well there are two versions of this, one is the supernatural element, which some people like to talk about, like if you play certain games or watch certain movies you might be inviting demons. this ideas really messed me up, I still have certain fears about it, like for example i stopped playing team fortress when in the halloween event they used some kind of mystical font (or at least that is what i understood), so i feared that it could cause trouble, but really now im thinking im over reacting, so if someone reading this could help me, i would be grateful.Games like Dungeons and Dragons, Tekken (well, after the first game at least), and other games like those? Do you think of them as enjoyable fiction or as sinful and/or to be avoided? Really curious about the opinions of my fellow Catholic gamers
well, I dont know about the game, but not recognizing God as the creator to me is just fiction, in fact i preffer sometimes not involving religion, since to me something that can be considered plain fiction, if religion gets involved can become blasphemous. but it is important to teach people to diferenciate fiction from reality, in fiction Magic might be good, and there might be diferent gods. but in reality there is just one God and he does not approve of magic.
This is true, but on the other hand, why does magic still exist then? Reminds me of when the staffs were turned to snakes, moses did it with Gods help, but the other magicians were also able to do it too, while this was likely black magic, it still resulted in the same effect.
Well, as a tabletop RPG gamer, I think it’s fine as long as you consider your actions in the game and act in a way that makes some kind of sense, morally. You don’t have to follow your own ideas perfectly (particularly on the law/chaos axis), but you shouldn’t be doing stuff that’s obviously and inexcusably evil. Not often, anyway, and certainly not as a goal.Games like Dungeons and Dragons, Tekken (well, after the first game at least), and other games like those? Do you think of them as enjoyable fiction or as sinful and/or to be avoided? Really curious about the opinions of my fellow Catholic gamers
Indeed, particularly with respect to the bolded (that was my emphasis). I once had a game that I was running with a paladin (2nd ed AD&D, so definitely Lawful-Good) and a fighter who was Neutral-Good, and they had some fascinating in-game conversations about the correct course of action.Well, as a tabletop RPG gamer, I think it’s fine as long as you consider your actions in the game and act in a way that makes some kind of sense, morally. You don’t have to follow your own ideas perfectly (particularly on the law/chaos axis), but you shouldn’t be doing stuff that’s obviously and inexcusably evil. Not often, anyway, and certainly not as a goal.
I would be totally fine playing as a paladin who kills demons. In fact, my paladin has already had some scrapes with them. I don’t see any issue with that.
I wouldn’t be OK playing as an evil character who made a pact with a demon. Or an evil character who did anything else really evil, without remorse (unless of course I were the DM, and I had to play evil characters to give the good characters a story to play through. Playing a reformed evildoer would be… Interesting, so I won’t count that out, either.). Just because a game mechanic exists for it does not mean it is a good thing to play. Roleplaying is a powerful tool, which is why I prefer to limit my roleplaying to heroic characters.
As far as magic and multiple gods, I just take it as part of the fantasy setting. It’s not real. The gods are just characters that represent certain opinions on morality, instead of just the good/evil law/chaos axes. Like, in Pathfinder (which is what I play), my paladin serves Iomedae, a goddess who values justice for evildoers. Meanwhile, we have a cleric who serves Sarenrae, a goddess who values forgiveness. The conflict between justice and forgiveness can make the plot more interesting, even between two good characters.
Fantasy magic just doesn’t bother me anymore. I mean, divine magic comes from the gods, and arcane magic is naturally occurring. It’s just a thing that exists, and it’s as morally neutral as the impossible powers of superheroes. In that world, it’s just normal. So I guess I’m saying that I think your characters should act in accordance with actual moral law, but with the understanding that the setting is different, ie. magic is not from demons, it’s just an energy that anybody can tap into.
lots of things that happens are not approved by God.
Yes,demons are fallen angels, they wanted all Gods power for their own, they had these powers when they were angels, and strangely, as demons, they STILL have these powers…I dont understand this, God threw them out of heaven as punishment, why would he allow them to retain ANY kind of powers? As Ive said before, does not seem like they are being punished at all. but that is a different thread I guess.
I know a couple Catholics who D&D regularly. It’s not as if one uses real magic, it’s a math equation that functions as a game mechanic. They even asked the local priest and he was fine with it.Games like Dungeons and Dragons, Tekken (well, after the first game at least), and other games like those? Do you think of them as enjoyable fiction or as sinful and/or to be avoided? Really curious about the opinions of my fellow Catholic gamers
I agree wholeheartedly, especially with the whole not playing as a demonic character, that’s why I never use devil characters whenever I play Tekken, and I don’t allow my baby cousin to play as them, either. I prefer the angelic characters like Jun or Angel. They’re overpowered and they fight for GodWell, as a tabletop RPG gamer, I think it’s fine as long as you consider your actions in the game and act in a way that makes some kind of sense, morally. You don’t have to follow your own ideas perfectly (particularly on the law/chaos axis), but you shouldn’t be doing stuff that’s obviously and inexcusably evil. Not often, anyway, and certainly not as a goal.
I would be totally fine playing as a paladin who kills demons. In fact, my paladin has already had some scrapes with them. I don’t see any issue with that.
I wouldn’t be OK playing as an evil character who made a pact with a demon. Or an evil character who did anything else really evil, without remorse (unless of course I were the DM, and I had to play evil characters to give the good characters a story to play through. Playing a reformed evildoer would be… Interesting, so I won’t count that out, either.). Just because a game mechanic exists for it does not mean it is a good thing to play. Roleplaying is a powerful tool, which is why I prefer to limit my roleplaying to heroic characters.
As far as magic and multiple gods, I just take it as part of the fantasy setting. It’s not real. The gods are just characters that represent certain opinions on morality, instead of just the good/evil law/chaos axes. Like, in Pathfinder (which is what I play), my paladin serves Iomedae, a goddess who values justice for evildoers. Meanwhile, we have a cleric who serves Sarenrae, a goddess who values forgiveness. The conflict between justice and forgiveness can make the plot more interesting, even between two good characters.
Fantasy magic just doesn’t bother me anymore. I mean, divine magic comes from the gods, and arcane magic is naturally occurring. It’s just a thing that exists, and it’s as morally neutral as the impossible powers of superheroes. In that world, it’s just normal. So I guess I’m saying that I think your characters should act in accordance with actual moral law, but with the understanding that the setting is different, ie. magic is not from demons, it’s just an energy that anybody can tap into.
This. I think it’s best not to drag God and the Church, Faith, etc through the mud with unnecessary and gimmicky representation of reality in fiction. That still does not follow that I’d approve of blasphemy in games and other media, and outright explicit denial or criticism of God, or immoral depictions, but at the end of the day most of these demons, fairies, monsters, vampires are there as gimmicks. Likewise a game featuring a fighting priest or nun should not be considered something good in itself.
In fiction the use of magic, IMHO, is a gimmick. Instead of using a mechanic or an electronic device, as in traditional historical and sci-fi games, magic is one more way to spice up a game and add detail. Otherwise you’re stuck with weapons/armour/power ups which are only tech driven which can get boring and quite limited.
Depends on context.Games like Dungeons and Dragons, Tekken (well, after the first game at least), and other games like those? Do you think of them as enjoyable fiction or as sinful and/or to be avoided? Really curious about the opinions of my fellow Catholic gamers
I wonder if there is a Japanese anime or game which uses visuals of Emperor Hirohito, Shinto or the Yasukuni Shrine and so forth and associate them with something negative. I bet there isn’t. An anime which deals with Japanese WW2 military human rights abuses?