Games a christian shouldn't play???

[Durelen]

Sounds like you were already closed minded to the subject from the first post. I was wondering that but it's pretty clear now.

 

[Eternal_Spirit]

I'm a big kid at heart and actually have X-box.

I have to two children, ages 8 and 4. Now, this is a good topic because I sometimes struggle with what games I should be purchasing and playing. Of course, my kids would not be allowed to play anything that contains killing or strong language or adult themes.

As for me, I'm 35 years old and my faith is strong enough that no video game is going to make me turn evil all of a sudden. Put it this way, if you treat these games as entertainment and know the difference, I don't think there is too much harm in playing them. I'm an adult and my faith and love for Christ will not change because I play a video game which might kill someone. It's fiction! It's not real. It's like reading a fiction book. I like war games and sure, there is plenty of killing in those types of games. But does this take away from my faith? Heavens no. We must use common sense on this issue, period.

For younger kids, violent or adult video games could have an impact on their minds and I don't think any parent should allow their kids to play those types of games.

I guess it all boils down to how strong your faith is and how you perceive these games. If you know in your heart that it's just entertainment and fiction, then I think you'll be ok. If any such game makes you lose your self control, or takes away from your glory to God, then maybe you should consider a new hobby. I think each person is different. If you have a guilty conscience playing these games then don't. God knows your heart and only you know your own conscience.

Thanks for listening. Again, this is only my opinion. If I am wrong, then pray for me! Only God knows all truth.

Peace be with you.

 

[Durelen]

"Yes Childeren, do what we say, not what we do..."

*fades out of this topic*

 

[paulewog]

If the games are a bad influence on children, wouldn't they be a bad influence on me too? Just because I'm an "old" child doesn't mean I'm not influenced either. Nor any other adult.

 

[Pseud]

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[Robert Bingham]

I do not play video games anymore and was not heavy into them when I younger. A couple hours here or there but there was no harm to me. I know/knew my intentions and my thoughts. If you find yourself changing, then it is safe to say it is going too far...for you, at least. Does not mean for everyone. We each are given a brain to make these decisions.

Now I just play a nice game of Scrabble or chess once a week.

 

[Lg2000]

[COLOR=DarkOrchid]IM A hardcore video gamer and ive been playing games and violent games all my life .......it doesnt affect u at all .........i have little nephews that play gta halo, etc and they know the difference between real life and a video [COLOR=Yellow]game ....now if a 5 year old knows the difference how is an adult not going to know the difference .........i dont think theres ne games that a christian shouldnt play ......its just 4 entertainment purposes .........[/COLOR[/COLOR]]

 

[paulewog]

Ok, so maybe it doesn't bother you. Soem people it doesn't I guess. I've played violent games. I don't think I've become cold-hearted to death because of it. I don't think I'd be able to kill a person. I had a hard enough time killing a blackbird... we had to, you see, because I accidentally broke the wing. I felt awful.

But there's another issue with this. Christian Liberties. Remember what Paul said about meat offered to idols in 1st Corinthians? If it offends another brother, don't do it.

 

[Durelen]

If the games are a bad influence on children, wouldn't they be a bad influence on me too? Just because I'm an "old" child doesn't mean I'm not influenced either. Nor any other adult.

That’s absolutely correct. It’s human nature. I’ve heard this said by sociologists and shrinks as well. What’s funny is most don’t see the harm that some of these games do. Let me illustrate:

You fill a pot with water and put it on a burner. You bring the water to a boil and you toss a frog into the pot of boiling water. The frog immediately jumps out of the pot to save its self.

Okay, you dump the boiling water out and refill it with cool fresh water. You put the frog into the cool fresh water and it is very happy. You put the pot with the cool fresh water back on the burner with the frog still happy as a clam in the pot. Over time the water begins to gradually heat up. The frog remains oblivious to the gradual rise in temperature until the weightier is serving its legs to the customers in the dining area. The frog was boiled to death with out ever noticing the predicament it was in.

If you were a time traveler and traveled through time 100 years to the future, to today, you might try to jump out of the pot… unless you are the type that tried to smoke the pot and lick the frog. Our society has gotten to the boiling point. Video games are a part of our society. Some are going to get boiled alive.

 

[HeSaveDave]

I look at playing video games the same way I look at times playing "cops and robbers" or "cowboys and Indians". You're playing. I don't see a difference. I grew up playing "cops and robbers" and also playing video games. Also, yes you have powers in these games sometimes, but no REAL powers. It's all make believe and playing. Just because I play monopoly doesn't mean I'm greedy.

 

[AcousticHxC]

If you find yourself changing, then it is safe to say it is going too far...for you, at least. Does not mean for everyone. We each are given a brain to make these decisions.

Exactly.

 

[Durelen]

Exactly.

Ribbit.

