About gta: vice city

H

Humanoid-X

Guest
I want peoples' opinion... Is it bad to play Grand Theft Auto: Vice City for the PlayStation 2 and have no conviction about its content? My bro. in law is a PK, a Christian, and he loves the game. I also have it and play it sometimes...but I'm not addicted to it. I mostly like seeing how many stars I can build up while trying to run away from the police in the game. Another Christian friend of mine will play it with me (or watch) and we'll laugh about all the stupid stuff that goes on in the game.

Yet, another Christian friend of mine played it for a while and thought it was funny, and then he decided to boycott it because he felt convicted. Am I being desensitized to the game's content? Should I feel guilt for enjoying the game? I'm old enough and mature enough to distinguish a game from reality, and have no desire to steal cars or mow over gang members with an uzi in real life. I've been playing video games for over 25 years. I know a lot of people on here play online games with guns and blood and guts as well. What do you all think of this? Is it wrong?
 
i'm not going to tell you where to draw your line but as a Christian it's good to draw a line and stand behind. If you don't feel right playing it, don't!
I won't bother with it for the violence, prostitution, stealing. There's nothing morally redeeming about that game. Wasn't it banned by some countries?

I personally wouldn't feel right playing it. but I'll leave that for you to decide. A strick rule of thumb is would you let your kid play it? If not, why are you?

I have yet to abide by that rule wholly, but I do turn off swearing and gore when possible. I refuse to play games with occult symbols. That's my line.
 
I don't personally like the game. I don't like stuff where you've only got third person views for one thing, but as for morality...bah. They couldn't come up with a better story? Pretty sad when you have to look to the lowest scum of our culture for the idea of a game.
 
Humanoid-X Posted on Jan. 12 2003,5:14
[b said:
Quote[/b] ]I want peoples' opinion... Is it bad to play Grand Theft Auto: Vice City for the PlayStation 2 and have no conviction about its content?

A good question and I agree with CCGR.Where do you draw the line? I've never played GTA:VC or any other GTA title, but from the little I've heard, it is not a game that I would play.It would bother me sitting there ,messing with prostitutes and everything else that's done and allowed,if my mom or sister walked past(even if they didn't); but more importantly how would I feel fine playing GTA(or a game like that)with Jesus sitting next to me? Don't think so.

                                    Alien2385
 
Okay, I see your point. Where do I draw the line? When it stops looking fake. Texture mapped or not, I can tell the graphics are sprites. I haven't seen anything with prostitutes yet in the game. So far it's been violence up and down. Yes, scantilly clad women are around, etc. But you can't do anything with them, so I don't know where you got that information. Would I play the game with Jesus sitting next to me? No, but I wouldn't play Quake 3 either. Turning off gore settings or not, you're still shooting someone else, albiet not in real life. It's still a bunch of dots that look pretty. If anyone is old enough to remember the old Atari 2600, you were shooting pixel people in some games too, but it didn't affect too many people's moral standards because they were comprised of like 5 of the same color pixels. Now it's millions and it looks more like people, but it's still fake and a game to me. Another line I do draw is Satanic rituals in games. I don't like that. Well, once that conviction does come in this game or another one, that's when I'll boycott it myself. Thanks for the input.
 
Can I just say how WHACKED the world is, when people consider it worse to have sex with a prostitute than to shoot someone through the head for kicks.

<mutter> <mutter> <mutter>


Eon
 
I agree with Eon, but I g2 tell ya.. I own both GTA3 and GTA:VC... I personally dont see anything wrong with a game, mostly because, TO ME atleast, it all comes down to this: A game, is a game, is a game. It's all about how you handle something, your maturity level and if you are inclined to follow in the footsteps of the hero(which might I add is a really twisted version of a hero in those games). I play them cause they are fun and challenging. Personally, I find it boring to go and pick up a hooker in a car, go around shooting old people, etc... but it is a fun game and as of now I dont regret buying it.. not until they cross the line and degrade God or Jesus Christ will I not buy that game, and even Diablo doesn't do that.
 
and to add to what was said before; I wouldn't feel anywhere close to confortable doin anything but reading the bible or playing some sport outside with Jesus because of all the coruption in the world today via games, tv, and movies. That's jus my input though...
 
Maybe this is a good place to post my thing.. This was made by the ToJ council for people who asked why christians could play counter-strike....

[b said:
Quote[/b] ]Should christians play games with killing?

As christians it is our main objective to do all things for the glory of god (1 corinthians 10:31). So in this whatever we do we should aim to fulfill the purpose of God which is to go into the world and tell everyone about him and the Gospel (mark 16:15).

The purpose of the Tribe of Judah is to represent Christ in the gaming arena. It says in the bible we should be all things to all people if it will save a mans soul (1 corinthians 9:22).
People have an outdated idea of what a christian is. Jesus himself went among the outcasts and the sick so he could help and teach them. For how can you teach someone who already knows what you know. The tribe of Judah aim to reach people who would not necessarily otherwise be reached with the Truth of Jesus Christ.

As for justifying the killing in a game like Counter-Strike. This is not something you can question in us. You are not greater than God and each persons heart is his own matter. It's a matter of personal prefernce as to the appropriateness of these games and their relation to the individual Christian, and as such is a matter left between that individual and God. We as christians are in relationship with God and so are under his guidance. If there is a problem with something we are doing we trust that his Holy Spirit will indicate it to us (2 timothy 1:14).

So in conclusion. It is not up tu anyone but the person in question whether they should play any of these games as a christian. But if the motive is pure and one to do all for God's glory and praise, then there should be no problem. This is not to say that one could go into a strip club under the pretense of wanting to help the people there, though if God told them to then they would be prepared for it. It all boils down to the fact that it is a matter of the heart and not someones opinion of what a christian should be.

So basically what you play is between you and God. I played GTA3 and when i had completed it decided i wouldnt play it again because of the seedy content. I dotn really have a line, i just measure each game as i get it with God and trust he will slap me one if its not a good thing (which he did with quake3.. dang i was almost pro at that..lol)

P.S. if anyone has any good bible verses for putting in that text then please email me with them. I didnt have time to route any good ones out.
 
"Can I just say how WHACKED the world is, when people consider it worse to have sex with a prostitute than to shoot someone through the head for kicks."

Having sex with a prostitute is immoral. Shooting someone evil is not.
 
Really? Who made you the final arbiter of who's evil or not? Do you really know what the political aspirations and methods of the terrorists in Counterstrike is? Having sex with a prostitute is, to some people immoral. Personally I feel it feeds a cycle of urban poverty and I don't like the way that the prostitution industry is run in most countries. Hence I don't frequent them myself - any more than I would the product of any industry I felt was exploiting its workers, operating poor quality control and turning out an unsafe product.

But I don't see how you can justify shooting anyone (for any reasons other than clear and present self defence) on moralistic grounds. You've decided it's expedient that they die, and you've judged their impact on your life alive more important than the termination of their life.


Eon
 
I thought GTA3 was fun for a bit, and then I got bored. I love to play that game, though. It is thrilling to be able to commit crimes and get away with it. It gives me a sense of fun. I don't know why but I just get a charge out of playing it.
As for evil and what-not, Eon: God gave us the outline on what's evil and what's not. Seriously, since the Law had prostitutes stoned in the day, don't you think He would still be set against it? This game definitely isn't edifying God, for sure.
But then, neither is Counterstrike. ANd I find that game a lot more fun./
 
Back
Top