Many roleplaying games contain references to the traditional trappings of fantasy literature, including magic and evil monsters. Beginning in the early 1980s, Christian groups concerned with occult influences on children claimed that roleplaying encouraged devil worship and other nefarious activities. Some groups went so far as to actively lobby schools and local governments to regulate or prohibit roleplaying games. Although many of those groups have disbanded or redirected their efforts to other cultural concerns, the assault on gaming (and its lingering effect on public perceptions of roleplaying) is still an emotional issue for many gamers, including a vocal minority of Christian roleplayers attempting to reconcile what others believe to be irreconcilable differences.
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