Is Magic the Gathering an Evil Game? Can Christians Play It?

[Polar Bear Quest]

It's not a game "about magic." It's just a collectible card game.

If you took it as "about magic", I think that's the main problem, and I mean that with full respect. Throwing the cards out, in my opinion, is to attribute power to them that they don't possess and that their manufacturer doesn't claim they possess.

Sell them and put the money towards your needs, save it, or give it to a good charity

When one plays a card in MTG they're "casting a spell." As I explained to someone else the game simulates real magic and pretty accurately.

For instance, the card Divination allows one to draw 2 cards. In reality divination is seeking knowledge of the future, and the card in the game simulates what REAL divination is like. The same goes with the scry mechanic. Scrying is an occult practice and one simulates scrying in the game.

 

[RabbiMike]

As I explained to someone else the game simulates real magic and pretty accurately.

You think that real-world necromancy involves drawing mana from swampland that you own? Or that manipulating flame involves controlling mountains?

 

[GreekOrthodox]

You think that real-world necromancy involves drawing mana from swampland that you own? Or that manipulating flame involves controlling mountains?

That's just silly! We all know that Team Rocket is the true evil (plus Meowth).

 

[Dkh587]

Throw them away. I believe you are being convicted by the Holy Spirit. God wants His children to be separate from the world. We should stay away from games, movies, books etc that glorify what God considers abominable. Witchcraft, sorcery, divination etc are all abominable to God. Should we really be playing games and spending money on stuff that glorifies what is abominsble and worthy of death?

I had the same thought process when it came to throwing away my Harry Potter books. I wondered should i throw them away, or donate them to the library?

If I was convicted that the books are evil, and shouldn't be in my possession, why should I donate the same books that I consider evil, to a library where a child can pick up those same evil books?

Trash them! It's so liberating

 

[archer75]

When one plays a card in MTG they're "casting a spell." As I explained to someone else the game simulates real magic and pretty accurately.

For instance, the card Divination allows one to draw 2 cards. In reality divination is seeking knowledge of the future, and the card in the game simulates what REAL divination is like. The same goes with the scry mechanic. Scrying is an occult practice and one simulates scrying in the game.

Scrying is...an idea that has a name. But people can't really use it any more than they can eat a can of spinach to break chains.

 

[Winken]

I hadn't really been collecting Magic: The Gathering cards for too long but I do have a lot of cards, as well as Yu-Gi-Oh! cards (another questionable game that involves magic) and a few other card games. I've come to the conclusion playing or collecting these cards isn't of God and I stopped playing the game a couple of months back, but what to do with all the cards I have is a question I don't really have an answer to.

There's a couple of options. I could of course sell the cards or give them away. The only problem is I could help someone else get more engrossed in the game if I give the cards away or sell them. This is why I have been considering throwing the cards away so no one gets more engrossed into a game about magic.

What do you guys think? Should I sell, give away the cards, or throw them away?

Burn them --- but not in dry grass.

 

[LutheranGuy123]

Burn them --- but not in dry grass.

Again, STOP BURNING THINGS. Magic cards have a plastic layer in them that prevents counterfeiting and helps prevent damage from shuffling. It releases carcinogenic fumes when burned. Really almost anything you can think of has plastics in it. Stop burning things.

 

[Winken]

Again, STOP BURNING THINGS. Magic cards have a plastic layer in them that prevents counterfeiting and helps prevent damage from shuffling. It releases carcinogenic fumes when burned. Really almost anything you can think of has plastics in it. Stop burning things.

My bad. Shred them.

 

[JESUS=G.O.A.T]

I hadn't really been collecting Magic: The Gathering cards for too long but I do have a lot of cards, as well as Yu-Gi-Oh! cards (another questionable game that involves magic) and a few other card games. I've come to the conclusion playing or collecting these cards isn't of God and I stopped playing the game a couple of months back, but what to do with all the cards I have is a question I don't really have an answer to.

There's a couple of options. I could of course sell the cards or give them away. The only problem is I could help someone else get more engrossed in the game if I give the cards away or sell them. This is why I have been considering throwing the cards away so no one gets more engrossed into a game about magic.

What do you guys think? Should I sell, give away the cards, or throw them away?

You should give them away or sell them or something of that nature.

Satan is rather sneaky nowadays...you even have books (some of which I used to read when I was younger) in which demons/dragons/magicians are actually good guys.

