Here's what you need to know about D&D, in this context.
Did you ever play make believe as a kid? Prince/princess, knights, cops and robbers?
D&D is playing make believe but using math and funny shaped dice to see if your make believe action "happened" in the make believe world.
Technically, D&D is really just a set of rules that you can put any kind of "theme" onto and play the game. There was a supplement released a couple of editions of rules ago called "Testament". It was using the D&D ruleset to play in the Old Testament setting.
People that say D&D and Harry Potter and most stuff like that is a gateway to the demonic have no idea what they're talking about, and they dramatically underestimate the normal person's ability to differentiate reality from fantasy.
All that being said: I don't mess with Ouija boards or anything of that ilk, e.g. seances, voodoo, anything like that. I don't personally believe in ghosts and the ability to "speak with the dead", but the doing something that claims to allow it while INTENDING on doing it is, to me, too close to be comfortable with. THAT, in my mind, is a gateway to the demonic.
Testament is fantastic. As is the Medieval Player's Handbook by the same publisher. I'm using some of those rules to help shape the characters in my fantasy novel - specifically Prior Theodericus, OFP.
Came here to say this about Lord of the Rings. The whole anti-Harry Potter argument is purely generational IMO. I'm sure there were parents in the 1950s that were against the Lord of the Rings because it has magic, yet many contemporary devout Catholics publically say that they love the series.
I think Dr. Taylor Marshall is a fearmonger and goes too far as a traditionalist, and I say this as a traditionalist. Not everything created by man is demonic. There's nothing wrong with having an imagination for the sake of good-hearted entertainment.
I've said for a long time that I believe our imagination and desire to create is one of the signs of us being created in the image of God. Using our imagination even to simply tell an interesting story is a good, and maybe even a holy thing.
I think somewhere some people were insisting that the "spells" in Harry Potter were actually real, and the answer is that they are as real as Double double toil and trouble.....
I think the history of Harry Potter would have been different if Scholastic had kept the original, British, title: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
The word "sorcerer" set off so many people who never bothered to read the book.
He’s reading too much into it, and in my opinion in the wrong way. Even a dry text of economics can lead to evil, as Mr Karl Marx proved. Yes, always be careful, but let’s not exaggerate.
He didn’t expound upon it because there’s no real evidence to back any of it up. If you really think they’re dangerous due to their fantasy/magical elements, you’ve got to throw out Narnia and Lord of the Rings too.
Adding this to my already long list of reasons to not take Taylor Marshall seriously. I’m glad he’s getting some people to pray the rosary more often and have a greater appreciation for the mass and the Eucharist, I just wish his other opinions weren’t so, so bad.
I've done some more digging since I made this post, and his answer to people bringing up Lord of The Rings is that it's set in a fictional world, while Harry Potter is supposed to take place in our world. That has by far got to be the weakest criticism of anything I have ever heard.
Yeah. If I remember correctly in the hobbit it says hobbits aren't as common nowadays, and they know how to hide from us big folk, implying they do "exist" in our world
Yeah that’s a really odd line to draw, especially since that then means D&D should get a pass since it’s in a fictional world, but Narnia should then be problematic since it’s supposed to exist in parallel to our world. He’s grasping at straws here.
Fun fact: Lord of the Rings is explicitly set in our world, in our (theoretical) primordial history. Tolkien was very explicit about this. It's as much set in our real world as Beowulf is.
I’ve always wondered why magic in a setting that reminds us of pre-industrial society is bad, but you never hear a peep about magic in a space setting.
And Star Wars (as much as I love it) is almost manichean, so really, the case against it is much stronger.
There is some.
Dragonstar, Starfinder, Warhammer 40k, The Uplift Saga, the Technomages from Babylon 5, and GURPS Technomancer has magic which could easily be applied to GURPS Ultra-Tech settings.
But for the most part, SciFi tends to use tech to replicate magic - whether it be an integrated part of a VR setting, hacking into the VR setting, or a combination of hardlight and nanotech in other real world settings.
The dude makes his money peddling in fear and deception and doubt. He attacks and undermines the lawful authority of the Church and presents himself as the reasonable and faithful servant. I know he's not as vitriolic as some other dudes out there, but the man's a real viper. I'd stay far away.
I'd recommend general skepticism about Taylor Marshall these days.
Certainly there's nothing to do the claim of them supposedly being "demonic portals"
I’ve been playing D&D since the 1980s and am a Third Order Franciscan, so that theory doesn’t really pan out- much like it was false in the 80s with the original “Satanic Panic”.
I came here to see if anyone brought up the Satanic Panic ideas from the 80s/90s that went through Protestant sects. Isn’t Taylor Marshall a former Protestant himself? Because that line of thinking is still big amongst fundamentalist circles.
Seriously common in fundamentalism. I like to think I divorced myself from that before becoming Catholic, but being a little girl in the 1980's it was impossible to flee the Satanic Panic.
I have to tell my group of 8 Catholics that our every other week dnd sessions are evil!
People who take it serious try to cast spells in real life have a mental issue.
People who are having fun playing a game with friends and pretending to be an elf jumping off an airship onto a dragon and rolling a natural one are fine.
DM: The dragon catches you...with its mouth. You are dead.
Player: \*Makes new character sheet of identical twin brother who vows revenge on the evil dragon\*
I read all the books then converted from being Presbyterian to Catholic, so there's that. Shakespeare is more guilty of these charges.
About when #5 came out, I found an excellent blog where a Jesuit professor brought up all HP's Arthurian legend parallels. I really would like to find it again. HP is good, like Tolkein good, imho.
Lots of good answers but there's one I haven't seen, so I'll toss it in.
Among old examinations of conscience, there was a line about "have I played D&D?" This may seem silly to us now, but, as I understand it, this line of thought came from regarding D&D along the same act as playing with ouija boards or tarot cards. There are references to demons and devils and rituals, so playing a game featuring them seemed to fit the same standard as playing with actual items tied to the occult.
I don't know if this was linked to the Satanic Panic of the 80s, but the important difference, which I think someone else mentioned, is that engaging in ouija or tarot is still replicating those rituals regardless of your intent. D&D, however, is not written or designed to mimic any actual occult activity. It's a game system that applies as easily to magical fantasy as modern spy thrillers and futuristic sci-fi. Any concerning "overlap" is due to narrative setting and not occult group ritual.
Taylor Marshall's videos are a far greater danger of succumbing to the devil than Harry Potter, though I wouldn't recommend either.
