Is playing violent video games a sin?

[iamcatholic100]

I think its the way people act while playing these types of games. Let me give you a personal example. When my cousins came over to sleep over my house a couple years ago, we played video games together. And when we switched from playing Madden to Halo 3 to verse each other, they-along with my brother- began to use hundreds of swear words (yes, the f word was among them) at each other whenever they got killed, killed someone, . I had to play through approximately 2 hours of this (not using one of the obscenities they’ve used) stuff!!! It was a VERY uncomfortable experience . I myself didn’t do any of the stuff they did. I was trying to play the game just for the sake of enjoyment, and not do all of the negative stuff that gamers sometimes do.

So, if we look at this realistically, everybody is a sinner, and struggles with certain sins, be it anger, lust, pride, ex cetera. However, if you are striving to be virtuous and just, then you need to learn how to deal with defeat in a major manner, not cuss out the person you’ve killed or been killed or break a controller (still talking about video games).

Now, terms of the video game itself, if the video game doesn’t promote immoral behavior and presents violence in a gratuitous manner (ex. GTA) then avoid it (if you are not able to handle it). Remember you could always try less violent or completely violent free games and still have fun.

 

[Gricken]

It isn’t so much what you play as it is how you play it.

 

[JRKH]

I think its the way people act while playing these types of games. Let me give you a personal example. When my cousins came over to sleep over my house a couple years ago, we played video games together. And when we switched from playing Madden to Halo 3 to verse each other, they-along with my brother- began to use hundreds of swear words (yes, the f word was among them) at each other whenever they got killed, killed someone, . I had to play through approximately 2 hours of this (not using one of the obscenities they’ve used) stuff!!! It was a VERY uncomfortable experience . I myself didn’t do any of the stuff they did. I was trying to play the game just for the sake of enjoyment, and not do all of the negative stuff that gamers sometimes do.

So, if we look at this realistically, everybody is a sinner, and struggles with certain sins, be it anger, lust, pride, ex cetera. However, if you are striving to be virtuous and just, then you need to learn how to deal with defeat in a major manner, not cuss out the person you’ve killed or been killed or break a controller (still talking about video games).

Now, terms of the video game itself, if the video game doesn’t promote immoral behavior and presents violence in a gratuitous manner (ex. GTA) then avoid it (if you are not able to handle it). Remember you could always try less violent or completely violent free games and still have fun.

 

[Timothysis]

With most any activity one has to ask oneself, “Does this bring me closer to God?”, and “How does this activity fulfill my purpose of loving God and loving my neighbor which Scripture defines as the whole of the law summed up?”

So, does that mean that I can’t listen to the first Led Zeppelin album?

 

[davyvfr]

I used to play violent video games. I never play them after my conversion. I don’t think they are spiritually healthy and if I have children, I will teach them to despise such games.

The same reasoning applies to other things as songs and movies - all that is spiritually unhealthy is dangerous for our soul, especially when we speak of totally unnecessary and vain forms of entertainment We can do better, and still have a lot of fun when proper.

This got me wondering, what about Batman (movies and games)? Its fictional, but contains violence. It just got me thinking because I don’t know if Jesus would play Batman Arkham City or not or even consider watching the movies.

 

[Gricken]

See the whole “What would Jesus do” thing never really helped me, because I can’t imagine him listening to any music, or reading any books other than the bible, or playing any video games… I think you get the picture

 

[JRKH]

See the whole “What would Jesus do” thing never really helped me, because I can’t imagine him listening to any music, or reading any books other than the bible, or playing any video games… I think you get the picture

It might help if you look at the WWJD question a bit differently…Ask instead, “Would I do this in front of Jesus?” - Or - Would I want Jesus to see me doing this?

Peace
James

 

[Gricken]

It might help if you look at the WWJD question a bit differently…Ask instead, “Would I do this in front of Jesus?” - Or - Would I want Jesus to see me doing this?

Peace
James

Hmm. That does help actually!

 

[JRKH]

Hmm. That does help actually!

Yup - It has helped me over the years.

As a child (lonnnnng before the WWJD craze) we were taught that Jesus DID see everything we did - also we were taught that we each had a guardian angel…and of course they saw everything we did.

Peace
James

 

[Baelor]

My opinion, flavored with Catholic teaching, is that you should not do in a game what you would not do in real-life.

As someone who plays video games, I just find that rather extreme. Surely Link breaking all the pots and barging into the homes of inexplicably indifferent strangers is not immoral in Ocarina of Time? True, it is a fantasy game, but the people are still people. How is that fundamentally different from my ability to “gently push” passersby aside in Assassin’s Creed?

Contrast this to fantasy games. There, often there is a clear “bad guy” and players are often the good guys.

You and edwest have much in common. Perhaps it is an age thing and a product of the eras of your upbringing. To my knowledge, there is no requirement that fiction – or video games – have clear-cut “good” and “bad” guys and single courses of action toward a goal. There are definite (at least at first) bad guys in the Mass Effect franchise, but you can choose between a benevolent approach and a more violent one.

 

[Baelor]

I bet if I were to hold up Assassins Creed, we would be divided on this very issue in which the goal of the game is to remove Catholicism and killing the Pope is in the game (youtube.com/watch?v=xuElBvNUOq8).

