Half-life is good – I played it recently – but I think it relies on having a bit of skill already, it’s not a great choice for a beginner in my opinion. I would suggest Minecraft (if you’re creative) or Portal (if you like puzzles) instead, to learn the ropes of how to control a game in first-person perspective.
explaining the etymology doesn’t really change anything. I don’t know why you thought that would make me stop associating it with the bible belt.