Is Playing Mature Rated Games Alright?

[Denique Coelum]

One of the more insidious problems I've discovered, to my cost, with mature-rated games is that they disguise more subtle evils beneath a brash exterior of violence.

Take Assassin's Creed, for example. I found it very addictive, stunning gaming environment, well-plotted, very well written and scripted. The violence, I somewhat overlooked (and I don't defend that) because it was swords and daggers and not Grand Theft Auto style murdering.

However, as anyone who plays or has played the Assassin's Creed series will've noticed, there's a strong but subtle humanist doctrine interwoven into the narrative. I don't want to be dramatic about it, but it's nothing short of Satanic subliminal messaging.

Although I dearly loved those games because of the amazing graphics and opportunities to explore the 'Holy Land' in the form a realistic virtual representation, I had to give them up.

My point is... if you compromise, like I did, with a little bit of violence, you're likely to let other things into your life which you might not be prepared for. The 'M' label covers a multitude of sins, not all of which will be apparent from the cover of the game-box.

 

[Denique Coelum]

1) You might as well ask how playing Sorry!, or RISK, or Monopoly benefits your walk with the Lord. Playing games, of any kind, are generally neutral - neither benefiting one's christian life nor enhancing it (I actually think taking some time out to play every now and then will enhance one's relationship with most people, including Christ). The question that everyone needs to answer is whether we, as followers of Christ, must spend 100% of our free time doing "religious" things. I don't think it's necessary. The thing is, most people spend no time at all pursuing a relationship with Christ, in which case spending some time during the week playing video games, or any games, is the least of their problems.

Playing video games, or reading books, or any other consumption of worldly media, will fill your mind with thoughts of entertainment, and not of Christ. It's a distraction from what we, as Christians, should be occupied with. Of course, there are legitimate demands on our attention, we have the responsibilities of work and the household, and we have to focus our attention on these.

I spend Lord's Day, Monday nights, Tuesday nights, Wednesday nights, Thursday nights and some Saturdays with my fellow believers in an assembly setting, engaged in the service of God and learning more of His mind.

Yet I still have time to read novels and play video games. And I do, even though my time could be more profitably engaged in reading the Bible or ministry. And I give some time to that too.

I think we should all strive to spend as much time as possible occupied with the Lord and His things. I take that to myself first and foremost, I'm guiltier than anyone of wasting time. I know many retired people are happily engaged with Christ on a daily basis for the vast majority of their day, and I hope to be like them.

 

[Nathan Alterton]

Denique,

Sounds to me like you spend a great deal of your time "profitably engaged" in fellowship and Christian ministry. I don't think for a second that you spending some time during the week a novel or a game and not engaged in even more study is probably hurting you or is evidence of you mismanaging the time God has given you.

Secondly, I am accutely aware of some of the subtle messages sent by games, books, movies. I was highly critical of the second X-Men film because the protagonists were not standing up for anything greater than themselves (I felt it sprung directly from a worldview of might-makes-right) and the highly political story thread that ran through the movie was a directly tangential to and made use of precisely the same spurious arguments as the same-sex marriage proponents do today.

I also enjoyed the Assassins Creed games. The humanist philosophical elements were not that subtle. I will probably check out the third installment when it comes out.

 

[Denique Coelum]

Denique,

Sounds to me like you spend a great deal of your time "profitably engaged" in fellowship and Christian ministry. I don't think for a second that you spending some time during the week a novel or a game and not engaged in even more study is probably hurting you or is evidence of you mismanaging the time God has given you.

Secondly, I am accutely aware of some of the subtle messages sent by games, books, movies. I was highly critical of the second X-Men film because the protagonists were not standing up for anything greater than themselves (I felt it sprung directly from a worldview of might-makes-right) and the highly political story thread that ran through the movie was a directly tangential to and made use of precisely the same spurious arguments as the same-sex marriage proponents do today.

I also enjoyed the Assassins Creed games. The humanist philosophical elements were not that subtle. I will probably check out the third installment when it comes out.

I definitely don't give enough time to the Lord's things, in my own view. But, I suppose the key to the matter is not to be legal. One can't say to someone else, 'You shouldn't spend any time reading worldly books' or 'You should spend x-amount of your waking hours reading the ministry or the Bible'. I suppose it all depends on what you have an appetite for. In my view, the more you consume Spiritual food the more of an appetite you'll have for it, and the same with worldly 'junk food'. Of course, you can't force-feed yourself and set yourself enforced 'reading targets', that would be equally legalistic and unprofitable, but I suppose there's a balance. I personally find that reading the short articles of ministry which were published as pamphlets to be an easy way of getting my appetite up. It's almost like a 'Spiritual snack', reading a short address on a particular subject which is concise and easy to digest, and which is more memorable than ploughing into a lengthy volume of ministry on a variety of subjects.

I entirely agree with you regarding the spurious arguments used in much worldly entertainment. These are the thoughts of man, the old Adam race. Our thoughts should be of Christ, as we're renewed in Him and should be conformed to him in spirit. I often think that the most suitable vessel of God's service would not indulge in any kind of worldly entertainment, this is God's ideal. I think we see this in Daniel (Daniel 1 v 8) refusing to pollute himself with the king's delicate food. Daniel did not take a small sample of what was offered by the king and subsist partially on that and partially on the pure provision, he refused the pollution entirely. This is a testing Scripture, and I think it's put before us as an object and an ideal, our absolute ideal of course being the Lord Jesus.

I walk in fellowship with some very bright Christians who eschew and have no attraction to the entertainments of the world and live contentedly enjoying the bountiful pleasures of Christianity alone. That said, I also walk in fellowship with some very learned and bright Christians who I know to enjoy worldly entertainment, and their ministry and part in the service of God is no less substantial.

I think what we can draw from this is that it's not wise to judge someone on what they indulge in and what they don't, but to judge oneself first, which I try to do, though not often or harshly enough, I'm afraid. I think the less entanglement we have with the fleeting attractions of the flesh, the more ready and able we'll be to serve God. I think it's correct to say that we should all strive to be Daniels and refuse the king's delicate food in its entirety. This may be difficult, but our God will undoubtedly strengthen us in our resolve to sacrifice the things we might hold dear.

 

[pHghost]

You should always find out more about that game and why it got that rating. Is that something that is problematic for you? Will it tempt you? Will it cause you to do things you don't want to do? Judge yourself and your standing in the law of the Lord as well as judging the game. How big a bite can you take before you start choking?

I think that generally speaking a rating imposed by someone else is not necessarily of direct concern, the specifics are what matters and how they relate to you.

As others have noted, related to the questions of Menno, especially question number two, playing games in general doesn't always directly affect how you walk with the Lord. It is the same as going out for a picnic with some friends. It can be innocent fun, but take it too far, and it can become a problem. Discretion is the key.