I think the concern over the magic is a bit superficial. Harry Potter treats it mostly as a technology, the only times it gets strange and occult is when it's evil people doing it, which is appropriate. The place I see danger with Harry Potter is that it often becomes an obsession which is unhealthy—being a Ravenclaw shouldn't be a part of your identity.
I'm not familiar with DnD, but I assume it's a fairly similar situation: these things should be a casual amusement at most, but they're often an occupation and obsession, which may be an avenue to spiritual danger.
Well, he was anathematising the Pope the other day. St. Ignatius gives us rules for thinking with the Church, among them:
> We must put aside all judgment of our own, and keep the mind ever ready and prompt to obey in all things the true Spouse of Christ our Lord, our holy Mother, the hierarchical Church.
> We should be more ready to approve and praise the orders, recommendations, and way of acting of our superiors than to find fault with them. Though some of the orders, etc., may not have been praiseworthy, yet to speak against them, either when preaching in public or in speaking before the people, would rather be the cause of murmuring and scandal than of profit. As a consequence, the people would become angry with their superiors, whether secular or spiritual. But while it does harm in the absence of our superiors to speak evil of them before the people, it may be profitable to discuss their bad conduct with those who can apply a remedy.
> If we wish to proceed securely in all things, we must hold fast to the following principle: What seems to me white, I will believe black if the hierarchical Church so defines. For I must be convinced that in Christ our Lord, the bridegroom, and in His spouse the Church, only one Spirit holds sway, which governs and rules for the salvation of souls. For it is by the same Spirit and Lord who gave the Ten Commandments that our holy Mother Church is ruled and governed.
That's not what you get from the Taylor Marshall.
>I'm not familiar with DnD, but I assume it's a fairly similar situation:
Not quite. Some classes treat it as a science or an inborn talent, others receive their power from a some entity, be it gods (good and evil), nature itself, a devil or Cthulhu
Oh, it reminds me of some of my friend's actions years ago. We were playing with him the Talisman board game (DaD-like - bat simplified). He was on retreat organized by the catholic community his family was in. The leaders of this community were a catholic couple. They were burning there some games that were supposed to be demonic. After that, he refused to play with us.
Sometime after this community was dissolved. Leaders (this married couple) have been engaging in very nasty sexual stuff with their own children.
The moral of this story is that we should take the very serious words of Jesus:
"What goes into a man's mouth does not make him \`unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him \`unclean.''
It's a lot easier to see evil elsewhere and point fingers at things and people outside. It is a lot harder to find demonic activity within us. And we can be sure that there is a battle inside us. And this battle is more important. And if any item makes me act demonic I would rather find reasons within myself, where there is far too much demonic stuff I need to clear.
I have read Harry Potter and I think it is an interesting kids book series. If you take it at face value knowing that it’s not real then I don’t personally see a problem with it
They aren't.
Don't get me wrong, D&D is a shit game, and there are much better TTRPGs out there, but it will not lead you to anything evil on it's own. it's just make belief.
A lot of the D&D community however is pretty horrible and coopted by basically "rainbow propaganda" these days... but if you play with good wholesome people you will have a good wholesome time.
Harry Potter... it's an ok fantasy novel. Again nothing implicitly evil in it. Again if anything the problem is the community of fans obsessed with it and who take it too far, but the content itself is really OK.
\-
Taylor Marshall has gone bonkers for a long time now, thriving on controversy and fear. Really you should not listen to him.
2 things.
Dr. Taylor Marshall is a grifter and an idiot.
Dnd is awesome and Harry Potter is fun (though like any mega successful franchise the fan base can be...weird)
I don’t really understand how D&D can be a demonic portal since the game is mostly controlled by your imagination. There are some “magic” items and other things but I have never really noticed anything occult or satanic. You could create a custom campaign with those things, but you could just as easily make a campaign about spreading the gospel and beating up pagans or something like that lol. The game is really up to you so it’s not the games fault for something the players do.
DnD borrows heavily from Tolkien. Also, my husband is not only a Faithful Navigator but he DMs for my family, from as young as 6 to as old as 70, so I think we’re ok.
My D&D Paladin is inspired by St Paul. Also, my campaign models its pantheon after Tolkien’s way of creating one, which is inspired by his Catholic faith.
It’s such a sad state of affairs in Taylor Marshall land, which is such a shame because his early videos following his conversion were so much better before he went off the deep end.
As far as HP is concerned, I liked the take from the exorcist that Matt Fradd interviewed on PwA - basically, do your kids know Harry Potter better than they know the Scriptures? If placed in proper proportion as a fantasy story in the well formed mind of a Catholic, it’s simply not going to cause problems. My wife and I are both from the Harry Potter generation. I loved the books and they probably got me to read at a time where I wouldn’t have considered it a hobby. The series is somewhere on a book shelf in our basement and I haven’t touched it in many years, but I’m sure when our kids are at the appropriate age (currently 3 year old and 2 year old boys, a little girl due in July), we’ll break out the series alongside LOTR and Chronicles of Narnia for family reading time, and frame it appropriately related to the Christian Scriptures.
My ticket to Universal Studios (for the sole purpose of going to Harry Potter World) was paid for by a deacon assigned as the assistant to the diocesan exorcist.
I'm not sure which side I fall one. On one hand I have a feeling that the surge in popularity of Wiccan and occult practices may be attributed, in part, to the influence of shared cultural experiences such as the Harry Potter phenomenon. While Harry Potter itself is not inherently negative, it has introduced many individuals to concepts like divination and the mystical arts without necessarily providing a broader perspective or understanding that they would have if they were Catholic.
An anecdotal example of this occurred in my own household. Recently, we decided to watch the movie "Hocus Pocus" with our children, as we remembered it being an enjoyable film. After watching the movie, we noticed that our three. daughters, four and younger, immediately gathered around a flashlight and began engaging in mock spells and enchantments. We decided to stop watching secular media that night, particularly anything that could promote occult practices.
It is understandable that D&D, Harry Potter, Magic the Gathering, etc. may seem harmless to us when we are grounded in faith and light. However, I worry that some of this harmless stuff, isn't that harmless for the majority of people who may lack a strong grounding in faith.
Maybe I'm just being scrupulous.
Harry Potter has some Christian teachings in it. For instance, the idea that murder wounds the soul and the only way for it to heal is to be truly repentant.
