Thoughts on Christians who play platform games ps3 Xbox etc

[Tintin]

Everyone who liked this ^ and cherished her witty reply over over the heart-spoken warnings of the saints needs to examine themselves. Satan himself appears as an angel of light. You just liked and took the advice of a non-Christian on a moral issue.

Are you truly striving to follow Christ with all of your heart? Or are you just trying to do the bare minimum to not go to hell? Who is riding the fence today? Who is more of a Christian in culture than they are in heart? Can I see some raised hands?

A wise man once said: "To obey is better than sacrifice. I want more than Sundays and Wednesday nights. Cause if you can't come to me everyday, then don't bother coming at all."

Wow. Spiritual pride much? All I see are one or two people who feel personally convicted, some who have no problem with games and some people who wouldn't know anything about games if games smacked them in the face. It's good to be discerning, it's silly to say all games are evil, or that someone can't be a true follower of Christ and a gamer. I don't normally agree with Lizatherose, but on this account I have to. The game in question is just plain boring.

 

[blue_ladybug]

You beat me to this!

PS3 and Xbox are sinful because PC is the master race and it is superior in every way and it must rule the world. PC Master Race - A fifth of a million and growing!

All jokes aside the Bible is never against killing, only murder, and the Bible verse about lust cannot be applied to all things. There is a verse just before it about being angry with your brother being as bad as murder, but this isn't the same as thinking about killing. If in an online game you become angry at someone, that's not good, but that's the case with any competitive activity.

The last time I checked, murder IS killing!! Murder is a sin and God is against sin in ANY form. There is a verse in the bible, I don't remember book and chapter off-hand, but it says even if you only THINK about killing someone, it's the same as if you had actually done it.

 

[Ecclesiastik]

Wow. Spiritual pride much? All I see are one or two people who feel personally convicted, some who have no problem with games and some people who wouldn't know anything about games if games smacked them in the face. It's good to be discerning, it's silly to say all games are evil, or that someone can't be a true follower of Christ and a gamer. I don't normally agree with Lizatherose, but on this account I have to. The game in question is just plain boring.

If you think those words were a result of some sort of fleshly pride then we should do a study on Hebrews together sometime. Much of the Word of God has an edge to it. It can cut those who are living in rebellion.

"For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food" Hebrews 5:11

"For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?" Hebrews 2:1-3


If this is all you see in this thread, then there is much weeping to be done. There is so much more at stake than the way people's free time is wasted.

I used to game a lot. I used to play "The Witcher". Had fun cutting people up and just glancing at the naked pictures that would come up on the screen from time to time. Never really hit me what I was doing until one day I just sat down and thought about it.

Satan sits as king on his throne in many video games. If you are playing around in satan's land just for giggles and fun then it would be very wise to examine who's side you are on. Would you disagree?

 

[Animus]

The last time I checked, murder IS killing!! Murder is a sin and God is against sin in ANY form. There is a verse in the bible, I don't remember book and chapter off-hand, but it says even if you only THINK about killing someone, it's the same as if you had actually done it.

Adultery is sex, but the Bible isn't against sex. In the same way, murder is killing, but the Bible isn't against killing. Their are times when people need to be killed, even in the Bible, and when people spare the wicked they are rebuked.

'Then Samuel said, “Bring here to me Agag the king of the Amalekites.” And Agag came to him cheerfully. Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.” And Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag to pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.' - 1 Samuel 15:32

I believe the verse you are referring to is the following,

'“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift."' - Matthew 5:21-24

Just as adultery comes from lust, murder comes from anger. The message in this verse is that being angry with someone, having a feud, is like murder, insofar as it comes from the same place (anger) but manifests itself differently (insults and the like).

 

[Animus]

I used to game a lot. I used to play "The Witcher". Had fun cutting people up and just glancing at the naked pictures that would come up on the screen from time to time. Never really hit me what I was doing until one day I just sat down and thought about it.

