Is playing Gta ect a sin

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Swagdaddy

Guest
#1
#1
So I understand that doing things and not spending enough time with God is a sin. However my question is is that playing games like gta,cod ect a sin I know that these games can change type mind and turn you away from being Catholic I can see my friends downturn but I'm guessing I'm asking is it a mortal sin I know I'd never because I'm a catholic go and kill someone,have sex without being married or rob banks ect I know that's a sin but I guess lie I said I'm asking is it a mortal sin to play games like these I play these when I'm bored and don't have things to do if never say I just on and think about killing of hurting people please give me some insite I'm confused
 
Jimbone

Jimbone

Senior Member
#2
Aug 22, 2014
2,968
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#2
Swagdaddy said:
So I understand that doing things and not spending enough time with God is a sin. However my question is is that playing games like gta,cod ect a sin I know that these games can change type mind and turn you away from being Catholic I can see my friends downturn but I'm guessing I'm asking is it a mortal sin I know I'd never because I'm a catholic go and kill someone,have sex without being married or rob banks ect I know that's a sin but I guess lie I said I'm asking is it a mortal sin to play games like these I play these when I'm bored and don't have things to do if never say I just on and think about killing of hurting people please give me some insite I'm confused
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I know that GTA 5 was what I was playing at the time of my regeneration and the first time I tried to turn it back on all I could think about was "would God really approve of the things here I am filling my head with. Well that and what my 2 boys were doing and if it was possible I could spend this time doing something more important.

What I felt and what the Spirit led me to do was very personal and I'm not out on the streets or on these threads saying "all games are the devil, and every one should share my view", but I can't see anything really good of filling our minds with that stuff. We should strive to be closer to God and follow where He leads us, I could tell you "yes, you shouldn't play GTA", but without His Spirit leading you it would only be a battle between you and the flesh. This is really between you and God, but what I can share is that for about 27 years of my life I LOVED games, I mean now I see I did to the point of idolatry, but overnight (after regeneration) the Spirit empowered me to put them down and I haven't touched them in 2 1/2 years now. I do want to STRESS that it was only by His power I was able to do so, and it was not "me" deciding to and being "strong enough" myself. I also don't try to imply that everyone in Christ will be led the same way, but that's my testimony and experience with this issue.
 
C

crosstweed

Guest
#3
#3
Jimbone said:
I know that GTA 5 was what I was playing at the time of my regeneration and the first time I tried to turn it back on all I could think about was "would God really approve of the things here I am filling my head with. Well that and what my 2 boys were doing and if it was possible I could spend this time doing something more important.

What I felt and what the Spirit led me to do was very personal and I'm not out on the streets or on these threads saying "all games are the devil, and every one should share my view", but I can't see anything really good of filling our minds with that stuff. We should strive to be closer to God and follow where He leads us, I could tell you "yes, you shouldn't play GTA", but without His Spirit leading you it would only be a battle between you and the flesh. This is really between you and God, but what I can share is that for about 27 years of my life I LOVED games, I mean now I see I did to the point of idolatry, but overnight (after regeneration) the Spirit empowered me to put them down and I haven't touched them in 2 1/2 years now. I do want to STRESS that it was only by His power I was able to do so, and it was not "me" deciding to and being "strong enough" myself. I also don't try to imply that everyone in Christ will be led the same way, but that's my testimony and experience with this issue.
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Similar experience with RPGs.
 
H

Hellooo

Guest
#4
#4
There's something about stealing cars and killing prostitutes that doesn't sound. ..edifying
 
J

James4redemption

Guest
#5
#5
Jimbone said:
I know that GTA 5 was what I was playing at the time of my regeneration and the first time I tried to turn it back on all I could think about was "would God really approve of the things here I am filling my head with. Well that and what my 2 boys were doing and if it was possible I could spend this time doing something more important.

What I felt and what the Spirit led me to do was very personal and I'm not out on the streets or on these threads saying "all games are the devil, and every one should share my view", but I can't see anything really good of filling our minds with that stuff. We should strive to be closer to God and follow where He leads us, I could tell you "yes, you shouldn't play GTA", but without His Spirit leading you it would only be a battle between you and the flesh. This is really between you and God, but what I can share is that for about 27 years of my life I LOVED games, I mean now I see I did to the point of idolatry, but overnight (after regeneration) the Spirit empowered me to put them down and I haven't touched them in 2 1/2 years now. I do want to STRESS that it was only by His power I was able to do so, and it was not "me" deciding to and being "strong enough" myself. I also don't try to imply that everyone in Christ will be led the same way, but that's my testimony and experience with this issue.
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I know exactly where you're coming from man. I love competition in general and have to fight just to keep my hands off my Xbox now, to get online and bang heads lol. No but seriously, it's a struggle to stay away cause I mean I could be playing for hours online against other people. It's weird though, because it feels innocent but when I play kids and people my age and hear them cursing over the mic like they're legitimately angry after a match, getting hate mail in messages, spouting racial slurs at certain people, and this is all over something that seems innocent....I don't know, just after becoming a new believer I can see what kind of effects it has on certain minds. How they react, it's not normal.
 
