Religions in RPGs?

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Antonio_022

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Hi all. So I’m a REALLY HUGE FAN of the RPG genre. Been with me since I was a kid. So my problem starts when I started to play Ocarina of Time 2 weeks ago (Yes, I’ve never played it -_-) and as I played through it, I started to think about it’s religion. The Triforce, The 3 Goddesses, The Temple of Time (Which seemingly looked like a church), all that jazz. Then I wondered if playing Video Games (specifically RPGs) with a Fictional Religion was wrong. Does it offend Catholicism ? I can’t play a single session without that question popping in my head.Same goes for all the other games I play like Final Fantasy or Pokemon(I think it has a religion). I need help! What do you guys think about Religions in Video Games? Are they bad? or are they nothing to worry about?

NOTE: No, I have not felt like I’m being dragged away from God. Nor do I let gaming affect my daily obligations such as church, homework etc.
 
As long as you realize that they are fictional, I’d say it’s completely alright.

Think of it this way:
Is reading a fictional book where one character kills another immoral?
With the same logic, would reading a fictional book with a fictional religion be immoral? (narnia, lotr?)
Then extend it to video games.
 
What about writing a Fantasy story? Making YOUR OWN religion? What about that?

Thanks for the reply BTW
 
Ocarina of time is such a great game, as long as you don’t believe it to be truth and start doing anything against church doctrine 😛
 
Playing a game or reading a story is completely different then practicing a pagan or false religion.

Fantasy is fantasy…
 
Antonio_022 said:
What about writing a Fantasy story? Making YOUR OWN religion? What about that?

Thanks for the reply BTW
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Again, fantasy is fantasy. I bring up again, Narnia and Lord of the Rings. Both of these worlds, created by Christian men (J. R. R. Tolkien being Catholic), having religions that would technically be against Christian teaching. Though, I guess with Narnia, one could argue that Aslan is really just God taking on a worldly form (like He did in Jesus).

Still, it is written as fantasy.
 
All of a sudden my chest feels lighter 😃 Thanks for all the great replies! and God Bless! :blessyou:
 
Seeing as those games are of fantasy, then you’re not sinning by playing those games. 🙂
 
Antonio_022 said:
Hi all. So I’m a REALLY HUGE FAN of the RPG genre. Been with me since I was a kid. So my problem starts when I started to play Ocarina of Time 2 weeks ago (Yes, I’ve never played it -_-) and as I played through it, I started to think about it’s religion. The Triforce, The 3 Goddesses, The Temple of Time (Which seemingly looked like a church), all that jazz. Then I wondered if playing Video Games (specifically RPGs) with a Fictional Religion was wrong. Does it offend Catholicism ? I can’t play a single session without that question popping in my head.Same goes for all the other games I play like Final Fantasy or Pokemon(I think it has a religion). I need help! What do you guys think about Religions in Video Games? Are they bad? or are they nothing to worry about?

NOTE: No, I have not felt like I’m being dragged away from God. Nor do I let gaming affect my daily obligations such as church, homework etc.
Click to expand...
Hey, join the club! 👍

I became a freeware RPG “addict” quite late in life, and two of my favourite RPGs are The Way (which features the Guided, who have a brutal religious system) and Love and War (which has the benevolent “Church of Infinity”, based on the Roman Catholic Church, and headed by “Pontiff Pius XXII”). It’s just part of the story; you’re perfectly fine as long as you can draw the line between fact and fiction. (The only problematic area would be if an RPG was openly anti-Christian or anti-Catholic, but until we get Super Jack Chick RPG or Richard Dawkins: The Game, that’s not likely to happen.) 😃
 
I’ll take a little different tack on this. I remember reading Vin Diesel’s statements on playing D&D – he noted that, among other things, it was a vehicle for self-discovery. If a person is inclined to practice a non-Christian religion in the real world, then they will find that in a game. On the other hand, I always pick paladins in games, just because it’s the closest thing to a Christian warrior and viewpoint you’ll usually find in them.
 
bzkoss236 said:
Again, fantasy is fantasy. I bring up again, Narnia and Lord of the Rings. Both of these worlds, created by Christian men (J. R. R. Tolkien being Catholic), having religions that would technically be against Christian teaching. Though, I guess with Narnia, one could argue that Aslan is really just God taking on a worldly form (like He did in Jesus).

Still, it is written as fantasy.
Click to expand...
Actually, unless you read The Silmarillion, the only mention of religion I can think of in Lord of the Rings is Elbereth
 
Antonio_022 said:
Hi all. So I’m a REALLY HUGE FAN of the RPG genre. Been with me since I was a kid. So my problem starts when I started to play Ocarina of Time 2 weeks ago (Yes, I’ve never played it -_-) and as I played through it, I started to think about it’s religion. The Triforce, The 3 Goddesses, The Temple of Time (Which seemingly looked like a church), all that jazz. Then I wondered if playing Video Games (specifically RPGs) with a Fictional Religion was wrong. Does it offend Catholicism ? I can’t play a single session without that question popping in my head.Same goes for all the other games I play like Final Fantasy or Pokemon(I think it has a religion). I need help! What do you guys think about Religions in Video Games? Are they bad? or are they nothing to worry about?

NOTE: No, I have not felt like I’m being dragged away from God. Nor do I let gaming affect my daily obligations such as church, homework etc.
Click to expand...
RPG’s ???- Rocket Propelled Grenades??
 
Razanir said:
Actually, unless you read The Silmarillion, the only mention of religion I can think of in Lord of the Rings is Elbereth
Click to expand...
The Silmarillion?? Never heard of it 🤷

Is it like the Twilight COmpanion?? or somethin like that?
 
One last thing, I have 2 questions.

1st: Why do some Catholics/Christians think that Pokemon (Big part of my childhood) is evil or bad in a way? I simply don’t get it? 🤷

2nd: Does Pokemon HAVE a religion? Been curious ever since 😊
 
Antonio_022 said:
One last thing, I have 2 questions.

1st: Why do some Catholics/Christians think that Pokemon (Big part of my childhood) is evil or bad in a way? I simply don’t get it? 🤷

2nd: Does Pokemon HAVE a religion? Been curious ever since 😊
Click to expand...
I think you’re better off making these questions into a different thread but… I’ll bite.
  1. Whoever told you such things are from the fringe. They represent neither Church teaching or mainstream Christianity.
  2. There are hints but for the most part, these are simply plot devices (usually for the movies).
 
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