That is a very sexual game, which I think is the real problem. A person can become filled with lust from watching a sexual event, but a person is not usually filled with anger from watching someone get killed (for non gamers, consider watching a movie). I agree that certain games can be bad, just as certain novels can be bad (e.x. Fifty Shades of Grey) or certain movies can be bad (e.x. Wolf of Wallstreet from what I've heard), or possibly certain types of music, but that doesn't mean that each of the mediums are inherently bad.

 

[Jimbone]

If you think those words were a result of some sort of fleshly pride then we should do a study on Hebrews together sometime. Much of the Word of God has an edge to it. It can cut those who are living in rebellion.

"For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food" Hebrews 5:11

"For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?" Hebrews 2:1-3


If this is all you see in this thread, then there is much weeping to be done. There is so much more at stake than the way people's free time is wasted.

I used to game a lot. I used to play "The Witcher". Had fun cutting people up and just glancing at the naked pictures that would come up on the screen from time to time. Never really hit me what I was doing until one day I just sat down and thought about it.

Satan sits as king on his throne in many video games. If you are playing around in satan's land just for giggles and fun then it would be very wise to examine who's side you are on. Would you disagree?

I agree with you on these matters (see post above), but I've realized this is what the Spirits lead "me" to feel, and others may not be at this point in their walk with Christ, or ever be, that's between them and Him not me at all. So all we can do is testify to His power in our life, and Truth as He's revealed it to us, and that's all we can do. Once we start trying to apply our personal revelations from the Spirit to fellow believers like that, the arguments start, then each side shuts down and defends their side only and listening is killed. All we can do is state how He has put it in our hearts and He will make it ring in the ears of those it needs to. I was in my first Halloween thread here (and will be avoiding from now on) the other day and got sucked into this kind of thing and ended up having to rethink (which is a very good thing) my words and general strategy due to the outcome (I think they also call that "learning the hard way", which is one of the gifts the Lords blessed me with, I know how to learn the hard way). We as men can only do so much, the rest is up to Him. Once more I agree with you 100%, but this time last year I was playing GTA5, and overnight I just couldn't pick up the controller anymore. At first it wasn't even because I saw them as evil and just wouldn't touch them or anything like that. It was just that I all of a sudden I had my priority list updated for me by the Holy Spirit, and I just had no time left for games. I love God and seek to be closer to Him every day, that is what I think about before anything I do anymore. I know I'm a rare case, and an extreme situation lead me to Him, but all I can do is testify what He shows me, I don't try to tell anyone how they should be anymore, but I will not keep His power in my life a secret. All that said I like face to face interaction so much more.

 

[Joidevivre]

Oh heck - think I'll stay with Farmtown. While I'm waiting for people to harvest my crops, it is easy to pray for the people on my farm.

 

[Lizathrose]

You just liked and took the advice of a non-Christian on a moral issue.

Honestly, you're exaggerating this to utterly superfluous proportions. Evidence suggests only a negligible correlation as far as propensities for violence and a habitual consumption of violent media in the adult population, and correlation doesn't equal causation -- especially if the correlation in particular isn't well-substantiated, to begin with.

...For that matter, denigrating my sense of perspective solely on the basis of my religious preference in a public forum doesn't speak well to your sense of character. It's kind of indecent, you know? :/

 

[Jimbone]

Honestly, you're exaggerating this to utterly superfluous proportions. Evidence suggests only a negligible correlation as far as propensities for violence and a habitual consumption of violent media in the adult population, and correlation doesn't equal causation -- especially if the correlation in particular isn't well-substantiated, to begin with.

...For that matter, denigrating my sense of perspective solely on the basis of my religious preference in a public forum doesn't speak well to your sense of character. It's kind of indecent, you know? :/

Ok without all the big words and looking down your nose at us stupid Christians, do you honestly think being bombarded by violence nonstop from the time we're born with violence in our movies, music, games, books, the news, and every other outlet known to man has no effect? I mean who is saying someone would try a video game then go out and commit a crime? I mean that is ridiculous, and that's funny, I knew you weren't a Christian (but think it's good you even come to interact with us, and hope you become one some day) and even said that you talked like an atheist in a thread the other day. It makes more sense now.