Jimbone

Jimbone

Senior Member
#6
Aug 22, 2014
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James4redemption said:
I know exactly where you're coming from man. I love competition in general and have to fight just to keep my hands off my Xbox now, to get online and bang heads lol. No but seriously, it's a struggle to stay away cause I mean I could be playing for hours online against other people. It's weird though, because it feels innocent but when I play kids and people my age and hear them cursing over the mic like they're legitimately angry after a match, getting hate mail in messages, spouting racial slurs at certain people, and this is all over something that seems innocent....I don't know, just after becoming a new believer I can see what kind of effects it has on certain minds. How they react, it's not normal.
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I agree man, and honestly the fact I haven't touched a game in more than 2 years is just a super testament of His power. LOL, I loved games my whole life, like WAY too much. I also don't want to give the false impression that I was reborn and then was just like "games are evil, I quit", or anything like that. God just completely rewrote my priorities at the same time He gave me a heart of flesh, and I just no longer saw it as something I wanted to spend my time on. All glory to Him for it, and it literally amazed a lot of people that knew me well.
 
J

James4redemption

Guest
#7
#7
Jimbone said:
I agree man, and honestly the fact I haven't touched a game in more than 2 years is just a super testament of His power. LOL, I loved games my whole life, like WAY too much. I also don't want to give the false impression that I was reborn and then was just like "games are evil, I quit", or anything like that. God just completely rewrote my priorities at the same time He gave me a heart of flesh, and I just no longer saw it as something I wanted to spend my time on. All glory to Him for it, and it literally amazed a lot of people that knew me well.
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I hear you. I was the same way in how much I played and enjoyed it, still feel the urge to be honest. I don't know how long I'm going to be able to hold out but I haven't fired my xbox up since like October. I'm not trying to sound over dramatic or anything either, it's just I kinda got the feeling and confirmation that I shouldn't be spending time doing that, but at the same time I got a legit thirst for it. It sucks, especially since I got more time on my hands at the moment :mad: lol.
 
Lynx

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
#8
Aug 13, 2014
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*Lynx whips out his sniper rifle, crouches, looks through the scope and gets Swagdaddy in the crosshairs... Adjust for drop-over-distance, adjust for wind...

Whoops, sorry. Wrong game. I've been playing STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl and I gravitate toward weapons with a scope. :cool:

First or third person shooters in general, nothing particularly bad about them. It's a game. GTA, well that's a bit different. GTA openly advocates a lot of things christians shouldn't have anything to do with.

Is it a mortal sin? That's the wrong question. If you want to deliberately fill your mind with that trash, go for it. But your life will be better without it, guaranteed. Playing a video game won't send you to hell, but you'll have a much easier life as a Christian without it.

"Living for God hard is easy.
Living for God easy is hard."

In other words, being a Christian all the way, doing all you can, makes being a Christian easy. Living on the edge of christianity, doing things you know will bog your spiritual life down, you'll have a much tougher time remaining a Christian.
 
zeroturbulence

zeroturbulence

Senior Member
#9
Aug 2, 2009
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#9
I guess I'll have to go buy GTA and find out! :D
 
Dino246

Dino246

Senior Member
#12
Jun 30, 2015
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Hi Swagdaddy, and welcome to CC!

There are a few passages of scripture I'd like to offer in response to your question:

Matthew 15:19-20a "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what makes a man 'unclean'."

Galatians 5:19-21 "The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like."

2 Corinthians 7:1 "Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God."

Romans 14:23ff "and everything that does not come from faith is sin."

The challenge we have, to which you allude, is that when we fill our hearts and minds with something, it will come out again in our words and actions. I've found that if I spend too much time doing something 'edgy', I subsequently do something sinful. They may seem unrelated, until I ask my heavenly Father about it. More than once He has pointed out a connection between my sin and my involvement in the questionable activity. Fortunately His forgiveness is more abundant than my sin... He's good that way. :)
 
AsifinPassing

AsifinPassing

Senior Member
#13
Jul 13, 2010
3,608
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#13
Well, ladies and gentlemen, I'll teach you what I teach my youth.

Practical definition of sin: 'Anything which seperates or draws you further away from God.

So, in each case of 'is this a sin?', does it draw you closer to or further away from God? There's your answer.
 
JonahLynx

JonahLynx

Senior Member
#18
Dec 28, 2014
1,017
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#18
Yes because that money could have been used to buy Saints Row.
 
Faithwarrior

Faithwarrior

Junior Member
#19
Feb 20, 2015
27
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this is a topic i have really been grappling with for quite some time, trying to find a clear cut black and white answer has proven to be impossible, most people tell me i will know if it's wrong and the fact that you're asking the question may be an indication of the Holy Spirit tugging at your conscience. I don't have much knowledge and can't recite much scripture off the top of my head but what i'm coming to realize is that we all have different stumbling blocks i think. What i need to avoid may not mean everyone else necessarily needs to avoid it, for example, someone struggling with alcoholism should avoid going to bars and attending events with a lot of drinking going on but someone who doesn't drink much or anything at all won't have a problem being at these places, same concept applies to gaming, if we can't moderate game-play time or control our emotions whilst gaming(like myself i tend to get irritated and agitated more and more easily the longer i play and begin getting antsy with other gamers, even some of my real life friends) which is why gaming may be a stumbling block for me inasmuch as alcohol is a stumbling block for an alcoholic. Is it possible for people to play for extended periods of time and not be bothered spiritually or mentally? I'm still not sure but I know I'm not spiritually or mentally mature/sound enough to be able to play without negative effects, 1 piece of scripture always comes to mind for this topic with me;
Matthew 6:22-23, "The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. 23"But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!"
I know this is such a vague answer to your question but trust me they all are, just let the Holy Spirit guide you bro, may God bless you :)​
 
SpySat1

SpySat1

Senior Member
#20
Sep 19, 2009
250
1
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#20
JonahLynx said:
Yes because that money could have been used to buy Saints Row.
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Kinzie.jpg

Kinzie Kensington does say Saints Row is the superior product. (With that said... I still love the illegal street races in GTA Online.) ;)
 
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