The Christian Gamers Group

Is Pokemon Really Demonic?

HarveyHouston

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Harvey here with another thought-provoking message. You know, we now live in a world where pop cult ("popular culture") has become a term meaning movies, books, TV shows, comics, and of course video games that are often mentioned and have an impact on our world. Could any of these things be potentially used for demonic purposes? Quite possibly, but does that mean that these pop cult references are demonic?

It may sound like double talk, but consider a popular video game series that has become very widespread in the past (roughly) quarter of a century - Pokemon (or "pocket monsters", as the name suggests). Now, for the record, I hate Pokemon. I got sick of ads pushing the franchise back in the early 2000s, and even learning about it later didn't impress me. I think it's overhyped, and the basic concept is stupid. Therefore, you might think that I am willing to call it "demonic" and leave it at that, without coming to its defense.

That's not going to be the case here. In fact, I will go so far as to say that Pokemon, while not necessarily a game for everyone obviously, is by no means intended to be demonic or has demonic roots. How can I be so sure? Well, let's consider some of the things that those who think Pokemon is Satanic often criticize over, and see for yourself.

Names

Religious Pokemon haters often state that Pokemon names are the names of demons, or have demonic references in their naming conventions. In actuality, most are based off of common Japanese words that do not have demonic definitions, or intentional misspellings of common English words and phrases (i.e. Bewear, sounds like "beware"). Never is there a mention of known demons, and most derive from various languages which are either Oriental or Latin words that have little to no ties with Satanism. In fact, you can see a list of the most common characters' names here, which includes the etymology of their names.

They also pick on the fact that these are "monsters", and thus are also "demons". If we look at the definitions more closely, we can see that it doesn't mention anything about demons. Most definitions for the word "monster" define it as either meaning "huge" or "disfigured". Also some animals are described as being "monstrous" like bears or whales, and even legends like the Yeti or the Loch Ness Monster, but that doesn't mean they're possessed by evil spirits. With this knowledge, we can conclude that while every demon is some form of monster, not every monster is some form of demon.

Appearances

These same conspirators also claim that the designs of the Pokemon are demonic in nature, focusing on certain features of their bodies or even whole Pokemon. While some Pokemon do look outright frightening, keep in mind that this is a fighting series. You pit several monsters against each other. Think of Sylvester Stallone as Rocky, or real-life boxer George Foreman - they're tough and perhaps intimidating while in the fighting rings, but that doesn't make them Satanists. Both have claimed Christianity, at one point or another (in fact, Stallone wanted the Rocky movies to have Christian undertones)! As you get to know the Pokemon, you find that these scary faces aren't so scary, after all.

Poses

Believe it or not, these people who do not believe in Pokemon being benevolent have also critiqued their stances as demonic, referring to their lack of digits on their hands as "hail Satan" signs, or some gesture being perverted in some way. Is that what the Pokemon Company intended - to market signs of witchcraft to children? Considering the other "signs" that are questionable as to whether they really are Satanic or not, you can probably draw the conclusion that this is not the case.

Gameplay

In most Pokemon games, you have Pokemon that you collect and pit against each other in battles. As you play, you can also train Pokemon, help them get better at fighting, and most importantly, evolve into larger, stronger monsters. This evolution stage has intimidated preachers against the franchise, as it suggests that you are "raising demons and making them stronger". Does a creature in real life not get stronger and better capable of fighting from childhood to adulthood? Think monkeys, kangaroos, dogs, cats, elephants, deer, goats, bears, wolves, fish, birds, insects, and even HUMANS. Every living thing learns, adapts, and grows stronger as they practice skills that they are taught to use, from simple acts like climbing and walking, to memorizing patterns and places. Yes, that also applies to fighting each other. As we grow, we learn. It's not truly demonic; it's just perceived that way because they are labelled as "monsters",

Popularity

What has worried the anti-Pokemon zealots the most is how Pokemon has been able to influence the public into unhealthy habits. They claim that this is Satan using these devices to manipulate people to do his will, since the franchise has demons in it to brainwash people and guide them to do witchcraft. While I agree that obsessing over a game series so much that it takes over your life is an unhealthy habit, I don't believe that it's because there are demons in the platform. It's a problem with the people, not the games. Unhealthy obsessions have happened always, with various things, all through the centuries, and eliminating Pokemon won't make it all of a sudden stop.

Soo... Is Pokemon Evil?

Short answer? No. To wrap this up, basically it's how people perceive these games that makes it bad or good. While there are truly bad games out there, some that ARE demonic in nature, there isn't enough solid evidence to claim that Pokemon is indeed demonic. In order to determine what is good and what is bad, we need God's Word to guide us, not merely our own reasoning. Unfortunately, too many of these preachers rely on their own beliefs to guide them, and thus can not only lead others astray from God, but themselves as well.

Do YOU think Pokemon is evil? If so, what do you believe makes it evil? Does the Pokemon Company have nefarious intent to convert children into Satanists? We're willing to discuss this openly, so feel free to share your comments below!
 

chrisrlink

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being from a roman catholic backgroud (don't go to church anymore but celebrates xmas and easter) i personally despise preachers who talk the pokemon is satans work and i disassociate from the "highly religious" Pokemon as a game has good benifiets as math is concerned so saying pokemon is evil is far from the truth (and i rather look into the backgrounds of these said preachers make sure they're not the next warren jeffs or something
 
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