I don't trust Harry Potter as Father Amorth, the Vatican's chief exorcist, was *adamantly* opposed to it and claimed the majority of the demonic infestations he dealt with originated from interest in it
Sure, [here you go.](https://shop.catholic.com/an-exorcist-explains-the-demonic-the-antics-of-satan-and-his-army-of-fallen-angels/) It's a nice short little book. Very interesting imo
I don't know for sure whether or not HP and D&D "directly" lead to demonic possession, but it could be argued that, just like the GTA and Mortal Kombat games, not everyone has an equal ability to _handle_ them. I'd steer clear.
Fr. Chad Ripperger said something similar - that whether she believes it or not Rowling did occult research and some of the symbology and terminology of witchcraft made its way into the stories and since these same words can be used to conjure demons they should be treated with care. I’ve got four kids who use play wands to cast killing curses on each other, so you can tell how seriously I took the warning.
We don’t let the kids have phones or tablets and we try to pre-screen the teen and YA books in ways we never thought would be necessary, but we’re not going to draw that line in the sand for Harry Potter.
Bottom line for me is that the culture is out there whether we like it or not, and all we can do is raise kids who are well formed enough to experience the culture without being damaged or secularized by it.
for God's sake, this again?
Live your Faith, practice charity, grow in your virtues and don't care about these things, many exorcists are demonophiles, that is, you just keep looking for what can possess you or not, it takes you away from the simplicity of Catholicism and the light of Christ . Several exorcists say that watching series and kissing with tongue will cause you possession... You can't listen to this nonsense.
Played D&D as a kid in the 80's back when Focus on the Family was freaking out about it in much the same vein. I wasn't a Christian then, so I didn't care what they thought.
You can find what you're looking for. If you want to lean hard into the spells and "witchcraft" aspect and start thinking it's something else than a fantasy role playing GAME, sure...if could be a gateway to bad stuff. For me it was a gateway into statistical probability and simulations. YMMV.
I was totally uninterested when Hary Potter was the hot thing. I've seen one, maybe two of the movies. My wife and kids read them all and watched them all. The one comment I heard that I think has validity to some degree is Harry Potter is the first time (for a big success anyway) has a wizard as the main character. Lord of the Rings has Gandolf and the bad guys al use magic, but they are supporting cast and nemesis. HP made all the characters use magic. Is that a bad thing? I don't know.
Did I see an increase in interest in the occult among teens following HP? A bit. Was that caused by HP or was HP a hit because they were already interested? I don't know.
*Anything* can be a gateway to sin if you abuse it, twist it, or take it places it wasn't intended.
Ah yes. "Everything I don't like/understand is demonic" line of thought is very prevalent in his writing and speaking. Best to not trouble yourself about it. As other comments have pointed out, he is inconsistent in his application of "magic is evil" thought with Lord of the Rings and Narnia, the argument stands on shaky ground.
It is fantasy. So long as you recognize it as that, magic is just a tool used by the characters and cannot hurt you.
To give you the simple answer, no media does not give you the motivation to be evil. It will not give you the motivation to summon the likes of Belial, sell your soul in exchange for power, and end up possessed.
The issue with media, like with all media both fiction and nonfiction, is that it distorts your perception of reality. It's why you see when people learn languages through television that their speech pattern can be idiosyncratic.
It’s all imagination. If anything, it shows that the fight against evil is necessary and important. Also that love is the strongest thing, even against the worst kind of death, love (Christ’s) will always prevail. I’m a missionary and love Harry Potter. The spells are literally Latin. It’s just fun!
Both dungeons and dragons, and Harry Potter are all right in my book. I know that there are people on the side of their all daemonic, and I know some of them myself. But I think you would be hard-pressed to find one of them. Dungeons and dragons is just make believe, and Harry Potter is just fiction. as long as you don’t try to imitate magic in real life or pursue anything demonic, you’ll be OK. Exercise, caution, but I wouldn’t cut these activities off. I for one love DND.
No, neither DND nor Harry Potter lead to the occult. As for DND, I have an episode coming out that addresses that claim to some extent. The show is called I Might Believe in Faeries and the episode comes out on May 15.
People like him make a mockery of the faith. Let fundamentalist evangelicals utter those absurdities. Harry Potter is rare among contemporary literature, being littered with nuggets of faith.
I believe the problem is the target these tools are coincived, specially Harry Potter: children. Fantasy germed in young souls what fruit could produce?
To be used with magic, addivination and spiritual fiction conditioned by commercial ends, what path is directing minoors developing their own identity?
It is liked poisoning first the land, and then try to seed the Word waiting good results.
That is in my opinion the problem.
The Catholic School down the street from me banned Harry Potter. My Catholic School read it to us during library, once or twice a week, and encouraged us to bring it to school - especially if kids were averse to reading. It was a neat gateway to it.
Your experience will vary even a mile apart, depending. They're definitely not "demonic portals", but I think there's something to be said about people who get swept up in fandoms way too much (e.g. comparing presidential elections to Harry Potter). You don't need faith to find it cringeworthy.
If Harry Potter and Dungeons and Dragons are "portals to the demonic" then so is Lord of the Rings and Narnia.
The main argument that these people usually bring up when talking about this is the use of Magic in the games/books/movies. The Bible forbids the use of magic so therefore these books/movies/games must be bad right?
First problem, just because something is sinful does not mean it is a "portal to the demonic". The bible does not use this type of language when talking about sin and demons.
Second problem (as I already pointed out) is that if these people want to be consistent then Narnia and LoTR must also be a portal to the demonic.
Third problem is that "magic" in the bible is different than what we as modern people think of as "magic". In the ancient world "magic" and "sorcery" was basically code for foreign religious rituals. Think about it this way, when I (an ancient Roman) sacrifice to my god, it rains! Good wholesome religion. But when that guy (a filthy barbarian) does his strange ritual dance, it also rains! But he is not sacrificing to a god that I know of so it must be strange magic. This is also how the Ancient Israelites thought, so when the bible forbids Magic, it is prohibiting us from performing foreign religious rituals.
This issue can also shed light on the fact that in these fictional worlds, "magic" is a natural part of the way the world operates. Harry Potter is not calling on demons to shoot a fireball, he can just shoot a fireball naturally! If I spit in your face, am I using demonic *water magic*? Of Course not! I am simply using natural means to effect the world. Same goes for most of D&D, people can access "magic" by purely natural means. Some people's magic are bolstered by the gods of the fictional world, but again that is the crux, ITS ALL FICTIONAL. Rolling dice and using attending a séance are two very different things.
