What Is ATWAS?

No, Seriously, What Is It?

"ATWAS" stands for "All the World's a Stage." You know, 'cause levels in games are divided into "worlds" and "stages." It's a joke, get it? Hee-hee...

*ahem* Anyhoo...

Ok, this sounds a little nutty at first, but... There is still, to this day, a common misconception among both believers and non-believers, that God hates games and gamers. And I don't believe that, for several reasons:

• Gaming is a skill. And it is divided into multiple subsets of individual skills. For instance, I'm semi-good at puzzles and pretty good at platformers, but I suck at shooters and I have trouble figuring out when to use defensive moves in fighting. Since I believe that every skill is a gift from God, it doesn't make sense that God would give us a talent that He doesn't want us to use (provided we use it correctly).
• Similarly, video game design and development also require a large number of skills, all of which would also be gifts from God.
• I often see Biblical principles appearing in video game lore, e.g., Hylia giving up her divinity to save humanity from being destroyed by a demon king in the Zelda games; or the relationship between Justice and MERCY in Undertale Yellow; or a LOT of things in Sonic games. I figure, if Biblical principles are appearing in secular media, it's just God's way of speaking to people that otherwise might not have access to Him. I'll cover topics like these in my YouTube videos, which will be linked on other pages.
• Nowhere in the Bible does God say "thou shalt not play video games." Okay, that's a silly way of phrasing it, but I'm not lying. Now, He DOES want us to use our judgment and not consume certain media that might corrupt us- that is, put strange thoughts in our heads (as an example, we're all familiar with content warnings and triggers- like, if the subject of depression is extremely unsettling for you, you probably shouldn't play Celeste or Doki Doki). And you probably already know all the reasons why playing too many games is bad for you- things like missing sleep, or isolating yourself from people who care about you, or not keeping your room/house clean. But there's a difference between a thing being bad in and of itself, and people just misusing it. It's like how there's nothing wrong with chocolate, but you shouldn't eat too much, and you shouldn't eat any at all if you're allergic to caffeine. Similar deal with video games.

Ok, that's just a brief intro. I will add more information as I continue to develop this site that will explain how I think God reveals Himself to us through the games we play.

Core Beliefs

Simply put, ATWAS believes that the Bible is 100% true from cover to cover. I know not everyone believes this or agrees with this, and that's fine. We're just sharing our beliefs, the same as anyone shares their beliefs. We are not here to disrespect anyone because of their beliefs, because:

We are all sinners. Even Christians. Yeah, that's right- Christians still sin! The only distinction is whether you can admit that you're a sinner, that sin is bad, that Jesus died for your sins, and that He conquered death and rose from the grave three days later so that you can believe in Him and go to heaven when you die.

And that's it. That's literally it. That's all that matters. The first time I ever talk to you, I don't know you, and I don't know your heart or anything you believe or how you live your life. And I figure that's between you and God. Unless you choose to tell me about it, it's none of my business. ATWAS is, and will remain, as judgment-free, respectful, and indiscriminate as possible.

Having said all this, I also want to add: we do not tolerate hatefulness, baiting, or provoking. If we're not judging you, it's only respectful that you not try to bait us into a fight, whether it's in Twitch chat, YouTube comments, or any other form of contact. Thank you for understanding.

What, Exactly, Is Sin?

I just want to clarify a common misconception: sin is not just "bad things" that you do. The "bad things" are specific acts of sin, but "sin" iteslf is an attitude of rebellion against God, and the acts of sin are just the results of that rebellion. You can be the sweetest, kindest, most generous person in the world, but if you are saying, in your heart, that you don't need or don't want a relationship with God, that is sin. This is why Christians still commit acts of sin, because even though we have accepted Jesus and developed a relationship with God, we're still human, and sometimes we still decide to do things on our own, without discussing them with God and asking Him if maybe He has something better in mind.

Which brings us back to the purpose of ATWAS. If playing games is something you want to do, God doesn't have a problem with that. At least, I don't think He does. He just wants you to see Him and acknowledge Him in every part of your life. He wants a relationship with you. He even plays games with you! I know He does, because I've seen it (testimonials will be added at a later time).

The whole point is that God is with you, and shows Himself to you in every area of your life, including a pastime that is considered by so many people to be worthless or a waste. But if God is in it, I don't consider it to be a waste (but again, don't overdo it).

And yes, hell is real, it is on fire, it is eternal, and anyone who does not have a relationship with Jesus does go to hell when they die. There is no coming back from it. This is not hatred on God's part. It is, in fact, quite logical: heaven is God's home, and if someone doesn't want to have a relationship with God before they die, then they don't belong in His home after they die. I know this will offend and anger many people, and that makes me sad. But God said He will "require your blood at my hand" if I don't warn you, so I have to warn you.

Final Words

I say "we" a lot in this, because my hope is that someday I will find others who share my hope for this "ministry," as I call it, and will help ATWAS develop and grow. But, as things stand, ATWAS is just one gamer chick with a computer and too much time on her hands :'D

A brief list of plans for this site: testimonials, YouTube videos for both walkthroughs and analyses, and a gallery of my own artworks (ATWAS Creations). Stay tuned!