Is playing games like Total war a sin?

[Timi_Celcer]

I have always been a great fan of the Total war and Age of Empires series and im thinking of getting Total war: Rome 2 for Christmas, but im not sure if its right to play it or not. Conquering nations and people is considered a sin and that is the game’s primary focus. Sure its you against some computer robots not real people but i don’t think Jesus would of wanted me playing GTA either, where you shoot people for no reason even tough they are not real people. The only thing that makes me think that Total war series might not be sinful is that war was though as good back in the days, and people gladly died for their countries, kingdoms,… Nobody resented anyone of conquering them. It was like a game and dying in a battle was considered glorius. Not just war is definetly wrong, but if your enemy doesn’t think that you are doing anything wrong, and you think that you aren’t doing anything wrong then its all good. The Bible even tells us that if you think something is good, not bad and you do it you are doing good. So what do you think? Is it moral to play games like Total war?

 

[bilop]

Well then, play Europa Universalis, and only declare war when you have a Casus Belli Or you could simply wait until the computer attacks you. Then your conquests are just wars.

But seriously, nothing you do to a punch of pixels on a screen is sinful, as long as you don’t let it corrupt your real life.

God Bless

 

[ClearWater]

I don’t know enough about the game to know. Seems we have people on the forum, periodically, with this exact same question, possibly this exact same game.

If you’re not sure, why don’t you try looking for another game which you are more sure of.

Well, we do know that certain books, magazines, music, etc., can be sinful. I would suspect it would probably apply to video games, as well, but I’m not an expert on any of this, just my own opinion.

Rather than promoting something which is of questionable value, why not actively seek out something that would be more beneficial to your soul, humanity, etc.?

Does anyone know of such a thing exists? (And promote that, instead?)

St. John Bosco said he had a vision of hell in which he was told what got people into hell were 3 things…bad books (probably now could include magazines, music, videos…and games), bad friends, and bad habits.

From the descriptions of hell and the reasons people were there, it seemed like judgment was very strict.

Why risk your immortal soul and risk doing something which God could find displeasing? If in doubt, why not opt to err on the side of caution since everything is riding on this?

So, my question to gameplayers out in the forum is this. Is there, or is there not, some alternative that would also be challenging and interesting that you could recommend?

 

[dshix]

I have always been a great fan of the Total war and Age of Empires series and im thinking of getting Total war: Rome 2 for Christmas, but im not sure if its right to play it or not. Conquering nations and people is considered a sin and that is the game’s primary focus. Sure its you against some computer robots not real people but i don’t think Jesus would of wanted me playing GTA either, where you shoot people for no reason even tough they are not real people. The only thing that makes me think that Total war series might not be sinful is that war was though as good back in the days, and people gladly died for their countries, kingdoms,… Nobody resented anyone of conquering them. It was like a game and dying in a battle was considered glorius. Not just war is definetly wrong, but if your enemy doesn’t think that you are doing anything wrong, and you think that you aren’t doing anything wrong then its all good. The Bible even tells us that if you think something is good, not bad and you do it you are doing good. So what do you think? Is it moral to play games like Total war?

No. Not sinful, unless you make it sinful by your intentions.

I have heard, though, that Rome II specifically has some sexual content. Could someone who has actually played it say if this is true?

 

[C794]

No. Not sinful, unless you make it sinful by your intentions.

I have heard, though, that Rome II specifically has some sexual content. Could someone who has actually played it say if this is true?

I have played it, but not enough to say for sure. Although it sounds likely, they’ve had it in the series for a long time. Still it has never been anything like a sex scene, more like innuendos or references, I think. Not that those are okay, but nothing that would lead someone to sin. If someone finds out that it’s more (I couldn’t imagine it, they got rid of the agent cut scenes so there wouldn’t be any room for that content) then you could always try to self sensor, but that might be hard in a strategy game. On one hand it’s tempting to do what ever it takes to win, on the other hand you would have complete control over whether or not such content showed up. Still, having played this series I don’t think this will be a problem.

