Faith Fighter Pulled By Creators After “Manufactured Controversy”
Turns out you can get video games removed from the internet. All you need to do is offend the sensibilities of three major religions, as Molleindustria’s online god fighting game Faith Fighter did.
The Italian group of artists and programmers removed the 2D fighter from its web site today, following an official statement from the organisation of Islamic Conference, according to Molleindustria, and a “successfully manufactured [...] controversy” from news outlet Metro UK.
“Faith Fighter depicted in a mildly politically incorrect way all the major religions as a response to the one-way islamophobic satire of the Danish Mohammad cartoons,” reads a statement from Molleindustria. “If a [sic] established organisation didn’t understand the irony and the message of the game and is claiming it is inciting intolerance, we simply failed.”
Molleindustria says that Faith Fighter, which was released online over a year ago but was apparently recently noticed by concerned religious groups or late-to-the-party Metro editorial staff, only received two formal complaints from “two catholic players.”
“This has happened before with games as Super Columbine Massacre RPG, Virtual Jihadi and our Operation: Pedopriest, works that attracted heavy criticism based on false assumptions spread by mass media,” reads the statement.
Molleindustria calls the removal of Faith Fighter a “symbolic act,” as the game is available via other sources, including popular Flash game web site Newgrounds.com.
Faith Fighter Statement [Molleindustria]
Comments (AU Comments | US Comments)
Once again the general population shows their ignorance of muslims and islam.
It says in the article that it was two Catholics that complained, and to the people who are saying that once again religion has wrecked their fun, this game wouldn’t have even existed if it wasn’t for religion.
Everyone automatically assumes that all muslims (the majority of which are NOT arab) are barbarians and terrorists and hate the west. This is simply not the case. It’s just a few bad eggs.
Also Muhammed is NOT a God he is simply a prophet the same as Jesus and Moses, and Allah is the same God that the christians and jews worship. So from what I know muslims would have been just as offended that there were depictions of God and Jesus as well as Muhammed. Don’t comment on something if you know nothing about it.
I am NOT a Muslim and this is NOT a hate post it is simply to clarify a few things with the wider community.
Also I do realize that this is a video game blog and not a place for religious debate so this is the only post I’m going to make on the subject.
@Old_Skool_Gamer: actually in the article it says “The Italian group of artists and programmers removed the 2D fighter from its web site today, following an official statement from the organisation of Islamic Conference”. And Jesus was the son of god/god incanate, not a prophet like moses.
No one has the right to do anything that will offend me… cause you know, Im just so much better than everyone else.
-who am iiiiii
@who am iiiiii
Obviously you’re a christian. I grew up in a christian home so I know all about christianity. I don’t have anything against you or anyone no matter what religion they are that’s totally your choice and your right should be protected to choose whatever religion you want.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion. Just because we don’t agree on certain things doesn’t mean we can’t get along.
The issue here is this game and people of any of the major religions (Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Bhuddism etc) would be right in being offended by it.
And as for the free speech argument, people are completely fine with making fun of things until it hits close to home. A prime example is Isaac Hayes (Chef from South Park) was happy to make fun of anything and everything on the show but as soon as they were going to make fun of scientology he quit the show.
@Snacky_Smores:
War is never caused by religion, only justified by it.
They fail for succumbing to cheap pressure.
Glad I played it before it got smacked.
@ShadowOdin is sad he missed Wyatt Cenac's visit to Sweden: What about the recent bending over for home-grown religious communities? In the U.S. they begin each new session of the House of Representatives with prayer, last I knew. In Canada, our national anthem refers go "God". Religious groups in the U.S. are getting increasingly activist in politics, and we're *supposed* to be living in a secular society.
I don't see the west "bending over" any more for muslim communities than they are for Christian communities.
scrapking
@Fadecy: Rival Schools for PSN/XBLA PLZ: Well Religion has always been the downfall of many things and caused a good hand full of wars. What did you expect?
Josh Tate
@ThickSkinned: Its true. I just wish that the west would learn to say "FUCK YOU!" when it is warranted.