 

[lvl_adam_lvl]

lol @ ribbit

Ok, here's one for ya. I play a game called Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force. It's a First Person Shooter that use the Q3A engine. It doesn't have all the blood that Q3 has. Pretty much everything else is the same. It has Star Trek characters. It's a lot of fun, but I'm getting bored(after 2+ years of it lol)
You shoot the other people and/or capture the flag.
I, as well as others find it funny to "suicide"(sometimes), as well as "impacting" & other silly stuff. Ex: Det-photon jump way in the air & suicide as you "take flight" .. and your body flies in the air, etc..
I think it's the noise they make, and seeing the body fly in the air

-While suicide, literally speaking, isn't something to laugh at, at all, it's funny in the game.
-I don't think I could even shoot a person in self-defense in real life. I don't care for guns.

Another game that I play rarely, but love messing around with it, is Battlefield 1942. It's a FPS/War Strategy game.
The ONLY reason I play it is to goof off. I pile jeeps, tanks, and whatever else I can find & have a friend lay down on top of them. After it's loaded with dynamite, I step back a good distance & *boom* .. awesome explosion & my friend goes flying way in the air! I've gotten so many laughs out of that game.


I don't care for games that have realistic, senseless & detailed killing, prostitutes, sex, bad language, etc.. or that center around magic/witchcraft.

It's really a hard call to make with some though. I used to play Anarchy Online. I made every profession in the game, except the Meta-physicist. It seemed to deal too much with magic, wizardry type stuff & you could have a pet that was a demon.


But as stated by someone else, it's your call.

 

[seebs]

But there's another issue with this. Christian Liberties. Remember what Paul said about meat offered to idols in 1st Corinthians? If it offends another brother, don't do it.

At least, not in a way to make him stumble. So, I may play video games, but I don't make other people talk to me about them, unless they are also comfortable with them.

 

[Tiga Ronso]

Video Games that a Christian shouldn't play? The only one that comes to mind is Dead or Alive: Volleyball for XBox. Other than that, I see no reason why Christians can't have fun and play videogames. I was a gamer before I became a Christian and will be so to the day I die. Christians have a reputation for being boring and preachy, and unfortunately some of the responses I have seen have only strengthened that stereotype. When people find out that I am a Christian, they are very surprised. This helps my witnessing even more, since people find out you can be a Christian and have fun too. As for content in videogames, I have seen just as bad on TV. The important thing is if you know the difference. I was playing Mortal Kombat when I was 10, but I never went out and started ripping people's heads off. I knew the difference between that and real life.

 

[Lg2000]

Video Games that a Christian shouldn't play? The only one that comes to mind is Dead or Alive: Volleyball for XBox. Other than that, I see no reason why Christians can't have fun and play videogames. I was a gamer before I became a Christian and will be so to the day I die. Christians have a reputation for being boring and preachy, and unfortunately some of the responses I have seen have only strengthened that stereotype. When people find out that I am a Christian, they are very surprised. This helps my witnessing even more, since people find out you can be a Christian and have fun too. As for content in videogames, I have seen just as bad on TV. The important thing is if you know the difference. I was playing Mortal Kombat when I was 10, but I never went out and started ripping people's heads off. I knew the difference between that and real life.

agreed ......

 

[Statikk HDM]

Basically, I take my stance on gaming as this: If you wouldn't feel comfortable reading it or watching it as a movie, you shouldn't be playing it. This instantly absolves magic based games because most Christians don't object to movies and books with magic(Narnia Series, Lotr, etc.) Violence is where it gets hazy. Killing things that everybody hates(Nazis, evil aliens, Smurfs) gets my stamp of approval. It ain't all that realistic and seriously, who objects to a little Nazi ganking now and then? But games with a more criminal element such as GTA games don't seem appropriate to me. If you dig 'em, fine, I just don't like 'em. About the only game that I could seriously see a Christian never playing is a game that clearly endorses a theological position such as Agnosticism that doesn't jive with the teachings of Christ. Also, message boards are not exactly reality. We make handles and pretty much create a whole new life for ourselves on the Internet but just because it isn't "real" that doesn't make it evil. Fantasy is just that, you put dragons and magic in it and stuff for the surrealism, not the realism. I play games to rewind and escape, I don't see them as arcane guidebooks or how-to guides on plotting terrorism.( Terrorists Win! Terrorists Win!)

 

[paulewog]

Playing as a criminal, that just seems bad. It's almost like "Well, I can't do this in real lief, but I'll immerse myself in a game so that I get the same feeling!" Heh.

There is a stereotype about Christmas being boring and preachy. The preachy part isn't bad, necessarily The boring part is untrue. Some Christians REACT to this, though... don't do that We don't have to go out of our way to prove we're not boring, that's really silly... just felt like saying that hehe

 

[Tiga Ronso]

I didn't mean it in a bad way. Just that when people hear of Christians they think of people reading their Bible all day. Not to say thats a bad thing, but not many Non-Christians like to do that.

 

[AcousticHxC]

Well, if you're gonna lable DoA Volleyball bad then games like GTA and BMXXX would definately fall under the same category.