Now on a larger note: the sad thing is that the way the video game industry is going it’s becoming less and less about avoiding games that has sexual content and more about learning how to avoid said content in your games. This might be different for shooters, but I mostly play strategy and roleplaying games. Developers have found it profitable and acceptable to include this content. It is becoming impossible for gamers to avoid such games. The games that have the best storylines tend to come with sex scenes (from what I’ve heard they are very ungraphic and barely pass as a sex scene, at least in the one series I play). If someone is into this kind of game they won’t be able to find games without sex. Here’s the problem, these games (role playing not strategy like Total War) really do have the deepest storylines and characters. So it’s not like someone can go substitute with Call of Duty or Halo. What the gamer has to learn is what’s tempting for them and how to avoid it. For example a game I play basically announces that a sex scene is coming and I can turn off the TV and skip it (in my five play through I have never been tempted to watch it). I also can tell the character no (the option exists, or if I knew the scene provided too much temptation I can just not initiate a romance which is easy to do. In a strategy game of should be easier to avoid; unless they really try to shove it in your face. But I have managed to play Total War for years, and never really encounter anything dangerous. During that time I wasn’t trying to avoid sexual content like I do with the game referenced above. So I think it should be safe.

I know that example goes a little off topic, but it’s the only one I have. While I have played the Total War franchise I have missed most of the sexual content. I just know it’s there because the back of the box says so and I can make estimates based on what the gameplay is like.

To end I want to address the original question. Playing Total War isn’t sinful. It’s just a game; kind of like Risk with a small political element added, a more detailed map, and the choice of what you do with your conquests. Okay that was probably not the best comparison, but it kind of captures the idea.

 

[NFrancis]

I do not think that it is a sin to play games such as this.

That being said, some people can get so into games such as these that they neglect doing things that they should be doing instead. If you become lazy by not doing anything, but playing this game, then it is the sin of laziness. I’m not saying you are being lazy by playing this game in your free time, just watch out so you don’t get addicted and play it when you should be doing other things.

Also, I really like playing these types of games as well.

 

[Thinking10]

Games, movies, pictures any object are not sinful objects themselves. I think a cause of scrupulosity is a contradiction between a person’s intuition which tells them something is not sinful and being told that something is sunful. When what you are told does not seem rational or logical, it causes an intense internal conflict which causes a person to impossibly accept two incompatible ideas, one saying that no harm is caused by a particular object, and another being told that they must refrain from a particular object, action etc.

This conflict I think can be summarized by realizing that there was error on the part of someone declaring something sinful and the logical conclusion on the part of the hearer of the directive to avoid some that when faced with two choices, one must always make the choice that is moral.

To fit understanding of sin, with logic, a person must first understand why something is sinful. Is anything sinful on its own merit? What does a game, movie, or some other object hurt? Nothing on its own. Objects are morally neutral. Objects relate to sin by being conducive to sinful behavior in some people. When a person is exposed to a movie, game etc. that molds their mind in a way that makes their duties to behave morally seem less important, or diminishes the person’s inhibitions against doing harmful actions to other people, or inspires less respect of another’s dignity, that is what makes the object conducive to sin, it makes sinful behavior more easily chosen in a person. Unless you notice a change within yourself, your attitude toward your moral duties, you are not sinning by using a game.

Blanket judgements of a game or object as evil are erroneous because of the inherent neutrality of an object. However, a warning that an object is conducive to sinful behavior should be kept in mind, though it does not mean a person must entirely abstain from using the object. If you are warned, just be aware of what people have warned that an object may or may not do, and be sure that it is not affecting you in an unquestionably negative way. Don’t be overly paranoid, but be mindful of clear changes in attitude, values and inclinations. At the same time, don’t be too lax in reducing exposure to something if you are pretty sure it is altering your views for the worse.

 

[Timi_Celcer]

Killing people in games even tough they are not real is in my opinion also sinful. For example i couldn’t and can’t imagine Jesus playing or watching me play a game where you kill innocent people for fun(GTA). I just can’t find that not sinful. So i approached this Total war game in the same manner. And i find out that it is not sinful, if you somehow play a just war type game or if you play the game with not much emotions when you capture something, when you dont play the game like if you are actually that general conquering that town… But if you play like you are that general, than it is only not sinful if you play a just war. Or… but im not sure about this one, if in that era(in which the game is set) public opinion towards war and dying in it is considered moral then it may not be sinful to play it in that manner. But im not sure that’s why i need your help.