Fallout 3, Oblivion, would a true Christian even play these video games?

FromTheDarknessToTheLight

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Lotta killing, drug use, etc. You can of course choose to play the role of a "good guy" but you also have a choice of being a jerk. I'm wondering if a true Christian would bother playing such games. Desperately in need of opinions. What would God say about it? Replies appreciated.
 

strelok0017

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I have been playing video games for a long time but stopped couple months ago. I'm not encouraging you to, don't get me wrong, I'm still struggling with this stuff. If killing in video games is not motivated by a wish to murder then it's fine. Don't let religious hypocrites tell you otherwise, all of them watch Lord of the Rings and other movies and they can justify it no problem. Let yourself be guided by your consciousness and the Bible. And pray about it. :)

May God lead you and help you!
 
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Incariol

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FromTheDarknessToTheLight said:
Lotta killing, drug use, etc. You can of course choose to play the role of a "good guy" but you also have a choice of being a jerk. I'm wondering if a true Christian would bother playing such games. Desperately in need of opinions. What would God say about it? Replies appreciated.

Yes, True Christians(TM) can play these games.
 
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Anihilus

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I remember going through a similar struggle after the Lord saved me.

Before the Lord saved me I lived for video games. From a young age I spent my summer breaks playing the old N64, xbox, etc... Through high school I spent over 170 days (4080 hours) on ONE of my World of Warcraft characters. And what have I gained from it all? Nothing. And I am never going to get that time back, ever. Over 4080 hours sitting there clicking a mouse and pressing buttons, not to even mention the countless hours of playing Diablo II, Starcraft, DOTA, Morrowind, Oblivion, runescape, etc... over the years, all of which was a complete waste of time.

Video games were my god, they were what I lived for. After Christ saved me He called me to get rid of them completely (along with other things: anime, guitar, working out, etc...) and it was a struggle.

Oh how I wrestled with my conscience trying to justify it! I would tell the Lord "I'll only play an hour a day!" But the answer was no, it had to go completely. I wrestled for a couple of months over it. I would think to myself "How am I going to never play video games ever again? Could I really do that? It is pretty much my life!"

Eventually I surrendered it to Him and uninstalled everything and threw all my cds, consoles, games, etc away. I'm never going back to them. And thankfully the Lord has taken it away from me and given me better things.

The question you should ask is do they glorify God? Do they exalt Jesus Christ? Do they promote Godliness? Do they make you more like Christ or do they rather fill your mind with violence and filth? Why do you wish to partake in that which promotes violence and killing?

Here is an article that might help you out, that is, if you really want answers. If you just want something to make you feel better that playing these games is okay then you probably better not read it.

Should a Christian play video games?

As a motivator to live for something greater...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC9PlvKwz4I&list=PLF0DD576BC438750E&index=4&feature=plpp_video
 
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FromTheDarknessToTheLight

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I believe God has sent you to post here, and I feel in my heart I should do the same thing. I have no doubt it will be difficult, I'm a boring guy and I don't get out, pretty much a shut-in. Only time I usually leave is to go to church or a short walk. I have just uninstalled all the games on my computer and intend on selling my Xbox eventually and to give the money to the poor. I'm thinking in my heart right now "This is impossible, I won't be able to last too long doing this" However, I really have the wrong mindset. It is possible, and Jesus Christ is my strength. I just need to focus on that.

What about music? I don't listen to satanic music, like metal or anything. Then again not all metal is satanic but I stay away from it. Music is also one of my hobbies, I enjoy music. Must I give up listening to music too? By the way, what do you do now that you have so much free time after giving up your gaming life? Thanks for your replying to this post, I feel like I'm on the right path now. God has closed a door and now I'm sure he will open a new door.
 
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Anihilus

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I believe God has sent you to post here, and I feel in my heart I should do the same thing. I have no doubt it will be difficult, I'm a boring guy and I don't get out, pretty much a shut-in. Only time I usually leave is to go to church or a short walk. I have just uninstalled all the games on my computer and intend on selling my Xbox eventually and to give the money to the poor. I'm thinking in my heart right now "This is impossible, I won't be able to last too long doing this" However, I really have the wrong mindset. It is possible, and Jesus Christ is my strength. I just need to focus on that.

I would say that this is a pretty good realization because Christ said that without Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). In His strength we can overcome even the most enslaving and powerful sinful desires. Those sins which bind a man and hold him tight as though he were bound with iron chains are shattered and broken to pieces when Christ comes and sets him free. I have seen this in my own life and can testify of it.

One of the things I feel ashamed of now is not getting rid of the games sooner. I wish I had repented more thoroughly and zealously of them instead of wrestling with it so long.

