I am divided on gaming and spirituality...

thinkerseven

thinkerseven

New Member
Hey there guys and gals!
This question is similar to the question about occult, but different enough for me to want to post it separately. I wanted to run this buy you all because I needed to have the input of fellow gamers before I make a decision...
That being said, here is my situation: I have a Christian mentor that I talk to weekly at church, but he is about 60+ years old. The thing with the age is he doesn't think I should be playing video games or anything fantasy and that I should focus on things that are more "Christian" pursuits. For example, instead of reading fantasy, to read Christian books. He suggested that I find new hobbies instead of playing video games.... I respect this man very much but I also know he is from a different generation and doesn't understand the video game thing. That was originally what brought me to CGA- I was looking for a Christian outlook on gaming.
I know in the other post (the one on occult) it says to go as God leads me... but I have a very hard time understanding what God wants to say to me. I just wanted the opnions of my fellow Christian gamers, being a younger generation or one that understands the appeal of gaming.
My wife does not aggree with my mentor on this subject, so naturally I am torn in two. I will be prayerfully considering my options. Thanks ahead of time for your input!
 
Sometimes the best way to a situation when you are clashing with someone is to talk and discuss their reasoning behind it.

God can work in subtle and yet at the same time in very obvious ways, if you feel very guilty about playing a game, take a break and pray about it, spend some time in silence with God, sometimes we get so distracted from Him that he just wants us to take a break and be with Him.

Maybe your mentor feels that the time spent gaming could be used better elsewhere? the best solution is to talk it out with him
 
Hehehehehehehe, dude at first my parents didt like all the gaming i was doing, then they actually noticed that i was being with a christian fellowship and it was really kool for me to do. But also i think they noticed that through the community ive grown as a christian. And i read alot of books, mostly christian fiction, however i'll read a random fantasy book now n then, and as long as i dont scrounge on my bible reading its alright.

the point in all that is: Ive continued to grow as a christian with gaming, and i havent let anything interfere with my christian walk. If gaming is a stumbling block between you and God, then you prolly shouldt play games. but as far as the old guy goes, im guessing ur in your 20's since you have a wife, he thinks that your too old or something and need to grow up. however the average gamer is 32.....
 
First, Welcome to our forums!

I agree with Vibro that you should probably talk further with your mentor to determine better what is motives are. If they are to find an alternate, more productive, use for your time, I must admit I am challanged with that occasionally as well. Your post says that he thinks you should focus less on things fantasy and more on Christian pursuits. I will assume that he is just concerned that the fantasy of games may be a force pulling you away from your Christian beliefs.

Like you said, this is similar to the question about the occult images in game and countless other threads within the CGA forums. Video games are still looked on in a greater part of our society as childish passtime, yet a walk through any game isle at a store will show it evident that games are increasingly being marketed to more mature audiences. The key point, and the similar one to the occult discussion, is whether, as an individual, you can separate yourself mentally from the images in the game and see it as simply a game, or if you become absorbed in what you are doing and seeing. Role playing, for instance, can be a slippery slope and you must always remain on-guard to make sure your Christian beliefs remain in what you do and say.

Assuming you are able to see what you are doing as playing a game only, I see no difference between playing on-line video games with a group of friends (like our Guild Wars Guild) and participating in a public softball league. Both involve social interactions with a group of people you have a choice of (your team or guild) and those you don't (other team and other in-game players). The social aspects of Guild Wars and the members of our guild are a big reason of why I have enjoyed the game for as long as I have. Without them, I'm sure I would have become bored with the content by now. Just make sure, if you are playing on-line, you choose the right group to be a part of.

Single player/off-line video games I see as being simply an interactive format of television. You might discuss this point with your mentor. Discuss his television preferences, if he watches.

Unfortunately, there have been very few attempts at a Christian video games. I hear that a RTS based on the Left Behind series is in the works, but we'll see how the quality of gameplay works out. As for Books and Television, there are a lot more choices in these formats. If you enjoy fantasy books and haven't read them lately, I would suggest re-visiting the Chronicals of Narnia.
 
thinkerseven said:
I know in the other post (the one on occult) it says to go as God leads me... but I have a very hard time understanding what God wants to say to me. I just wanted the opnions of my fellow Christian gamers, being a younger generation or one that understands the appeal of gaming.
My wife does not aggree with my mentor on this subject, so naturally I am torn in two. I will be prayerfully considering my options. Thanks ahead of time for your input!
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One of my old pastors used to always say that any man who ignores or dismisses the feelings of his wife is always making a big mistake. If you came to me and said your wife was uncomfortable with you guys gaming, I'd encourage you to strongly consider the possibility that you shouldn't be doing it. But since your wife instead would be uncomfortable NOT gaming, I hope you'll take into account the possibility that the Holy Spirit is using her to draw your family into the hobby. Might be just because that is the kind of recreation and release she really needs. Might be because God wants you both to be involved with online gaming ministries like this one. Christian mentors are VERY important and I'm glad you have one who you value and respect. But a wise man treasures the counsel of his wife above all others.