Uhh…I have played all of Assassin’s Creed II. We have some factual issues here:

1. AC, the first game in the franchise, has nothing to do with the Pope or Catholicism.
2. ACII is but one game of the franchise. Even the expansions, Revelations and Brotherhood, only tangentially involve religious figures.
3. You are not killing the Pope qua Pope, you are killing him as the leader of the Templars, which have been secularized.
4. ACIII, which I just finished, is set in the Revolutionary War. Almost every conceivable historical figure at the time is either a Templar or an Assassin or works with or for one of those two groups. In the same way, the developers wanted a Renaissance theme. The Church clearly has to be involved because the games are all about associating the “orders” with prominent historical figures. The Church happened to be the establishment at the time, and the games consistently pit the lone protagonist against the powerful establishment, whether Templars in the Church (the Borgias and associates) or the Templars in the Patriot and Loyalist forces.

I am not saying that anyone should feel comfortable with the game, but I am saying that viewing it as a cheap way to knock the Church is misleading at best. Ubisoft even has a disclaimer at the beginning of each game.

 

[Gricken]

).

I’m sorry but what? That isn’t the goal of the game. The goal of that game is too stop a man who is trying to become pope to abuse the office and to further his own goals. It has nothing to do with Catholics in particular

 

[iamcatholic100]

There is a nice mini article written by Steven Greydanus concerning violence in movies. It helps give light to the whole violent video game debate:

I’m not sure whether this is the address you mean, but in his 2007 message for World Communications Day Benedict XVI decried*** “programmes and products — including animated films and video games — which in the name of entertainment exalt violence and portray anti-social behaviour or the trivialization of human sexuality is a perversion, all the more repulsive when these programmes are directed at children and adolescents.”*** The pope went on to say, “I appeal to the leaders of the media industry to educate and encourage producers to safeguard the common good, to uphold the truth, to protect individual human dignity and promote respect for the needs of the family.”

The Holy Father ***does not criticize all media presentations that include violence ***— or sexuality — but those that ***exalt violence ***or trivialize human sexuality, especially when they are targeted at youth.

He also qualifies his comments with the important phrase “in the name of entertainment.” Where violence or sexuality is served up as entertainment, human dignity is demeaned. But entertainment is not the sole function of film. For example, films can also challenge, inspire and educate.

Appropriate depictions of violence which put it in its true moral light — which either highlight the evil of wrongful violence, or depict morally legitimate violence employed to resist evil — do not exalt violence in the way that the Holy Father has in mind, and may aim to do more than just entertain. (This is not to demean entertainment in itself.) Within moral limits, depictions of sexuality may also serve legitimate artistic purposes, though here as with violence restraint is needed to avoid appealing to base desires and offering occasions of sin, as per Inter Mirifica 7.

Pope Benedict’s mention of “animated films” might be confusing to some Americans because Hollywood doesn’t produce the kind of animated films the pope has in mind. However, the Holy Father is likely aware of the ultraviolent and sexual content not uncommon in Japanese anime. Unfortunately, Americans do have more familiarity with the sort of video games to which the Holy Father refers, e.g., in the Grand Theft Auto series.

Not all movies with violent or sexual content exalt or trivialize acts demeaning to human dignity. For example, the 1995 Vatican film list honors a number of films that include violent and/or sexual content, but do so in a way that does not exalt violence or trivialize sexuality. Schindler’s List is a well-known example; other relevant examples include Andrei Rublev, The Mission and The Decalogue.

Emphasis Mine

decentfilms.com/mail/mailbag-12/112

 

[davyvfr]

I’m sorry but what? That isn’t the goal of the game. The goal of that game is too stop a man who is trying to become pope to abuse the office and to further his own goals. It has nothing to do with Catholics in particular

There was a massive thread on CAF how it goes against Catholic/Christian

forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=399528&highlight=Assassins+creed

I would like to mention I never really played the game, so I can’t really speak for myself but only cite others

 

[iamcatholic100]

Well, wouldn’t ya know it!!! My cousins are coming over tonight before they go back to college, and my mom says that it would be nice if I hang out with them. I am feeling extremely nervous :bigyikes: I am not sure if I could handle what I went through the last time they were here!!!

 

[Baelor]

Well, wouldn’t ya know it!!! My cousins are coming over tonight before they go back to college, and my mom says that it would be nice if I hang out with them. I am feeling extremely nervous :bigyikes: I am not sure if I could handle what I went through the last time they were here!!!

Just do not play video games. Or, if you do, tell them you have no interest in playing unless they exercise self-control.

 

[iamcatholic100]

Just do not play video games. Or, if you do, tell them you have no interest in playing unless they exercise self-control.

I appreciate the advice, but it is a little too late. I basically did the same thing as I did the last time they were here. They did the same thing as well. But don’t worry, next time ill tell them to tone it down. Thanks anyway .

 

[iamcatholic100]

They were joking around most of the time, albeit R rated, but I still think that is no excuse to be crude, be it humorous or serious.

 

[davyvfr]

They were joking around most of the time, albeit R rated, but I still think that is no excuse to be crude, be it humorous or serious.

Maybe hide your mature rated games and just keep the wholesome good moral games

 

[minion]

I am not saying that anyone should feel comfortable with the game, but I am saying that viewing it as a cheap way to knock the Church is misleading at best. Ubisoft even has a disclaimer at the beginning of each game.

lol

Interesting how we can justify playing a game bashing our faith

I’m okay with violent games, but not faith bashing like AC most definitely does. Which kids play. I’m not really surprised anymore a kind of lazy, sarcastic atheism is more prominent amongst gamers considering the subject matter they’re fed.