Hey_Blinkon
@kagekiri: As a scientist, I've got to tell you there is so much more truth to that than you know (unless you're a scientist). I know in my field (Immunology) there is so much bullshit in the text books, that I have to take the other stuff that isn't my specialty by faith (with a little skepticism) :)
Hey_Blinkon
@notijkabob: Actually, the Christian God and the Islamic God are the same God.
Judaism = version 1.0
Christianity = version 2.0
Islam = version 3.0
Mormonism and the Jehovahs Witnesses are revisions that are less than a full-point release. They're 2.x releases.
scrapking
@facelike: I did the same, I figured it would happen. Go Streisand effect, go!
As of this moment the game has 666 reviews on Newgrounds.
@Hey_Blinkon: Yeah religion doesn't cause problems. Stupidity does.
lolgreg
@Rey Rodrigues: Can't you say that about anything Carlos Mencia does?
lolgreg
oops meant that to be @Quote
eucrow
@lucasreis: How do i unlock the "Flying Spaghetti monster?"
eucrow
@ShadowOdin is sad he missed Wyatt Cenac's visit to Sweden: The West is bending over because of a simple fact. Fundamentalist Christians will picket, protest, and boycott. Fundamentalist Muslims blow things up, cut off peoples heads, and burn down newspaper offices. Fear, much like believing in imaginary gods, will make you do some crazy things.
ThickSkinned
"thou shall not create combatant characters in my image!"
@Quote: I am religious but I agree. And I´m not offended at all, I loved the idea, it´s cool. Remember, religious people, HUMOR IS GOOD GODDAMMNIT! :D
lucasreis
God? Fuckin Buddha? ... and people say mvc2 is unbalanced?
Silenced
@Snacky_Smores: Fighting for stupid stuff is not religion´s fault. It´s a little thing called Human Nature. If you think that without religion the world would be peaceful, how the hell do you explain fanboyism? Yeah, even GAMES can lead people to fanatical and stupid reactions, flame wars, etc. So, don´t blame it on religion alone. The human race stinks and we know it...
lucasreis
@Snacky_Smores: Okay John Lennon. Go toke on a peace pipe and come up with some more original ideas.
So let's see, they intended to anger and get wagging fingers from people to show those people they're the same as those who burned down an embassy and threatened death to someone for claiming they were violent...
Once again, I fail to see how this response is anywhere CLOSE to being the same. Ever. At all...
Wagging fingers and airwave complaining vs physical violence... Yeah, not seeing it.
@nrXic: I am hardly defending Jyllands Posten. Whatever crap they did it was wrong, but it didn't deserve the shit it got.
But the European leaders had NOTHING to do with it. At all. It was not something they should deal with. That's the same reason why I, or the Swedish government, don't apologize to the US for 9/11.
No, they recalled a game little before release and replaced the song. I've never heard of a major title being stopped right before release just because one random person mentions that a song that was released many years ago (and even received an award) might be considered insulting.
"Respectful manner"? Perhaps you missed the debacle that followed. Certainly, some might have sent letters to kindly have them removed, but then some took the newpaper and traveled to the middleeast to show to various religious leaders, causing immense uproars, boycotts, flagburnings and real acts of bigotry.
@MooglesInMyFace:
Hitler was aetheist? Did your preist tell you this as touched your pee-pee?
GtheMVP99
@Hey_Blinkon:
Exactlky, oil, religion, land, blah fucking blah.
There will always be war with us cavemen, so long as money and resources = power
GtheMVP99
@eucrow:
Don't upset Dawkins, you know how serious he is about his religion :D
GtheMVP99
@BarbeQueQ: But Stalin was and he killed millions more than Hitler could possibly dream of.
@nrXic: Ignore "ShadowOdin". I wouldn't be surprised if he is some xenophobe.
Can't we all just shut up, get along, and then talk about swine flu instead?
Molleindustria rulez.
their game OILIGARCHY is the best activist game ever made
if there were no humans there would be no war.
that's pretty much it. we will find something to kill ourselves over any other way.
pandafresh
I'm a devout Christian and it didn't really bother me I played it once after a friend linked me it, it's no worse than the bizzarre cultish texts they use in silent hill games.
