Sinning In Video Games?

Irish Farmer · Aug 15, 2004

Some christians currently play wicked video games but does it destory their righteousness? The question is, can you practice sin in video games?

Hebrews 4:13
Nothing in all creation can hide from God's sight. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes.

Matthew 7:16-19
By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

God does see the truth behind everything that is created. So casting spells, shooting people, stealing cars, gambling money, in video games result in sinning in the heart.

For a example: Anyone who looks at a women with lust, you have committed adultery with her in his heart.

BrianM84 · Aug 15, 2004

Of course you can practice sin in video games. All we need to do is look at the Grand Theft Auto Series, where the object of the game is to steal cars from people and bust them up afterwards. It very much can destroy our righteousness.

Bryan Lim · Aug 15, 2004

but hey, we can't do that in real life. what is wrong in doing it in a computer game? it is not that you will get caught by the police or something.

fishstix · Aug 15, 2004

I think that we do need to watch what we are feeding ourselves as far as things like music, tv, and movies go and it would make sense to include video games in that as well. If something is dragging us down or negatively affecting the way we view similar situations in real life or if it is something we wouldn't feel comfortable doing with Jesus physically present in the room with us then we probably need to cut it out.

That said, I also think that it is possible to become overzealous in deciding what is evil and what is not. For example, let's take a traditional board game such as Monopoly. To win the game you have to purposely bankrupt all the other players. In real life that would certainly be wrong but I really don't think that in the context of a game it is a problem unless the players get so caught up in bankrupting others that they start doing it in real life. I think most people would be completely comfortable in playing a game of Monopoly with Jesus present, and I would imagine that it is probably a game that Jesus himself would have participated in if it had existed 2000 years ago. So even though the game contains activity which would be sinful in a real life situation it isn't necessarily a sin in the context of a game. I would personally apply a similar standard to video games - if the game is going to influence a person to do sinful stuff in real life then it is something they should stay away from but if they can keep the game separate from reality and it is something they would honestly think Jesus would be ok with then it likely isn't a problem for them. And I would add to that that just like certain other activities mentioned in the Bible that they should make sure that they aren't going to be causing others who may not be as strong to stumble.

Cordy · Aug 15, 2004

I think it IS wrong. Thinking a lustful thought is wrong - you are not actually doing the lustful action physically, so you wont bear the consequences of it in the physical world, but you still sinned. And what is playing in the mind often sets up on up for real action. A sin starts in the mind and then moves toward action. Why say planting the seed is ok?

I think this goes for anything in video or computer games: violence, sex, drugs, theft etc. We should not be glorifying such things, or practicing them in the virtual world.

but'n'ben · Aug 15, 2004

I decide whether or not I should be doing something by asking my conscience. I used to listen to Slayer. But then I asked myself will God really like me listening to songs where the lyrics are "I'll tear your f*****g eyes out, rip your f*****g flesh off..." the anwer was no and the CDs are now rid of.

And I do have the GTA series but my concience told me the game was wrong, and so I don't play it anymore. If you're aksing if it's wrong to do something then chances are it's not. God will niggle your concience and make you ask this.

If you do something right, you know instantly that it's the right thing to do. But if you have to question something then it's likely that it's not what God wants.

Ginsu · Aug 15, 2004

You know... I always wondered about that. Like back in the days when I used to play Diablo II, I wondered by snactching up another slain players gold or armour would be considered as stealing..

1 Thessalonians 5:22
Abstain from all appearance of evil.

Anways, the majority of my gamming days are over. I never really cared for mindless shooters or anything that involved masive carnage. I mainly played tactical army shooters... liberate the opressed ya know. heh.

However, I have been known to have an evil side when it came to my managerial duties in Roller Coaster Tycoon. I mean, would you pay $25.00 for a 30 second car ride? How about taking a spin on my personally designed excutiatingly nausiating swill roller coaster of doom? Sometimes I would "forget" to complete the track. And others I knew I was designing a faulty rollercoaster ride... I remember indefinately that I did not win the Safest Park of Year award that particular year.

