10 priests were asked to write 4 sentences on the topic of video games. Here's what they said…

[Dpoc41]

10 priests were asked to write 4 sentences on the topic of video games. Here’s what they said…

Fr. Edward Connolly from Pennsylvania

Reality is where I work out my salvation. Reality is where I meet Mom and Dad, Brother and Sister, Son and Daughter, Wife or Husband, God and Neighbor and, come to think of it, Myself. Video games are Alternate Reality. There I can pretend that I don’t have Mom, Dad, Brother, Sister, Son, Daughter, Wife or Husband, God or Neighbor. Only Myself. It’s kind of like Hell.

Fr. Peter Junipero Hannah from California

I recall when I was a kid the first Nintendo system came out, and I saved allowance to buy it since my parents did not have a high opinion of such diversions. After the purchase, they suspected my extended use was frying my brain, and I recall defending it to them on the grounds that it improved hand-eye coordination. I now think this argument a load of hooey (I probably knew that then too), and find myself after twenty-five years to have arrived at—surprise—roughly my parents’ views. I wonder how much better off intellectually, artistically, and even physically and morally, young people (especially boys) would be if they unplugged and gave their adventurous youthful vigor to more worthy pursuits.

Fr. Matthew Schneider, LC from Rome

Video games are not necessarily evil—I remember playing video games with friends: my nerd friends and I would play Warcraft II after school. Games like that teach strategy and planning but are also a great way to relax; they’re similar to Axis & Allies. Even today, I like to play Wii from time to time (my sister and foster-niece practice Mario Kart more and always cream me)—however, today video games can cause trouble in three ways: 1. Games that have inappropriate content such as a recent game where you had to fight terrorists in an airport surrounded by civilians (you inevitably shoot at least one) and with graphic death sequences; 2. Where video games put you as the bad guy such as the GTA series; and 3. Simply playing too much where this recreation keeps us from important duties such as work, school, or exercise. If you avoid all 3, enjoy video games in moderation.
[Note: for those of you unfamiliar, Warcraft II is a strategy game where you control a town and army of orcs or humans; World of Warcraft is a completely different game which easily falls into problem #3 because of its addictive nature.]

Msgr. Charles Pope from Washington, D.C.

Video Games are entertaining to be sure. But they are poor training for life which does not unfold at the pace of these games. Much of the ADHD diagnosed today is more likely a poor attention span that results from hyper-stimulation intrinsic to many of these games. One may wonder how a steady diet of these frantic, loud and sometimes violent games can dispose one to pray and listen for the still, quiet voice of God.

Fr. Ezra Sullivan from Rome

Like television, many people make arguments in favor of video games that have little to do with the real purpose of the game. For instance, people say they can learn about history by watching television; or they can perfect eye-hand coordination by video games. But everyone knows that the real point of video games is to have fun by escaping reality. That sort of fun is like a highly-toxic medicine: it should be taken in small, rare doses, if at all.

Fr. Donald Calloway from Massachusetts

Children should be outside playing, doing physical activity, and not sitting in front of a screen all day playing the part of a cyber hero in someone else’s fantasy world. As a norm, adults should not be playing video games; their leisure moments should be more dignified and age appropriate. It’s so sad today to see how many grown men live in a fantasy world of video games; waste of time and money. No woman I know delights in dating and/or marrying a man who sits on his duff all day pushing buttons frantically like a lunatic.

Fr. Christopher Pollard from Virginia

How many hours of Tetris are too many? When you close your eyes yet the pieces are still falling and the music is still playing. After college I banished games from my computer. Now it’s a lot easier to pray when I close my eyes.

Fr. Thomas Longua from Texas

Do the research. There are serious consequences mentally and physically. Morally: ask an exorcist about what he has to deal with because his patients are hooked on these things.

Fr. Edward Murphy from Florida

The very concept of virtual reality is causing our children to have a significant disconnect with reality as we know it now. When our youth are obsessed with video games, they fantasize about things that are inane, ludicrous and violent. Why, we may ask, do we continue to see the pattern of mass shootings in schools and universities? It is a known fact that many of these senseless acts of violence can be attributed to our young people living in a fantasy world.