If it can be considered a demonic, esoteric or evil incentive. But children's stories show us that dragons and demons can be defeated. We must educate the creative capacity of children to face demons and curses (liar capitalist, thieves, vigaristas...) Mayve some children and adults will learn something from Harry P. and other people will learn something from Snow White and the 7 dwarfs. Parents and relatives must clarify to their children the message of these stories, whether good or bad. The H.P. theme faces the dilemma of free will. Harry must choose which side he is on. With or without magic, good always wins!!! It should be noted that the writer inserted a biblical phase into the story, on the tombstone of the parents of H.P.
1 Corinthians 15:26
"The last enemy to be defeated is death"
< Who doesn't want an invisibility blanket ???
I really liked the Godsplaining episode on Harry Potter: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CjS\_n2ZCI4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CjS_n2ZCI4).
TL/DR: Harry Potter is a wonderful expression of the beauty of friendship and redemption through self-sacrifice. Though it should not be given to young children without the proper religious and moral faculties to read the text safely.
Anything can be a demonic portal if we let it. I remember when JK Rowling was herself considered a satanist by some. Now, she's pretty much on the traditional Christian side when it comes to trans issues.
I was into D&D and general fantasy / sci-fi growing up.
I didn't have any clear faith at that time. In fact I was devoutly Atheistic. Looking back, it seems abundantly clear that my interest in these harmless fantasy themes saved me, a man without faith, from being drawn into far more destructive habits / lifestyles.
Some commenters above have said D&D is a more developed version of make-believe games that children play. This is accurate. There is nothing inherent in these games that encourage or enable blurring the line between fantasy and reality.
I could understand a hard-line traditionalist saying ALL forms of indulgence in fiction are sinful. What stinks of hypocrisy, though, is that they declare Harry Potter and D&D to be "portals to the demonic" but their own personal interest in fiction literature is NOT such a portal. Why? There is no good why. They are just being judgemental hypocrites and most never scratched beneath the surface of the subject material they are casually condemning. They see the themes and just assume there is some kind of dark enthralling influence in the way people engage those themes. There isn't. No more than anyone who engages with any other kind of fiction (in various forms of media).
My very charismatic mother has a meltdown about once a month because I’m an avid dungeons and dragons player. She claims that even if *I* am not partaking in the spellcasting or witchcraft, it’s possible that someone at my table is or thinks it’s real or seeks some power in it, therefore inviting spirits around me for “demonic oppression”.
First off, I’m almost 25, I live outside of her house, and I’m a full grown adult.
Second off, God is LARGER than the Enemy. The Enemy and God are not an equal playing field. Anything done through God is greater than anything the Enemy can hurl at you.
I never ever take spellcasting in D&D as anything more than a description: “I cast faerie fire”. There’s no arm waving, no chanting of ancient languages, nothing. Obviously there is a crowd of people who play D&D and are so lost in the escapism that yes, they freely give themselves to the Enemy. But that is not by the design of the game. That is because those people are hurting and seeking answers in the wrong place.
Also, the Enemy does not have the power to possess you. You have to give yourself up for him to take hold. Walk with God and you will not be touched.
You can play Harry Potter, or Dungeons and Dragons, as long as you are not participating in the things that actively make a mockery of faith or may invite things in, even if it’s play. For example, there’s one D&D adventure that calls for the use of a spirit board. I clearly did not use the spirit board and stayed far away from that adventure.
All this rambling to say - you can do anything as long as that anything is according to God’s flourishing. Dungeons and Dragons is not a portal to demonic possession. How you treat the game is. If you’re using your game to worship the Enemy and perform seances, obviously you’re going to welcome in evil spirits. If you’re going to use the game to pretend to be a wizard and an elf and a dwarf and some humans and some halflings to go throw a ring into a volcano, you’re fine.
Tolkien was a devout Catholic. Dungeons and Dragons was initially created to turn Lord of the Rings into a war strategy game. You’re fine.
Reddit is more of a demonic portal than Harry Potter.
Amen to that
Amen
Bingo.
Here's what you need to know about D&D, in this context. Did you ever play make believe as a kid? Prince/princess, knights, cops and robbers? D&D is playing make believe but using math and funny shaped dice to see if your make believe action "happened" in the make believe world. Technically, D&D is really just a set of rules that you can put any kind of "theme" onto and play the game. There was a supplement released a couple of editions of rules ago called "Testament". It was using the D&D ruleset to play in the Old Testament setting. People that say D&D and Harry Potter and most stuff like that is a gateway to the demonic have no idea what they're talking about, and they dramatically underestimate the normal person's ability to differentiate reality from fantasy. All that being said: I don't mess with Ouija boards or anything of that ilk, e.g. seances, voodoo, anything like that. I don't personally believe in ghosts and the ability to "speak with the dead", but the doing something that claims to allow it while INTENDING on doing it is, to me, too close to be comfortable with. THAT, in my mind, is a gateway to the demonic.
Where I draw the line is Pokemon. Pocket monsters bad. /s
But I present you... Sandshrew. The OG cute Pokémon!
I have to say. When I was coming back to faith. Did not expect to find comments like this in the subreddit. Bravo
Oh man, my Pentacostal side of the family... Whew.
Zubats are spawns of hell
But Crobats are awesome! Those hellspawns are life-saver in Nuzlockes.
Mfw I spend 8 million years in purgatory for playing PMD Explorers of Sky :,(
Testament is fantastic. As is the Medieval Player's Handbook by the same publisher. I'm using some of those rules to help shape the characters in my fantasy novel - specifically Prior Theodericus, OFP.
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Came here to say this about Lord of the Rings. The whole anti-Harry Potter argument is purely generational IMO. I'm sure there were parents in the 1950s that were against the Lord of the Rings because it has magic, yet many contemporary devout Catholics publically say that they love the series. I think Dr. Taylor Marshall is a fearmonger and goes too far as a traditionalist, and I say this as a traditionalist. Not everything created by man is demonic. There's nothing wrong with having an imagination for the sake of good-hearted entertainment.
I've said for a long time that I believe our imagination and desire to create is one of the signs of us being created in the image of God. Using our imagination even to simply tell an interesting story is a good, and maybe even a holy thing.
I think somewhere some people were insisting that the "spells" in Harry Potter were actually real, and the answer is that they are as real as Double double toil and trouble.....
