Movies, video games, books, etc

[DavidSears]

Well I like playing video games, watching movies and things like that (I still don’t know if video games are sinful, but a lot of people say its not). I like the shooting video games and I’m a fan of mob movies and shows (Godfather, Sopranos, Goodfellas, etc.). But the video games I like are violent also (Red Dead Revolver, GTA, Star Wars Battlefront II, The Godfather games, Kingdom Hearts). Not only that, when I play Star Wars, I usually play as the Empire and as Emperor Palpatine, and obviously mobsters aren’t the most moral people. I know the difference between reality and fantasy, and I know I’m never going to commit a murder, conquer Naboo or Hoth, join the mob, or use magic, and I still pray a lot and very rarely miss a mass, so if I use a lot of discernment and am careful, would playing these games or watching these shows be immoral or sinful?

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

Yesh.

P.S.

Quick question though, do you play the Emperor out of style or because you really like to play as the Evil Emperor? I’ve only played him for the former. Can’t stand him as a person for obvious reasons.

 

[Neildown]

I play as Palpatine for style. He’s not a great fighter (unless you like playing dirty on 1-vs-1 matches), and certainly not the nicest person, but he gets points for style. Dooku and Reyla are probably the worst out of both sides.

Addressing the topic: As long as your heart is in the right place, I can’t imagine it’s sinful. I’ve played tons of violent videogames - just not in astronomically brain-damaging doses. (My current favourites are Assassin’s Creed III and Skyrim.) If your gaming negatively affects your life otherwise, it would be good to take a step back and solve the problem, but if you’re mentally stable, are not becoming addicted, enticed into lust, or tempted into any other sinful things, then you’re pretty much ok as far as I would assume.

 

[DavidSears]

Yesh.

P.S.

Quick question though, do you play the Emperor out of style or because you really like to play as the Evil Emperor? I’ve only played him for the former. Can’t stand him as a person for obvious reasons.

Well its funny you ask that. I have always been a Christian, but before I became really devout, I used to like the Emperor because he was evil. But now I just play as him because I always play as the Empire. Now I see that when I liked him, it was kind of a metaphor because I was into some bad things, but I’ve turned from that. Now I play as the Emperor because I usually play as the villains, but thats all fantasy. In reality, I would chose to be a hero over a villain and choose good over evil. I don’t admire the emperor, or any of the villains at all.

 

[DavidSears]

I play as Palpatine for style. He’s not a great fighter (unless you like playing dirty on 1-vs-1 matches), and certainly not the nicest person, but he gets points for style. Dooku and Reyla are probably the worst out of both sides.

Well Palpatine delivers hard hits, plus he has force choke and force lightning and he can fly haha. But in reality, I would never pick these evil people over good ever. That is all fantasy, Star Wars, Godfather, GTA, all fantasy and I would never want to be a part of any of them in reality.

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

I play as Palpatine for style. He’s not a great fighter (unless you like playing dirty on 1-vs-1 matches), and certainly not the nicest person, but he gets points for style. Dooku and Reyla are probably the worst out of both sides.

Well its funny you ask that. I have always been a Christian, but before I became really devout, I used to like the Emperor because he was evil. But now I just play as him because I always play as the Empire. Now I see that when I liked him, it was kind of a metaphor because I was into some bad things, but I’ve turned from that. Now I play as the Emperor because I usually play as the villains, but thats all fantasy. In reality, I would chose to be a hero over a villain and choose good over evil. I don’t admire the emperor, or any of the villains at all.

I just thought I’d say that the trope where the Bad Guy seems to have the more stylish powers really grates my nerves some times. The fact that ‘stylish’ itself is essentially a matter of taste only goes on to prove my point.

You got no worries David. People really shouldn’t draw too much of a connection between abilities and alignment. Cleric and Paladin types can heal but that doesn’t mean they are incorruptible.

 

[DavidSears]

I just thought I’d say that the trope where the Bad Guy seems to have the more stylish powers really grates my nerves some times. The fact that ‘stylish’ itself is essentially a matter of taste only goes on to prove my point.