Fr. John Hollowell from Indiana

The sci-fi thriller “The Matrix” was a film about an alternate world that seemed real to those living in it. One of the characters was rescued from the “fake world” but wanted to go back in. I see this in many young people today – video games are so realistic that people often times desire to “live” in them, but this can only be damaging. God is encountered only in reality, and so those who are enslaved by electronic realities can not encounter God unless they return to the real world where God is to be found.

Original article catholichousehold.com/what-10-priests-say-video-games/

 

[CatholicWhovian]

As a gamer, to be honest I find more comfort from Fr. Matthew Schneider’s reaction than to the other nine. I think it’s because video games are a new thing and that most of them are probably in their 40’s over, so I sense it’s the generation gap acting up again. Video games are like food. (1) It’s best to consume in moderation and (2) people should realize that there is more to life than just doing one single activity for hours on end.

To rebut, here’s a comment from a man named “Kevin Hughes” who commented on this article: onepeterfive.com/top-reason-stop-playing-video-games/#.

I am not obese, emasculated, disillusioned, apathetic, addicted, or confused. OK I may be addicted to caffeine but that’s not the point.

In days past, a man who was a worthless lump might have spent most of his time in a fishing boat with a case of beer and a pack of cigarettes. Today, that guy probably spends too much time playing video games. Probably still with a case of beer, or maybe red bull. The only thing that has changed, really, is the distraction.

I have fished, hiked 16 miles at a time, backpacked overnight on the AT, ran half-marathons, brewed beer, made pizza from scratch, read Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Steinbeck, Hemmingway, Chesterton, Belloc, and Pieper, repaired my own car, built things out of wood, lifted weights, and passed a series of professional exams that is the rough equivalent of a PhD. I teach my children the Faith and lead them in prayer. My son plays baseball and soccer and he’s by far a better athlete than I was at his age. I have read aloud to them more worthy books than I can recall the number of – we have bookshelves full of books I’ve already read to them, which include such masters as E B White, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Johanna Spyri, C S Lewis, Peggy Parish, William Stieg, Susan Wise Bauer, Lewis Carroll, and Jean Craighead George. Soon they’ll be old enough for Tolkien.

I also play video games with my kids every week.

I think you and I can have a common cause. We both want men to get off their butts and start living a bigger, better life. But making video games anathema is as misguided as prohibition. It’s teetotallism for the 21st century. What’s needed is vision, motivation, discipleship, and the grace of God. Write about the things men should be doing, striving for, and creating. Leisure and distractions will fall into their proper place when a man finds his purpose in life.

I also recommend reading the other comments from the article I posted above if you want to hear more rebuttals.

I could also make an argument that reading lots and lots of Jane Austen books or watching Star Trek has the same effect as video games do in terms of creating an alternative reality and being sedentary activities, yet it seems they are more “acceptable”. So what the difference?

 

[Cat]

CatholicWhovian, if everyone could do video games like Kevin Hughes, there would be no problem.

The problem is this–video games are addictive, and too many people, especially children, become addicted.

It’s the same problem with any of the “vices”–alcohol, cigarettes, gambling, legal drugs, sex, food, television, shopping–ALL of these things are good (well, you will get arguments from me about alcohol, but I admit with my brain that there is nothing inherently evil about it). Yes, even the legal drugs–there is nothing wrong with caffeine or with the pain meds that many of us have to take every day to deal with our chronic conditions (Celebrex for me–osteoarthritis of the knee).

And not all people become addicted to these things. There are plenty of people who can gamble with $50 once a year and never the rest of the time. There are plenty of people who can go to the store and buy what they came to buy without maxing out a credit card buying other stuff. There are plenty of people who drink alcohol in moderation and could easily give it up if they had to. Plenty of people who take only their prescribed amount of legal drugs. Plenty of people who watch only a few hours a week of TV, or who have sex only with their spouse during mutually-agreeable times, or who eat enough food to sustain them but not enough to gain weight.

There are even people who smoke one cigarette a week! I know several people like this!

I don’t know too many people who drink caffeinated beverages who are not somewhat addicted. Try giving up even that one cup of coffee or that one Coke, and wow, the headache is awful! So most of us just keep drinking the stuff. But there are people who aren’t addicted. My husband drinks a Starbucks once a week when he goes out with his skating friends. That’s it. No cravings. It’s just the “experience” that he’s after, not the caffeine.