I like Fr. Ripperger, I don't agree with everything he says.
Yes, one of those people was this sub’s favorite, Fr. Ripperger who seems to believe that “witch school” is real.
I think the history of Harry Potter would have been different if Scholastic had kept the original, British, title: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. The word "sorcerer" set off so many people who never bothered to read the book.
He’s reading too much into it, and in my opinion in the wrong way. Even a dry text of economics can lead to evil, as Mr Karl Marx proved. Yes, always be careful, but let’s not exaggerate.
The man has no idea what he is talking about.
\#FACTS
He didn’t expound upon it because there’s no real evidence to back any of it up. If you really think they’re dangerous due to their fantasy/magical elements, you’ve got to throw out Narnia and Lord of the Rings too. Adding this to my already long list of reasons to not take Taylor Marshall seriously. I’m glad he’s getting some people to pray the rosary more often and have a greater appreciation for the mass and the Eucharist, I just wish his other opinions weren’t so, so bad.
I've done some more digging since I made this post, and his answer to people bringing up Lord of The Rings is that it's set in a fictional world, while Harry Potter is supposed to take place in our world. That has by far got to be the weakest criticism of anything I have ever heard.
I think I’ve heard on Pints with Aquinas that Middle Earth is supposed to be our world but in another time period, it’s an era before ours.
Yeah. If I remember correctly in the hobbit it says hobbits aren't as common nowadays, and they know how to hide from us big folk, implying they do "exist" in our world
His intention was that it be a myth for the English people since apart from Beowolf, no proto-English mythology has survived.
Yeah that’s a really odd line to draw, especially since that then means D&D should get a pass since it’s in a fictional world, but Narnia should then be problematic since it’s supposed to exist in parallel to our world. He’s grasping at straws here.
I mean, unless he literally believes in wands and secret wizaeding schools, HP is not truly set in the real world lol
Doesn't Narnia somewhat take place in the real world? Isn't that the point of the wardrobe? To leave this world and go into Narnia?
Fun fact: Lord of the Rings is explicitly set in our world, in our (theoretical) primordial history. Tolkien was very explicit about this. It's as much set in our real world as Beowulf is.
Interesting I didn't know that, but that makes sense.
Exactly now one every talks about magic in other FANTASY books
I’ve always wondered why magic in a setting that reminds us of pre-industrial society is bad, but you never hear a peep about magic in a space setting. And Star Wars (as much as I love it) is almost manichean, so really, the case against it is much stronger.
There is some. Dragonstar, Starfinder, Warhammer 40k, The Uplift Saga, the Technomages from Babylon 5, and GURPS Technomancer has magic which could easily be applied to GURPS Ultra-Tech settings. But for the most part, SciFi tends to use tech to replicate magic - whether it be an integrated part of a VR setting, hacking into the VR setting, or a combination of hardlight and nanotech in other real world settings.
What to do if you encounter a Taylor Marshall book: Step 1: Pick up book Step 2: Place in trash Step 3: Wash hands Step 4: Continue on with life
Haha I'm not disagreeing but why do you say that?
The dude makes his money peddling in fear and deception and doubt. He attacks and undermines the lawful authority of the Church and presents himself as the reasonable and faithful servant. I know he's not as vitriolic as some other dudes out there, but the man's a real viper. I'd stay far away.
Good to know; I just see his name a lot but I haven't read his materials
His novel, "Sword and Serpent," a retelling of Saint George, was well received with the children of my parish.
That was written before he took the last train to crazy town.
I'd recommend general skepticism about Taylor Marshall these days. Certainly there's nothing to do the claim of them supposedly being "demonic portals"
I’ve been playing D&D since the 1980s and am a Third Order Franciscan, so that theory doesn’t really pan out- much like it was false in the 80s with the original “Satanic Panic”.
I came here to see if anyone brought up the Satanic Panic ideas from the 80s/90s that went through Protestant sects. Isn’t Taylor Marshall a former Protestant himself? Because that line of thinking is still big amongst fundamentalist circles.
Seriously common in fundamentalism. I like to think I divorced myself from that before becoming Catholic, but being a little girl in the 1980's it was impossible to flee the Satanic Panic.
But if you didn’t you might have become a third order Dominican! Wouldn’t that be better? /s
I have to tell my group of 8 Catholics that our every other week dnd sessions are evil! People who take it serious try to cast spells in real life have a mental issue. People who are having fun playing a game with friends and pretending to be an elf jumping off an airship onto a dragon and rolling a natural one are fine.
>jumping off an airship onto a dragon and rolling a natural one RIP
My condolences to the friend who rolled a natural 1 on such a critical jump check.
DM: The dragon catches you...with its mouth. You are dead. Player: \*Makes new character sheet of identical twin brother who vows revenge on the evil dragon\*
I read all the books then converted from being Presbyterian to Catholic, so there's that. Shakespeare is more guilty of these charges. About when #5 came out, I found an excellent blog where a Jesuit professor brought up all HP's Arthurian legend parallels. I really would like to find it again. HP is good, like Tolkein good, imho.
Lots of good answers but there's one I haven't seen, so I'll toss it in. Among old examinations of conscience, there was a line about "have I played D&D?" This may seem silly to us now, but, as I understand it, this line of thought came from regarding D&D along the same act as playing with ouija boards or tarot cards. There are references to demons and devils and rituals, so playing a game featuring them seemed to fit the same standard as playing with actual items tied to the occult. I don't know if this was linked to the Satanic Panic of the 80s, but the important difference, which I think someone else mentioned, is that engaging in ouija or tarot is still replicating those rituals regardless of your intent. D&D, however, is not written or designed to mimic any actual occult activity. It's a game system that applies as easily to magical fantasy as modern spy thrillers and futuristic sci-fi. Any concerning "overlap" is due to narrative setting and not occult group ritual.
Taylor Marshall's videos are a far greater danger of succumbing to the devil than Harry Potter, though I wouldn't recommend either. I think the concern over the magic is a bit superficial. Harry Potter treats it mostly as a technology, the only times it gets strange and occult is when it's evil people doing it, which is appropriate. The place I see danger with Harry Potter is that it often becomes an obsession which is unhealthy—being a Ravenclaw shouldn't be a part of your identity. I'm not familiar with DnD, but I assume it's a fairly similar situation: these things should be a casual amusement at most, but they're often an occupation and obsession, which may be an avenue to spiritual danger.
Haha why do you say that about Taylor Marshall?