 

[Tintin]

If you think those words were a result of some sort of fleshly pride then we should do a study on Hebrews together sometime. Much of the Word of God has an edge to it. It can cut those who are living in rebellion.

"For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food" Hebrews 5:11

"For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it.For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every transgression and disobedience received a just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?" Hebrews 2:1-3


If this is all you see in this thread, then there is much weeping to be done. There is so much more at stake than the way people's free time is wasted.

I used to game a lot. I used to play "The Witcher". Had fun cutting people up and just glancing at the naked pictures that would come up on the screen from time to time. Never really hit me what I was doing until one day I just sat down and thought about it.

Satan sits as king on his throne in many video games. If you are playing around in satan's land just for giggles and fun then it would be very wise to examine who's side you are on. Would you disagree?

You're talking apples and oranges. Not all video games are "The Witcher". I don't even game much any more but there are plenty of games that don't have nudity and poor language, witchcraft etc. There are less that don't have graphic violence. But still, killing pixels in a game with a story, is very different to killing a person in real life or even thinking bad thoughts about someone who makes your life difficult or someone you just don't like.

 

[Ugly]

The last time I checked, murder IS killing!! Murder is a sin and God is against sin in ANY form. There is a verse in the bible, I don't remember book and chapter off-hand, but it says even if you only THINK about killing someone, it's the same as if you had actually done it.

I believe the scripture you're referring to says to hate someone is the same as having a murderous heart. Not that thinking about it is the same as doing it. Two very different concepts. So that shoots that down.
Also, as stated by another, murder is not the same as killing. Murder is a sin. Killing can be, but not always. If a Christian joins the military and is sent to war is he in sin if he kills an opposing soldier? If a man breaks into a Christian family's home and attacks them and in self defense the husband kills the attacker is the husband in sin for defending himself and his family?
Murder is about an evil intent. A desire to kill people for selfish reasons. Killing can be about self defense or military requirements. If you read in the OT God sent His people to war. God supported the armies of His people. God even used pagans to go to war against His own disobedient people. God used war (which involves killing) in the OT. So to suggest that all killing is sin is to suggest God sinned.

 

[NoobSaibot]

I believe the scripture you're referring to says to hate someone is the same as having a murderous heart. Not that thinking about it is the same as doing it. Two very different concepts. So that shoots that down.
Also, as stated by another, murder is not the same as killing. Murder is a sin. Killing can be, but not always. If a Christian joins the military and is sent to war is he in sin if he kills an opposing soldier? If a man breaks into a Christian family's home and attacks them and in self defense the husband kills the attacker is the husband in sin for defending himself and his family?
Murder is about an evil intent. A desire to kill people for selfish reasons. Killing can be about self defense or military requirements. If you read in the OT God sent His people to war. God supported the armies of His people. God even used pagans to go to war against His own disobedient people. God used war (which involves killing) in the OT. So to suggest that all killing is sin is to suggest God sinned.

wow I didn't think of it like that. Thank you.

 

[seemspeculiar]

