Enjoying Violence / War

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Hello. Recently I had to make a history report on a battle. Now I am a fan of military games, war games, etc… I don’t like war, Violence and all those things because they are of course a tragedy. But Is “liking” warfare a sin?
I mean I don’t like the fact that people died, that is really sad. But enjoying Violence, or Historical Battles, etc…
Military Video games, movies, etc… Is any of this sinful? To what Extent?

It is more like an enjoyment of Historical conflicts, and I guess the fighting spirit/ emotion that it can create. I’m sorry of this sounds wierd to you.
 
Angel7 said:
Hello. Recently I had to make a history report on a battle. Now I am a fan of military games, war games, etc… I don’t like war, Violence and all those things because they are of course a tragedy. But Is “liking” warfare a sin?
I mean I don’t like the fact that people died, that is really sad. But enjoying Violence, or Historical Battles, etc…
Military Video games, movies, etc… Is any of this sinful? To what Extent?

It is more like an enjoyment of Historical conflicts, and I guess the fighting spirit/ emotion that it can create. I’m sorry of this sounds wierd to you.
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Although some of the experts say that these types of games are harmless, I would tend to disagree and urge caution.
 
It doesn’t cause me any behavioral difference, I mean, I onyl enjoy it. I don’t think it makes me more violent. Is the enjoyment of it a sin?
 
Angel7 said:
It doesn’t cause me any behavioral difference, I mean, I onyl enjoy it. I don’t think it makes me more violent. Is the enjoyment of it a sin?
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I don’t think that a person can always tell what makes a behavioral difference on himself. these behavioral differences come on rather subtly so we can’t always detect them.
 
To study and pursue the history of warfare is not a sin. The battles and strategy’s that led to victory or defeat are well documented and studied by all the professional soldiers in our armed forces, as well as civilian historians, consultants and teachers. And the concept of a Just War is the in itself an understanding that man will from time to time be faced with defending his land, home and family in order to survive. And the need to have a well armed and prepared armed force in the event of war also requires the need for that armed force to be well versed in the strategy’s of warfare, hence they need to study.
 
We must be careful with words. My brothers enjoy the game “Call of Duty 4”, a war game where you go around almost exclusively shooting people (as currently in Iraq or Afghanistan). When they say, “they enjoy it”, “it” refers to different aspects of the experience. “They enjoy playing it” means they enjoy certain aspects included in the experience:

There are things it is morally neutral to enjoy:
  • adrenaline/excitement
  • strategy
  • hand-eye coordination (and its training)
  • feeling important or useful
  • history
  • creativity or originality (“this gun is cool”)
Paintball gun fights can give the same fun as a football (soccer) game; etc. Then there are the things it is immoral to enjoy:
  • vindictiveness or pleasure at causing suffering or death
  • nihilism
  • hatred
  • glamour wherein one replaces God (as the ultimate source of being or action, etc. Kind of follows the idea that “life and death center around me and my actions” rather than God’s control and His will.)
So, analyze your feelings and determine whether they are in keeping with Church teaching; the Catechism of the Catholic Church (available at the Vatican’s site for free) is a great read and reference. As the popular saying goes, “What Would Jesus Do?” (keeping in mind that he did ensure his disciples had at least two swords, that we are obligated to defend other innocent people when possible, etc.)
 
I don’t know if it’s a sin, but it seems Mother Theresa had a dislike of war. I’d say at the very least make sure you develop a dislike of the negative consequences of war.
 
Angel7 said:
Hello. Recently I had to make a history report on a battle. Now I am a fan of military games, war games, etc… I don’t like war, Violence and all those things because they are of course a tragedy. But Is “liking” warfare a sin?
I mean I don’t like the fact that people died, that is really sad. But enjoying Violence, or Historical Battles, etc…
Military Video games, movies, etc… Is any of this sinful? To what Extent?

It is more like an enjoyment of Historical conflicts, and I guess the fighting spirit/ emotion that it can create. I’m sorry of this sounds wierd to you.
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Well simulating scenarios where one feels the thrill of combat and the glory of victory can actually be very uplifting as well as an awesome to escape from daily monotony and reduce stress. 😃

Still, I think it’s best to believe that in such scenarios, you imagine yourself on the side of good (more or less and, uh, methods not withstanding :cool:).

Just don’t confuse fantasy and reality though.
 
Lost_Wanderer said:
Well simulating scenarios where one feels the thrill of combat and the glory of victory can actually be very uplifting as well as an awesome to escape from daily monotony and reduce stress. 😃

Still, I think it’s best to believe that in such scenarios, you imagine yourself on the side of good (more or less and, uh, methods not withstanding :cool:).

Just don’t confuse fantasy and reality though.
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The bolded, underlined, and italicized words are what i am also worried about. Would THAT be considered sinful to indulge in?😦
 
Angel7 said:
Hello. Recently I had to make a history report on a battle. Now I am a fan of military games, war games, etc… I don’t like war, Violence and all those things because they are of course a tragedy. But Is “liking” warfare a sin?
I mean I don’t like the fact that people died, that is really sad. But enjoying Violence, or Historical Battles, etc…
Military Video games, movies, etc… Is any of this sinful? To what Extent?