Evil? yes...rich? yes... happy? no. I have learned my lesson!

JessB · Aug 15, 2004

There are virtuous gamers, and virtuous games, and-- critically-- virtuous ways to game. In particular, there are plenty of ways to lead a good Christian existence on a MUD. It's simple, really-- you act as you would in the "real world". You kill only evil characters (or those who attack you, i.e. in self-defense). You don't steal. You help good characters. And so on...

If the game world involves fantasy gods, things get a little stickier, but as long as you make it clear that only your character (not you, in the real world) worships those gods-- and as long as your character only worships a good god, one that mirrors our own real God, I see no sin in it. It's fantasy-- not real. I mean, even Tolkien and C.S. Lewis (both Christian!) wrote about fantasy gods. (Example: Aslan, who basically represented Jesus, but obviously Jesus was not a lion!)

And, of course, it goes without saying that you have to keep clean the line between fantasy and reality.

I, like other posters, avoid the GTA series due to its inherent evil nature. But there's no reason why you can't lead a virtuous "game life" in MUDs and other "good versus evil" games. Just play on the side of good!

Sketcher · Aug 15, 2004

Another aspect of this is where your mind is at. If I'm playing Unreal Tournament with some friends, that is a gaming mindset, like playing pool or fooseball. I just couldn't act some of this stuff out in real life. I could not kill someone in real life unless I was enraged, drunk, or high. From what I've read, killing a person is hard to do, much more if you have the Holy Spirit inside.

Cubbs · Aug 15, 2004

Romans 14 comes to mind. That and (because there are some vicious games out there, UT2K4 not one, more like Hitman or Painkiller) would JC play it with you or would you turn if off if He set foot in the room?

Apollonian · Aug 16, 2004

Intentions and circumstances count. I think a lot of conservatives can get worked up about video games. First of all, I agree that one should not look to sin in video games where you can't in real life - that is just a way of saying: I want to sin, but I'll get away with it by doing it all in my mind (not realizing that I will develop the habit of doing so even in reality if I keep it up).

A lot of video games present a context (be it war, a fantasy realm, space, etc) completely different from our own. As such, there are many moral dilemmas which get played out there that don't have as clear a resolution as they do in our complex world. In this fashion, if a person has their head about them, they stand to learn a great deal more about morality from games than perhaps from real life. This makes games dangerous too, if a person is ignorant of how such things affect them.

Personally, I wouldn't go about playing evil characters in games. However, I have seen other people who play evil characters (evil, not malicious, mind you) that end up learning quite a bit about what evil is and how to avoid it (even while they plot and scheme in the game). So, mainly I think that a lot of people overreact to the issue.

When it comes down to it - games don't decide what you believe, and you ultimately have to seek out the Truth in real life. Conversely, seeking the Truth in real life doesn't mean that you can ignore the game. God speeks in many ways, not just the Bible. Simply be wary of the difference between the questions (games made by people) and the answers (your reactions to those games).

Pirch80 · Aug 17, 2004

Personally in my opinion I think it would be alright to play those games that are violent or have evil. I mean as long as you still distinguish that it is FAKE and it doesn't become real. Like me for example I still play the GTA series (not as much anymore since going to church more and school) but sometimes I go on GTA and go blow up cars! LOL. But just because I go and do it on a video game doesn't mean I'll go and do it in real life. I'm very set in what's right and wrong I wouldn't even think about even hurting a car in real life.

I think as long as you distinguish that it's just a game and don't go further than that it should be alright to play those kind of games. The same goes for Harry Potter in my mind. I think it alright to read the books and the movies (for fans of the books) just as long as you emphasize that the books are not REAL.

Now the day that a game starts becoming MORE than that then that's when you just need to give it up. If there's ever a day I start thinking about video games in real life then that's when I give up the game for a long time and look for other things that are not as violent.

