For those of you who do not know what Beyblades is, this is a board game that uses spinning tops which were inspired by Japanese spinning tops known as Beigoma. The introduction of these toys corresponded with the broadcast of the Beyblade anime cartoon show. The symbols JS is referring to, which are found on the latest version of Beyblades known as Metal Fusion, supposedly represent the 88 constellations in space.
This is essentially a board game where players launch their Beyblades into a Beystadium where the longest spinning top wins the battle. Points are deducted or won based on certain criteria.
It isn't until you delve deeper into the Beyblades back story that red flags begin to wave. For instance, Beyblades come with a bit-chip, which is a decorative plate inserted into its Attack Ring. Each of these plates is adorned with a small icon of a mythical creature which is based on Chinese mythology. Known as "bit beasts" to players, in earlier versions of the game they were known as "holy beasts" that were powerful animal spirits capable of inhabiting a Beyblade. The soul of these "beasts" are considered to be housed inside each Beyblade. This implies that inanimate objects can have a soul - a belief that belongs to animism, not Christianity.
There are four so-called "sacred bit beasts" that belong to the main characters in the Beyblade series and are known as Dragoon, Dranzer, Driger and Draciel. These four "sacred" or elemental spirits are also based on Chinese mythology.
For instance, Dragoon provides the cartoon character Tyson with the power to harness the wind element with which he can then create tornados and hurricanes. It is based on the Azure Dragon of the East from Chinese mythology.
Dranzer is based on the Vermillion bird of the South from Chinese Mythology but also borrows from the mythological Phoenix which is based in Arabian legend. The Phoenix is considered to be a sacred bird that sets fire to itself every 500 years, then rises from its own ashes. This bit beast gives a player the power of fire to a player.
Although Beyblades is a simple spinning top game, it is obviously infested with elements of the Japanese indigenous religion of Shinto, which is a mixture of nature worship, fertility cults, divination techniques and shamanism, none of which are compatible with Christianity. If children delve too deeply into the back-story of this game and television show, it could cause confusion about the teachings of our faith.
Send your New Age question to newage@womenofgrace.com
