do it anyway, then you have sinned'.

Because I was unsure about it, I didn't want to just go ahead and do it anyway! I know we all sin of course, but I know it's important not to willfully do it, even if God does forgive! I just wasn't sure how to tell if this is something that God wants me to do as a hobby or whether it was my own desire...

[Xeno]

THANK YOU so much. Honestly, that's cleared a lot up. I was just concerned because there's a verse in the Bible (I can't remember specifically which one though) but it said something like 'If you are unsure about whether to eat a certain food, and you go ahead to do it anyway, then you have sinned'.

No problem =)

Also, the passage you're thinking about is

Food Offered to Idols
1 About food offered to idols: We know that “we all have knowledge.”fn Knowledge inflates with pride, but love builds up. 2 If anyone thinks he knows anything, he does not yet know it as he ought to know it. 3 But if anyone loves God, he is known by Him.
4 About eating food offered to idols, then, we know that “an idol is nothing in the world,” and that “there is no God but one.” 5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth — as there are many “gods” and many “lords” —
6 yet for us there is one God, the Father.
All things are from Him,
and we exist for Him.
And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ.
All things are through Him,
and we exist through Him.
7 However, not everyone has this knowledge. In fact, some have been so used to idolatry up until now that when they eat food offered to an idol, their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8 Food will not make us acceptable to God. We are not inferior if we don’t eat, and we are not better if we do eat. 9 But be careful that this right of yours in no way becomes a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if someone sees you, the one who has this knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, won’t his weak conscience be encouraged to eat food offered to idols? 11 Then the weak person, the brother for whom Christ died, is ruinedfn by your knowledge. 12 Now when you sin like this against the brothers and wound their weak conscience, you are sinning against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food causes my brother to fall, I will never again eat meat, so that I won’t cause my brother to fall.

It's about doing things you know to be okay, but if it causes someone around you to stumble in their faith or sin, then it's sin. People having misconceptions about Pokemon isn't sinning.

[silvershock95]

Ah I see. So basically, as long as I can play and talk about the game but in a way that doesn't cause people to stray from God/becoming atheist or anything similar, then it's acceptable?

Also I'm a little confused on what exactly eating food offered to idols means. Does the term idol mean like, a 'fake' God or if you were to worship some sort of celebrity or political figure for example? Or does idol mean 'an individual'?

I'm so sorry for asking all these questions. I feel like a bad Christian for not understanding because I've only just recently started putting time aside to reading through the Bible properly! But that's another reason why I came to these forums- to help my understanding of it. I keep getting so paranoid and even depressed that because I'm living each day without having read ALL of the Bible I could be doing things that dishonours God without even knowing it!

[Xeno]

I'll PM you, this is theology stuff.

[silvershock95]

I'll PM you, this is theology stuff.

Okay, thanks!

[LastLfan]

This is a topic i've faced alot in my life as my grandmother and teachers at my school believe pokemon is sinful. Homestly what I see alot is that people are told this by their pastor and take his opinion as gospel truth. When you ask them the response I usually get is "it's subliminal". My thinking is, it's an alternate universe, i treat it as any fictional world in that is has no effect on my world and isn't a representation of it. As far as images there was a swastika on a zubat card and people claimed pokemon was nazi propaganda. Basically most people that say pokemon is sinful go on hearsay or a basic misconception about the game. I understand the struggles you're going through, and if they try to talk it about it, respond calmly and logically. Good luck with whatever you do.

[Nate]

The "Zubat card with a swastika" is in the same camp as the "Swastika dungeon from original Legend of Zelda." It's stupid, the idea that symbols have been appropriated, have more than one meaning, or are similar to other symbols while not identical is completely lost on some people.

[silvershock95]

Yeah, it's extremely frustrating because I'd rather sit down and play that than go out to a nightclub for example. People are too quick to judge on it without having even played it I think...

We're told to guard our hearts and minds aren't we? Like with Pokemon I've studied it carefully and same, I treat it as a separate fictional world and it's never torn my faith away for the multiple times I've played it. I mean I know there'll come a time when I''ll stop playing altogether, but I'm thinking of playing ORAS on occasion in November and then selling it on. I'll grow out of it eventually.

[LastLfan]

Do you x or y, I need someone to help me evolve my shiny poliwhirl

[silvershock95]

Do you x or y, I need someone to help me evolve my shiny poliwhirl

I have X! Haven't played it in ages though so my whole team and boxes are in a bit of a jumble

[LastLfan]

Mind trading me then trading back?

[silvershock95]

Sure! I'll be busy with work for a couple of days but how about Wednesday? Also what timezone are you in, I'm in GMT+1

[LastLfan]

Eastern standard time, so GMT-6 I think. Wednesday works

[silvershock95]

Ok, so am I right in saying that if it's 10pm where I am it'll be 4pm where you are? If that time works for you of course!