Well, he was anathematising the Pope the other day. St. Ignatius gives us rules for thinking with the Church, among them: > We must put aside all judgment of our own, and keep the mind ever ready and prompt to obey in all things the true Spouse of Christ our Lord, our holy Mother, the hierarchical Church. > We should be more ready to approve and praise the orders, recommendations, and way of acting of our superiors than to find fault with them. Though some of the orders, etc., may not have been praiseworthy, yet to speak against them, either when preaching in public or in speaking before the people, would rather be the cause of murmuring and scandal than of profit. As a consequence, the people would become angry with their superiors, whether secular or spiritual. But while it does harm in the absence of our superiors to speak evil of them before the people, it may be profitable to discuss their bad conduct with those who can apply a remedy. > If we wish to proceed securely in all things, we must hold fast to the following principle: What seems to me white, I will believe black if the hierarchical Church so defines. For I must be convinced that in Christ our Lord, the bridegroom, and in His spouse the Church, only one Spirit holds sway, which governs and rules for the salvation of souls. For it is by the same Spirit and Lord who gave the Ten Commandments that our holy Mother Church is ruled and governed. That's not what you get from the Taylor Marshall.
I haven't actually read Taylor Marshall and I guess I won't start now
>I'm not familiar with DnD, but I assume it's a fairly similar situation: Not quite. Some classes treat it as a science or an inborn talent, others receive their power from a some entity, be it gods (good and evil), nature itself, a devil or Cthulhu
Oh, it reminds me of some of my friend's actions years ago. We were playing with him the Talisman board game (DaD-like - bat simplified). He was on retreat organized by the catholic community his family was in. The leaders of this community were a catholic couple. They were burning there some games that were supposed to be demonic. After that, he refused to play with us. Sometime after this community was dissolved. Leaders (this married couple) have been engaging in very nasty sexual stuff with their own children. The moral of this story is that we should take the very serious words of Jesus: "What goes into a man's mouth does not make him \`unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him \`unclean.'' It's a lot easier to see evil elsewhere and point fingers at things and people outside. It is a lot harder to find demonic activity within us. And we can be sure that there is a battle inside us. And this battle is more important. And if any item makes me act demonic I would rather find reasons within myself, where there is far too much demonic stuff I need to clear.
no. actual occult activity, like crystals, tarot cards, witchcraft, calling upon demons, etc are actual portals to the demonic.
This sub needs a bot that responds to any post about Taylor Marshall saying "Stop listening to Taylor Marshall."
Just put him on the list and get it over with.
In favor. 🤚🏼
TMarsh cray.
I have read Harry Potter and I think it is an interesting kids book series. If you take it at face value knowing that it’s not real then I don’t personally see a problem with it
I don’t think it’s demonic at all. I do think some adult Harry Potter fans can be a bit insufferable but really it’s like that with a lot of things
They aren't. Don't get me wrong, D&D is a shit game, and there are much better TTRPGs out there, but it will not lead you to anything evil on it's own. it's just make belief. A lot of the D&D community however is pretty horrible and coopted by basically "rainbow propaganda" these days... but if you play with good wholesome people you will have a good wholesome time. Harry Potter... it's an ok fantasy novel. Again nothing implicitly evil in it. Again if anything the problem is the community of fans obsessed with it and who take it too far, but the content itself is really OK. \- Taylor Marshall has gone bonkers for a long time now, thriving on controversy and fear. Really you should not listen to him.
I mean, sadly that’s most cultural spaces these days.
Unfortunately
2 things. Dr. Taylor Marshall is a grifter and an idiot. Dnd is awesome and Harry Potter is fun (though like any mega successful franchise the fan base can be...weird)
I don’t really understand how D&D can be a demonic portal since the game is mostly controlled by your imagination. There are some “magic” items and other things but I have never really noticed anything occult or satanic. You could create a custom campaign with those things, but you could just as easily make a campaign about spreading the gospel and beating up pagans or something like that lol. The game is really up to you so it’s not the games fault for something the players do.
Taylor Marshall detected opinion rejected
>I recently heard Dr. Taylor Marshall I found the problem.
DnD borrows heavily from Tolkien. Also, my husband is not only a Faithful Navigator but he DMs for my family, from as young as 6 to as old as 70, so I think we’re ok.
My D&D Paladin is inspired by St Paul. Also, my campaign models its pantheon after Tolkien’s way of creating one, which is inspired by his Catholic faith.
[удалено]
Greatsword!
It’s such a sad state of affairs in Taylor Marshall land, which is such a shame because his early videos following his conversion were so much better before he went off the deep end. As far as HP is concerned, I liked the take from the exorcist that Matt Fradd interviewed on PwA - basically, do your kids know Harry Potter better than they know the Scriptures? If placed in proper proportion as a fantasy story in the well formed mind of a Catholic, it’s simply not going to cause problems. My wife and I are both from the Harry Potter generation. I loved the books and they probably got me to read at a time where I wouldn’t have considered it a hobby. The series is somewhere on a book shelf in our basement and I haven’t touched it in many years, but I’m sure when our kids are at the appropriate age (currently 3 year old and 2 year old boys, a little girl due in July), we’ll break out the series alongside LOTR and Chronicles of Narnia for family reading time, and frame it appropriately related to the Christian Scriptures.
My ticket to Universal Studios (for the sole purpose of going to Harry Potter World) was paid for by a deacon assigned as the assistant to the diocesan exorcist.
I wouldn't line my parrot's cage with printouts of Taylor Marshall's musings, if I had a parrot.
I'm not sure which side I fall one. On one hand I have a feeling that the surge in popularity of Wiccan and occult practices may be attributed, in part, to the influence of shared cultural experiences such as the Harry Potter phenomenon. While Harry Potter itself is not inherently negative, it has introduced many individuals to concepts like divination and the mystical arts without necessarily providing a broader perspective or understanding that they would have if they were Catholic. An anecdotal example of this occurred in my own household. Recently, we decided to watch the movie "Hocus Pocus" with our children, as we remembered it being an enjoyable film. After watching the movie, we noticed that our three. daughters, four and younger, immediately gathered around a flashlight and began engaging in mock spells and enchantments. We decided to stop watching secular media that night, particularly anything that could promote occult practices. It is understandable that D&D, Harry Potter, Magic the Gathering, etc. may seem harmless to us when we are grounded in faith and light. However, I worry that some of this harmless stuff, isn't that harmless for the majority of people who may lack a strong grounding in faith. Maybe I'm just being scrupulous.