You got no worries David. People really shouldn’t draw too much of a connection between abilities and alignment. Cleric and Paladin types can heal but that doesn’t mean they are incorruptible.

Well I can agree with that. And obviously in almost every movie and story the villain appears to be extremely powerful, but they always get defeated in the end. Seeing Star Wars caught both posters eyes, we will use that as an example. No matter how many times you play the video games and what happens in them, the Empire gets defeated in the end. You can watch the movie a million times, the ending doesn’t change. And its all fantasy. Those movies and video games never happened, and I know I don’t want to re-create it in real life.

 

[Neildown]

I just thought I’d say that the trope where the Bad Guy seems to have the more stylish powers really grates my nerves some times. The fact that ‘stylish’ itself is essentially a matter of taste only goes on to prove my point.

I’ve noticed the trend myself. Kinda like when you buy a nice laptop and then your friend goes and buys a $2000-nice laptop.

 

[Razanir]

Well I like playing video games, watching movies and things like that (I still don’t know if video games are sinful, but a lot of people say its not). I like the shooting video games and I’m a fan of mob movies and shows (Godfather, Sopranos, Goodfellas, etc.). But the video games I like are violent also (Red Dead Revolver, GTA, Star Wars Battlefront II, The Godfather games, Kingdom Hearts). Not only that, when I play Star Wars, I usually play as the Empire and as Emperor Palpatine, and obviously mobsters aren’t the most moral people. I know the difference between reality and fantasy, and I know I’m never going to commit a murder, conquer Naboo or Hoth, join the mob, or use magic, and I still pray a lot and very rarely miss a mass, so if I use a lot of discernment and am careful, would playing these games or watching these shows be immoral or sinful?

Backstory: Civ 3, fun game. I love the playground mod. Instead of taking over the world, you’re taking over the playground.

Playing as Palpatine for his playstyle makes you evil no more than me playing as the girls makes me a girl. I just like their playstyle. I get a wonder for healing in enemy territory early on AND it’s fun to use the one civ the CPU can never seem to win with

 

[Skye_Ariel]

Well I like playing video games, watching movies and things like that (I still don’t know if video games are sinful, but a lot of people say its not). I like the shooting video games and I’m a fan of mob movies and shows (Godfather, Sopranos, Goodfellas, etc.). But the video games I like are violent also (Red Dead Revolver, GTA, Star Wars Battlefront II, The Godfather games, Kingdom Hearts). Not only that, when I play Star Wars, I usually play as the Empire and as Emperor Palpatine, and obviously mobsters aren’t the most moral people. I know the difference between reality and fantasy, and I know I’m never going to commit a murder, conquer Naboo or Hoth, join the mob, or use magic, and I still pray a lot and very rarely miss a mass, so if I use a lot of discernment and am careful, would playing these games or watching these shows be immoral or sinful?

No it’s not wrong, as long as you don’t try to imitate those things in real life then it’s okay. To me it’s no different than watching movies about murder or killing etc. I love scary movies and movies like Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm street types, those are about crazy killers and that’s no worse than those video games. As long as you don’t try to imitate it, I see nothing wrong with it.

 

[Bookcat]

Yes perhaps yes some perhaps no.

One must judge with a well formed conscience each one

 

[Bookcat]

Though *certainly * there is much that should never be seen by children. And it can be rather immoral to produce such that is directed (or marketed) to them even!

And certainly there are degrees of “violence” (depends too on how one defines such) in the media where one could say that such really is (in the least) not the good fare for (especially Christian) adults either…

And looking to the early Christians …

The early Christians lived in a world…a culture where all sorts of evil things were going on…the gladiator games (and other “spectacles” as they called them which would be quite sinful)…idolatry .etc. So in the baptismal rite there is the rejection of the the Devil and his “pompa”…his “pomps” …which include all these things…so the Christians would not go to these sorts of entertainments…such is still part of our life too in essence …and we can be said to live more and more in a society that in some ways resembles theirs…

Certainly such would include the reality that there are entertainments and other things that are sinful…etc which others go in for but we as Christians do not…even in the New Testament it says they are surprised that we do not go in for the things we used to…or that they do…

I think too that if one thinks about it …there are other things too…which simply are not *fitting *for Christians…

On one hand – a discerning and at times radical approach is needed and on the other hand we need to take care not to scruple about things either (I mention such for it can be a temptation to many here who seek to follow Christ faithfully).

