Committing a Sin in a Game: Wrong?

[JackVk]

Anybody here familiar with the Fallout series? One of its core concepts is your character’s free will. You can be good or evil (I choose to be good). When playing, I never kill anyone unless I have to (they are attacking me, or they are going to harm people). there are even a few Christian allusions featuredhere and there.

 

[vashsunglasses]

You act like all games require you (or your character) to simulate sin in order to be competitive. most games do not impose this restriction.

You’re suggesting that most games require simulation of bad behaviour in order to be won.

It’s funny that you gave three examples of games which don’t facilitate sinfulness on the part of the player:

Monopoly - There’s nothing sinful about competition in industry. Once they’re out of business and you’ve won, your pretend monopolist is free to donate some money to the loser so they can meet living costs.

Cluedo - Noone knows the details of the murder until the end of the game. If your character is the murderer then confessing is something you DO want to do asap in order to win… what a horrendous example. Maybe you’ve forgotten the rules.

Sorry! - I don’t see how sending someone to the start of a path in this game is simulating sin so of course there’s nothing wrong with this game…?

By the way if you’re trying to prove that competition is not sinful then don’t bother because I never said it was.
Jesus would never be playing such a game and neither should we.

By the way I don’t think that playing such games is sinful but I do think making the conscious decision not to play them is something Jesus would show favour towards.

I don’t know about you, but when I play Monopoly my intent is to bankrupt the other players. Intentionally. In real life that would be very sinful.

As for Clue, you have to have knowledge of all THREE factors before you make your big guess.

I guess you’ve never played a competitive game of Sorry. A string of good luck for one player can completely ruin the entire game for another player.

I just don’t see why the simulated financial ruin of another player is any less sinful than the simulated physical beating of another player…

Ha ha, OK, have you ever played 1313 Dead End Drive? The point of the game is to murder the other player’s people and escape from the house with as large a portion of the remaining inheritance as possible. It’s good, clean, fun, if a bit morbid… and there’s no way it’s even close to actually murdering a real, live person.

Lastly, I think Jesus knows the difference between real life and fantasy. I don’t think He would have a problem with most games.

 

[Loml]

I don’t know about you, but when I play Monopoly my intent is to bankrupt the other players. Intentionally. In real life that would be very sinful.

Frankly if they are trying to bankrupt you too then trying to win is self-defence.

As for Clue, you have to have knowledge of all THREE factors before you make your big guess.

That’s why I wrote ‘asap’ instead of ‘immediately’.

I guess you’ve never played a competitive game of Sorry. A string of good luck for one player can completely ruin the entire game for another player.

What sin does that represent?

I just don’t see why the simulated financial ruin of another player is any less sinful than the simulated physical beating of another player…

When either is self-defence I don’t think they are problems.

Ha ha, OK, have you ever played 1313 Dead End Drive? The point of the game is to murder the other player’s people and escape from the house with as large a portion of the remaining inheritance as possible. It’s good, clean, fun, if a bit morbid…

That’s good clean fun?

and there’s no way it’s even close to actually murdering a real, live person.

Of course.

Lastly, I think Jesus knows the difference between real life and fantasy.

If the aim of a board game was to have premarital sex you think Jesus would be ok with it? Computer-generated pornography is fantasy… does that make it ok? Please explain why it is different.

I don’t think He would have a problem with most games.

I don’t think he would have a problem with most games. Most games don’t require the player to simulate sin in order to win.

By the way I’m not concerned about Monopoly, Cluedo and Sorry!. The last two games certainly do not simulate sin. I could elaborate my view on Monopoly if anyone was interested…

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

Frankly if they are trying to bankrupt you too then trying to win is self-defence.

The same could be said for physical violence (which is not a sin actually). There’s physical violence in professional martial arts. There’s violence in sport hunting.

If the aim of a board game was to have premarital sex you think Jesus would be ok with it? Computer-generated pornography is fantasy… does that make it ok? Please explain why it is different.

Something like that would be sinful but you’re talking sexual stuff now which is definitely closer to a non-negotiable than for instance, violence.

 

[Loml]

The same could be said for physical violence (which is not a sin actually). There’s physical violence in professional martial arts. There’s violence in sport hunting.

Yep! I said that 3 lines below

Something like that would be sinful but you’re talking sexual stuff now which is definitely closer to a non-negotiable than for instance, violence.

I should really have used the words ‘sex simulation’ instead of ‘pornography’.

Still I think the point is fair. If invoking ‘fantasy is not real’ can justify one act in a video game, shouldn’t it be able to justify all acts in a video game?

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

Still I think the point is fair. If invoking ‘fantasy is not real’ can justify one act in a video game, shouldn’t it be able to justify all acts in a video game?

That depends on the context within the game and how the game itself affects you as a human being.

 

[3DOCTORS]

Slightly off topic but this is not really the case, it’s a matter of how your brain processes the information. There are MANY studies pertaining to the psychology of music. Most point to the idea like most things it’s a matter of personal taste. Personally, I love metal and hard rock, I play drums for a hard rock band. I also play violent video games and watch violent movies. I do listen to, play and watch other things too but by your logic I could be a very angry, possibly violent person. In reality most that really know me would describe me as a big teddy bear… embarassing as that is to admit.

It probably does have some to do with the neurological state of the individual as far as how stimulating the game is, for good or for bad. Hope I don’t get too off-topic here. I’m addressing mainly the video games.

As you pointed out about music, the human brain does “entrain” to rhythms in the environment. Neurotransmitters, brain chemistry, etc. are affected one way or the other. Look at that alcohol/caffeine drink stuff they recently banned because of the effect it had on people. We need to respect our brains and biochemistries - they’re complex and for the most part resilient, but we shouldn’t push our luck too far.

People have to know themselves, what they can deal with and what they can’t, and be honest with themselves about it. If you play in a band and are used to the loudness, the beat, and the rhythms, they probably won’t adversely affect you. (Protect your ears, though! - I know, “yes, Mommy!”)

If a person gets too wired up while playing games, he or she might experience some temporary or permanent changes in aggression level. This could come out IRL. Maybe just in the form of irritability - but that could lead to arguments, so not good. Hopefully not to anything worse - but if there’s doubt, he/she might want to go easy on the games.

This could also apply to watching TV, listening to music, anything that is very fast-paced and stimulating. Or even to overdoing caffeine! Just use common sense.

The rest of the moral issue would be more like movie selection - which movies cross the line into “too much immorality and no redeeming value” that you should avoid.

Even in Monopoly - you can play to win but don’t get all uptight and obnoxious about it!