Paul
 
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Wow, there have been some really great responses to the OP!

You shall have no other gods before me. - Exodus 20:3 (NIV)
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For me, when I am convicted about playing games, it usually has nothing to do with the subject matter (I'm not saying that doesn't happen, because it has), but how much time I am investing in it and what I am doing with that time. Am I playing it for myself, for pure entertainment value, or am I really being a Christian witness and fellowshipping? This dilemma is a problem with not only games, but anything in this life, from work, to a hobby or collection, you name it, Satan is happy when you are doing anything but God's work.

To be honest, I probably would not be playing Guild Wars if it were not for this guild. Granted, it is a great game, but that aside, the fellowship, the prayers, the bible studies (when I get to attend), and the opportunity to witness to thousands of non-believers has truly been a blessing.
 
The posts so far have pretty much covered what I would have said.

Idolatry can take many forms, and the key is to make sure you aren't letting gaming (or any form of entertainment) get in the way of your walk with God.

To me, gaming is just another form of entertainment - I'd rather play games than watch a movie or television. While there is a lot of inappropriate material you can encounter in games (as in other forms of entertainment), I don't believe gaming itself is inappropriate. If I ever felt convicted about it, though, I'd set it aside.
 
I've had to struggle with the mainline view of gaming, as has Paul. So many of the older generation see video games as a childish hobby...but many of them see nothing wrong with Monopoly, Risk, or even poker! Our own mothers are a good example of this. Paul's mom thinks our gaming is childish; my mom thinks it's cool--we even had her playing the Sims! (Until her character died from the dreaded guinea pig disease... :( )

In general, I think it's hard for many in the older generation to relate to the electronic world. We grew up with computers; to us, they're a tool, a medium, and also an integral part of our lives. To them, they are merely a necessity; they just can't relate to a recreational use of them.

And as for the books, I agree that it's important to study to enhance our Christian walk. But explicitly Christian books don't have to be all you read. How would he feel about your reading the classics? If Twain and Shakespeare would be okay, why not Tolkien, Niven, Wells, and Lewis? (Just a few of the more classical-ish scifi/fantasy authors.) And if classical literature is okay, why not modern?

As I read over my post, I think the root of this problem may actually be a dislike of the scifi/fantasy genre. If you can express that scifi and fantasy are merely a "skin" for representing ideas, you may be better able to communicate with him.

Scifi and fantasy are full of "good vs. evil" themes; most good scifi/fantasy makes you think about right and wrong, good and evil, all those deeper issues. For instance, I'm "reading" Eragon (unabridged audiobook) right now. It's not a Christian novel like Lewis or Tolkien wrote, but it deals with the same issues. What do you do when evil is in power? How do you defeat it? What is acceptable?

By the way, if your wife likes scifi, may I recommend "Shivering Worlds", by Kathy Tyers? It's published by Bethany House Publishers. You may find it interesting, too, but it is told from the point of a female protagonist, and many guys may not like it.
 
Not trying to derail the topic too much, but Kathy Tyers is an excellent scifi author. I really enjoyed the "Firebird" series.
 
Shivering Worlds is explicitly Christian; not all of her books are (don't know about the Firebird books, but she wrote some Star Wars novels).

I really enjoyed it, but there is a bit of romance to it (probably less than Princess Bride, to be honest), so some guys may not like it.
 
Did someone Say Princess Bride?


I am the Dredd Pirate Roberts! There will be no survivors!
 
Thanks

Hey everyone,
Thanks for the responses- I believe I have narrowed it down to what I was having problems with and possibly what my mentor may have been getting at in his own way. What struck me the most was the "Thou shall have no other gods before me" quote. Perhaps I have been gaming too much, or (and the one I think it really is) I haven't been gaming right. I am feeling pretty convicted that I need to game with a different purpose some of the time. Yes, entertainment is good. But I also believe that God wants me to use this as a medium to reach out for Him...
My question now is this: How do I do that? I don't know the first thing about witnessing or evangelizing... What do I do now? Thanks sooooooooo much guys and gals.
 
thinkerseven said:
I am feeling pretty convicted that I need to game with a different purpose some of the time. Yes, entertainment is good. But I also believe that God wants me to use this as a medium to reach out for Him...
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I should probably clarify what I said about entertainment a bit....