But when people become addicted to any of these “vices”…well, it can be bad. Really bad. In many cases, it leads to physical death, not only for the addicted one, but for the innocent who get in their way.

At the very least, addiction is a slavery that costs money and saps energy and time from the addicted person who is constantly battling their addiction. Many people just give up and submit to the addiction and feel constant guilt for their failure to overcome the addiction. (This is true of many people who are addicted to food.)

But at least most of the above list is not allowed for children. Kids don’t drink alcohol (maybe a “taste” at special family occasions). Kids don’t smoke, gamble with real money, take pain killers (except under supervised conditions), have sex, shop.

But kids DO watch television, kids DO eat food, and kids play video games. And all of these are addictive.

Not all kids get addicted. Obviously Kevin Hughes is one of those who has not gotten addicted to video games. Hopefully you have not gotten addicted.

When kids can watch TV, eat food, and play video games in moderation, and still enjoy a rich, full life with lots of physical activity and pursuing a variety of hobbies and interests, everything is hunky dory.

But then you have the child who constantly sits in front of the TV and cannot even do schoolwork without having the TV on.

And the child who eats as often as possible and usually the food of choice is “junk.” This poor child more often than not becomes obese, and when a person becomes obese as a child, they almost always remain obese through their adult years until they die. It’s extremely difficult to lose weight, and even harder for a person who was obese growing up.

And there is the child who is glued to the video game and has all the traits that the priests denounce in their article.

My 11-year-old nephew is one of those. His mother gave him his first video game a few years ago to help him blend in with the other children (he has Asbergers).

During the family Labor Day picnic, he never left the computer. From 4:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m., he sat in front of the computer playing one of the popular video games. Oh, wait, he came to the kitchen to get a bowl of Doritoes (he’s not a fat kid because he generally doesn’t ever eat, other than a few snacks).

He spend the night at our house a few months ago. When he arrived at around 4 p.m., he played his video game on our computer. He played until 10:00 p.m., then went to bed, but he was up by midnight and sat up all night playing the game while drinking Mountain Dew.

Yes, we could have stopped him, but how? We’re just the Aunt and Uncle! We got out the board games and asked if he wanted to play. No. We put on a really good movie and made popcorn, but he wasn’t interested. We tried to talk to him, but he wasn’t interested. The next day, we went to see a kid-friendly attraction and he had fun for a while, but then he wanted to go home and play more video games.

So that’s the problem with video games–they have the potential to be addictive. For those who have the personality trait that makes them susceptible to addiction, it’s probably a very wise plan to never go near video games. It’s just not worth it.

 

[Razanir]

But then you have the child who constantly sits in front of the TV and cannot even do schoolwork without having the TV on.

I think you’re being too broad here. For instance, sure I would also want the TV on while doing homework. But not to watch it. Just as background noise.

 

[GEddie]

I could also make an argument that reading lots and lots of Jane Austen books or watching Star Trek has the same effect as video games do in terms of creating an alternative reality and being sedentary activities, yet it seems they are more “acceptable”. So what the difference?

No difference, other than these are older activities, and therefore less bothersome to the preceding generation.

ICXC NIKA

 

[GEddie]

In days past, a man who was a worthless lump might have spent most of his time in a fishing boat with a case of beer and a pack of cigarettes. Today, that guy probably spends too much time playing video games.

One could argue (and while not a gamer, I do not oppose VGs in any way) that the man in the fishing boat is providing part of his own food (remember, “Teach a man to fish…”?) while the VG’er is achieving nothing beyond overloading his nervous and reflex systems.

ICXC NIKA

 

[Joe_5859]

Cat, do you think the issue with your nephew has more to do with the Asperger’s than the video games? In general, those with Asperger’s tend to fixate on certain things, whether it be video games or anime or any number of other things.

I saw this article last night. I agree with CatholicWhovian that Fr. Schneider’s response seemed the most balanced. I don’t think all the priests looked to be over 40, though (judging by their pictures). Fr. Junipero speaks of saving his allowance for the first Nintendo system. That’s what I did, too (well, it was my paper route money). So he’s probably around my age (which, admittedly, is getting closer to 40 every day ).

I think our culture has a problem with distraction in general. How many kids are there who are so invested in school sports that it occupies all their waking thoughts and all their free time? Video games are but one distraction.

