ABC News is reporting that the Defense Department has put the kibosh on a plan by the Operation Start Up (OSU) Tour, an evangelical Christian entertainment troupe, who planned to send copies of Left Behind: Eternal Forces to troops in care packages.

Why does the Defense Department hate our troops? Oh, wait. The game asks the player to convert "non-believers". The games were to be sent to Iraq. I'm starting to see the problem.

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So, what of this Operation Start Up Tour? Well, any entertainment troupe who counts Stephen Baldwin amongst its most important members has class and legitimacy written all over it. Plus, with OSU's President saying things like, "We feel the forces of heaven have encouraged us to perform multiple crusades that will sweep through this war-torn region," well, how can you think that the games were meant to be anything but a distraction from the stress of war?

What's that? The care packages were to include, "pocket-sized editions of the New Testament, evangelical DVDs and books, baby wipes and phone cards." Oh. I guess the case could be made that this group really is trying to exert their beliefs on others.

I also heard a rumor that the baby wipes were soaked with the tears of prisoners from Gitmo and that the phone cards could only call the Colorado Springs, CO, area code.

Another take on it