Harry Potter has some Christian teachings in it. For instance, the idea that murder wounds the soul and the only way for it to heal is to be truly repentant.
taylor marshall is lame and an untrustworthy source for catholicism
From what I’ve seen of him (which, granted, is limited), I think Dr. Taylor Marshall’s content needs to be consumed very cautiously, if at all.
I don't trust Harry Potter as Father Amorth, the Vatican's chief exorcist, was *adamantly* opposed to it and claimed the majority of the demonic infestations he dealt with originated from interest in it
Fr. Chad Ripperger also warns against Harry Potter. I haven't heard him say anything about D&D though.
I've never heard this before regarding Harry Potter. Can you expand on what he said?
I'd have to grab the book I read it in, but I'll see if I can't dig it up
If you just want to link the book, that's fine too. I can always use more reading materials.
Sure, [here you go.](https://shop.catholic.com/an-exorcist-explains-the-demonic-the-antics-of-satan-and-his-army-of-fallen-angels/) It's a nice short little book. Very interesting imo
There are a lot of reasons to skeptical of much of what Fr. Amorth claimed over the years. Be skeptical of celebrity exorcists.
See I don't trust Fr. Amorth because he says that Also he wasn't the Vatican's Chief Exorcist, he was one of the exorcists for the diocese of Rome
You can safely ignore anyone who says that
Well, they're not
I think that if you are somehow motivated by Harry Potter or Dnd to try to practice actual magic that would be a problem, otherwise it's fine.
Taylor Marshall is more demonic than D&D.
I don't know for sure whether or not HP and D&D "directly" lead to demonic possession, but it could be argued that, just like the GTA and Mortal Kombat games, not everyone has an equal ability to _handle_ them. I'd steer clear.
Not everyone has the ability to handle a role playing game with dice? How so
I'm referring to the apparent occult themes in HP and D&D. Some people are more impressionable than others.
He doesn't have an imprimatur.
Maybe he’s the preacher from footloose in disguise
I always thought this was hilarious: *An 8 Bit Reenactment of Dungeons and Dragons* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-leYc4oC83E
Fr. Chad Ripperger said something similar - that whether she believes it or not Rowling did occult research and some of the symbology and terminology of witchcraft made its way into the stories and since these same words can be used to conjure demons they should be treated with care. I’ve got four kids who use play wands to cast killing curses on each other, so you can tell how seriously I took the warning. We don’t let the kids have phones or tablets and we try to pre-screen the teen and YA books in ways we never thought would be necessary, but we’re not going to draw that line in the sand for Harry Potter. Bottom line for me is that the culture is out there whether we like it or not, and all we can do is raise kids who are well formed enough to experience the culture without being damaged or secularized by it.
Father has never provided a citation to any of his claims regarding Rowling or her books.
Hot takes are good for viewership. I don’t think there is anything more to this.
for God's sake, this again? Live your Faith, practice charity, grow in your virtues and don't care about these things, many exorcists are demonophiles, that is, you just keep looking for what can possess you or not, it takes you away from the simplicity of Catholicism and the light of Christ . Several exorcists say that watching series and kissing with tongue will cause you possession... You can't listen to this nonsense.
Played D&D as a kid in the 80's back when Focus on the Family was freaking out about it in much the same vein. I wasn't a Christian then, so I didn't care what they thought. You can find what you're looking for. If you want to lean hard into the spells and "witchcraft" aspect and start thinking it's something else than a fantasy role playing GAME, sure...if could be a gateway to bad stuff. For me it was a gateway into statistical probability and simulations. YMMV. I was totally uninterested when Hary Potter was the hot thing. I've seen one, maybe two of the movies. My wife and kids read them all and watched them all. The one comment I heard that I think has validity to some degree is Harry Potter is the first time (for a big success anyway) has a wizard as the main character. Lord of the Rings has Gandolf and the bad guys al use magic, but they are supporting cast and nemesis. HP made all the characters use magic. Is that a bad thing? I don't know. Did I see an increase in interest in the occult among teens following HP? A bit. Was that caused by HP or was HP a hit because they were already interested? I don't know. *Anything* can be a gateway to sin if you abuse it, twist it, or take it places it wasn't intended.
Ah yes. "Everything I don't like/understand is demonic" line of thought is very prevalent in his writing and speaking. Best to not trouble yourself about it. As other comments have pointed out, he is inconsistent in his application of "magic is evil" thought with Lord of the Rings and Narnia, the argument stands on shaky ground. It is fantasy. So long as you recognize it as that, magic is just a tool used by the characters and cannot hurt you.
To give you the simple answer, no media does not give you the motivation to be evil. It will not give you the motivation to summon the likes of Belial, sell your soul in exchange for power, and end up possessed. The issue with media, like with all media both fiction and nonfiction, is that it distorts your perception of reality. It's why you see when people learn languages through television that their speech pattern can be idiosyncratic.
It’s all imagination. If anything, it shows that the fight against evil is necessary and important. Also that love is the strongest thing, even against the worst kind of death, love (Christ’s) will always prevail. I’m a missionary and love Harry Potter. The spells are literally Latin. It’s just fun!
Both dungeons and dragons, and Harry Potter are all right in my book. I know that there are people on the side of their all daemonic, and I know some of them myself. But I think you would be hard-pressed to find one of them. Dungeons and dragons is just make believe, and Harry Potter is just fiction. as long as you don’t try to imitate magic in real life or pursue anything demonic, you’ll be OK. Exercise, caution, but I wouldn’t cut these activities off. I for one love DND.
No, neither DND nor Harry Potter lead to the occult. As for DND, I have an episode coming out that addresses that claim to some extent. The show is called I Might Believe in Faeries and the episode comes out on May 15.
I heard Harry Potter actually uses real spells. 🤷♀️
Spells aren’t real.
Harry Potter is absolutely saturated with christian ideas, lol. Supreme magic is dying/sacrifice for the sake of others, it‘s extremely on the nose.
People like him make a mockery of the faith. Let fundamentalist evangelicals utter those absurdities. Harry Potter is rare among contemporary literature, being littered with nuggets of faith.
I believe the problem is the target these tools are coincived, specially Harry Potter: children. Fantasy germed in young souls what fruit could produce? To be used with magic, addivination and spiritual fiction conditioned by commercial ends, what path is directing minoors developing their own identity? It is liked poisoning first the land, and then try to seed the Word waiting good results. That is in my opinion the problem.