At least it's still available elsewhere.
Primebuster
@ShadowOdin is sad he missed Wyatt Cenac's visit to Sweden: First off, the same "small newspaper" didn't post cartoons of Jesus because they thought it was "too offensive".
Secondly, the European leaders apologized because the cartoons represented bigotry.
Third off, Sony didn't apologize for LBP, because no Muslim group complained. Someone on a forum complained, big difference.
And finally, all of the organizations that did complain to Jyllands Posten did it in a respectful matter. They organized a massive letter writing campaign to both the paper and the government. Your allegation that people acted like "children" is totally offbase and demonstrates that you're jumping to prejudiced conclusions here.
This is why we can't have retarded things...
@scrapking: You don't see entire nations apologizing to christian communities because some small newspaper decided to post caricatures of Jesus in them.
Denmakr did. Denmarks parliament apologized for something they had NO power over. Not only Denmark. Several european leaders apologized with them because they thought it was okay to sit around and act like babies and act like total dicks just because of some small newspaper.
I don't care if someone trampled on your beliefs, a bunch of cartoons is NOT enough to warrant such apologies. Or for you to walk around and burn flags and make death-threats.
But we did apologize. And we apologized for Little Big Planet featuring strings from the Quran in a song by a muslim artist.
I am all for respecting others' religion. But when those people doesn't respect me? Then I say screw them. Because if people are going to act like little children whenever something they disagree with happen instead of talking about it like an adult, then I won't give them any respect.
@kagekiri: Hmmm, I have never believed in a god but I have yet to become a megalomaniacal sociopath. Claiming that morality is exclusive to those who subscribe to a theistic worldview is terribly ignorant.
Also, if faith were to play a part in ones application of the scientific method one should probably look into a career as an Alchemist.
One more thing, and this goes for everyone: either provide evidence( links please )that Hitler was indeed an atheist or, please, forget how to type.
@MooglesInMyFace: what is with all this shit trying to prove atheists have killed more than religious folks? way more people have died in the name of religion. anyone remember the crusades? holy wars? any of this a-ringin' a bell? besides who gives a shit, people are stupid regardless of what t-shirt you wear or what book of words you subscribe to.
logicbox
Only six characters?
OT God, Jesus, Shiva (with ability to transform into avatars, including a "Midnight Bliss" Pavarti-form), Mohammed (PBUH), Susano and Amaterasu, Siddartha Gautama, Lao Tzu and the True Tao (that cannot be named), Kung Fu Tze/Confucius (who unlike the other characters, has no super abilities, but can string together unbelievable combos of filial piety and reason), The Great Spirit, Odin, Osiris, Baron Samedhi, Zeus, Ahura Mazda, Marduk, Cernunnos, Svarog, Huitzilopochtli, Gukumatz, Ananse, Maui, and as secret characters, L. Ron Hubbard (the Dan Hibiki of the series) and the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
onikuwagata
@lolgreg: lol@lolgreg
Rey Rodrigues
@Desolation_Angel: Are you really so naive to believe that if you wiped out religion these people would be fine? Its not religion, its the people. They'll find some other excuse to murder and kill and hate. Remember all the news reports on people going nuts and killing their families and what not?
Listen to a supremacist or evangelical talk about what they believe. You really think erasing religion will fix a logic fallacy like that? "They will know we are Christians by our kindness" They aren't following that one and they don't admit it. Also I could have sworn the stuff in the ten commandments are pretty good suggestions. Don't kill? Don't lie? Don't have sex willynilly(No more babies getting abandoned or STDs ruining lives!)? Don't steal?
Lately atheists have decided that by saying they don't believe in god and attacking religion they're suddenly smarter and understand the world. An extreme of either side is no better than the other. I don't CARE about religion. It doesn't MATTER to me. The problem is hardly religion. I could have sworn greed has killed just as many or more people.
