Should Christians Play "Call of Duty"

[ARMcCarley]

Or any game that requires killing others....

I want to see yall's opinion. I used to play shooting games and felt convicted about it. Is there a certain line such as alien shooting?

 

[ARMcCarley]

I would love for someone to back their opinion with scripture!

 

[intojoy]

My wife took it away

 

[intojoy]

I was a Master Prestige

 

[ARMcCarley]

Are you better for it?

 

[patrick jane]

I was a Master Prestige

what is that ?:zoomin:

 

[Tambora]

Or any game that requires killing others....

I want to see yall's opinion. I used to play shooting games and felt convicted about it. Is there a certain line such as alien shooting?

Ummmm, it's a game, with imaginary shooting, and imaginary characters getting killed.

In other words, there are no actual killings, and there are no actual dead people.

So what's the crime being committed? :idunno:

 

[OCTOBER23]

OFF WITH THEIR HEADS

 

[kmoney]

Or any game that requires killing others....

I want to see yall's opinion. I used to play shooting games and felt convicted about it. Is there a certain line such as alien shooting?

I don't see anything wrong with a Christian playing games like COD. But if you felt convicted then by all means stop playing. Perhaps there could be some concern about being desensitized to violence and the value of human lives and if someone feels that then they should avoid it.

What did you feel convicted about?

 

[rocketman]

Ummmm, it's a game, with imaginary shooting, and imaginary characters getting killed.

In other words, there are no actual killings, and there are no actual dead people.

So what's the crime being committed? :idunno:

Garbage in...Garbage out, I won't allow it in my household either. The games I allow my sons to play is limited & rather benign. It really doesn't matter whether it is real or fantasy, I believe it effects them emotionally, I have seen it. Would you allow your kids to play "Grand Theft Auto" ? Gratuitous killing, stealing, virtual rape? I don't think that a case could be made that these things edify in any way, in fact they oppose the values I intend to instill in my sons that will some day be men.

 

[kmoney]

Garbage in...Garbage out, I won't allow it in my household either. The games I allow my sons to play is limited & rather benign. It really doesn't matter whether it is real or fantasy, I believe it effects them emotionally, I have seen it. Would you allow your kids to play "Grand Theft Auto" ? Gratuitous killing, stealing, virtual rape? I don't think that a case could be made that these things edify in any way, in fact they oppose the values I intend to instill in my sons that will some day be men.

Good post. It's a larger concern with children. Although, to be fair to COD, GTA is on a different level.

 

[Tambora]

Garbage in...Garbage out, I won't allow it in my household either. The games I allow my sons to play is limited & rather benign. It really doesn't matter whether it is real or fantasy, I believe it effects them emotionally, I have seen it. Would you allow your kids to play "Grand Theft Auto" ? Gratuitous killing, stealing, virtual rape? I don't think that a case could be made that these things edify in any way, in fact they oppose the values I intend to instill in my sons that will some day be men.

OK.
Let's get down to the nitty-gritty of fantasy.

Fantasy is fiction, no matter what the level of vulgarity or violence involved.

But yeah, younger children are much more susceptible to believing fantasy.
But is it OK for children to play games where a cuddly creature shoots a flower at another creature to make it explode and win a bonus point?

I mean, a rose by any other name, is still a rose.
And killing is killing, whether done by a gangsta with a gun or a teddy bear with a flower.


I think just about any type game is mainly about problem solving, and not about actually fulfilling some need to shoot someone or blow someone up.

I have heard that if you stunt a child's imagination, you stunt the problem solving portion of their brain.
Don't know if studies have actually proven that or not.



Long story short, I think some folks just try to make mountains out of molehills.
And I think trying to turn fiction into reality is not the right thing to do.


I play Command & Conquer.
And I have never once played the game thinking that I was actually killing anyone.
All I do is try to figure out the best way to win the game (ie. problem solving).
And then it's back to reality!!!!

 

[PureX]

Ummmm, it's a game, with imaginary shooting, and imaginary characters getting killed.

In other words, there are no actual killings, and there are no actual dead people.

So what's the crime being committed? :idunno:

But that wasn't the question, was it.

The question was is it morally appropriate for Christians to be playing violent video games that have them pretending to kill and maim people? I would say that it's probably not, for the simple reason that it presents to idea of killing as fun, easy, and rewarding.