It seems clear to me that there are issues with video games. There are plenty of kids who get addicted. There are plenty of games that are not very wholesome. But I always resist throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

I suppose I should disclose that I like video games. I was never one for sports. I played some (football, baseball, swimming), but I was always much better at video games than sports. So, naturally, I’m inclined to give such games more leeway.

It does make me wonder, though, about how easy it is for us to be more critical of those temptations which do not affect us. I could easily rail against tobacco use because it holds zero temptation for me. I have never in my life been the least inclined to smoke a cigarette. It would be no skin off my nose if cigarettes didn’t exist (and I’d probably actually prefer it). So it would be quite easy for me to say many of those same things about smoking as they say about video games.

I can appreciate the priests’ perspectives. I’m sure they encounter a lot of things in Confession that let them see these issues in another light. And there are definitely pitfalls to be avoided. But I’m not really convinced that those pitfalls are unique to video games. They seem to me more indicative of a culture who, by and large, would rather live life as though God didn’t exist.

 

[meltzerboy]

CatholicWhovian, if everyone could do video games like Kevin Hughes, there would be no problem.

The problem is this–video games are addictive, and too many people, especially children, become addicted.

It’s the same problem with any of the “vices”–alcohol, cigarettes, gambling, legal drugs, sex, food, television, shopping–ALL of these things are good (well, you will get arguments from me about alcohol, but I admit with my brain that there is nothing inherently evil about it). Yes, even the legal drugs–there is nothing wrong with caffeine or with the pain meds that many of us have to take every day to deal with our chronic conditions (Celebrex for me–osteoarthritis of the knee).

And not all people become addicted to these things. There are plenty of people who can gamble with $50 once a year and never the rest of the time. There are plenty of people who can go to the store and buy what they came to buy without maxing out a credit card buying other stuff. There are plenty of people who drink alcohol in moderation and could easily give it up if they had to. Plenty of people who take only their prescribed amount of legal drugs. Plenty of people who watch only a few hours a week of TV, or who have sex only with their spouse during mutually-agreeable times, or who eat enough food to sustain them but not enough to gain weight.

There are even people who smoke one cigarette a week! I know several people like this!

I don’t know too many people who drink caffeinated beverages who are not somewhat addicted. Try giving up even that one cup of coffee or that one Coke, and wow, the headache is awful! So most of us just keep drinking the stuff. But there are people who aren’t addicted. My husband drinks a Starbucks once a week when he goes out with his skating friends. That’s it. No cravings. It’s just the “experience” that he’s after, not the caffeine.

But when people become addicted to any of these “vices”…well, it can be bad. Really bad. In many cases, it leads to physical death, not only for the addicted one, but for the innocent who get in their way.

At the very least, addiction is a slavery that costs money and saps energy and time from the addicted person who is constantly battling their addiction. Many people just give up and submit to the addiction and feel constant guilt for their failure to overcome the addiction. (This is true of many people who are addicted to food.)

But at least most of the above list is not allowed for children. Kids don’t drink alcohol (maybe a “taste” at special family occasions). Kids don’t smoke, gamble with real money, take pain killers (except under supervised conditions), have sex, shop.

But kids DO watch television, kids DO eat food, and kids play video games. And all of these are addictive.

Not all kids get addicted. Obviously Kevin Hughes is one of those who has not gotten addicted to video games. Hopefully you have not gotten addicted.

When kids can watch TV, eat food, and play video games in moderation, and still enjoy a rich, full life with lots of physical activity and pursuing a variety of hobbies and interests, everything is hunky dory.

But then you have the child who constantly sits in front of the TV and cannot even do schoolwork without having the TV on.

And the child who eats as often as possible and usually the food of choice is “junk.” This poor child more often than not becomes obese, and when a person becomes obese as a child, they almost always remain obese through their adult years until they die. It’s extremely difficult to lose weight, and even harder for a person who was obese growing up.

And there is the child who is glued to the video game and has all the traits that the priests denounce in their article.

My 11-year-old nephew is one of those. His mother gave him his first video game a few years ago to help him blend in with the other children (he has Asbergers).

During the family Labor Day picnic, he never left the computer. From 4:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m., he sat in front of the computer playing one of the popular video games. Oh, wait, he came to the kitchen to get a bowl of Doritoes (he’s not a fat kid because he generally doesn’t ever eat, other than a few snacks).

