Should Christians be allowed to play fighting games?

[The Shadow]

Hay Guys

Theres been an important question on my mind lately- should christians
play games with fighting/shooting in them ?

what i mean by games is: half life, doom, halo, quake, wrestling-smakedown
dragon ball z, little fighter etc

well i know we neeed to be discerning viewer in what we watch
but are they only games i mean we wouldnt really actual shoot or scrap someone out would we?

also b 4 u answer do you think Jesus would play them????


so i wanted to know are we alloud to play them?

[Needle Noggin]

:angel: Hay Guys

Theres been an important question on my mind lately- should christians
play games with fighting/shooting in them ?

what i mean by games is: half life, doom, halo, quake, wrestling-smakedown
dragon ball z, little fighter etc

well i know we neeed to be discerning viewer in what we watch
but are they only games i mean we wouldnt really actual shoot or scrap someone out would we?


so i wanted to know are we alloud to play them?

Short answer: Yes



Long answer: Yes it is ok.

[Needle Noggin]

:angel: Hay Guys

Theres been an important question on my mind lately- should christians
play games with fighting/shooting in them ?

what i mean by games is: half life, doom, halo, quake, wrestling-smakedown
dragon ball z, little fighter etc

well i know we neeed to be discerning viewer in what we watch
but are they only games i mean we wouldnt really actual shoot or scrap someone out would we?


so i wanted to know are we alloud to play them?

Short answer: Yes



Long answer: Yes it is ok.

[Needle Noggin]

:angel: Hay Guys

Theres been an important question on my mind lately- should christians
play games with fighting/shooting in them ?

what i mean by games is: half life, doom, halo, quake, wrestling-smakedown
dragon ball z, little fighter etc

well i know we neeed to be discerning viewer in what we watch
but are they only games i mean we wouldnt really actual shoot or scrap someone out would we?


so i wanted to know are we alloud to play them?

Short answer: Yes



Long answer: Yes it is ok.

[Needle Noggin]

:angel: Hay Guys

Theres been an important question on my mind lately- should christians
play games with fighting/shooting in them ?

what i mean by games is: half life, doom, halo, quake, wrestling-smakedown
dragon ball z, little fighter etc

well i know we neeed to be discerning viewer in what we watch
but are they only games i mean we wouldnt really actual shoot or scrap someone out would we?


so i wanted to know are we alloud to play them?

Short answer: Yes



Long answer: Yes it is ok.

[ShiroiHikari]

um...maybe if you feel you shouldn't play fighting or shooting games, then that's your thing, but I personally don't see anything wrong with it as long as the person has the capacity to understand that it's just a game.

[Elric_kun]

........

[ssj2gohan61]

i dont think it really matters... its just a game

[agasfas]

My opinion is very close to ShiroiHikari . If you believe you shouldn't, then don't. But ifyou play them and can distinguish between the game and reality, then your okay. Also, what type of fighting game is it, Mortal combat or dead or alive...? Then again, it goes back the the same question, if it's going to influence the way you think or act, then stay away from them. If not, then whatever.

[Raiden no Kishi]

I believe as a concept, playing fighting or shooting games is no more immoral than studying a martial art or playing laser tag (or paintball).

There are specifics to get into, but I don't at the moment ahve time to go into them. I'll try to post more tomorrow.

Rai

[Sephiroth]

there just games, and i think if someone can't discern the difference from games and real life then they have worse problems rather than playing doom!

seriously though, i mean there are obviously games to be steered clear of, eg stuff with sexual content etc. but come on shoot-em-ups? beat-em-ups? nothing wrong with em

[ShiroiHikari]

by the way, moved this to the gaming forum.

[Yojimbo]

If you have the tendency to want to hurt things at the slightest provocation then no.

[JediSonic]

If you have the tendency to want to hurt things at the slightest provocation then no.

That's a good answer. The thing with fighting/shooting games is they teach you reflexes and thought processes that can be dangerous if you get in the wrong situation. Like, you can be a christian and know its wrong to kill, but if you play FPS games 4 hours day and suddenly get a gun in your hands... you gotta be really careful.

Like, the first time I played halo was at a friend's birthday party and I ended up playing it for several hours, and what I was really doing was training my brain to look for any human shapes along the graphically rich landscape that is a Halo multiplayer arena. So a few days later I'm looking out the car window across some fields and I see a person in the distance and for a very creepy subconsious instant I though "SHOOT IT!!"

