I understand, after reading further into what he was saying, why he is uncomfortable with playing Mage… but personally, being able to look at things from a different perspective than during everyday life is the entire appeal of gaming to me. I like playing characters that don’t necessarily think like me, or playing in worlds that don’t necessarily function like my own.

What appeals to me most about Mage is what turns him off of it. I like playing with the idea of a malleable reality, which conforms to the beliefs of those in it. I don’t believe this idea in the real world at all, but it’s a fun mental excersise for me nonetheless. Ever since early Tavern games, the idea of consensual reality has been one of my favorites to explore in a game setting.

I wonder if he would enjoy the game a bit more playing from the Technocracy side of things – ie, that everything the Traditions are doing is dangerous irrationalism, and science and rationality must triumph for the good of Humanity.

…but I doubt he would, as I think his issues are more with the way the game itself is structured than the perspective of any one character.

All I have to say is, “whatever floats your boat”, or in this case, “whatever sinks it.”

I’ve often noticed that fundies are frequently those who’s own religious faith is very weak, and retreat into rigid dogma because they cannot cope with doubt or uncertainty.

The characters I play frequently have worldviews I’d consider reprehensible in real life (although I don’t generally play *evil* characters, I will play selfish, criminal, bigoted, violent, greedy, etc. characters). So a game based on a worldview I’d consider dangerous idiocy in real life is… well, a game.