When I started this site, I wanted to make it a space where people in the community could have discussions. I particularly wanted to make a space where conversations can flow from video games to anime, to back to video games to even religion. Full disclaimer though, I don’t know the answer to this question. So I don’t know if you may be looking for an answer, but I ultimately can’t give that to you. What I can do is hopefully open up some dialogue about the topic and show that there’s a space for these conversations too.

To start off, yes I do identify as a Christian, more like a believer of Christ. I’m not going to get into what that is or what I think about it, as that’s not really necessary for this question. The question that has been posed is “Should Christians play violent video games?” So the first thing we need to do is clarify what constitutes as a violent game? For the sake of this discussion, let’s define “violent games” as anything with a Mature rating and have blood and gore in the description.

The first gaming series that comes to mind would be Mortal Kombat, which is no surprise. This game caused lots of controversy in the 90’s when it was first released. In the game, while it follows the basic rules of good vs. evil, the lines are more blurred. Meaning there are protectors of Earthrealm, and fighters from other worlds. What makes it violent is the way the fighters fight. There could be anything from a spine being ripped from a fighter’s body, to a character being shot in the head.

So why would someone play a game like this? And why would a Christian play a game like this? I really can’t answer this question, as I’m still searching for my own answers. I own Mortal Kombat games and I got the last one that came out. I was excited about the new characters and their new fatalities. But after getting this last game, I was hit with this question. Not from anyone in particular but from my own heart/mind.

So while I wouldn’t necessarily say that this is a moral question, it is definitely a question each Christian should ask themselves. For me now I have to wrestle with what do I get out of playing the game? I still like the different characters and the different powers they have, but do I really care about how the characters die? I have to say not so much anymore. But for anyone who’s not affected by the game, enjoy the graphics, and the story. As much as I am a person who likes to completes games, I just don’t have a desire at the moment. Maybe that’ll change, but right now I’m good on games like Mortal Kombat.

Let me know what you think in the comments. See you tomorrow, peace!

Featured image: by Free-Photos from Pixabay