With the help of Christ you can indeed overcome. It would be best though to not try and get rid of it a little at a time, but in one full swing, and to burn any bridges that you might cross to try and get back.

"If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out and throw it from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be cast into the fiery hell.” Matthew 18:9

I say this because I have seen in my life that when there are things that the Lord calls me away from, if I try and do it little by little instead of just cutting it off and throwing it away as Jesus said to, then I find that the Devil will come and try to convince me to rethink my actions, and it makes the struggle all the more worse and miserable. Yet, as soon as I fully yield there is peace and relief. I could pray again, I could read the scriptures again without it breathing fire on me. A clear conscience before God is a must.

I suggest you go before the Lord and confess it and forsake it. Ask Him to help and change your heart in the matter. Ask Him to make you willing if you aren’t willing.

What about music? I don't listen to satanic music, like metal or anything. Then again not all metal is satanic but I stay away from it. Music is also one of my hobbies, I enjoy music. Must I give up listening to music too?

God does not tell you to given up everything you enjoy, unless what you enjoy is sin. He wants you to find your greatest joy in His Son, Jesus Christ. If you give anything up for the sake of following Christ you aren't losing anything really, but you are gaining much more. If you find your highest joy in Christ, those other things which you enjoy will seem dim and worthless. It's like that old hymn says

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace."

When we see Christ for who He is, were sold.

As for what to give up, I’d say in general it depends on the music, and similar guidelines apply to what music you listen to as what you watch on TV, or video games you play. If your music does not glorify God, but rather the things of the world (money, sex, drugs, fame), it would be best to get rid of it. I am not going to tell you what you can and cannot listen to outside of these things, I won’t be your conscience. Deal with the Lord directly on this issue, ask Him what to do, ask Him to open your eyes to why it is bad.

I had a similar struggle also with the music I listened to. I would listen to things like Metallica, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Journey, Boston, etc… and I began to be convicted to stop listening to them. This was not so much of a struggle but it was not easy. Over time it sort of just fell away.

Looking back I definitely worshiped those artists in my mind and heart, often debating in my mind who the better artist was, or what the best song was, or the best guitarist was, etc….

I listen now mainly to a bunch of no-name Christian artists, things that edify and build up, that stir my mind up to thinking about heavenly things rather than earthly things.

Music is a powerful thing and has a huge effect on the emotions. I used to listen to a lot of blues and instrumentals but I have for the most part gone away from these things, not because they are sinful (the instrumentals that is) but because of the frame of spirit they put me in when I listen to them. I find that it really puts of spirit of pride in me and it kind of disquiets my spirit, so I stay away from it for the most part now. This area is more of an issue of conscience.

I’m not going to give you a list here, just seek the Lord on it.

As a last thing on music, I used to play the guitar a lot along with the video games. After the Lord saved me it was one of the things that I feel He called me away from (which was also a HUGE struggle).

I eventually gave all my gear away and put it down for a couple of years. It is not that guitar is a sin, but rather that Christ did not want me involved with it at that time because it was a huge idol in my heart. I was often thinking about guitars, guitar parts, what parts I was going to buy next, what amps and effects I wanted, etc… overall my heart was full of covetousness and materialism, and the Lord pulled me out if it.

Recently I have somewhat gone back to it now because I think it is something that is not a problem. I have a cheap acoustic guitar that I play every now and then but it is not anywhere near what it was in my life a couple of years back. I can’t really play to long in a sitting before I feel emptiness of vanity coming in and I have to set it down to do something else.

By the way, what do you do now that you have so much free time after giving up your gaming life? Thanks for your replying to this post, I feel like I'm on the right path now. God has closed a door and now I'm sure he will open a new door.

Given that the Lord saved me sometime after I had begun college the void of time was filled with studying, which is something I never really learned how to do in high school (due to video-games). My free-time now is mainly spent in studying for school and doing homework, or spent reading the scriptures or praying. I usually take Sundays off and spend time with the my brothers and sisters at the fellowship I attend. But for the most part, my time goes to school or study.

I remember asking the Lord years ago, even before He saved me when I felt the pull away from these things, what I was supposed to do with all the time I had. It seems that has been answered.

Don’t let the Devil come in and tell you that God is boring and reading the Bible is boring. It WAS that way for me when I was lost. God was boring, prayer was boring, reading the Bible was boring, and it was all a huge chore for me, but when God saved me that changed.

These things are enjoyable now and I give my time to them because I now enjoy them.

Here is what King David said about the Scriptures that he had (Genesis through Deuteronomy)

“I rejoice in your word like one who discovers a great treasure.”
Psalm 119:162

Go to Christ and find everything in Him, you won't regret it.
 