He spend the night at our house a few months ago. When he arrived at around 4 p.m., he played his video game on our computer. He played until 10:00 p.m., then went to bed, but he was up by midnight and sat up all night playing the game while drinking Mountain Dew.

Yes, we could have stopped him, but how? We’re just the Aunt and Uncle! We got out the board games and asked if he wanted to play. No. We put on a really good movie and made popcorn, but he wasn’t interested. We tried to talk to him, but he wasn’t interested. The next day, we went to see a kid-friendly attraction and he had fun for a while, but then he wanted to go home and play more video games.

So that’s the problem with video games–they have the potential to be addictive. For those who have the personality trait that makes them susceptible to addiction, it’s probably a very wise plan to never go near video games. It’s just not worth it.

Well stated, Cat!

 

[Joe_5859]

This might be somewhat tangential, but I think it might address some of the underlying presuppositions of the article.

Does anyone else feel like video games get relegated to the realm of being a “kid’s thing”? I have often felt that way.

From a historical perspective, it makes sense. That’s sort of how they started out. But it seems to me that there are many in my generation who grew up with video games and never stopped enjoying them, even though we are adults now.

It makes me wonder about why we as a society draw the lines where we do. There are certain games (like tag or hide-and-seek) that seem to be “childish”. But then there are other games (like chess or checkers) that even adults can acceptably play.

It seems to me that there are certain people who lump all video games into the former category without considering that at least some of them might be part of the latter.

 

[meltzerboy]

Cat, do you think the issue with your nephew has more to do with the Asperger’s than the video games? In general, those with Asperger’s tend to fixate on certain things, whether it be video games or anime or any number of other things.

I saw this article last night. I agree with CatholicWhovian that Fr. Schneider’s response seemed the most balanced. I don’t think all the priests looked to be over 40, though (judging by their pictures). Fr. Junipero speaks of saving his allowance for the first Nintendo system. That’s what I did, too (well, it was my paper route money). So he’s probably around my age (which, admittedly, is getting closer to 40 every day ).

I think our culture has a problem with distraction in general. How many kids are there who are so invested in school sports that it occupies all their waking thoughts and all their free time? Video games are but one distraction.

It seems clear to me that there are issues with video games. There are plenty of kids who get addicted. There are plenty of games that are not very wholesome. But I always resist throwing out the baby with the bathwater.

I suppose I should disclose that I like video games. I was never one for sports. I played some (football, baseball, swimming), but I was always much better at video games than sports. So, naturally, I’m inclined to give such games more leeway.

It does make me wonder, though, about how easy it is for us to be more critical of those temptations which do not affect us. I could easily rail against tobacco use because it holds zero temptation for me. I have never in my life been the least inclined to smoke a cigarette. It would be no skin off my nose if cigarettes didn’t exist (and I’d probably actually prefer it). So it would be quite easy for me to say many of those same things about smoking as they say about video games.

I can appreciate the priests’ perspectives. I’m sure they encounter a lot of things in Confession that let them see these issues in another light. And there are definitely pitfalls to be avoided. But I’m not really convinced that those pitfalls are unique to video games. They seem to me more indicative of a culture who, by and large, would rather live life as though God didn’t exist.

Full disclosure, Joe, I’m over 60. Yet I think video games are part of a wider problem, that is, modern technology. While technology can be great, it is my hypothesis as a psychologist that the speed of technology is changing the cognitive processing of people, particularly young people. And not only with respect to a diminishing attention span, but also, on a cognitive motivational level, changing their perception of reality. What I mean is they think their needs must be satisfied immediately and have no tolerance for the slightest delay of gratification. Now children have always been impulsive, developmentally speaking, but I believe that their use of modern technological devices, including but not limited to video games, has increased their impulsiveness as well as decreased their desire and ability to wait until the next day or even the next moment. This may be linked to an increase in suicide attempts among young people (actually, this has recently plateaued, while middle-aged people’s incidence of suicide has begun to increase), who demand instant gratification and instant solutions to their childhood and adolescent problems. I am NOT saying that playing video games will in most cases result in suicide, nor that technology is the only risk factor; but I do think there MAY be a hi-tech connection.

