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If you lie to get something should you throw it away?

Frocus

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So I got skyrim and oblivion off of steam. Since the game is rated M you have to enter the birth date restriction thing and if your under 18 I think, it won't let you onto the page. Now me wanting the game decides to put the date to over 18.

Now this was before I was really really serious about following God (like I was always serious but it just has grown).

Now what I'm wondering is that since I lied to get it should I get rid of it. I've had the game for like a year I think. And oblivion for a few months.

I don't know why I'm letting a game stress me out though I do let other minor things stress me out.

I apologized to God and everything but I still don't know.

Thank you for the help.
 
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BFine

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Seriously, get rid of the game/ & or buy it.

When I got convicted of stealing, I went out and bought
the movies I had downloaded off the internet. The Superstore
here had a lot of movies 2 for $5 or $10 bucks.

Also--
I got rid of the software program that made it possible to
get movies-- I have been buying movies ever since.
I just wait for them to go on sell, it doesn't take long any more
since they are cranking out movies about as fast as they make
Kleenex!
 
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im curious as to how you got convicted of stealing movies over the internet.Send me in inbox if you don't feel confortable posting it here.
 
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CounselorForChrist

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Having owned Skyrim and Oblivion, the use of magic in them always made me a bit uncomfortable. I never used the magic really, but as the years went by and I bought Skyrim, I noticed that the game is pretty much littered with magic, the occult...etc. I just happened to trade in Skyrim and put the money towards the new Worms game. Classic fun!
 
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Um guys, he didn't steal anything. He lied about his age to be able to purchase the game.

Is it wrong, per say? I mean, in accordance to the Word of God, it says don't lie. So technically yes, it's wrong. But did you lie to someone? No, you lied to the internet.

It's really up in the air, as far as I can tell. He didn't lie to a person. He didn't damage anyone. He bared false witness against himself, to a..machine..I mean it doesn't really even make sense when you try to break that down lol.
 
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vortigen84

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This is part of your desires as a Christian, to grow in honesty. Your conscience is being affected as you grow - this is good:


Ezekiel 36:27

And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.


If your conscience demands you delete the game, do it. Conscience is subjective to a degree; what's a sin for one person isn't for another, the Bible gives eating meat vs vegetables only as an example. Doing that which is against your conscience is sin. If you wipe it you'll feel disappointed but free, if you really want to you could buy it again from a store. The ESRB thing isn't legal.

If it's any consolation to you: I've thrown away thousands of dollars of music I bought, in addition to more stuff that I pirated, over the years on whims of conscience. I don't have a need to do that so much these days, a lot of it was because I needed to convince myself music was not an idol for me that I was enslaved to, that I could actually part with it at any time.
 
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No, you lied to the internet.
-Clears throat-

You gave false information to a company owned and operated by humans, who could get into a lawsuit for selling to underage people under false pretenses.

You lied to yourself. You essentially deceived your parents, who didn't know but trust you to be honest. You lied before God. You lied to Al Gore.

We all lie, especially to ourselves. It's great that you feel convicted and recognize what went on, because we often try to cover what we're doing. The popularity of the offense does not mean we do not do others or ourselves harm. In the Christian life, we see our offenses, repent, and move on with a clear conscience. Forgive yourself as God forgives you, and plan to make amends and new pathways.

Several years ago there were no ratings for games, so there is the aspect that the rule might not have been in place at one time or another. But the rule was created by consensus of people who felt it was dangerous for people of a certain age to view or participate in the games.

I would guess that by the time you were eleven or twelve, you felt like you could handle just about anything. You'd seen the evils of the world, the way people treat each other; and you were strong, capable, intelligent. At that time, you would have felt you could handle a game.

But people that young are still required to follow the instructions of authorities, and sometimes aren't inwardly strong or enough to know who is an authority and who is a danger, and how to walk away. Not an insult -- just a development tendency. What we put into our minds stays there, and influences how we think about the world. The brain sometimes confuses reality with dreams and movies and games-- especially the conclusions we draw from real and unreal experiences. (Gems are good and help you keep going, weapons are perks that give you power to battle opponents, police in games might be the bad guys. Monkeys can be good or bad.)