Hello, I used to play world of warcraft when it first came out and had a very valuable character with high in game value like the tier 2 armors. Then I played so much my motherboard fried I was like what is going on. I tripped out and wanted to play Wow, but didn't buy a new computer. Then I bought an Xbox 360 and played series like gear of war and call of duty. I got really into those series due to how good I became. Like any person when I first started I couldn't do much. But as I played more it became different. I started to eliminate 4 people at a time in gears 1 and in call of duty search and destroy I would eliminate 6 people at a time with a sniper. In gears I challenged 1v1 against the number 1 ranks in each category and eliminated all of them. I didn't like playing ranked games because I would rather have a couple friends just eliminating the other team as people come and go. Then I met a guy in my math class in highschool and his parents were deaf so he knew sign language. I learned it from him and would goof off in math class talking to each other in sign language. He wanted me to come over his house because I told him I have an xbox360. We played call of duty 4 then by the time world at war came out I became more comfortable. My friend was very good and his older brother was also very good but he played hardcore and I play core with my friend. I remember the older brother playing on my account the first day cod wow came out he played free for all core and went 30-0. I just didn't want to believe it. So me and my friend played snd core and half a year later I started to challenge people who's profile said some extreme number like 115 wins-2 loses. Then I also started to challenge every single 1st place in each category and eliminated all of them. There was only 1 person who beat me but I also beat him. So I became friends with him and asked him about his sniper kungfu ways. He told me he played on some expensive couch with a 42 inch TV and expensive surround sound speakers in each corner. He played on 10 sensitivity and told me his way of playing attack and defend. I was super shocked to the point I thought he was lying. Then I thought about it and just accepted it. I told him I played on an old 11 inch attached vcr TV with wired turtle beach headsets and played on sensitivity 2. He thought I was lying, we just kept playing cod after. Years go by and I'm playing cod ghost. I thought about the cod game plays and realized all the negative things I'm surrounding myself in. The way the games changes your mind was disturbing. I started to pay attention every small detail and found very evil things like never realizing there were hellhounds, even things like minecraft the way it says it's for kids: I didn't know at first but then saw mine craft has magic. The way these games are made makes people's mentality sick. For example people start getting more and more mad while playing cod and later carry this mad mentality with them. Other games like mine craft allows cruel humor and mischief. I also don't like listening to all those beautiful music made in america, didn't realize it at first but if you care enough to actually listen to the words there are demonic lyrics. So I sold all of my xbox360s and games. To all of you video game lovers just really think about it. What do you love more the things humans make or the one who made humans. PM me if you want.

 

[Lizathrose]

Not to come across as offensive or anything, but you're really going to want to try splitting and organizing your thoughts into coherent paragraphs, seemspeculiar.

 

[MidniteWelder]

Honestly, you're exaggerating this to utterly superfluous proportions. Evidence suggests only a negligible correlation as far as propensities for violence and a habitual consumption of violent media in the adult population, and correlation doesn't equal causation -- especially if the correlation in particular isn't well-substantiated, to begin with.

...For that matter, denigrating my sense of perspective solely on the basis of my religious preference in a public forum doesn't speak well to your sense of character. It's kind of indecent, you know? :/

Ya know, even though I may not agree with you on some topics such as religion and doctrine...
This was about the most mature shootdown of someones accusation I have seen in awhile.
and from a 19 year old...(not that you're incapable due to your age but that people 40 and up rarely act as decently.)
There's been many a time I have noted how us "Christians" can still learn from those who don't claim to be.
This is one of those times.
Very Nice Liza. Being able to state your stance and position while not allowing emotions to get the better of you..

 

[Ecclesiastik]

That is a very sexual game, which I think is the real problem. A person can become filled with lust from watching a sexual event, but a person is not usually filled with anger from watching someone get killed (for non gamers, consider watching a movie). I agree that certain games can be bad, just as certain novels can be bad (e.x. Fifty Shades of Grey) or certain movies can be bad (e.x. Wolf of Wallstreet from what I've heard), or possibly certain types of music, but that doesn't mean that each of the mediums are inherently bad.

It wasn't a very sexual game in the sense that the game was not based on sex as a main thing. It was more of a side thing that came up every now and then that wasn't even mandatory. You could skip it if you wanted to or avoid it.

But even if the problem is that the game is a very sexual game then why wouldn't it be a problem for a game to be a very murderous or violent game?

I agree that this is a discussion about specifics rather than the mediums being inherently evil.

I think we need to examine the heart of the issue. Would Jesus be playing violent video games? Would He smile upon you using your time on this Earth (that has been given to you by Him) to hack and slash and put bullets in people's brains? Do we wear our WWJD bracelets but only apply it to our lives when it is convenient? I suppose we will throw them in the trash when persecution comes to our countries. There's always going to be an excuse that our mind, the world, and Satan will gladly come up for us. But if we ain't trying to follow Christ with all our heart, then who are we following? And which part of our heart are we keeping back? The good portion?