 

[CatholicWhovian]

I agree Cat. I have never been addicted to video games. When I was a kid I only limited my time playing video games on weekends only because my parents told me to.

There is a possibility that someone who drinks alcohol can be an alcoholic. There is a possibility that someone who has sex can be a sex addict. There is a possibility that someone who smokes can be a chain smoker. There is a possibility that someone who eats too much can be obese. There is a possibility that someone who sits on the television can lack exercise. There is a possibility that someone who plays video games can get addicted.

I do acknowledge that video games can lead to addiction. There was one story about a South Korean man who died because he played video games 23 hours straight. Now that’s unhealthy.

As a gamer myself I know when my body knows it’s time to take a rest. One to two hours into playing and I can feel that I’m already tired. There is a possibility that a kid who plays more than two hours can be drained of his energy. It’s best that parents should moderate their kids when they play video games, like only once or twice a week, just like how my parents did it. Moderation is best.

 

[CatholicWhovian]

Full disclosure, Joe, I’m over 60. Yet I think video games are part of a wider problem, that is, modern technology. While technology can be great, it is my hypothesis as a psychologist that the speed of technology is changing the cognitive processing of people, particularly young people. And not only with respect to a diminishing attention span, but also, on a cognitive motivational level, changing their perception of reality. What I mean is they think their needs must be satisfied immediately and have no tolerance for the slightest delay of gratification. Now children have always been impulsive, developmentally speaking, but I believe that their use of modern technological devices, including but not limited to video games, has increased their impulsiveness as well as decreased their desire and ability to wait until the next day or even the next moment. This may be linked to an increase in suicide attempts among young people (actually, this has recently plateaued, while middle-aged people’s incidence of suicide has begun to increase), who demand instant gratification and instant solutions to their childhood and adolescent problems. I am NOT saying that playing video games will in most cases result in suicide, nor that technology is the only risk factor; but I do think there MAY be a hi-tech connection.

I also acknowledge that our modern technology is shortening the attention spans of children. Modern technology is dehumanizing us in that respect. :sad_yes:

 

[Joe_5859]

Full disclosure, Joe, I’m over 60. Yet I think video games are part of a wider problem, that is, modern technology. While technology can be great, it is my hypothesis as a psychologist that the speed of technology is changing the cognitive processing of people, particularly young people. And not only with respect to a diminishing attention span, but also, on a cognitive motivational level, changing their perception of reality. What I mean is they think their needs must be satisfied immediately and have no tolerance for the slightest delay of gratification. Now children have always been impulsive, developmentally speaking, but I believe that their use of modern technological devices, including but not limited to video games, has increased their impulsiveness as well as decreased their desire and ability to wait until the next day or even the next moment. This may be linked to an increase in suicide attempts among young people (actually, this has recently plateaued, while middle-aged people’s incidence of suicide has begun to increase), who demand instant gratification and instant solutions to their childhood and adolescent problems. I am NOT saying that playing video games will in most cases result in suicide, nor that technology is the only risk factor; but I do think there MAY be a hi-tech connection.

I think you’re correct about a connection between technology and a change in cognitive processing. We’re probably only seeing the tip of the iceberg at this point in history.

 

[ProdglArchitect]

I have been playing video games since I was approximately three. My dad got an NES, with Super Mario Bros. and Duck Hunt. That Christmas, I got super Mario Bros. 3, and I spent countless hours playing it.

Since then, I have spent countless hours playing all manner for games, from cards to computers and everything in between; and I have to say that I agree with Meltzeer’s comments. I tend to look at things in life through the lens of it being a game. Whether it’s an RPG on my 3DS, or a complex building system at my job, I approach it like a game with a task that needs completing, and a challenge to overcome. This is where I derive a significant amount of my motivation, that inclination to overcome obstacles and “beat” my opponent. This can also play into my faith life, with the particular vice I’m focusing on correcting becoming my challenger.

Is that healthy? Probably not, no, and I readily admit that, but I also know that my love of gaming has lead to great opportunities in my life. Because I love games, I wanted to learn how they work and how to make them; this has lead to me doing work to develop useful tools in my current profession related to architectural visualization. These tools, if properly utilized, could result in a significant increase in work for my company, which help everyone who works here. Similar to this, my love of the worlds of fantasy has prompted me to try to create my own. By using my faith as a basis for this world, I hope to use it and any games which result from it as a tool for evangelization. Will this work? No clue, but without my intense love of games I wouldn’t even be trying it.

