A New York Times article describes how some churches are using Halo as a lure to get young men and boys to come to church on a regular basis. According to Lane Palmer, youth ministry specialist at Dare 2 Share Ministry, hundreds of churches use Halo in such a fashion, but it's a fairly controversial tactic.
For starters, Halo is an M-rated game, and Master Chief certainly does his fare share of death-dealing. Then there are the game's religious overtones. Many church leaders feel that Halo isn't just a good way to get kids in the door, but that it's also a good way to initiate faith-driven discussions. The war against the Covenant can be used as a starting point to talk about the nature of good and evil, for example; even team deathmatches help build communication and fellowship, church officials say.
Other religious leaders aren't buying it, though. Focus on the Family is still trying to figure out what they think of church-sanctioned Halo
nights, while the Institute on Religion and Democracy's James Tonkowich says that *Halo'*s ability to pull kids into church isn't a good enough reason to use it:
Point taken, but it's hard to preach the gospel to a bunch of empty seats.
Thou Shalt Not Kill, Except in a Popular Video Game at Church [New York Times]
