Should Christians play video games?

[NathanH83]

When I was a kid I was addicted to my Nintendo. I spent most of my time playing Super Mario and Bubsy and whatever other games I rented from Family Video. But my dad didn’t like me playing so much Nintendo. He wanted me to get out and exercise and make friends.

I knew that the Bible says to honor your father and mother, so I kind of felt like the Holy Spirit might be nudging me to get rid of the Nintendo. So some time around 6th or 7th grade I sold the Super Nintendo and used the money to buy a bike. And I’ve never owned a game console since then.

So when I see grown men in the church today with their Playstation and Xbox, playing Nintendo well into their adulthood, and even into their marriage and parenting life, it just seems kind of weird to me. Like, I gave that up in junior high, and they’re still doing it as adults?

I guess it just seems to me that they could be using their computer skills in much more productive ways, and also to further the gospel, like making websites, editing videos, or creating graphic arts or photography, or something more useful.

I’ve been using my computer skills in Photoshop, creating motion graphics and editing videos that defend the Bible. I’m glad I’m not wasting my computer skills and free time on the latest version of Halo, or whatever it is kids play these days.

What do you think? Are video games appropriate for Christian adults? For that matter, are they even appropriate for Christian kids?

 

[Lamb]

I moved this thread to the Christian Advice forum.

I play some games on my computer that are considered video games and the reason for that is because I noticed after a series of major surgeries that my short term memory had been affected. Playing games can help strengthen the brain and it's made a huge change for me.

 

[NathanH83]

I moved this thread to the Christian Advice forum.

I play some games on my computer that are considered video games and the reason for that is because I noticed after a series of major surgeries that my short term memory had been affected. Playing games can help strengthen the brain and it's made a huge change for me.

Well, yea, even my mom plays solitaire on the iMac. Sometimes I play Scrabble or Pool on my phone. But I’m taking about the dedicated consoles that suck you in 5 hours at a time.

 

[Lamb]

Well, yea, even my mom plays solitaire on the iMac. Sometimes I play Scrabble or Pool on my phone. But I’m taking about the dedicated consoles that suck you in 5 hours at a time.

Don't blame the console.

People can play Candy Crush for hours on their phone. Would you blame the phone?

Some people use video games for different reasons. It calms some people, it helps them to focus on something, it distracts from some horrible things going on in their lives right now, it's good entertainment instead of watching porn, etc....

 

[NathanH83]

Don't blame the console.

People can play Candy Crush for hours on their phone. Would you blame the phone?

Some people use video games for different reasons. It calms some people, it helps them to focus on something, it distracts from some horrible things going on in their lives right now, it's good entertainment instead of watching porn, etc....

Wouldn’t it be better to be out socializing, exercising, fellowshipping, doing the Lord’s
work, studying the scriptures, praying, doing something productive?

 

[Lamb]

Wouldn’t it be better to be out socializing, exercising, fellowshipping, doing the Lord’s
work, studying the scriptures, praying, doing something productive?

Is that your call to make to tell people what to do in their free time? How do you know they aren't studying scriptures before bed or upon rising? Or how do you know whether they're praying hard for their loved ones as they try to get their minds off of worrying and playing the games relax them?

You can't lump all people who play video games into one tidy package and condemn them.

 

[NathanH83]

Is that your call to make to tell people what to do in their free time? How do you know they aren't studying scriptures before bed or upon rising? Or how do you know whether they're praying hard for their loved ones as they try to get their minds off of worrying and playing the games relax them?

You can't lump all people who play video games into one tidy package and condemn them.

Should video games play Christian’s?

 

[Lamb]

Should video games play Christian’s?

What?

 

[Upfromtheworld]

It's not automatically a sin but it can easily be a huge distraction from things that are more important...