Gaming is primarily a source of entertainment, but we have the ability (responsibility would probably be a better choice of words) to reach out to people and introduce them to Christ in anything we do. Sometimes the only exposure to our faith other people have is seeing the example we provide, even in a virtual world like this. Gaming with a Christian group is a way to enjoy a hobby, have the fellowship of other Christians, while at the same time hopefully reaching others we encounter.

Now, for my 2 cents on witnessing....
"Witnessing" seems like such an intimidating word sometimes. If you are living in obedience to God's word, your life is a witness. People will observe the way you live your life and may be curious about what's different. This can open the door to more discussion.

Biblical knowledge is important when you need to defend your beliefs. When I've witnessed to people (IRL and in game), it helps so much to relate your own personal experiences with God. Sometimes witnessing isn't any more complicated than sharing what you have personally experienced in God.
 
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Well, I am no expert at this, but I think everyone has their own style of witnessing online, just as they would in real life. I have not yet had the privelege to lead any one to Christ yet, and I am praying that will happen someday, and I have to remember that salvation comes not from my own skills, words, apologetics, techniques, or what have you, but by the power of Christ and the conviction of the Holy Spirit. We can only plant the seeds, it's God who makes them grow.

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect - 1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)
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I am attempting to witness in Guild Wars by example, hoping that others would see Christ through my words and actions. I'm also attempting to make curious Bible based character names, such as "Every Tongue" and "Every Knee" from Romans 14:11, so that maybe someone would ask me what my characters names mean, giving me a chance to witness.

When I first started playing Guild Wars, I was really afraid of joining any PUG's (pick up groups of random strangers), mostly because I am an introverted person, I only really open up once I get to know someone. A major reason that I joined SoE was so that I could play the game and be away from all the cursing and vulgarity of the online community. But lately I have come to the understanding that I need to better balance my own entertainment, fellowshipping with guildies, and witnessing better. I realized that to do any real witnessing, I need to join more PuG's to be effective. In Matthew 9:12, Jesus says "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick."
 
azuresun said:
When I first started playing Guild Wars, I was really afraid of joining any PUG's (pick up groups of random strangers), mostly because I am an introverted person, I only really open up once I get to know someone. A major reason that I joined SoE was so that I could play the game and be away from all the cursing and vulgarity of the online community. But lately I have come to the understanding that I need to better balance my own entertainment, fellowshipping with guildies, and witnessing better. I realized that to do any real witnessing, I need to join more PuG's to be effective.
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I am like this too- introverted, shy, etc. I completely agree with what you are saying here azuresun. Is anyone else like this as well? I like your idea of naming characters after unique Bible things- that is definitely one way to get people in to a conversation. When I used to play Final Fantasy, I would use macros that said something biblical when doing an action and that is how I started conversations. I don't know how I should postion myself in GW... I know it is the Lord's doing that brings someone to know Him and that we don't know Him unless He calls us first. Still, we have to make ready to be called and I guess I would like some ideas if anyone has any to share. BTW thanks for the welcome all :) I really appreciate it.
 
I'm sort of... I don't know, actually. No one's ever told me about what I am, so... ;) I mean, I wouldn't think twice about joining a PUG (after I knew the game a bit better) because it's all people behind the mask of muscular pixels. However, if you said 'Hey we're having a party in the living room' and brought me there and it was all people I didn't know, than I would kinda be awkward.

Just remember, your ACTIONS speak louder than your WORDS. this might be harder to accomplish in a video game, but it's truth remains the same.
 
I absolutely HATE PUGs, unless I actually know someone else in the group. See, I type like a girl, so a lot of people figure out I'm female. Which has led to some very uncomfortable missions...
 
MaidMirawyn said:
See, I type like a girl
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Could you please elaborate on that? I mean, how does one type like a girl? Does that mean that you use proper grammar and real words and not things such as n00b or l33t or pwn?
 
I generally avoid PUGs as well - I've come across too many people who take games far too seriously, and it doesn't mesh well with how laid-back I am about gaming. I either group with guild members and friends outside the guild, or hire henchmen.

This is the first time I've ever seen someone refer to "typing like a girl". Oddly enough, it makes sense to me. Grammar is probably part of it, but women just communicate differently than men (in general).
 
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