Games have a strong pull on people. They will justify all sorts of reasons for playing, and form complex rationales in their heads for why they're still doing it. I know students who dropped out of college because the games took over their lives and they stayed up every night, all night. Their conclusions and confessions, not mine.

I don't think there is a clear step you need to take right now -- it's more a matter of what you want to do before God. You are old, and developing your own ways to make decisions in life. Make a step that will help shape how you do things in the future.
 
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Dragnog

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You have obviously played the games already so you are well aware of what they are about.

Do you feel that God is asking you to sacrifice these to help you grow closer to him?

I would have a look at 1 Corinthians 9 especially verses 24 - 27 and 2 Corinthians 5 especially verses 16 -21.
 
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Frocus

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Just to clarify, my parents are alright with me playing M rated games as long ass it's just violence, and a little bit of swearing (though even I hate the swearing. If it says anything other than the "minor" curse words as in the d,a, and h word then I don't want to fool with it).

Also what I'm convicted by is not the game or that I'm underage, it's that I entered a false birth date which is a lie. Though I REALLY REALLY appreciate the advice.
 
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BFine

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im curious as to how you got convicted of stealing movies over the internet.Send me in inbox if you don't feel confortable posting it here.

*There's nothing uncomfortable to discuss, the Holy Spirit brought to
mind about the verses in God's Word about not stealing and I repented of stealing.
 
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CounselorForChrist

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Being someone who pirated more games and movies then you can count, I felt more and more pressure from the Holy Spirit to admit I was sinning and that I should stop making excuses. When I finally changed that part of my life I threw away everything I pirated and prayed for forginvess....honestly... I felt MUCH better. Like I was floating on a cloud. Its felt great to get that burden of my chest.

Its why I am so open to tell people the struggles I have, like with having had a porn addiction. Most people would never want to admit it and feel guilty about even admitting it to themselves. But I don't. We all sin, we need to get rid of that sin and be willing to admit we messed up. And of course pray for forgivness.
 
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bluegreysky

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If its off the internet, just don't do it again.
Pay for them next time.

If you got a tangible thing from a friend, and you lied to get it, offer to give it back and tell the truth. Or at least offer to reimburse them for their trouble.
 
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cb2012

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I think some people are missing the point he is trying to make.

Steam is a service provided by a company called Valve. It is a legitimate service where you buy games.

It seems his struggle is not the legality of where he obtained the game, but how he went about obtaining it. The game is rated M, for him to be able to buy the game he was forced to lie about his age.

To the topic creator:

Do you feel guilty about it?

If you do, I think you need to determine where that guilt is coming from. If you feel guilty because it was a lie, I believe that should be answer enough as to your course.

If you feel guilty because you think you are supposed to feel guilty, I don't think you should worry about it.

God will make sure you know.
 
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Willie T

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Plain and simple?

Age, lying, stealing by omission, the type of game.... none of that really matters to God.

If this is bugging you, there is a reason. As long as you aren't functioning out of guilt from some organizational association, then it sounds like God is dealing with you in the area of obedience and/or submission.

It's not about "then", it's about the here and now. It's tonight that God is keeping you awake thinking about this, and I'd say He wants you to know what you are going to do about it. (He already knows)
 
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Avniel

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If your parent gave you permission to play the game I'm guessing you have their permission to play MA games if I was you I would have just asked my parents if I could buy it and put one of their ages up there instead of making a fake one.

As to the contents of these games you have to follow what you feel. If these games do not affect you spiritually then you may be strong in faith and not weakened and see it just as a past time not an unhealthy obsession. Many people struggle with different things the key is to understand what you struggle with.

Me personally I can't watch certain movies or play certain games but when I listen to music it doesn't really affect me. But movies and video games will give me nightmares. I can't say that is true for all christians but it is true for me.

If you are feeling convicted then I'd say ask for forgiveness
 
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