I guess the point I’m trying to make is, games in and of themselves are not bad. Even having an intense love for them isn’t bad, passion drives people to great things if applied properly. What’s bad is when you allow them to override everything else in your life. I’ll admit, I have allowed this to happen more than once, but since my reversion to the faith I have been trying to maintain a good balance. That said, playing a good game is like reading a good book, it’s hard to put down because the story draws you in and makes you a part of itself. I’ve re-read the Harry Potter series numerous times, and I’ve replayed games in the Elder Scrolls series several times each. Both of these represent a significant time investment, and both of them revolve around experiencing an alien reality. I don’t see why gaming should be considered any worse than reading a good book.

(Note: This isn’t directed at games like GTA, or games which place an inappropriate focus on immorality. While I’ve enjoyed many hours of GTA, I’ll agree that those should only be played by mature individuals capable of processing what’s going on in the game and drawing rational and moral conclusions about it. That said, playing GTA is not all that different from watch a mobster flick, and The Godfather is considered one of the greatest movies of all time.)

 

[RedFox0456]

It seems to me that, as Fr. Schneider said, video games are not intrinsically evil. Video games give you an escape from reality, yes, but in the same way a book can be an escape from reality. Both carry the inherent risk of being lost in the story. I’ve seen too many friends be way too obsessed with Harry Potter to believe otherwise. Likewise, I’ve seen way too many friends log way too many hours on a video game.

Both also carry the risk of presenting inappropriate content. Like when a video game has strippers or the entire Twilight series. Kidding, but 50 Shades of Gray is no joke.

And yet both, when created well and used well, can be fantastic engines for creativity or tools for teaching. We all know, for instance, that Lord of the Rings is riddled with Catholic theology. Similarly, games can tell the story of a hero who sacrifices for his kingdom or for the planet, or for creation. And while they may not be Catholic theology they can drive that desire to do good within us. Of course, in each case, we still need to be able to put down the story for it to be of any use.

 

[MarcoPolo]

Fr. Thomas Longua from Texas

Do the research. There are serious consequences mentally and physically. Morally: ask an exorcist about what he has to deal with because his patients are hooked on these things.

It sounds like Fr. Longua is suggesting there is a disproportionate number of people who are possessed by the devil who play video games. Wish they would have allowed him more than 4 sentences so he could expound on that. I’m guessing they weren’t playing Madden '15.

 

[GangGreen]

The key is moderation. When I was younger I played way too many video games. I still play them quite a bit, but with age and maturity comes responsibility. There isn’t as much time available to play games. However, I still see myself on occasion getting too into a game. Sitting there all day when I have nothing of importance to do. You do get addicted even if it’s for a week or two weeks. Suddenly your prayer life disintegrates during that time, by the time you’re done playing it’s late at night and you didn’t pray your daily rosary. Before you know it you’re committing sins that you normally wouldn’t. I know this has happened to me.

An hour or two at night playing games is no different than coming home from work, making dinner, and then spending a couple hours in front of the TV. It’s just a different form of distraction. When I think about TV/Movies vs. Video Games vs. Reading fiction. I see them all as forms of distraction. How does reading some random fiction book bring us to God? How does watching the latest season of whatever popular TV show bring us to God?

All mediums distract us from God, no matter what they are. However, all can be used in that positive way as well. It depends on how it’s presented.

 

[Joe_5859]

It sounds like Fr. Longua is suggesting there is a disproportionate number of people who are possessed by the devil who play video games. Wish they would have allowed him more than 4 sentences so he could expound on that. I’m guessing they weren’t playing Madden '15.

I think this touches on an important thing to keep in mind. These seem to be intended more as cursory thoughts rather than some Catholic treatise on video game playing. There’s only so much to be said in four sentences.

 

[Jennifer_G]

My great-aunt once said the same thing as Fr. Pollard.

When I was a kid, I did play a lot of video games, but, I was also an analytical kid who tried to figure out how the games actually worked. I’m a computer programmer now.

I still play games, but ones that are more leisurely (no "fast action, shoot-'em-up games). Some parts are creative (sandbox), or repetitive, which interestingly enough, actually helps me meditate on things like a homily, or scripture reading I read.