Also I'm still contemplating whether getting oras will be worth it. I might just play it once and then sell it on afterwards...

[LastLfan]

Whoops I'm gmt -4 does that work?

[silvershock95]

Whoops I'm gmt -4 does that work?

So if it's 10pm here it'll be 5pm here for you I think?? :O Works for me if it works for you! I'll give you my friend code when I log on the morning via PM

[LastLfan]

Yea works for me man, want a shiny porygon?, I'll throw in an upgrade to get you porygon 2.

[silvershock95]

Yea works for me man, want a shiny porygon?, I'll throw in an upgrade to get you porygon 2.

Ohh yes please! Thank you!

[LastLfan]

I just played the oras demo, it is gonna be a great game

[Yami]

My best answer. Its a separate fictional world that's completely disconnected from ours.

[randomuser2349]

I have played the first four games, and I can tell you that Pokemon is generally no better or worse than any other generic kids show, and certainly a lot less "problematic" than most of the staple fantasy anime like Naruto and Dragon Ball. I have seen posts that claim Pokemon is bad and I believe they are going too far. I was quite disappointed by the article written by CARM, for example, which completely jumped the gun. I realize that CARM had good intentions, but they really dropped the ball on that one. The paranoia against this game is much like those "the USA is an extremely dangerous country because they allow their citizens to bear arms" statements.

An argument used by Christians who think Pokemon is occultic point to the concept that the system of befriending, fighting with and controlling Pokemon and gaining their respect by earning badges vaguely resembles some alleged practice of controlling demons and using them for witchcraft. By that logic, you could say that education and employment is occultic because when you employ people to work, you're calling people of various abilities to do work for you, and you gain respect from others by getting diplomas and stuff from university. They could also say that sports teams are occult-inspired because they involve coaches controlling people of various backgrounds and using them for their biddings, with higher awards meaning greater respect for the coach. Pokemon's system is a mix of caring for pets and stag beetle fighting, with a science fantasy twist, and was inspired by the creator's childhood passion for insect collecting.

Another argument is that Pokemon are actually demons. They aren't. Pokemon are just fantasy animals inspired by various everyday concepts. For example, Bulbasaur is a mix of bulb plants and dinosaur, Buizel (my favourite) is "buoyancy + weasel", etc. However, some of the concepts that are blended are mythological, sometimes based on ancient religion. This is largely for window-dressing sake (much like we use Greek gods in some fantasy designs for purely aesthetic purposes with no intention of converting children to Hellenism), and this shouldn't be anymore of a concern for people who don't feel bothered by say Casper The Friendly Ghost, the Smurfs, Hercules or pretty much any Disney classic. As a child, I always felt uncomfortable around even fantastical magic on TV (and was especially disturbed when Inuyasha first came on due to their use of "demon", though now I know they weren't referring to what I thought they were) yet Pokemon never made me feel that.

Secondly, people argue that it promotes animal cruelty since it is analogous to cockfighting or bullfighting. For one, the Pokemon fights are consensual. It isn't like bullfighting where a clueless bull is lured into an arena, intentionally provoked and stabbed to death. It isn't like cockfighting, in which you intentionally provoke two roosters to ruthlessly injure and maim each other to the death. The Pokemon enter the battlefield with consent, and the Pokemon never die. If the Pokemon don't want to fight, they don't fight. The death of a Pokemon is taken with seriousness and is considered a tragic event done upon by bad guys. A Pokemon doesn't think like an animal anymore than Otis from Barnyard thinks like a real cow. If one were to forbid Pokemon for promoting violence, they shouldn't even think of letting their child watch bloodless boxing or martial arts fighting shows. And if anything, Pokemon educates children against poaching and pet-snatching, by its portrayal Team Rocket. Myself, I was basically the only person in my household (who was a Christian) who didn't buy into the Pokemon-is-occult bandwagon when it started (none of us do anymore) and yet I was the biggest animal lover in the family. I have never supported cockfighting and bullfighting (I say they are very cruel sports), and as I have stated before, it probably educated me on how bad poaching is.

The third argument people tend to make is that it promotes evolution, which to many is contrary to creationism. Pokemon evolution is more akin to metamorphisis, rather than Darwinian evolution. For instance, the Caterpie-Metapod-Butterfree quite accurately portrays the caterpillar-coccoon-butterfly process. The evolution stones could also be related to the real-life requirement of iodine for a tadpole to transform into a frog. You're not going to learn anything remotely similar to the actual concept of evolution from Pokemon.


