Dungeons and Dragons is the Harry Potter of the board game world: it is constantly targeted for witchcraft and devil worship.
Created in 1974, D&D is a game that has been celebrated for its creativity, social prowess, and storytelling. It’s a staple in nerd culture and is even seeing a revival thanks to multiple podcasts of players recording their adventures in the game.
However, it has been the scapegoat by Christian groups ever since its creation. Since it features certain aspects, such as spells and demonic monsters, it’s attributed to be of the devil. But interestingly, D&D has also been accused of being the cause of disappearances and suicides.
As you can imagine, this just thrilled Christians everywhere.
According to the BBC article, D&D was accused for playing a part (pun not intended) in the suicides of two different high school students; one in 1980 and another in 1982. At one point, the publishers of the game, TSR Inc., were sued by Patricia Pulling claiming that a “curse” within the game had been the cause of her son’s suicide.
The lawsuit was dropped, but Pulling persisted by creating BADD, or Bothered About Dungeons and Dragons in 1983. The organization ended in 1997, but leave it to Christians to never be deterred.
This has personally resonated with me, as I grew up thinking that D&D was essentially devil worship and against everything my faith stood for. It wasn’t until just last year that I started playing and it has been a huge help to my mental health.
Does that make me a demon worshipper? Well, if it has, it’s so much better than what the other side is offering.
Delaney Heil
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