TommyDude · Aug 18, 2004

i used to be a big-time gamer before i was saved,
the GTA series were my fav to play, after getting saved i felt convicted on it and stoped playing them, they just made feel uncomftable

the only games i play now are non-violent ones (racing games, sports games etc.) and of course i have rediscoevred my old Nentendo and atari and have been playing the classics mostly, they don't make them like they used to

although i haven't had the time to really play in a while now with work and all

waterbear · Aug 18, 2004

It depends on how much you personify video games. If you look at it purely as a puzzle where you do this, that and this to reach some end - are you really sinning? If you are finding enjoyment in the personification of what would be sinful activities - e.g. you enjoy killing the person (and you're thinking of it as a person!) as you steal his car in Grand Theft Auto, then you are thinking sinful thoughts - sin.

Apollonian · Aug 18, 2004

You know, I've come to a realization recently. A lot of people worry about the sin inside video games. What about the sin in playing a certain video game.

e.g. Sloth

I have come to wonder whether in certain instances the video game that I play has no bearing on my career or other God given abilities. This may not be the case, but it did come to mind. Sometimes we don't necessarily think about things like Sloth because they aren't as publicized. These sort of things are probably far more of a concern than killing orcs or Kilrathi or something.

Playing games that engage the mind or the senses can help out a lot. Playing games that take up a lot of time, have online persistence (impacting real-life scheduling), or games which include violence without any skill or thought would seem to be dangerous to me. I've seen online persistent world roleplaying games almost kill friends' academic careers, not because they sinned by killed helpless goblins, but because they killed goblins instead of studying.

Raanan · Aug 18, 2004

Apollonian said:
You know, I've come to a realization recently. A lot of people worry about the sin inside video games. What about the sin in playing a certain video game.

e.g. Sloth

I have come to wonder whether in certain instances the video game that I play has no bearing on my career or other God given abilities. This may not be the case, but it did come to mind. Sometimes we don't necessarily think about things like Sloth because they aren't as publicized. These sort of things are probably far more of a concern than killing orcs or Kilrathi or something.

Playing games that engage the mind or the senses can help out a lot. Playing games that take up a lot of time, have online persistence (impacting real-life scheduling), or games which include violence without any skill or thought would seem to be dangerous to me. I've seen online persistent world roleplaying games almost kill friends' academic careers, not because they sinned by killed helpless goblins, but because they killed goblins instead of studying.

That goes to excess. Sloth and excess go hand in hand. Games are meant as a form of entertainment. Entertainment is not wrong. However, like most everything, if you go for entertainment to extremes (as in the rest of your life suffers) then it becomes a sin.

It's like drinking. Not sinful unless you drink in excess. Moderation is the key!

I'm lucky in regards to gaming though. I'm an upcoming developer so I get to make them, play them, and get paid for it!

fishstix · Aug 18, 2004

One could make the same argument about spending too much time on these forums.

Raanan · Aug 19, 2004

The argument could be made about everything

BrianM84 · Aug 19, 2004

fishstix said:
One could make the same argument about spending too much time on these forums.

How so?

For a lot of people these forums are huge support to help build up they're faith and righteousness. There is plenty of positive that comes out of this place. I can't say the same for playing a bloddy or gory game, where the object is to bust someone up. As Christians we're called to a holy lifestyle. We're also called to abstain from all sources of evil like Ginsu pointed out in 1 Thessalonians 5:22, and certain video games play a big factor in that.

fishstix · Aug 19, 2004

BrianM84 said:
How so?

For a lot of people these forums are huge support to help build up they're faith and righteousness. There is plenty of positive that comes out of this place. I can't say the same for playing a bloddy or gory game, where the object is to bust someone up. As Christians we're called to a holy lifestyle. We're also called to abstain from all sources of evil like Ginsu pointed out in 1 Thessalonians 5:22, and certain video games play a big factor in that.

The sloth/excess argument. For many people, forums can become an addiction, shadowing out their real life. Even a Christian message board can be used to excess. And not everything on such boards is really faith building - a lot of it is just entertainment. Fine in moderation, but possibly a bad thing in excess.

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