 

[Ecclesiastik]

I agree with you on these matters (see post above), but I've realized this is what the Spirits lead "me" to feel, and others may not be at this point in their walk with Christ, or ever be, that's between them and Him not me at all. So all we can do is testify to His power in our life, and Truth as He's revealed it to us, and that's all we can do. Once we start trying to apply our personal revelations from the Spirit to fellow believers like that, the arguments start, then each side shuts down and defends their side only and listening is killed. All we can do is state how He has put it in our hearts and He will make it ring in the ears of those it needs to. I was in my first Halloween thread here (and will be avoiding from now on) the other day and got sucked into this kind of thing and ended up having to rethink (which is a very good thing) my words and general strategy due to the outcome (I think they also call that "learning the hard way", which is one of the gifts the Lords blessed me with, I know how to learn the hard way). We as men can only do so much, the rest is up to Him. Once more I agree with you 100%, but this time last year I was playing GTA5, and overnight I just couldn't pick up the controller anymore. At first it wasn't even because I saw them as evil and just wouldn't touch them or anything like that. It was just that I all of a sudden I had my priority list updated for me by the Holy Spirit, and I just had no time left for games. I love God and seek to be closer to Him every day, that is what I think about before anything I do anymore. I know I'm a rare case, and an extreme situation lead me to Him, but all I can do is testify what He shows me, I don't try to tell anyone how they should be anymore, but I will not keep His power in my life a secret. All that said I like face to face interaction so much more.

Brother, I understand what you are saying and I can really feel it. However, if we do not defend truth, there will be souls that get lost in their own passions and desires. The masses are going to tell young believers that "It's okay, I see nothing wrong with it." The masses also told me the same thing when I started dating a lukewarm Christian and it absolutely wrecked me and my relationship with God.

What God has revealed to us personally, should be very obvious just by looking at the Word. In fact some of the downright dumb things I have done and been ignorant of is due to negligence or prayer and Scripture-reading and a much more abundant time spent playing video games, watching TV, and not spending time with God. Christians shouldn't be struggling with if it is right to look at pornography, to be homosexual, to use foul language, or to spend their time blowing folks heads off their shoulders because they should be in the Word. We should be crucifying our flesh and dying to ourselves. Paul said that he dies daily. But here we are trying to make compromises and skip rope with the sin that put Jesus on the cross.

We've only got one life to live. We need to live it in a manner that is worthy of Christ. Yes, everyone is going to have to struggle even if they strive to follow Christ with all their heart and God will reveal things that are lacking in your life. But none of us should be holding back on our own. We shouldn't be making excuses for not following Christ with all of our hearts. Because if that is the case, then there are two options. We are either backslidden or unconverted. And either of which, we need to repent.

 

[Ecclesiastik]

Honestly, you're exaggerating this to utterly superfluous proportions. Evidence suggests only a negligible correlation as far as propensities for violence and a habitual consumption of violent media in the adult population, and correlation doesn't equal causation -- especially if the correlation in particular isn't well-substantiated, to begin with.

...For that matter, denigrating my sense of perspective solely on the basis of my religious preference in a public forum doesn't speak well to your sense of character. It's kind of indecent, you know? :/

If you do not know Christ then you can't speak on a moral standard because yours is not based on the only moral standard that matters. Perhaps you think killing newborns in the womb is okay. Perhaps you think sex outside of marriage is okay as well. Perhaps in Nazi Germany you would have thought killing Jews is okay or perhaps in earlier America, you would have been the wife of the master who put the whip to my back while I picked your cotton.

Until you know God, you don't have much of a moral standard. It'll always be flexible based on what's around you--and I hope you realize that is not a good thing.

I'm sorry if you took what I said hard. But reality is harsh. You could die in 10 seconds and all this world that you've spent you're life pursuing, will mean nothing to you. Only God will.