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

I’ve replied to the quotes in another thread. (Read it here if you want.)

That said, these quotes belie not so much a problem with gamers but a problem with the Church. Is it really any wonder why people like me go cafeterian? I don’t even need to express any major theological disagreements to see 9/10 of these statements are bunk.

What I see here is a Church with an identity crisis. To start with, so many of these priests create absolutes out of what is ultimately subjective. Two of these major misconceptions are:

#1. Sociability

Social skills are ultimately subjective. On one thread, a poster humorously pointed out that the Church shouldn’t be in the business of having a field guide to every aspect of life. Yet when I look at these quotes; read up on sites that share them; and find people who agree, posters like that are now striking me as naive. There are people who insist on a Catholic-centric brand of socially interacting (among other things). These are the same people who want church activity to be the de facto center of their social lives. These are the same people who are venomously opposed to any form of subjectivity as hellroad to relativism, even if said opposition isn’t even backed by any actual Church teaching.

People like this believe that the only social life worth living is within the parish community, the youth group, or the soup kitchen. That’s sociability for them and they want everyone to abide only by that.

But you know what? No matter how social you think the above makes you, that’s not what makes it so.

It’s social because you’re hanging out with people who want to be Mother Theresa.

You want to know how half my friends define social? They define social as clubbing. Bar hopping. Moderate to excessive alcohol consumption. Pot smoking. Picking up chicks. And of course, it’s not complete without several one-night stands and the occasional orgy.

Then again, this is being social if you like living life thinking you’re a celebrity (and I have to admit, that’s something when they’re actually pretty loaded and have modeling careers).

As for me, I’m comfortably sociable within my own shoes. I find that closer to being the key to social interaction. I don’t have to find one reality preferable to another. I live in all of them and they all know me. They may know me as this or that, but those are me too. And ultimately, I don’t care if they don’t really have the whole picture.

#2. Worthy pursuit

Honestly, I don’t know whether to laugh or throw up in disgust whenever I hear priests saying we should be spending more time on ‘worthier pursuits.’ It reminds me of the late Robin Williams (RIP dude) and his joke on beer commercials. (Paraphrased below.)

Beer commercials usually show big men. Big men doing manly things, “You just killed a small animal: It’s time for a lite beer."

Why not a realistic beer commercial? With a realistic thing about beer? “It’s five o’clock in the morning, you’ve just peed in a Dumpster: It’s Miller time!”

Ironically, this problem is still rooted even inside video games. There’s space marines and BFGs. Barbarians on the other hand can choose from a fine selection of BFAxes, BFSwords, BFHammers, and God knows whatever oversized medieval weapon goes well with oversized biceps.

Looking at this irony already taxes my sanity. But you know what’s worse than that? It’s what taxes my patience. Nothing makes me sicker than seeing a religious person advocating the same mentality that left unfortunate geeks at the mercy of physically superior jocks.

Quotes like these are what spawn the cult of the athlete. You think that’s just an American problem? Oh no. We have jocks here too. They may play basketball instead of football but the discrimination was the same.

“People who bench press are better than you boy.”

This is the message I see every time a priest thinks video games are waste of time. They bear the stain of the same chauvinism that believes all boys should be out there, flexing, heaving, and pouring out sweat. “Quit playing games and be a man! Go out there and do manly things!”

What’s so ridiculous is that I used to be a fat kid before I full dived into the world of games. I used to played basketball, biked around the neighborhood, and ran around.

If I met any of these priests, no doubt they’d want me to go back to that… even though my childhood had me bullied for every reason imaginable. Those activities didn’t help me cope.

Gaming did. By the time I graduated, people who knew me as a kid are nothing short of shocked. I’ve had girls nearly begging me to tell them my ‘secret.’ My own sister occasionally demands that I give her my seemingly mutant metabolism. All the while my answer really has been the same. I just played more and learned to eat less. (Hardly a bad thing when I was that fat. )

So the next time I see a priest (or any person) with the presumption that video games die away for the sake of physically demanding (a.k.a. ‘worthy’) pursuits, this is what I tell them.

“You wanna who else worshiped jocks? The folks at Columbine. Looks like Jack Thompson lied to you.”