“X Out The Box?”

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

      I have a question about playing video games and video game violence.  When I am playing video games (like first person shooter games), if I know that it is just a game, that the violence is not really happening, and if I only intend to have fun, not vent anger and enjoy killing people, and if I only play a few hours, not wasting away my whole life doing it, and if I am avoiding games that are known to be deliberate in trying to influence Satanism… would it be a sin to play them?  If one is biblically knowledgeable enough that the video games do not corrupt him or cause him to fall away from God, is it a sin to play video games?

Sincerely,
Game Face

Dear Game Face,

Playing video games is like many other forms of recreation – it is not inherently wrong, but it certainly can become wrong if abused.  War video games come in all shapes and sizes.  Some are ridiculously bloody and violent, others only moderately so.  It isn’t wrong for a Christian to enjoy playing battle-type games any more than it is wrong for boys to play “cops and robbers” in the backyard.  The key to the whole thing is wisdom.  It takes wisdom to decide when a video game has “crossed the line” into dark and disturbing realms.  Video games like Grand Theft Auto (which portrays prostitution, theft, domestic violence, etc.) certainly qualify to be labeled as sinful, but not all video games are of that character.  The key is to make sure that you aren’t filling your mind with evil or dwelling upon ungodliness.  God wants us to contemplate pure things (Php 4:8) and set our minds on heavenly, godly things (Col 3:2).  Examine yourself and your habits to see whether that is the case for you (1 Cor 11:29-31).

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