 

[Tambora]

But that wasn't the question, was it.

The question was is it morally appropriate for Christians to be playing violent video games that have them pretending to kill and maim people? I would say that it's probably not, for the simple reason that it presents to idea of killing as fun, easy, and rewarding.

I would say that if playing those games bother you in a negative way, then don't do it.

They don't bother me, and I do have the liberty to play them.
But then again, I don't blur fantasy with reality.


Things don't effect everyone the same way.
If fantasy blurs your perception of reality, then fantasy is a stumbling block.

 

[Selaphiel]

There is nothing wrong with playing such games if you are able separate reality from pure fantasy. The idea that such games make people violent is so thoroughly debunked that I'm surprised to see people bring that up anymore. I do not buy the desensitization argument either. I've played games for well over 20 years, the sight of the slightest real violence still repulses me.

If you cant distinguish between reality and a game, then you have bigger issues than the games themselves.

Is it morally appropriate to play chess? I mean, it is a game that symbolizes warfare, where the poor pawns fall prey to the power games of the elite.

 

[Spitfire]

I'm with Selaphiel. As long as you understand that it's just a game and don't let it become an obsession.

Some people do indeed have trouble separating reality from what they experience in games. Those people would indeed be wise to avoid games like that.

 

[Quincy]

I don't know about Christians, but I've been playing violent video games since I was a young teenager in the early 90s. I don't even have a traffic ticket on my record, let alone anything violent so I know games don't influence people to be violent or amoral.

Of course I think about things deeply. I try to consider all possible chain of events, variations and outcomes to anything I do but so do lots of people. Most of my family and friends that are my age have been playing games as well and are the same as me.

There probably are some people who shouldn't play violent games, people who are mentally ill and suffer delusions. If you believe thinking a cuss word or thinking about hurting someone is just as bad as actually doing it or saying it, then it would be logical that you shouldn't play violent games either. For most people, it's just pushing a button when the crosshair is over some pixels that are displaying textures wrapped around polygons.

 

[Selaphiel]

Should be added that I find the themes and stories of many games like that to be tedious and problematic. My point is that I don't see anything wrong with the act of playing them. I generally do not play Call of Duty anymore, it is not a very good game as far as I am concerned, from both a gameplay, theme and story perspective.

 

[PureX]

There are a couple of things to note, here.

One is that if these kinds of games were effecting us, we probably would not know it. Yet we all THINK we would. And I find that troubling.

Another point is that the effect of these games may not be to make us more prone to violence, but to make us view violence more unrealistically, or maybe even positively. So that we would tend to condone violence by others (like our government, by vigilantes, or as self-defense, etc.) more easily and readily. And this sort of effect would certainly run contrary to the command "thou shalt not kill". Or the command to "love our enemies, and pray for them".

Regarding it being "just fantasy"; if fantasy is so harmless, then why isn't it OK to fantasize about having sex with your neighbor's wife? Or about owning his stuff? It seems to me that such fantasies are distinctly forbidden. So why would violent killing fantasies be excluded?

 

[rocketman]

OK.
Let's get down to the nitty-gritty of fantasy.

Fantasy is fiction, no matter what the level of vulgarity or violence involved.

But yeah, younger children are much more susceptible to believing fantasy.
But is it OK for children to play games where a cuddly creature shoots a flower at another creature to make it explode and win a bonus point?

I mean, a rose by any other name, is still a rose.
And killing is killing, whether done by a gangsta with a gun or a teddy bear with a flower.


I think just about any type game is mainly about problem solving, and not about actually fulfilling some need to shoot someone or blow someone up.

I have heard that if you stunt a child's imagination, you stunt the problem solving portion of their brain.
Don't know if studies have actually proven that or not.



Long story short, I think some folks just try to make mountains out of molehills.
And I think trying to turn fiction into reality is not the right thing to do.


I play Command & Conquer.
And I have never once played the game thinking that I was actually killing anyone.
All I do is try to figure out the best way to win the game (ie. problem solving).
And then it's back to reality!!!!

This is a very rare occasion I will admit but, I disagree with you Tam. Fantasy or not the graphic nature of these games coupled with the feeling of realism that these games portray does not promote a healthy moral example for anyone much less a Christian. Can a Christian play these games? Yes, that freedom exists but, considering the content I personally consider it complete garbage and why would they.