@Snacky_Smores: So you're bucking society, being a rebel that doesn't follow the crowd right? Nothing wrong with that. Why don't define free thinking in your own words, so that you can enlighten us all? Free us all from our mental handicaps. Let's make the world a better place!
Simba
@[www.timesonline.co.uk]
Every religion has their extremists and they're all crazy. Evangelicals of every religion have killed people. Don't be so blind.
@ithyphallus: I don't understand what you are talking about here. What argument did I scoff at? And as far as your second paragraph there, I can't determine the argument you are trying to make.
You can think of whatever you want. If you abopt a religion then you are just choosing to believe in what thousands of other people choose to believe in without question. The basis of religion is to beleive without question. Beleive what you are told without resistance. That is not free thinking.
@Snacky_Smores: But in your first post you said "without religion there would be peace", which infers that religion is the source of all conflict. Changing your mind now?
Simba
@kagekiri: There is no faith in science as the basis of science is that when someone has discovered something and shown overwhelming evidence in support of this then it is subject to the scrutiny of the scientific community and is only considered valid if the results are repeatable.
@ithyphallus: No one said religion is the cause of every war and saying that oil, money and land are gods is a stretch. I'm pretty sure that the crusades begs to differ with every war on your list as the bloodiest. Oh and the inquisition i'm sure would be bloodier than all the wars on your list.
@logicbox: Thank you very much for that!
If you seriously think axing religion would remove all conflict from the world, please remove your head from your ass and then go watch the "Go, God, Go!" episodes of South Park.
The Sniper said it best: "Long as there's two people alive on this planet, someone's going to want somebody dead."
@O1av: I'm so glad that I downloaded this last night, when Kotaku first reported on it.
If anything, I hope they pulled the game down only to replace it with Faith Fighter 2 or something.
InvaderPhlegm
@Simba: What?
@MooglesInMyFace: Yeah that's only two out of history that you named. I'm sure that is far short of the number of religious leaders that have commited mass murders throughout history.
Mmm...its perfectly reasonable to compare thousands of years of murder to three dictators. One of which, Hitler, believed in God and was a supporter of the Catholic Church.
Which is worse again? Having no God or thinking your God is the only truth? Well I'm going to go with the latter since the former has never inspired me to create dozens of ass related torture implements to punish people for believing in a God...
Please, continue to ignore hundreds of historical atrocities while clinging to less than a handful of madmen as proof that you're not a hypocrite. Its ironic that so many people willing to accept things on blind faith are so deeply in denial.
Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.
ottothecat2008
@Deadshot: So much for freedom of speech...
@GLaDOS: That's a good way to handle a mature debate.
My way of seeing things might appear crude and unfavorably harsh (in this case against Muslims). But believe in real equality, where we treat each other on equal terms. Not the liberal kind, where the same part keep apologizing whenever the other side feels hurt.
Instead of always looking at what we in the west are doing things wrong according to them, shouldn't those people just accept that is how we do things here? As distasteful as the cartoons were, did they really warrant the rage they received? I didn't see any dialogue there. I saw fierce anger directed towards people who weren't involved, against nations, when all it was, was a newspaper. And when such anger and accusations are flung, is it then the people not involved who should apologize?
And when such anger take place, why shouldn't those people who protested, burned flags, boycotted, and were overly hateful towards the west also apologize?
If my sister did something that really upset me and I called her a "Fucking whore" (I never would)then, even if she was actually guilty of doing something bad, I would still have to apologized, because what I did was no better, even if I did it in anger.
@GLaDOS: What you speak is the truth. And the LBP-example wasn't perhaps the best.
But I think it was a little too late to get on the case of that song now, since it is sung by an muslim, and it did win an award a few years prior.
And one of my problems with it is that they hardly do something like that for everybody.
What you say about the actions is true though. And I agree that it's stupid to meet childish behavior with childish behavior. We should've sought to open a dialogue with them, not pay them back.
Fun game, but not quite as nice and polished as Adult Swim's Bible Fight
GuymanX09
@ShadowOdin is sad he missed Wyatt Cenac's visit to Sweden: I was specifically talking about the LBP mention. If you think that was removed due to bowing down to Muslim pressures or some "radical Muslims", then you know very little about Muslims or Islam. It is mainstream belief in Islam to not mix music with the Qur'an. A few people respectfully alerted MM to it. MM obliged. I hardly call this bowing down to pressure from extremists.