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Sketcher

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There aren't that many games that don't involve killing, when you think about it. Tetris, card games, checkers can be kinda iffy. Most games have you as some sort of hotshot killing machine. Mario's taken more lives than I care to count.

Now, does this make me a killer? No. Does this make me murder people in my heart according to the standards of Jesus? Not likely. If you find yourself convicted over where a game takes your thoughts and attitudes though, obey the conviction.
 
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lanieloo

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Now, does this make me a killer? No. Does this make me murder people in my heart according to the standards of Jesus? Not likely. If you find yourself convicted over where a game takes your thoughts and attitudes though, obey the conviction.

I agree wholeheartedly with Sketcher. I'm actually a pretty big fan of Fallout. I like the post nuclear war idea and the graphics in 3 and New Vegas are pretty cool. I don't play a whole lot of video games though and I am 100% sure in my heart that God knows just as well as I do that it isn't real and it doesn't reflect the type of person I am. But if you're uncomfortable with them and you feel like they challenge your faith or push you to be un-Christian (as it were) then stay away from them. Better to go with your gut... because 9 times out of 10 your gut is the Lord.
 
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blong4133

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I remember going through a similar struggle after the Lord saved me.

Before the Lord saved me I lived for video games. From a young age I spent my summer breaks playing the old N64, xbox, etc... Through high school I spent over 170 days (4080 hours) on ONE of my World of Warcraft characters. And what have I gained from it all? Nothing. And I am never going to get that time back, ever. Over 4080 hours sitting there clicking a mouse and pressing buttons, not to even mention the countless hours of playing Diablo II, Starcraft, DOTA, Morrowind, Oblivion, runescape, etc... over the years, all of which was a complete waste of time.

Video games were my god, they were what I lived for. After Christ saved me He called me to get rid of them completely (along with other things: anime, guitar, working out, etc...) and it was a struggle.

Oh how I wrestled with my conscience trying to justify it! I would tell the Lord "I'll only play an hour a day!" But the answer was no, it had to go completely. I wrestled for a couple of months over it. I would think to myself "How am I going to never play video games ever again? Could I really do that? It is pretty much my life!"

Eventually I surrendered it to Him and uninstalled everything and threw all my cds, consoles, games, etc away. I'm never going back to them. And thankfully the Lord has taken it away from me and given me better things.

The question you should ask is do they glorify God? Do they exalt Jesus Christ? Do they promote Godliness? Do they make you more like Christ or do they rather fill your mind with violence and filth? Why do you wish to partake in that which promotes violence and killing?

Here is an article that might help you out, that is, if you really want answers. If you just want something to make you feel better that playing these games is okay then you probably better not read it.
Just out of curiosity, and not wanting to digress from the OP's question, but why did God call you to give up guitar and working out? Working out is taking care of your body, and I don't see why guitar is a bad thing. Heck, you can use a guitar to sing your praise to Jesus!

Not questioning your choices or anything, I'm just curious why he called you to give these things up. Those are two things that are pretty important in my life, so that's why I'm curious. :)
 
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Anihilus

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Just out of curiosity, and not wanting to digress from the OP's question, but why did God call you to give up guitar and working out? Working out is taking care of your body, and I don't see why guitar is a bad thing. Heck, you can use a guitar to sing your praise to Jesus!

Not questioning your choices or anything, I'm just curious why he called you to give these things up. Those are two things that are pretty important in my life, so that's why I'm curious. :)

It was my motives. I would have said I was working out to stay in shape but in my heart I really wanted to have a nice body that would catch the eyes of the ladies. God exposed this motive so it had to go. I feel that now it is not so much of a motive so I usually work out 1-2 times a week.

As far as guitar goes, it is one of those things that God wanted me to get rid of because it had such a grip on me. It fueled covetousness in my heart and took up much of my thoughts and affections. I was certainly not using it to praise the Lord because in my heart all I was thinking about was myself and how "awesome" I was when I played it. It was not something I did as an overflow of a thankful heart of praise to God, but rather something I did to please myself.
 
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I don't have a problem with those games. In fact I love fallout! There's a great difference in playing a game where you "kill" "people" and actually killing people and destroying a entire human being. The people you "kill" in games are not real people. In fact one could argue and say they are "alien" in a way as they are fictional characters after all that may resemble a human being but they were designed by a programmer.
 
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CutiePi

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I have seen numerous threads about 'should christians play video games/ should christians play _______ game'

Honestly, there is no hard and fast answer. For some people, gaming is nothing more than a social activity in which you gather up 4 friends on skype and go stomp the other team. For other people it is an addiction which they feel called to give up. I play games. But then again I also go dancing (not clubbing though - club music sucks...) and study my bum off at school. Dance and gaming is a time when I dont think, when I can give my brain a rest from the intense math and physics stuff im studying. Some people though may need to completely give it up in order to live a balanced life. Others may find that they simply dont want to play it anymore once they find God (that happened to me only it wasnt gaming).