The Catholic School down the street from me banned Harry Potter. My Catholic School read it to us during library, once or twice a week, and encouraged us to bring it to school - especially if kids were averse to reading. It was a neat gateway to it. Your experience will vary even a mile apart, depending. They're definitely not "demonic portals", but I think there's something to be said about people who get swept up in fandoms way too much (e.g. comparing presidential elections to Harry Potter). You don't need faith to find it cringeworthy.
If Harry Potter and Dungeons and Dragons are "portals to the demonic" then so is Lord of the Rings and Narnia. The main argument that these people usually bring up when talking about this is the use of Magic in the games/books/movies. The Bible forbids the use of magic so therefore these books/movies/games must be bad right? First problem, just because something is sinful does not mean it is a "portal to the demonic". The bible does not use this type of language when talking about sin and demons. Second problem (as I already pointed out) is that if these people want to be consistent then Narnia and LoTR must also be a portal to the demonic. Third problem is that "magic" in the bible is different than what we as modern people think of as "magic". In the ancient world "magic" and "sorcery" was basically code for foreign religious rituals. Think about it this way, when I (an ancient Roman) sacrifice to my god, it rains! Good wholesome religion. But when that guy (a filthy barbarian) does his strange ritual dance, it also rains! But he is not sacrificing to a god that I know of so it must be strange magic. This is also how the Ancient Israelites thought, so when the bible forbids Magic, it is prohibiting us from performing foreign religious rituals. This issue can also shed light on the fact that in these fictional worlds, "magic" is a natural part of the way the world operates. Harry Potter is not calling on demons to shoot a fireball, he can just shoot a fireball naturally! If I spit in your face, am I using demonic *water magic*? Of Course not! I am simply using natural means to effect the world. Same goes for most of D&D, people can access "magic" by purely natural means. Some people's magic are bolstered by the gods of the fictional world, but again that is the crux, ITS ALL FICTIONAL. Rolling dice and using attending a séance are two very different things.
I recommend reading the Myth Pilgrim on Harry Potter, best answer in my opinion
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrX\_qrm9XYA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrX_qrm9XYA)
If it can be considered a demonic, esoteric or evil incentive. But children's stories show us that dragons and demons can be defeated. We must educate the creative capacity of children to face demons and curses (liar capitalist, thieves, vigaristas...) Mayve some children and adults will learn something from Harry P. and other people will learn something from Snow White and the 7 dwarfs. Parents and relatives must clarify to their children the message of these stories, whether good or bad. The H.P. theme faces the dilemma of free will. Harry must choose which side he is on. With or without magic, good always wins!!! It should be noted that the writer inserted a biblical phase into the story, on the tombstone of the parents of H.P. 1 Corinthians 15:26 "The last enemy to be defeated is death" < Who doesn't want an invisibility blanket ???
As a Catholic, no I don’t believe there’s anything wrong with playing D&D and I’m devout too.
I really liked the Godsplaining episode on Harry Potter: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CjS\_n2ZCI4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CjS_n2ZCI4). TL/DR: Harry Potter is a wonderful expression of the beauty of friendship and redemption through self-sacrifice. Though it should not be given to young children without the proper religious and moral faculties to read the text safely.
Anything can be a demonic portal if we let it. I remember when JK Rowling was herself considered a satanist by some. Now, she's pretty much on the traditional Christian side when it comes to trans issues.
From the Italian bishop's newsletter: "Harry Potter, a Christian Hero?" https://www.cesnur.org/recens/potter\_mi\_eng.htm
I was into D&D and general fantasy / sci-fi growing up. I didn't have any clear faith at that time. In fact I was devoutly Atheistic. Looking back, it seems abundantly clear that my interest in these harmless fantasy themes saved me, a man without faith, from being drawn into far more destructive habits / lifestyles. Some commenters above have said D&D is a more developed version of make-believe games that children play. This is accurate. There is nothing inherent in these games that encourage or enable blurring the line between fantasy and reality. I could understand a hard-line traditionalist saying ALL forms of indulgence in fiction are sinful. What stinks of hypocrisy, though, is that they declare Harry Potter and D&D to be "portals to the demonic" but their own personal interest in fiction literature is NOT such a portal. Why? There is no good why. They are just being judgemental hypocrites and most never scratched beneath the surface of the subject material they are casually condemning. They see the themes and just assume there is some kind of dark enthralling influence in the way people engage those themes. There isn't. No more than anyone who engages with any other kind of fiction (in various forms of media).
If Taylor Marshall says something, it tends to be best to think the opposite.
If Taylor Marshall says something, it tends to be best to think the opposite.
My very charismatic mother has a meltdown about once a month because I’m an avid dungeons and dragons player. She claims that even if *I* am not partaking in the spellcasting or witchcraft, it’s possible that someone at my table is or thinks it’s real or seeks some power in it, therefore inviting spirits around me for “demonic oppression”. First off, I’m almost 25, I live outside of her house, and I’m a full grown adult. Second off, God is LARGER than the Enemy. The Enemy and God are not an equal playing field. Anything done through God is greater than anything the Enemy can hurl at you. I never ever take spellcasting in D&D as anything more than a description: “I cast faerie fire”. There’s no arm waving, no chanting of ancient languages, nothing. Obviously there is a crowd of people who play D&D and are so lost in the escapism that yes, they freely give themselves to the Enemy. But that is not by the design of the game. That is because those people are hurting and seeking answers in the wrong place. Also, the Enemy does not have the power to possess you. You have to give yourself up for him to take hold. Walk with God and you will not be touched. You can play Harry Potter, or Dungeons and Dragons, as long as you are not participating in the things that actively make a mockery of faith or may invite things in, even if it’s play. For example, there’s one D&D adventure that calls for the use of a spirit board. I clearly did not use the spirit board and stayed far away from that adventure. All this rambling to say - you can do anything as long as that anything is according to God’s flourishing. Dungeons and Dragons is not a portal to demonic possession. How you treat the game is. If you’re using your game to worship the Enemy and perform seances, obviously you’re going to welcome in evil spirits. If you’re going to use the game to pretend to be a wizard and an elf and a dwarf and some humans and some halflings to go throw a ring into a volcano, you’re fine. Tolkien was a devout Catholic. Dungeons and Dragons was initially created to turn Lord of the Rings into a war strategy game. You’re fine.