Yes, the cartoons issue was overblown (I even blame the imam who first saw it and then went ahead to make the cartoon issue global) and the violence that ensued was uncalled for but the reaction to that by many in the West in the name of freedom of speech (e.g. many people abusing the Qur'an, making more caricatures, etc. because of the incidence) is hardly anything mature and just as infantile as the violent riots and the effigy burnings.
@Desolation_Angel: Please, continue to talk out of your behind. It is easy to see how most, if not all, previous conflicts had little to do with God or religion but more to do with land grabs and conquest. Even the Crusades was a territorial issue and religion was only used as a motivator and uniter, similar to how patriotism and nationalism moves people to defend their country.
maybe they angry because their God character is Imba with the other? LOL
wulfsaga2
@logicbox: What's with all this shit trying to prove religious people have killed more than atheist folks? Way more people have died in the name of greed. Anyone remember the crusades and holy wars, which was the CHURCH (then, a political entity) trying to take up as much land as power as possible? Remember the archbishops used to party more than a coked-out rapper from today? Any of this a-ringing a bell?*
*Fixed for balance.
In the end of the day, religion itself does not inspire violence. It's the inability to see what religion is (a means to increase "good" social interaction), myopic selfishness, greed, corruption and lack of personal responsibility.
MrBangBam... is reading you from the toilet
how is this diffrent from Adult Swims Bible Fight?
Kaijumaster
@Derek Rumpler: Jews, Christians, and Muslisms all believe in evolutions of the same God.
Those three faiths all agree on certain core things. They all agree that in the time before Christ that pious Jews were the only ones that got to go to heaven. They all agree in some of the tenets of the Old Testament. Christians and Muslims both agree on the divinity of Christ, though Christians perceive him as the son of God and Muslims perceive him as a prophet of God.
To put it simply, first there were Jews, then Christians and Muslims believe Christ came and brought new teachings to Earth for God, then Muslims believe that God sent yet another prophet (Mohammed) that expounded upon His teachings yet again. Hence why I tongue-in-cheek refer to them as v1.0, v2.0, and v3.0. To say that one evolved from the other isn't to say they're all the same, of course, as they're not. There'd be no need for different versions if they were all teh same. :) They unquestionably have a common root and share several core beliefs.
Myself? I'm an agnostic. People of faith and atheists are both mysterious to me. :)
scrapking
@Scruffy_the_Janitor: I just read your comment history and laughed out loud. Well done sir.
@Lev_Astov: Speaking of which, I'm glad I downloaded the game. I shall see about finding a way to host it so that others can experience the awesome.
@Shykin:
I can certainly agree with you to an extent: I don't care about religion. What bothers me is the religious. It is perfectly fine to believe in whatever helps you get through the day as long as it does not harm anyone else. When you attempt to enforce those beliefs upon society at large and forbid people from making a joke about it...then I have a big problem.
We ( at least in the US *though lately I am not so sure* ) live in a secular society. All viewpoints, no matter how ridiculous, are able to be voiced publicly. Likewise, everything is open for commentary and criticism. When people are forced to remove a piece of satire ( no matter how juvenile or offensive it may be ) from public view because X group can not take Y joke, we have a big fucking problem.
I find it hysterical that the people most inclined to make privately held beliefs public policy ( read: the rabidly religious ) will be the first to scream "persecution" when faced with the possibility that not everyone takes them as seriously as they would like. Everything is all fine and dandy until the finger is pointed at these people, and when it is, they do nothing but whine about it. I have absolutely no sympathy. Fools deserve none.
Destroying religion certainly won't save the world. Destroying humanity might. Judging from the nihilistic tone of most western religion, "god" may wish us to do just that. I want to believe that we're all better than that. I really do. Conversations full of blame and bullshit ( like this one ) make that a very difficult hope to hold on to. Good night.
