Thursday, June 21, 2012

END OF CIVILIZATION

Below is an article from CNN. The article is about a man who played a role playing game for ten years creating civilizations and growing them into nations. The outcome....is quite Biblical. There is no hope for mankind.  He says in regards to the nations the only peace solution is to wipe out others, "It is this that perpetuates the war ad infinitum." 

He also said the only Government that was plausible was a communistic one. Democracy failed to act when needed to. Like a game of Chess, this man played for 10 years and it is quite a fascinating read. There is one scenario that he did not think of and that was God intervening in mankind's fate. In Matthew, Jesus says, "And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." I can't wait, yet I fear how much war and death must we endure until the Christ returns to save mankind from himself.
 
(CNN) -- Can you imagine playing a single video game for 10 years?
One man did. And it helped him imagine something else: a bleak, war-ravaged future version of Earth.
A member of the social news website Reddit who goes by the name Lycerius posted his results from a decade-long game of "Civilization II," a turn-based strategy games in which players build their own society. His epic struggle pushed the game to its limits, further than developers ever imagined or planned for.
The "Civilization" franchise is a series of strategy games that allow players to grow small tribes into large, sprawling nations. Players can manage resources, build armies and engage in diplomacy in an effort to grow their civilization into a world leader.
"Civilization II" was released in 1996. But when the third version of the game was released in 2001, Lycerius said, he was already deep into his current game and wanted to see how far he could go.
He doesn't play every day but returns to what he called a "hellish nightmare of suffering and devastation" when he has some free time.
Now in the year 3991, his world is down to three super-nations, each competing for dwindling resources, and a planet left scarred by multiple nuclear wars. His Celts are locked in a 1,700-year war with the Vikings and the Americans. All other nations have been destroyed or absorbed.
"Peace seems to be impossible. Every time a cease fire is signed, the Vikings will surprise attack me or the Americans the very next turn, often with nuclear weapons," Lycerius wrote on Reddit. "Even when the U.N forces a peace treaty. So I can only assume that peace will come only when they're wiped out. It is this that perpetuates the war ad infinitum."
Because of the continual fighting, he was forced to abandon his democracy and adopt a communist state, because his Senate kept overruling him when he wanted to declare war. Also, his cities are filled with starving people (90% of his world's population died from nuclear annihilation or famine from global warming) because, he says, he has to keep building war machines to sustain his combat efforts.
"So you want a granary so you can eat? Sorry; I have to build another tank instead. Maybe next time," he wrote.
Constant nuclear bombardment and sabotage have melted the world's ice caps over and over again, resulting in the flooding of all terrain other than mountains. He said his world is full of swamp (which is useless for farming) and irradiated lands.
"Civilization" franchise creator Sid Meier said developers never even thought about someone taking a "Civ" game this far into the future.
"There's no way we could have tested for this, so it was a surprise to us," Meier said. "I can't say that we ever thought anyone would play a game of 'Civ' for that long. It's exciting that a fan of the series would dedicate 10 years to playing one continuous game."
Before you think Lycerius is just an unfeeling ruler, he said he does want to find a way to end the longstanding war.
"My goal for the next few years is to try and end the war and thus use the engineers to clear swamps and fallout so that farming may resume. I want to rebuild the world. But I'm not sure how. "

He may not be sure how, but Jesus knows exactly what he will do. It is all laid out in the pages of the Bible. It is funny how generals and world leaders will do scenario play on the outcomes of wars and political take overs. They are shocked when they discovered the outcome they had been thinking of were already written about in the Word of God. 

Friday, June 15, 2012

 As we were leaving a little girl came up and told Jane in Japanese, "Tell your papa thank you that was so much fun." Somehow to hear that made it even more rewarding. Proverbs 6:30 [Men] do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry; Jane and I went to the Apartment park to make some balloon creations. Soon thirty + kids swarmed around us. It was crazy. I had 4 pumps and 150 balloons when the melee was over we got our 4 pumps back. I kind of felt ripped off as they took the balloons. Yet, It was a blast. I was able to make a few animals and then tell a few how. The soccer team of boys had only an interest in making things that are embarrassing. I could have stopped them with my loud bark. I could have risen up and snatched back my pumps and balloons. But the Lord spoke to my heart. These little ones are hungry for a touch. Just like in the gospels where Jesus was teaching and the kids came up for a touch. Jesus didn't check to see if they washed their hands. He said, "let them come." So, to sit there and just allow the flow and by the end, there were kids touching me like they would a friend or their papa. I know this blessed some kids so much. Some kids showed up late so we will have to go and get more balloons.  Kids in Japan need lots of love. I know everywhere in the world its the same. For me being here I just have such a desire to point them to the one who will love them all their life. They weren't stealing the balloons in my eyes they are hungry for attention, love, joy, and laughter but also instruction. Seeing them as hungry for Jesus affords me the peace to not despise them but love them even more for Jesus sake.