So yeah.. you cant say theres absolutely nothing wrong with violent games, even if there isnt a lot of gore in the games (which there is in things like Half-life)

[Arnobius]

I think it depends on the game. I mean when it's one of those games where left side guy fights right side guy, it's just a game. I think more dangerous are the games that promote doing evil, breaking the law, or containing a message incompatible with our beliefs. (I'm thinking Manhunter or Grand Theft Auto here)

For example: Recently I picked up an old game Grandia II, that was pretty fun as a RPG. Then, about 2/3 of the way in, the game suddenly took a nasty twist, treating a religion modelled very much after Christianity as evil, power hungry and hypocritical. I finished the game hoping to find that there would be something redeeming in the end, but it didn't. I'm confident enough that Christ is the way that such a game wouldn't be a threat, but can you imagine the effect it might have on a young kid where a game is preaching that religion is useless at best and a menace at worst?

Long story short (Too late?), the type of the game isn't intrinsically evil (except hentai games), but the moral content of the game sets the tone. That's what you need to watch for.

[cbwing0]

What I want to know is where the 7 people who voted "no" went. There are few things more annoying than parsimonious killjoys that won't even step up to denounce something in the light of day.

In case you couldn't guess from that last sentence, I do not think that there is anything intrinsically wrong with playing violent video games (or fighting/shooting games in particular). Just like anything else, there is the chance that it could be used to lead to sin if one is weak in some area; however, I don't think that this weakness is found in most people.

well i know we need to be discerning viewer in what we watch
but are they only games i mean we wouldnt really actual shoot or scrap someone out would we?

Precisely.

also b 4 u answer do you think Jesus would play them????

This question has been asked many times before in this context (as it should be), and I have to say that my answer has not changed. I think that Jesus would play these games, but only if he could lead others to believe in Him though the activity; and the same could be said of any pastime.

To summarize: unless you think that it will lead to you to a real-life shooting-spree, there is nothing wrong with playing fighting/shooting games.

[Chichiri]

I hope you're joking =P.

Fighting games is a definite yes. Who cares if someone plays Street Figher or Soul Calibur? Even if they are Christian, there's nothing really objectionable about it. It's fighting. It's tame. No big deal.

As far as shooters, depends on the game. 95% of shooting games I'd say would be fine. The only game I would maybe say no to is painkiller.

[ShiroiHikari]

>.> I think the Savior of the Universe has something better to do than play video games...XD

like cb, I also would like to know why so many have voted "no"!

[Golden_Griff]

Hmm. I've been enaged in a converstation with someone else on this topic. Video games are a favorite to place blame for the ills of society. And it is widely believed that violent video games = violent people.

Well, we discussed this and several theories came up. One, you have to already have a violent nature to want to play violent video games. And two, violent video games does not mean little Timmy that's been raised in a loving, Christian home and going to church everyday will turn into a psychotic mass murderer after playing a shoot-em-up.

Personally, I don't think there's anything wrong with playing fighting/shooting games. I know the difference between what's real and what's not. And I'm just not the type of person that wants to go piledrive someone after playing Raw vs. Smackdown (well, sometimes I do but it's not because of a video game )

By the way, I generally don't play fighting/shooting games. But I have experienced wrestling and Marvel vs. Capcom type games

[Felix]

I think that it depends.
Personally, I have no problem with fighting games.
I believe, however, that if a person has violent tendencies or is apt to copy things he or she hears/sees, then it's probably not a good idea for those people to play violent games.
As long as one's discernment level is high enough, there should be no problem.
Constant exposure to violent games, however, could be unhealthy, as Jedisonic stated:

I see a person in the distance and for a very creepy subconsious instant I though "SHOOT IT!!"

so yeah, I guess it depends on your standards, not really wether you're a christian or not. You shouldn't be obligated to feel bad about playing a fighting game just because you doubt that Jesus would.

I voted "yes" because I think that as long as it's entertainment, and not "instructions for murder" then it's OK.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

i say it is okay to play, but i accidentally selected No, but i really meant yes

[Azier the Swordsman]

Well, if you are talking about fighting games like Street Fighter or Soul Caliber, there is definately nothing wrong with playing such games. Fighting games are generally very unrealistic and just plain fun, especially when playing multiplayer.

Fighting games like Mortal Kombat, however, make me wary. I think MK crosses the line too much for me.

As for shooters, I don't believe there is anything wrong with games involving combat against non-humans, such as Dino Crisis, Resident Evil, Extermination, ect.

Ones involving killing human beings are more of a gray issue I believe. I generally avoid such games, except for rare instances when the game does not typically have you fighting against human beings except for in certain instances realted to the plot. (EXAMPLE: Silent Hill 2, where you are forced to kill a guy in pure self defense.)