I used to be into Yu-Gi-Oh myself but I wasn't saved or into God and didn't know better, I didn't really pay attention to the whole Yu-Gi-Oh egyptians pharaoh reference or the demons/dragons and such that were used as good guys.

Now that I am saved and led by God I realize wait a minute.... wasn't Egypt and the pharaohs against God? Wasn't magicians against God? Isn't satan as a dragon in revelations??




Now sure the cards aren't as harmful as...lets say straight up voodoo or something...but they can cause you to contemplate magic and such and dream about that kind of stuff. I would pray about it but yeah you can just sell them tbh or throw away or give away. Sell if you can though to at least get money for it, I sold my magic/percy jackson/ etc. books when I was after getting with God in my teens.

 

[writewords]

I hadn't really been collecting Magic: The Gathering cards for too long but I do have a lot of cards, as well as Yu-Gi-Oh! cards (another questionable game that involves magic) and a few other card games. I've come to the conclusion playing or collecting these cards isn't of God and I stopped playing the game a couple of months back, but what to do with all the cards I have is a question I don't really have an answer to.

There's a couple of options. I could of course sell the cards or give them away. The only problem is I could help someone else get more engrossed in the game if I give the cards away or sell them. This is why I have been considering throwing the cards away so no one gets more engrossed into a game about magic.

What do you guys think? Should I sell, give away the cards, or throw them away?

Trash 'em, trash 'em good.

 

[Ignatius the Kiwi]

The real danger of these games isn't so much in the magical themes that fantasy card games often have, but the effect they can have on your life if you become too addicted to them. If you spend more time on them than you do other things, like your religious life, physical exercise, socialising and etc then they can negatively effect you in that you are using your time and money improperly. (Think about the people who spend all their money on collecting every single card in a series). But am i committing a mortal sin if I summon Exodia the destroyer and win the children's card game? I don't think so.

I've got Yu-gi-oh cards as well and I've never thought of them as anything other than cards in a game you use to beat the opponent. Fantasy is rife with influences from our world which I do not think are intended to be anything other than cool or interesting. It is cool to imagine yourself summoning a fireball or killing an orc in a fantasy game and that is what the creator wants. They want you to be entertained and will use mythology, ideas and even Christian images to aid in that end. At most it is a frivolous use of images and ideas.

What you do with the cards is your own decision but giving or selling them wouldn't likely hurt the person your giving them to.

 

[RabbiMike]

. . . but the effect they can have on your life if you become too addicted to them. If you spend more time on them than you do other things, like your religious life, physical exercise, socialising and etc then they can negatively effect you in that you are using your time and money improperly.

Again, this is an objection that ONLY seems to come up in geek interests, whether RPGs, computer gaming, anime, or what-have-you. When you start warning the preps and jocks about the inherently addictive nature of their particular sub-culture, then you might be even-handed in your warnings. Until then, you're coming across as, "I don't get it, so it must be EEEEEEEVIIIIILLLLL!"

Remember, the Gospel is first to the Jew, and then to the geek. The rest of you are an after-thought.

Shalom.

 

[Ignatius the Kiwi]

Again, this is an objection that ONLY seems to come up in geek interests, whether RPGs, computer gaming, anime, or what-have-you. When you start warning the preps and jocks about the inherently addictive nature of their particular sub-culture, then you might be even-handed in your warnings. Until then, you're coming across as, "I don't get it, so it must be EEEEEEEVIIIIILLLLL!"

Remember, the Gospel is first to the Jew, and then to the geek. The rest of you are an after-thought.

Shalom.

I'm saying this as someone who has spent way to much time on personal interests such as these. I'm not arguing for total abstention from games, movies, anime whatever, in fact I think its good to enjoy these things, but I do think there is a point where you can take it too far.

 

[LutheranGuy123]

You should give them away or sell them or something of that nature.

Satan is rather sneaky nowadays...you even have books (some of which I used to read when I was younger) in which demons/dragons/magicians are actually good guys.

I used to be into Yu-Gi-Oh myself but I wasn't saved or into God and didn't know better, I didn't really pay attention to the whole Yu-Gi-Oh egyptians pharaoh reference or the demons/dragons and such that were used as good guys.

Now that I am saved and led by God I realize wait a minute.... wasn't Egypt and the pharaohs against God? Wasn't magicians against God? Isn't satan as a dragon in revelations??