To know if its ok for YOU to play certain games, you need to look inward, trust your 'gut' and pray about it.
 
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LostMarbels

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I'm an avid gamer. I play WOW, Diablo, and Starcraft. Mainly WOW tho, and do you know how many people have let me into there lives? I cant count them. My Skype account is full of listings, and everyone of them has heard about Christ. Some of em I'm still working on like my buddy Garrett. He's a hard nut to crack but a good friend of 4yrs. He lives in Cali and I live in Orlando. Never would have met outside of WOW. God as my whiteness, I have even talked a women out of suicide, that I met gaming. I've been thru divorces, deaths, family issues, and even money problems with compleat strangers over Skype. None of which would have been possible without gaming. Garrett never would have let me in his house to talk to him about God, and yet if I was to Skype him right now he'd answer. And to be honest, Its not just that. As a Christian, we should strive to use our daily lives to edify God. Not alienate those that need him. Jesus hung out with hookers, and the outcasts. Why you think he did that?
 
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leywren

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I love Fallout 3. I must say I was surprised that the videogame you asked about is one that uses a Bible verse as a central theme for the game. Read Revelation 21:6 and think about how that game shows the lengths people will go to for something that Christ gives away freely. In reply to your question, yes I think it is a game Christians can play.
 
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citizenthom

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Fall back on the old rule for Christians: "when in doubt, DON'T." Paul talks at some length about the fact that there are plenty of worldly activities that are stumbling blocks for some Christians and not others. While it is true that many Christians can play certain games and watch certain movies without having sinful or unhealthy urges, many other cannot. If you are feeling tugged away from certain games, follow that tug.
 
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I really agree with citizenthom. That applies for anything. My opinion... when it comes to video games I don't think we should look at content of the video game, but what else you could be spending your time doing. Why live a fantasy world of being a "good guy" when you can live a real life of being an example of Jesus Christ. Especially the two games you mentioned are built to basically replace your life with a fake world. I am not saying playing games are bad, it is just like anything, you need balance. If I play a video game for an extended amount of time I always become strongly convicted of my integrity. How would you respond if God asked you what He had planned for you in this life? I really doubt any content of the answer would involve spending hundreds of hours of your life playing a video game as a "good guy"

1 Corinthians 9:26-27
Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

Proverbs 13:4
The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.
Ephesians 5:15-16
Be very careful, then, how you live-not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

Proverbs 16:3
Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.
 
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m.a.r.X

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I used to spent around 16 hours/day playing Farcry, HL2, UT2004 and CS Source on holidays when I was in College. After finishing college, I lost the urge to game !

But now, I'm back to playing games to distract me from thinking about a person I lust for. Whenever I see her or think of her, I turn on my PC and game !

Is it^^ ok ?
 
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strelok0017

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The question is how can someone be worldly and follow Jesus? We may want to look at 1 John 2:15 again. There are also a bunch of other verses; I'm sure you guys can find them; that command us not to be shaped by this world but to be transformed by the renewal of our minds.

Playing video games is just one of things that the devil is using to absolutely destroy people. It will make you unable to have a normal life that God would want you to have if you overdo it and if you don't you'll be drawn to play more which is not just a distraction from the walk with the Lord but it is like a bucket of cold water poured out on a flame that God started, that is supposed to get bigger and bigger as you grow in your relationship with Christ and other saints of course.

We don't need one sin to justify avoiding another. All you exchange when you do one sin for another is go from one death to another. I do not wish to condemn anybody here, you guys should take it before the Lord regarding video games, but be honest with yourself and God. Would He want you to give your life to something that is going to end one day, especially video games that will not be remembered in 50 years? My experience is not authoritative but I can tell you that playing video games did feel like pouring out water on the good flame of love for Jesus and more than that, it felt like selling my heart to the devil and I couldn't do it anymore. I stopped for good. There are temptations but with the grace of God, He will grow me into a person who loves Jesus more and sees Him as who He is; I definitely do not want to be someone denying evil but not growing in holiness. Growing in holiness should make you aware of what danger the video games are to your soul.

They promise joy, happiness and fulfillment but they give not. They are what I like to call delusive treasures. They tell you that they please but they don't. If you think they do, well, think about your relationship with Jesus. He said that you can't serve two masters. People who try to justify gaming as ok and neutral forget that God is not neutral and that He is a passionate God who loves and hates with passion and so should we be: passionate after Him because He was passionate after us.

God bless! :wave:
 
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