Pastor Rick Wiles is one of those who are not happy about the newest international craze, the Pokemon Go mobile app. In his radio show "True News," the pastor indicated that Satan may have something to do with the location-based augmented reality video game.
"These Pokémon creatures are, like, virtual cyber demons, digital demons," Wiles said during a recent "True News" episode, which is available on Gizmodo. The pastor also pointed out the possibility of the technology being transferred to Islamic jihadists, who will then use the app to geographically locate Christians.
"The enemy, Satan, is targeting churches with virtual, digital, cyber demons," Wiles concluded. "I believe this is a magnet for demonic powers."
For the pastor, these so-called cyber demons are spawning demons inside the church and they are targeting the church with demonic activity. He even added that "the enemies of the cross" will use the technology target Christians and locate and execute them.
The Japanese government has also warned their citizens about the game. On July 20, West Japan Railway Co. (JR West) warned people about the possibility of increasing accidents at train stations because of the game.
JR West President Tatsuo Kijima said in a statement obtained by Japan Times that they were worried that excited players could get into trouble or in accidents. He added that they had repeatedly warned passengers not to use smartphones while walking because it could be a major cause of accidents on train platforms.
Niantic developed Pokemon Go for iOS and Android devices. The game enables players to not only capture virtual creatures but also battle and train them through GPS and the camera of compatible devices.
The virtual creatures called Pokémon appear on device screens as though in the real world. In July, the mobile game was released in several countries and it supports in-app purchases of additional gameplay items although it is free-to-play.
For future release, there will be a Pokemon Go Plus, which is an optional companion Bluetooth wearable device. This feature alerts users when Pokémon are nearby.
Here is a clip revealing celebrities playing Pokemon Go: