Does Bravely Default Hate Atheists?

Hardcore Gamer: Bravely Default presents itself as a solid, straightforward tale of good versus evil (although there’s a lot going on beneath the surface). A team of four plucky youngsters square off against an empire of cartoon baddies in a bid to save the world. What troubles me is that our four plucky youngsters are effectively religious missionaries, while the cartoonishly evil antagonists are all atheist strawmen.

[Axisian]

JRPGs always have you fighting deities, and a lot of times religious people are viewed as evil.

Now that the opposite (seemingly) happened, BRAVELY DEFAULT HATES ATHIESTS!!

[g-0ff]

Try reading it. It's phrased as a question for a reason.

It's something to think about. Who cares if it's not true of other JRPGs?

[ChaosKnight]

RPGs promote the importance and existence of gods almost always. They're the most overtly religious genres of video games.

[360ICE]

Well, I wouldn't say that. It's typical for fantasy settings to have religion as part of their lore, so yeah, you're gonna have some gods in there.

Take Final Fantasy X, though, where you actively fight the religious establishment - even if the game is full of positive religion and mysticism.

[OtakuDJK1NG-Rory]

One JRPG that does it is Arc Rise Fantasia.

[360ICE]

In most cases what you're saying would be true, but not really in that one. The article makes some interesting arguments, and while it basically answers its own questions with a "no", this was a more enjoyable read than most.

@Pretty much everone below
There's this new thing the kids are doing (or so I wish) called reading. Look it up.

[g-0ff]

I hope there's more response to this than "get your politics out of my games"

[Abriael]

That's the appropriate response.

By the way, games don't hate anyone. They don't have a brain of their own.

[WildArmed]

Lol.

And honestly, when you are building a rich stage for a game, you tend to build around some mystical setting (esp. true for JRPGs).

Doesn't mean the game is made with intentions against atheists.

Most games you hunt "heretics", or you become a heretic (Tactics Orge, Final Fantasy Tactics come to mind).

[g-0ff]

My gosh, you're right! We should never, ever consider games in different contexts. And also, we should never use any sort of rhetoric in referring to anything.

[LogicLee]

It's interesting to finally see things from the opposite side of spectrum. Bravely Default is a bit black/white with their approach to the subject, but there's definitely something there.

[Geekman]

EVERYONE hates Atheist. Even Atheist.

[eyeDEVOUR]

As someone who believes in reality/science/evolution (i am an atheist) and i find your comment very ignorant and insulting... plz go read a book or visit a museum

[Geekman]

You need Jesus.

[eyeDEVOUR]

@Geekman
lol...naw.
You NEED education!!!

[ShaunCameron]

Something the typical liberal/secular humanist/feminist/Marxist/comm unist/socialist/leftist would say.

[Raven722]

@Shaun

Being atheist does not mean also being anything else you listed. Stop being an idiot.

[eyeDEVOUR]

@cameron and geek

what are you guys attacking atheist for? TROLLING FOR JESUS?

[Geekman]

Because a four year, Bachelors, and Masters Degree wasn't enough.

[eyeDEVOUR]

lmao
geekman said- Because a four year, Bachelors, and Masters Degree wasn't enough.

you mean associate and bachelors degree?

[InTheLab]

For the most parts most Theists pity Atheists. They believe that because we refuse to serve their god we are damned. There's really no hate.

I've had members of several churches in my neighborhood try to tell me about their god and I tell them I'm not interested.

They lay out their reasons why I should care and I lay out mine which is usually a breakdown of why the first few pages of Genesis are beyond ridiculous or bring up Job and they usually leave irritated but not hateful.

[jegheist2014]

omfg whats next lightning returns mocks christianity which im firmly rasied since my dad is the assistant preacher at church most my life heck no.

lightning is the saviour must send lightning cuz god himself cant save world omg lets bash square neix cuz of that get grip people.

lightning returns wholep lot is bout the 2nd coming just wisted if u read bible or been shoved it down your throat like i have youd now this.

except one minor diffrence we r not saviours in our own planet we r like gandhi and mother teresas ambassadors or missionaires to save souls cuz god needs place for osuls in his newk ingdom rest go to hell or purgatory if yoru catholic for matter...

lol lol this is atrocity i posted this for reason if christians target lightning returns as mockery dont go for it im partial one myself except im more gnostic mixed with pagan background but without horse crap rules throw in it

[Nerdmaster]

I'm an atheist, and if "god" was as tangible as the crystals in Bravely Default, I would become religious in a heartbeat.

[mixelon]

Yeah, it doesn't seem like the BD guys are anything like atheists. Denying something that's demonstrably there is pretty much the opposite of what atheism is. That's usually what fundamentalist religious types do.

If someone could prove the existence of god there wouldn't be atheism, and the people who denied god wouldn't be atheists. It wouldn't be a case of theism at all.

[TheGOODKyle]

With all the crap that happens in the world, if there was a god I would never ever worship it.

[jegheist2014]

im not discriminate anyone here but this article whoeva wrote needs to think beofre they post it theres huge diffrence between agnostic and atheist..

atheist dont beleive in god whatsoeva higher being or thought of abolut power where as agnostic is against god but beleives in higher power or nother name for god but is still hefty against religious propspect og biblical teachings etc

thats my laymens terminolgy of it correct me if im wrong thats how i define diffrence between 2

[Hicken]

Nah, you got that on point. I'm not atheist, but I generally despise religion(which puts me at odds with my black Baptist family... and the Jehovah's Witness ones, too).

An atheist does not believe in in any sort of higher power. I haven't played Bravely Default yet, myself, but if the enemies believe that a higher power exists, then they aren't atheists... which kinda defeats the article's purpose?

[Pozzle]

Considering Bravely Default was made in Japan (a country where the majority of people identify as non-religious), I doubt the developers are going to take an active stance against atheists.

[gamejediben]

Who the hell cares?

It's a video game.

And atheists make up a tiny fraction of the world's population anyway. The only reason this article was written is because his website needs hits and another whiny, thin skinned atheist feels slightly offended and/or threatened by something that is completely inconsequential.

As others have said before, an atheist's primary export is large quantities of whining.