Is playing video games a sin or alright?

[Edward_H]

So all entertainment by oneself and only oneself is inherently sinful? This is a poor standard for discerning sloth, I think. Is reading sinful? How about writing, if that floats your boat? These are both basic activities which require solitary time without other people around for the fullest value, and cannot be done effectively with more than one person.

Personally speaking, I know I can’t be out and about with friends all the time. I’m not naturally social, and I get worn down very easily when I’m out doing things all the time, or even having anyone over for something more sedentary. Where does alone time fit in with this?

Did I say that? I love these false statements that now I have to defend!

I’ve used the dissipation to mean undirected activity. Softness. Laziness. Sloth (a sin). Attachment to comfort seeking. These can really eat away at virtues if not directed by the will. They often lead to us being led around by “feelings” (tiredness, aversion, annoyance at having to exert effort, and so on).

A life well lived is not one in which we’re led around by our feelings. We need to be led by our intellect and our will. This is basic moral theology. Lots and lots and lots of problems result by us being led around by feelings and emotions…letting them “make decisions” for us (when to get up, when to get angry, when to stop working, what to buy, how to spend our time, when to be selfish).

Writing, creating languages, and things you all mention seem fine. And if you write something that others might be benefit from too…then share it with them.

I’ve just started reading Cardinal George’s “The Difference God Makes”…just a couple of chapters into it…so I can yet recommend it fully.

But in Ch 1. He has an interesting discussion on the community aspect of the Catholic Faith. It does sort of rub up against a stark American individualism, at least in some respects. Our Catholicism is ever integrating…with God, the exchange of love going on constantly in the Trinity, with the saints gone before us, with the world, our neighborhood. So I am at this point thinking a lot about this aspect of connectedness and unity vs. strong leanings toward self and individualism.

 

[McatholicN]

Did I say that? I love these false statements that now I have to defend!

I’ve used the dissipation to mean undirected activity. Softness. Laziness. Sloth (a sin). Attachment to comfort seeking. These can really eat away at virtues if not directed by the will. They often lead to us being led around by “feelings” (tiredness, aversion, annoyance at having to exert effort, and so on).

A life well lived is not one in which we’re led around by our feelings. We need to be led by our intellect and our will. This is basic moral theology. Lots and lots and lots of problems result by us being led around by feelings and emotions…letting them “make decisions”.

Where is the line drawn between too much pleasure and not enough?

 

[Edward_H]

Where is the line drawn between too much pleasure and not enough?

I wouldn’t frame it that way. That’s a false choice or a set of bad choices.

Giving and giving and giving can become more than just pleasurable…it actually becomes joyful…when it’s embraced as the will of God. This is hard to accept on the face of it. But it’s actually the case.

A priest once told me: Your work day is your company’s. The evening hours are your family’s, not yours. If you have anything left to give at the end of the day (e.g., the kids are in bed, and your wife is happy), then read a good book, so that you can recommend it or give it to a friend of yours who might enjoy it too.

That’s a generous and joyful life. Walking the line of pleasure - at least to me - never seemed to fit or work very well. Always counting and wrestling with myself.

 

[Elijah_Baley]

Plugging our selves into a movie…and another one…and other…entirely by ourselves…is starting to border on dissipation.

The standard, then, is mere solitary entertainment to excess. Dissipation less like pure sloth and more like the union of sloth and what I can only call gluttonylust. Is this correct?

 

[Edward_H]

The standard, then, is mere solitary entertainment to excess. Dissipation less like pure sloth and more like the union of sloth and what I can only call gluttonylust. Is this correct?

Sort of…the standard is that “we love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength…and our neighbor as ourselves”. That we rejoice always…that we pray always…that we give thanks always. That we seek to know and do God’s will always and everywhere, until we die of generosity.

Anytime we start asking “how much pleasure is too much”…“how far can I go with my girlfriend without sinning”…“how much laziness is ok…” we’re likely on the wrong point.

If we straddle or spend time seeking to know the “edges” we’re probably thinking about it a bit wrong.

 

[McatholicN]

That was a very good answer, though I will disagree with you that enjoying pleasure by one’s self is “dissipation”. Call me a nerd, but I love to create languages, sports, and write philosophies of mine. I don’t see these as sinful, in fact, I believe God gave me the talents to be able to do these. Most priests I know have televisions, and I don’t think their doing too much watching with others.

I’ve always been confused at the command to pray unceasingly. I find perpetual conversation with God to be very difficult and almost burdensome. I’ve been told, however, that saying the Morning Offering and living our actions as a prayer is fulfilling this command.

I’m pretty confused on the point of pleasure. Was I right in talking about dissipation and priests with TVs?

Also, was I right with the Morning Offering thing? Does it fulfill the command to pray unceasingly?

 

[McatholicN]

Could you explain dissipation?

Are you saying that it is wrong to look up your team in the standings, or watch a movie, or read a book, or play a game unless we are serving God doing it?

Capitalizing the “G”.

This was a great post and I am eagerly anticipating responses.

By the way, I just found a great article called “The Theology of Pleasure”. Here it is: semperficatholic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=31764&sid=ea72952d1290ec7e0e44b94ab3d0550e

Was this article in line with Church teaching?

Where is the line drawn between too much pleasure and not enough?

Is there such a thing as not enough pleasure?

 

[McatholicN]

“Enjoy yourself as much as you like, only if you stay away from sin.” -Saint John Bosco

“Enjoy yourselves as much as you like, if only you keep away from sin.”
Is this in line with Church teaching?

webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:c5qtPQ5ZofkJ:saints.sqpn.com/saint-john-bosco/+enjoy+yourself+st.+john+bosco&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

Right next to your quote.

I never said anything about bad companions. Yes, stay away from things that will lead you to sin, but it seems some people are preaching pleasure as an evil.

newadvent.org/cathen/11196a.htm I guess… is pleasure an evil?