Older Games, such as NES games, I do not believe are a problem at all with this issue, as they aren't graphic.

I'm not saying, of course, that there is anything wrong with shooters, I just tend to be a little more careful with what I invest towards in that genre.

[termyt]

Everything philosophical I would say has already been said, so I'll just inject my opinion.

Mostly, it is up to you in what games you play. If the game affects you negatively, you probably ought not play it. If you play the game with someone else and it affects them negatively, then you should probably give it up for the sake of your friend.

I've played Grand Theft Auto and it didn't shake my faith, but I found no redeeming qualities to it, either. The game is a marvel - the freedom you have and the things you can do are awesome, but I found the game repugnant and I haven't played it since.

I've also played through La Pucelle Tactics, which has a story that is also repugnant to me. However, the story can be divorced from the game play, which I enjoy. It's hard to divorce the fact that I'm stealing cars and beating people up for no good reason in GTA.

[Debitt]

I too selected 'no', thinking the poll question was "Is playing fighting/shooting games bad?"

Anyways, I see nothing wrong with fight/shooting/religiously skewed RPG games as long as the person playing is old or mature enough to understand the difference between pretend and real life. My brother and I have been playing video games since before our hands were big enough to hold a controller, and our parents never really objected to the fighting games that we played (like Street Fighter and Marvel vs. Capcom). We beat people up, we shot them, we spent literally hundreds hours of one lovely summer vacation playing Grandia II over and over again, and I'm proud to say we turned out just fine. But on the other hand, I've seen people who let games like these skew their view on the world. So it really depends on the person and the strength of their faith/self-control/maturity.

[LorentzForce]

This is an absurd question, "should Christians play fighting games". You mean, "can Christians play fighting games".

Whoever that voted 'no' probably answered the thread title, rather than poll description.

[gungrave]

i dont think it really matters... its just a game

I think I agree somewhat. unless you a psyco. lol

[Kkun]

>_> If playing fighting games is bad, then I'm a bad person. ::bought Guilty Gear X2 and Soul Calibur 2 in the space of the past week::

[Mr_Anderson]

i dont have much of a problem with alien shooters than human ones, if you know what i mean. i guess it depends alot on your oppinion.

[Saint Kevin]

Dealing with "Gray Areas" in the Christian Life, Version 1.0 (Beta):

There are really 3 criteria that determine whether you should or should not do something that falls within a "gray area," i.e. something that isn't explicitly condemned in scripture.

1) Can you do it in good conscience? If not, then it is sinful for you, for whatever is not done in faith is sin.

2) Will it make a Christian brother stumble? If it comes between having your freedom, or living in peace with another Christian in your life who stumbles because of your actions, then give up your freedom. We all need to be willing to bear with those who's faith is weak. Also, don't judge those who's faith is weak, for they are accountable to God for their expression of faith in these grey areas, not to you.

3) Is it a barrier to evangelism? If so, then it's worth giving up in certain contexts. What is ultimately more important, your freedom to do what you want, or the salvation of the unsaved? If giving up some freedom for a certain time, or in a certain context will make someone more open to the gospel, then go for it. Cling to nothing from this world too tightly, for it will all pass away before we know it.

(Adapted from Romans 14 , a must read for Christians young and old)

Be sure to always be on the look out for scriptural principles that can be broadly applied to your own situation or problem.

For example, we are told that it is wise to contemplate good things.

Phillipians 4:8 (NIV)
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Also, we are told that it is good to avoid evil influences.

Proverbs 16:17 The highway of the upright avoids evil; he who guards his way guards his life.

Whether or not playing such games should or should not be done (or whether you should exercise any freedom you have in Christ for that matter) is really up to you guys to decide. Pray for wisdom, search the scriptures, bear with your weaker brothers and sisters, and always be conscious of the evangelism opportunities in your midst. Also, don't be so quick to answer these "grey area" type of questions with a simple yes or no. Remember that it is our Lord we live for, and that souls are hanging in the balance. With that, have fun, but more importantly, serve God, and live by faith.

Some pertinent verses:

Romans 14:3-4 (NIV)
3 The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him.
4 Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

James 4:11-12 (NIV)
11 Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.
12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you–who are you to judge your neighbor?

[The Shadow]

This is an absurd question, "should Christians play fighting games". You mean, "can Christians play fighting games".

Whoever that voted 'no' probably answered the thread title, rather than poll description.

i meant should christians be allowed to play them
sorry my mistake

and thanx every one for there feed back