According to the report, hundreds of church groups across the US are implementing Halo nights to further the relevance of the church among young people, and encourage attendance. David Drexler, whose church in Minnesota has used Halo to recruit, said it was "the most effective thing we’ve done." There are plans among his group to up the number of televisions and consoles to eight, in order to allow 32 people to play at once. Austin Brown, a gamer who attends Halo nights at his Georgia church explained, "We play Halo, take a break and have something to eat, and have a lesson."
There are, of course, debates within the wider community as to the merits of using Halo as a recruiting tool. A primary concern is the apparent friction between the non-violent ethos of Christianity and the violent nature of the game. "To justify whatever killing is involved by saying that it’s just pixels involved is an illusion," stated Daniel R. Heimbach, a professor of Christian ethics. Further debate is created by the game's apocalyptic plot and the religious overtones of the Covenant. However, Ken Kenerly, a pastor in Atlanta, argued that practical concerns were paramount: "With gamers, how else can you get into their lives?"
. And conversly I've seen many (and been involved in) arguments settled peacefully over video games.
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