However, as with any fantasy story done for secular audiences, a Christian should exercise the normal precautions of acknowedging that the entertainment they play with is not real and that there could be some themes that one should never practise in real life. In the case of Pokemon, the only concern is the psychic, dark and ghost types. However, the average Christian consumer (and parents of children who consume) should know that, and for the most part is no more problematic than what you can find in fantasy fiction shows on TV. For instance, pretty much every kids show has shown ghosts and psychic powers - for example the standard "rub a lamp to summon a genie" (BTW genies are actually based of Djinns) - and I think a good Christian parent would warn their children against such practises. The biggest concern would be the dark type Pokemon (absent from R/B/Y and present in subsequent games), which are pretty much a regurgitation of the standard mysterious mythologies such as Greek underworld, black cats, cauldrons, etc. and not so much anti-Christian themes like Satan (the closest is Houndoom, which is based off Greek mythology). There's also the matter of some Eastern religion intertwined into some plots, like at the Towers in Lavender Town and Ecruteak City. Basically if you're mature enough to play games like Final Fantasy or watch My Little Pony, Naruto, Ruby Gloom and Danny Phantom, you're pretty much set for Pokemon.

Another point is how addicting it can be, even for grown adults. This has some merit. Pokemon can be a very addicting game and I have spent hours playing it as a child. Moderation is key, and thankfully there's a save feature. If you ever feel too absorbed in the game and feel you need to get out, there's always the off button on your system.

Basically, the claims about how Pokemon is satanic and evil are incredibly overblown, but of course as a fantasy made for secular purposes, some standard precautions are warranted. If you find such things problematic to you personally or if you feel a religious conviction against it, there is no need for you to play it. It's just a game, and Nintendo isn't going to hate you for it. Otherwise, there is nothing to worry about.

If you are Roman Catholic, you may also be glad to hear that a Vatican-sponsored radio show actually approved on Pokemon.

[Nate]

The third argument people tend to make is that it promotes evolution, which to many is contrary to creationism. Pokemon evolution is more akin to metamorphisis, rather than Darwinian evolution. For instance, the Caterpie-Metapod-Butterfree quite accurately portrays the caterpillar-coccoon-butterfly process. The evolution stones could also be related to the real-life requirement of iodine for a tadpole to transform into a frog. You're not going to learn anything remotely similar to the actual concept of evolution from Pokemon.

Actually Pokemon does have one concept of scientific evolution, that being the concept of common descent and a common ancestor. Mew is stated in the games to possibly be the universal ancestor of all Pokemon, and contains the genetic codes of all Pokemon in its DNA, which is why it can learn any move in the game (barring special move tutor moves that are only given to the starters, or to event Pokemon such as Sacred Sword).

While "containing the DNA of all descendants" obviously isn't how a common ancestor works in evolution and is only meant to be an explanation for why it can learn any move, it's still an evolutionary concept represented in the games.

[LastLfan]

Game theory also did a really cool show comparing route one birds to darwin's finches. But Muslim people said that pokemon was converting people to Judaism and that Pikachu is Japanese for "I am Jewish." The point is everybody gets after pokemon as a scapegoat. All in all though, it's just another fantasy franchise that takes a lot of inspiration from many places, and if we are going to attack any franchise let's attack assassin's creed before pokemon. Not that I'm against AC, I love it dearly, but it's a lot more overt that pokemon

[Peanut]

All in all though, it's just another fantasy franchise that takes a lot of inspiration from many places, and if we are going to attack any franchise let's attack assassin's creed before pokemon. Not that I'm against AC, I love it dearly, but it's a lot more overt that pokemon

It's twist is also just as ridiculous as stuffing monsters into tiny, hollow balls when you get right down to it.

Everyone has pretty much said what needs to be said about this. Pokemon evolution is not the theory of evolution. Its metamorphasis. I also remember hearing that they were originally going to call the process just that but the Japanese word supposedly sounds like another one that's not as appropriate or something. There are games that have been far more offensive then Pokemon when you get right down to it. The You Testament comes to mind though its also so hilariously bad that you can't help but laugh at it.

[randomuser2349]

Actually Pokemon does have one concept of scientific evolution, that being the concept of common descent and a common ancestor. Mew is stated in the games to possibly be the universal ancestor of all Pokemon, and contains the genetic codes of all Pokemon in its DNA, which is why it can learn any move in the game (barring special move tutor moves that are only given to the starters, or to event Pokemon such as Sacred Sword).

While "containing the DNA of all descendants" obviously isn't how a common ancestor works in evolution and is only meant to be an explanation for why it can learn any move, it's still an evolutionary concept represented in the games.

Thank you for telling me. Regardless, I doubt you're going to learn anything about meaningful about evolution from it anymore than you'll learn about actual pirates from watching One Piece. By definition, Luffy isn't even a real pirate.

But Muslim people said that pokemon was converting people to Judaism and that Pikachu is Japanese for "I am Jewish."

A lot of people are gullible and eat up anything as long as it is something negative about something they don't know or understand. For example, people say that Hello Kitty is satanic because the word "Kitty" is a Chinese word for Satan. Knowing Mandarin Chinese, it is NOT. It is mogui (魔鬼) or mogwai in Cantonese. Furthermore, Hello Kitty is Japanese, whose language is actually not related to any Chinese language at all (despite borrowing its writing system).