It is more like an enjoyment of Historical conflicts, and I guess the fighting spirit/ emotion that it can create. I’m sorry of this sounds wierd to you.
Click to expand...
Liking or becoming enthusiastic over war games isn 't sinful in itself. It’s like playing a good game of Chess. You yourself are caught up in the ‘thrill’ and mental focus of the game, which is not the same as applying it on the battlefield. Strategy strengthens the mind. 😉
 
Angel7 said:
The bolded, underlined, and italicized words are what i am also worried about. Would THAT be considered sinful to indulge in?😦
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Absolutely not! Heck, I enjoy every minute of the feeling! XD It beats letting my mind rot away into thoughts of promiscuity any day. :rolleyes:

Furthermore, if you’re having a bad day, what better way to take out your frustrations than in simulated combat? What’s best is, there’s no real-life casualties! 😃

Tis proof that even video games can be a gift from God. 👍
 
After reading this thread, it made me wonder about something.

I like watching documentaries about WWII and WWI and you’ll often see actual footage of bombing raids, artillery barrages, etc. At the risk of sounding stupid, but would it be sinful if I got a thrill out of seeing explosions? It’s not like I enjoy people dying or anything like that, in fact, I usually tell myself that “maybe no one got caught in that”, or “maybe that site got evacuated”.
 
Mr.Blank1.5 said:
After reading this thread, it made me wonder about something.

I like watching documentaries about WWII and WWI and you’ll often see actual footage of bombing raids, artillery barrages, etc. At the risk of sounding stupid, but would it be sinful if I got a thrill out of seeing explosions? It’s not like I enjoy people dying or anything like that, in fact, I usually tell myself that “maybe no one got caught in that”, or “maybe that site got evacuated”.
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I’m like that too! XD And don’t worry. I don’t like seeing innocent people thrashed but I love it when I watch shows where the bad guy roars in defeat and then goes BOOM!! Gyahahah! XD

Here’s one very popular example of such a show. It may be kiddie but well… just watch. 😉
 
I’m like that too! XD And don’t worry. I don’t like seeing innocent people thrashed but I love it when I watch shows where the bad guy roars in defeat and then goes BOOM!! Gyahahah! XD
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Here’s one very popular example of such a show. It may be kiddie but well… just watch.
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That was quite an interesting scene 🙂
 
I must admit I have been enjoying Call of Duty 4.

That said, I have never owned a firearm in my life, and the last time I fired one was (supervised of course) at the age of 12. At a target. I was horrible!
 
Lost_Wanderer said:
Well simulating scenarios where one feels the thrill of combat and the glory of victory can actually be very uplifting as well as an awesome to escape from daily monotony and reduce stress. 😃

Still, I think it’s best to believe that in such scenarios, you imagine yourself on the side of good (more or less and, uh, methods not withstanding :cool:).

Just don’t confuse fantasy and reality though.
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There isn’t any glory in war.
I am just concerned if this is wrong.
 
Angel7 said:
There isn’t any glory in war.
I am just concerned if this is wrong.
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There is if it’s a war against the forces of darkness!! >8D conjures storm to massacre marauding demon army

In all honesty though. I believe your concern should be more towards the stories in these war games. Who is the good guy or bad guy? What are the themes being explored? Stories about war will always tell you these kind of things and helps put it in perspective. 👍
 
Good topic. Watch this video clip from War of the Worlds (Tom Cruise version). You will see it contains all of the elements necessary to make you enjoy this scene, and yet, it doesn’t even show the battle or the soldiers getting killed by the tripods. Only at the end do you actually see the missiles making contact with the alien shields, but because the shields protect the tripods, no damage is done. Notice how there is no death in this scene, and yet we know it’s happening, and that those brave men are fighting a war they know they cannot win for our sake and survival.

Link: youtube.com/watch?v=-JJDQGRGWsY

“Our mission, Lieutenant is to delay their advance until those refugees get to safety! Now keep firing!”

There are certain things about the battle on the hill that are designed to move you emotionally. And it does this on several levels. 1- it instills in you a sense of pride in our Armed Forces. 2- It gives you a rush by showing off just a mere sampling of the might and power of the United States military, which had it not been for the tripod shielding, would have wiped them out. 3- we get to see a demonstration of military tactics, which slowed the taking of life, and saved others. 4- the musical treatment is somber, and was made to accompany the feeling of hopelessness, which draws us into the display of courage on the part of the soldiers. 5- we can cheer for the humans, even though we know they’re going to lose because we have a common enemy in this alien threat. We want to see the humans win, and we are overcome by a sensation to think “if we’re going to go down, we’re going to do down fighting, not lay down like a dog and die!”

You all tell me: was watching that clip sinful?

I don’t think so. Because the movie sought to tell that part of the story in a way which did not glorify the violence (in fact, it deemphasized it) but did for the courage, and valor that surrounds the people involved in it. Big difference. Are we admiring the killing and violence itself, or the virtues and heroism behind it? Apply this to your topic. Food for thought.
 
War movies and experiences are not in and of themselves inherently sinful.
They may present to different people different near occasions of sin.
  1. Avarice, in this case fantasizing over what one could do with that kind of power and pursing such desires in the creation of new and deadlier devices for the purpose of gaining more power for your group (that would have some legitimate grave elements).
  2. Desensitization to the suffering. There is a lot of suffering that is not recorded in the history books. These are real, unique, unrepeatable, and infinitely valued individuals, whose loss we are called to mourn. Anger, bitterness and dehumanization often accompany war
  3. Distraction, we are in real warfare against the powers and principalities of darkness.
    Aka) War of the world against life, especially the unborn. The really powerful weapon, is the One who is the source of all power. Who the saints in surrendering their lives to Him, became His weapons against sin and death. Such is our call and our purpose. There are no doubt parallels between real warfare and spiritual warfare. One must be sure to make the leap to make this of value.
Just as a note, this same element of strategy, challenge, and adrenaline can be found to a great extent in most sports. Depending on what God has to teach you yet, this may be a profitable venue.
 
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