@MrBangBam... is reading you from the toilet: Finally, a reasonable response.
Hey_Blinkon
@Snacky_Smores: The basis of religion is not to believe without questioning. I'm sure many people do this, but it is not always the case. I know I was raised in one religion and converted to another. Due to my own free thinking and independent study.
By the same token, to simply state that it is not free thinking to reject relgion is just as valid as what you have said. Maybe you're just following what all the other atheists are telling you to think. Do you see how this can go both ways? I'm not saying that is the case with you, I don't know you. But, you don't know everyone else. Keep it in mind.
Hey_Blinkon
@Snacky_Smores: Your stance on science is correct. Science is testing of hypotheses through controlled experiments. By definition it is involved with the physical world. Thus, it cannot say ANYTHING about the spiritual world, if there is one. That is the realm of faith. Likewise, faith cannot say anything about the physical world, and if one's faith contradicts what is scientifically proven, one must reexamine one's faith.
Hey_Blinkon
@Desolation_Angel: Many atrocities have been and continue to be committed in the name of religion, but far and wide they are really done for personal gain of those in charge. The same as the atrocities of the crimes committed not in the name of religion.
Additionally, atheism is a essentially a religion in it self. I'm sure that's anathema to you, but there is no scientific, objective proof that there is, or isn't, a god. Based on faith people choose to believe what they want. Your faith tells you there is no god. Get off the high horse, you're not more evolved than anyone else.
Hey_Blinkon
@ottothecat2008: Oh give me a break. For good people to do evil, all it takes is temptation. A person with normally high morals can be tempted to do something they themselves consider evil. It again goes back to the fact that humans are fundamentally self serving organisms. Sometimes they display compassion and goodness, but by no means is anyonw 100% good or evil.
Hey_Blinkon
@Andy misses his 360 :(: That is easily the best thing I have seen all day.
captainapplesauce
strange, yet i can still play bible fight on adult swim. now that is an epic fighing game.
[www.adultswim.com]
cihx
@scrapking: Although many say all 3 believe in the same God, the followers would disagree. Jews believe in God. Christians believe (typically) in a Triune God, with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. As Jews do not believe in Jesus as God, they cannot believe in the same God; that God includes Jesus. Muslims believe in a singluar God as well, and so they reject the Christian God. Additionally, some Christians would claim that the Koran is inspired by Satan. Muslims will claim that the Bible is a corrupted revelation. Thus, the God there would not be the same God either.
Historically speaking, the 3 religions did evolve from one another, and have many tenets/stories in common. And you're right in saying that they are "backward compatible" to some extent, with Christians coming from Jews, Muslims adopting Jewish/Christian tenets. But, the fundamental differences on the nature of God I think lead to the gods in question being different.
Hey_Blinkon
@peteer02: "appease" not "appeal"... Yikes
peteer02
@Deadshot: Haha! =)
Well time to put the flash up all over the internet.
It might just cause the tiny minds of religious people to asplode. The world will get better.
Cavefish
But of course there's going to be outrage by one of the three major religions over this. It's almost impossible to create a perfectly level playing field in fighting games, and how are fans supposed to act when they realize the deity of their choice isn't a top tier pick?
Hopefully Super Faith Fighter or Faith Fighter Turbo can appeal the fans with some character balancing...
peteer02
I hope they make a game concerning the vulturesque nature of Media/News outlets next.
@Deadshot: /bump
AceofCase
Please tell me... if you don't believe in God or Muhammed or Jesus or Buddha, then why should you be making images of them....?
Kermad
@Andy misses his 360 :(: Awesome! Thank you sir for pointing that out.
@tinky XIII: I shall play that game till my thumbs hurt.
@Hey_Blinkon: Of course science applies to the physical world because there is no proof of the spiritual world. So my stance on science is correct, you are merely twisting it to your arguments advantage by saying that it doesn't apply to a fictitious world. You are so off base here. Faith is the beleif in something science is the proof of something.
@MrBangBam... is reading you from the toilet: I am pretty sure that in those wars those were religious people of that faith doing the killing.