Now sure the cards aren't as harmful as...lets say straight up voodoo or something...but they can cause you to contemplate magic and such and dream about that kind of stuff. I would pray about it but yeah you can just sell them tbh or throw away or give away. Sell if you can though to at least get money for it, I sold my magic/percy jackson/ etc. books when I was after getting with God in my teens.

Anything can cause you to consider sin. Should I stay away from Dallas Cowboys football because the cheerleaders could tempt me to commit adultery? Should Christians avoid getting degrees in theology because they have to learn about Islam? Heck, if dragons are sinful then I can't read Lord of the Rings or Beowulf.

 

[Greg Merrill]

I hadn't really been collecting Magic: The Gathering cards for too long but I do have a lot of cards, as well as Yu-Gi-Oh! cards (another questionable game that involves magic) and a few other card games. I've come to the conclusion playing or collecting these cards isn't of God and I stopped playing the game a couple of months back, but what to do with all the cards I have is a question I don't really have an answer to.

There's a couple of options. I could of course sell the cards or give them away. The only problem is I could help someone else get more engrossed in the game if I give the cards away or sell them. This is why I have been considering throwing the cards away so no one gets more engrossed into a game about magic.

What do you guys think? Should I sell, give away the cards, or throw them away?

Never heard of it, but if it is evil, you should burn the cards. Don't just through them in the trash where someone else may find them. "Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them..." Ac 19:19

 

[RabbiMike]

I think its good to enjoy these things, but I do think there is a point where you can take it too far.

Again, does it even occur to you to give these warnings to non-geek hobbies?

 

[LutheranGuy123]

Never heard of it, but if it is evil, you should burn the cards. Don't just through them in the trash where someone else may find them. "Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them..." Ac 19:19

You should not burn the cards. They have plastics in them that will give you lung cancer. In fact you shouldn't burn anything that isn't a log, charcoal, or kindling.

 

[Greg Merrill]

You should not burn the cards. They have plastics in them that will give you lung cancer. In fact you shouldn't burn anything that isn't a log, charcoal, or kindling.

Yes, destroy them in a safe way.

 

[Ignatius the Kiwi]

Again, does it even occur to you to give these warnings to non-geek hobbies?

When relevant yes.

 

[JESUS=G.O.A.T]

Anything can cause you to consider sin. Should I stay away from Dallas Cowboys football because the cheerleaders could tempt me to commit adultery? Should Christians avoid getting degrees in theology because they have to learn about Islam? Heck, if dragons are sinful then I can't read Lord of the Rings or Beowulf.

Cute excuse but you're missing the point.

1. Football in itself isn't bad, the cheerleaders are an add on that you can simply choose not to look at or have anything to do with. Now if you're not strong enough for that then don't go I guess, JEff Arnold a christian preacher doesn't go to them becuase of the cheerleaders and beer for example. With Yu-Gi and "magic" it's not like that, now sure in the card game you can simply get rid of all your demon/dragon cards.... but meh that's a lot of cards.

You have another terrible analogy with theology....just like with football you can be selective with the courses you take you don't have to learn about all the faiths IK some that were selective with their studies. Andd even if you choose to learn about ISlam (it's good to have a basic understanding of false doctrine when you reach a certain point in your walk) you aren't participating in it or associating with it, you're simply learning. Now you're right the risk factor in this is high.....if you're not prepared so I wouldn't go into theology really unless you're strong in the LORD.

And look coming from a guy who's grown in ministry and grown in my walk it's going to take being holy for you to make it. THe bible says peace with all men and holiness which without no man shall see the lord. The bible speaks against magic and sorcery, it's just what it is. If you don't want to make it to heaven that's only about 1,500 square miles then that's youre choice. Now i'm not saying cards will send you to hell but if you are kind of indifferent with every


2. In Lord of the rings I don't recall dragons being depicted as heroes , I could be wrong like I said it's been awhile since i've read stuff like that... but if I recall the dragons were the enemy in Beowulf didn't he slay monsters and such as well? I'm not sure how this has anything to do with books that support companionship with demons/dragons/ pagan Gods. Killing a dragon/demon/witch/bad thing is fine.


3. Lastly this is how I operate in my spiritual life, all of us are on different levels you could say spiritually and maybe you aren't yet convicted in such a way yet. Just keep seeking God is what I would recommend because you'll get answers from people that maybe are further in their relationship or walk and thus more holy.

I'm not asking you to do what I do i'm just providing an example of what a christian walking in spirit and truth would do.