Brigand : I think you're taking it out of context when you say that. As for the sex part, yes the Bible does mention sex in its own way, but you can't get around that sex exists, and just mentioning it or saying it happened or alluding to it isn't the same as going into illicit details like one of those saucy romance novels you get for a buck fifty at the gas station. When sex was mentioned, it was either to define boundaries of morality or to recount a significant event. As for violence, it also unfortunately happens. Can't get around it, and yes, sometimes the Bible does go into detail on the violence, but what details were gone into were to show the intensity and reality of the situation, not just for show.

As for how I feel about violent video games? ... it depends on the type of violence and the level of gore. For instance, some normal amount of blood doesn't bother me because hey, you get cut, you're gonna bleed. Major amounts of blood like some video games show is senseless and uncalled for. Like, a guy gets his head ripped off and more blood than the human body can actually even hold spews out. There's zero sense in that. It also depends on the context of the violence; are you defending yourself or others, or are you just out to kill innocent people for a few bucks?

Lemme give you an example: A favourite arcade series of mine is the line of Jurassic Park rail shooters. Oh yeah, its violent, and sometimes bloody, but the amounts of blood are usually realistic and you're only using violence to try and keep from getting eaten alive. If its self defense, defense of the innocent, trying not to get eaten, etc. then it becomes neither a moral or immoral violence, its amoral because you have no choice. Like... Sora beating the crud out of Organization XIII with a sporking key. He had no choice but to do it if he wanted to find Riku, save Kairi, find Namine, etc. etc. As for games like GTA where you're... pretty much killing for the sake of killing because its 'fun'? No. Nonononononono. THAT'S the kind I won't touch.

I do not think that Christians should not play violent video games because they should know the difference between fantasy and real life. It is the same as the argument of do video games cause mass shootings, which is no because people have the ability to do what they want. That is also why guns do not kill people, people kill people.

Mr. Zed : I know this post of yours is old now, but I still would like to reply to it. I have to disagree when you say that playing violent video games "...charges a natural human urge for violence and domination. Sometimes it gets the better of us and others we can control it.". As a young kid (started at age six or seven) I played Mortal Kombat games all the time, and I have never once wanted to even do so much as punch someone in the arm. Seriously, I mean, I am the most anti-violent person I know of. I can't even stand watching wrestling (which is fake and scripted), or action shows. This is the very reason I watch only cartoons and family shows: I HATE violence. By your suggestion, I should have an intense blood lust, since my childhood was spent playing games where I ripped people's heads off, sawed them in half with razor edged hats, and literally ripped their limbs off; that obviously is not the case though, since the sight of real violence sickens me, as does violence that is staged by real people (and in some video games). Also, for the record, I now hate Mortal Kombat and other exaggerated violence games, but I do still play games with violence and killing.



As for the question at hand, I don't think it's wrong for a Christian to play violent video games at all. I think games are merely entertainment, and are fine. I mean, is it wrong to read a Spiderman comic book? How about watching looney tunes? These both have forms of violence in them, but hardly seem wrong.

I do think some types of violent games are wrong, but not all. I love a game I recently found, called Tenchu 2: Birth of The Stealth Assassins. Now this game is obviously has plenty of killing in it, and actually focuses on making the player sneak up behind enemies and silently eliminating them. In some rare cases, you see a dismembered limb (I saw this twice during the course of the entire game), but it isn't a gore fest or exaggerated gore and blood, and actually approaches violence in a very mature way. And by mature, I don't mean it like the ESRB means it, in my opinion that type of Mature is highly immature usually.

For an example of games with exaggerated violence, I read a review in a magazine a few years ago, and it said one of the characters could suck enemies into some sort of ring, and their blood and entrails would spray out of it. Developers these days often put unrealistic amounts of blood and gore in their games just to see how much they can put in one game. If a guy gets slashed with a sword and his head falls off and some blood comes out, that's fine with me, but there's no need to make him spray gallons of blood when he gets shot in the stomach.

Now, I do think Christians should be a little more picky about what they expose themselves to in a game than most people are. For example, we shouldn't play games with nudity or sex in them, and I think we should avoid excessive language and ridiculous gore like I mentioned before, but some violence and blood is fine in my opinion.

In the end though, I think it depends on how the game makes the individual feel. If it makes them angry or feel less sensitive toward their God or fellow man, then that's an issue. A believer should decide their own personal beliefs as long as they stay within what the Bible teaches. I typically dislike questions like "Do Christians believe xyz" or "Is it wrong for Christians to do abc" because it's far too broad. "Christian" does not mean Christlike anymore, as it's become an incredibly broad term over the years, and now simply means "Someone who prays and believes in Jesus". As a result, there are probably thousands of religions that call their millions (perhaps billions) of followers Christians. So with that many different Christian religions, and each member having their own variations of their church's beliefs, there is no way to say what Christians believe or should or shouldn't do. Don't get me wrong, I don't think this is a bad thread, as it isn't as inclusive as "What do Christians believe about xyz?" threads. Anyway, No, I don't think it's wrong at all, personally.

Sure why not. 

I might not be Christian, but I think if you're not going to go do it in real life and harm real people, then I guess it's fine. Except from when you get the odd American kid who actually gets a functional gun off his or her parents for his or her birthday. If he or she is young then they might just want to try what happens in their game.

But killing people in a videogame is not killing people in real life. Those are my views. 

So long as it does not interfere with relationships and your relationship with Christ, I don''the see a problem at all. As for level of blood and ogre...anyone who knows me knows what I'll say here. Love it. Although, I will say, the kids that were playing M games as kids seem to have a higher rate of being a piece of crap at 14. I don't know if this is entirely accurate, but I've observed it, and it seems to be true. Those are my thoughts on the topic, so...