 

[Ecclesiastik]

You're talking apples and oranges. Not all video games are "The Witcher". I don't even game much any more but there are plenty of games that don't have nudity and poor language, witchcraft etc. There are less that don't have graphic violence. But still, killing pixels in a game with a story, is very different to killing a person in real life or even thinking bad thoughts about someone who makes your life difficult or someone you just don't like.

So you are saying I am misspoken by saying that Satan is reigning in many (you seem to keep claiming I'm talking about all games but I've never said that--don't make me call you out on a straw-man argument. I don't like saying that cause it's over-used) games? Do you think Satan always comes wearing horns and carrying a pitchfork (ie witchcraft, scandalously graphic lewd scenes, etc)? Or do you believe the Bible when it says that Satan can indeed appear as an angel of light?

Although there's not much light to blowing someone's head off their shoulders and relishing in how many kills you got. I bet your momma would have put the belt to you if she would have caught you playing a game like that when you were a kid. But Christ doesn't care, right? His standards are so much lower than our earthly parents, right? All too much concerned with Christians having their liberty to waste their time in ungodliness than to care about crucifying their flesh to live a godly, holy life following Him. I suppose if Paul was practicing his head shots, he wouldn't have written all them there epistles. A lot of his words would have been hypocritical if he stopped writing to pick up a controller to pwn some noobs. But no matter, video games weren't invented in his time line. So that's probably apples to oranges as well, right?

 

[Ecclesiastik]

Hello, I used to play world of warcraft when it first came out and had a very valuable character with high in game value like the tier 2 armors. Then I played so much my motherboard fried I was like what is going on. I tripped out and wanted to play Wow, but didn't buy a new computer. Then I bought an Xbox 360 and played series like gear of war and call of duty. I got really into those series due to how good I became. Like any person when I first started I couldn't do much. But as I played more it became different. I started to eliminate 4 people at a time in gears 1 and in call of duty search and destroy I would eliminate 6 people at a time with a sniper. In gears I challenged 1v1 against the number 1 ranks in each category and eliminated all of them. I didn't like playing ranked games because I would rather have a couple friends just eliminating the other team as people come and go. Then I met a guy in my math class in highschool and his parents were deaf so he knew sign language. I learned it from him and would goof off in math class talking to each other in sign language. He wanted me to come over his house because I told him I have an xbox360. We played call of duty 4 then by the time world at war came out I became more comfortable. My friend was very good and his older brother was also very good but he played hardcore and I play core with my friend. I remember the older brother playing on my account the first day cod wow came out he played free for all core and went 30-0. I just didn't want to believe it. So me and my friend played snd core and half a year later I started to challenge people who's profile said some extreme number like 115 wins-2 loses. Then I also started to challenge every single 1st place in each category and eliminated all of them. There was only 1 person who beat me but I also beat him. So I became friends with him and asked him about his sniper kungfu ways. He told me he played on some expensive couch with a 42 inch TV and expensive surround sound speakers in each corner. He played on 10 sensitivity and told me his way of playing attack and defend. I was super shocked to the point I thought he was lying. Then I thought about it and just accepted it. I told him I played on an old 11 inch attached vcr TV with wired turtle beach headsets and played on sensitivity 2. He thought I was lying, we just kept playing cod after. Years go by and I'm playing cod ghost. I thought about the cod game plays and realized all the negative things I'm surrounding myself in. The way the games changes your mind was disturbing. I started to pay attention every small detail and found very evil things like never realizing there were hellhounds, even things like minecraft the way it says it's for kids: I didn't know at first but then saw mine craft has magic. The way these games are made makes people's mentality sick. For example people start getting more and more mad while playing cod and later carry this mad mentality with them. Other games like mine craft allows cruel humor and mischief. I also don't like listening to all those beautiful music made in america, didn't realize it at first but if you care enough to actually listen to the words there are demonic lyrics. So I sold all of my xbox360s and games. To all of you video game lovers just really think about it. What do you love more the things humans make or the one who made humans. PM me if you want.

Nobody cares about the voice of experience if it is contrary to the desires of the flesh and the mass popular opinion.