Here read this slowly: vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/homilies/2006/documents/hf_ben-xvi_hom_20060108_battesimo_en.html

 

[DavidSears]

Yes perhaps yes some perhaps no.

One must judge with a well formed conscience each one

Hehehe… Thats the key isn’t it? Scruples doesn’t help. I can’t find a spiritual advisor but I’m looking

 

[Bookcat]

Hehehe… Thats the key isn’t it? Scruples doesn’t help. I can’t find a spiritual advisor but I’m looking

A *regular confessor *is key.

 

[vjnycguy]

Well I like playing video games, watching movies and things like that (I still don’t know if video games are sinful, but a lot of people say its not). I like the shooting video games and I’m a fan of mob movies and shows (Godfather, Sopranos, Goodfellas, etc.). But the video games I like are violent also (Red Dead Revolver, GTA, Star Wars Battlefront II, The Godfather games, Kingdom Hearts). Not only that, when I play Star Wars, I usually play as the Empire and as Emperor Palpatine, and obviously mobsters aren’t the most moral people. I know the difference between reality and fantasy, and I know I’m never going to commit a murder, conquer Naboo or Hoth, join the mob, or use magic, and I still pray a lot and very rarely miss a mass, so if I use a lot of discernment and am careful, would playing these games or watching these shows be immoral or sinful?

Well let’s take a look at it from this way… if you are the person who prays a lot and never really misses Mass then you must agree with the simple rule of, “Thou shall not kill.” Right? Yes. Well, what do we do in these games? Kill. Doesn’t that seem a little hypocritical? You agree that you shouldn’t go out and kill but yet you do it anyway on a silly little game. I know, I know, “It’s just a game.” … but it doesn’t matter, you are getting satisfaction from this.

This is why I quit video games. (I’m 15)

 

[Baelor]

You agree that you shouldn’t go out and kill but yet you do it anyway on a silly little game. I know, I know, “It’s just a game.” … but it doesn’t matter, you are getting satisfaction from this.

It just a game – you are not committing murder. If someone were playing games because the killing aspect was enjoyable, then yes, you are right. But if they consider it just another mechanic like collecting stars or whatever, that is something different.

 

[vjnycguy]

It just a game – you are not committing murder. If someone were playing games because the killing aspect was enjoyable, then yes, you are right. But if they consider it just another mechanic like collecting stars or whatever, that is something different.

The idea of wanting to play a game that has murdering in it is just as wrong. Doesn’t matter if they just play the game for the stars or whatever. They are still taking part in it. I don’t mean to go completely off topic but here’s an analogy for you… if someone works as a janitor at Planned Parenthood I would call that wrong. He isn’t doing the actual process of abortion but he is still in the building supporting them, maybe by just cleaning up, but they are still supporting them. Same thing with playing the game. Get what I mean?

 

[Baelor]

The idea of wanting to play a game that has murdering in it is just as wrong.

That makes no sense. Are you really saying that ending someone’s real life is no worse than shooting someone in a game? If not, please clarify.

if someone works as a janitor at Planned Parenthood I would call that wrong. He isn’t doing the actual process of abortion but he is still in the building supporting them, maybe by just cleaning up, but they are still supporting them. Same thing with playing the game. Get what I mean?

Not at all, given that Planned Parenthood actually exists.

 

[vjnycguy]

That makes no sense. Are you really saying that ending someone’s real life is no worse than shooting someone in a game? If not, please clarify.

Yes, because of the satisfaction that gives to people.

Not at all, given that Planned Parenthood actually exists.

Well… that’s why I called it an analogy. You do know what that means, right?
Analogy - You’re as pretty as a rose… that person really isn’t a rose but is pretty like one. Get it now?

 

[Neildown]

Yes, because of the satisfaction that gives to people.

Have a sane person shoot a virtual human and then have a sane person shoot a real human. Come back to me when the psychological results are in.