Would God mind me playing video games like Grand theft auto 5?

reply to post by shells4u


Getting through the bible alone would be taking up all my time anyway, which is most likely a good thing, looks like an amazing read!

reply to post by bigman88


no not at all, I have no standards

I have just seen threads closed for less, and have been censored by ats for less. I thought for sure they would have jumped all over it. But the mods are probably too busy with all the syria threads, to worry about this one. looks like one got by, its a good day

Oh my!...No...He/She is watching you, and only you...quit the thumb-wiggling!...don't you know it will reverse your opposable thumbs and turn you back into a simian beast!...satan is in these games!...they are made by satans minions for satans little helpers! (it's not just santa that needs helpers)...you should start wearing a hessian shirt and thigh-prick, and doofing yourself over the head with a crucifix...this will stop you going to hell, for sure...



Å99

reply to post by bigman88

I guess Little Big Planet would be your game of choice then!

That is in-game content creation, which is not what I do.

Have you worked on anything major so far?

I think it is "major", the flight simulation program, X-Plane. It is also categorized as a video game though some users get offended if you call it that.
I make scenery objects using SketchUp 7 and run an extension when it is done, to convert it to a x-plane object file. Users who make their own scenery can then upload them to the x-plane forum so other users can download them and put them into their own version they have on their computer.
I think my best project, and what I am especially proud of because of the work put into it, is the Sow and Pigs Reef marker buoy off Cuttyhunk Island, Massachusetts.

Here is a close-up shot of part of it where you can see how fine the detail is, all the way down to the finest that the 3D editing program I was using is able to go to. It resulted in the largest file size of any object I ever made, including the Verrazano Bridge at the narrows between Queens and Staten Island.

So, to be on-topic, it took up a lot of my time and it is sometimes difficult for me to justify it. The particular "justification" for the model I am using as an example, is that this would have been one of the last things that JFK jr. would have seen before his plane hit the water as he was preparing to land on Martha's Vineyard.
The point being that what I make is representations of actual things in the real world, which to me gives them particular value, such as my model of Liberty Island in NY harbor with the Statue of Liberty, and the Empire State building, which is an iconic building for some people, so other people can get enjoyment from these things rather than just myself, but of course only if they are using that flight simulation program..
It's time burnt up that I maybe could be better using doing something like studying the Bible.

reply to post by bigman88


It is good that you are trying to abstain from certain physical activities. This shows that you have some control over your physical body's wants. This also shows that you have some control over your ego. Because the ego will always tempt you to eat more, watch more movies, play more video games, have more sex, and just overindulge as much as possible. People love their ego and pretty much listen to its commands instead of trying to listen to their Higher Self (God, Father).

As for your question, everything in moderation is just fine. Strive for the middle way. Keep it simple, never overdo anything, and you will be on the right path. The things of the ego such as Grand Theft Auto video game is ok as well. But if it affects your mind in some way, such as having thoughts and visualizing that you go out and steal a car and kill people. Then, you must stop playing the game. Anything in life that affects your mind, stop doing it. Because if you don't, your mind will go unbalanced. Trying to balance it after that is difficult. Temptations are everywhere and at all moments in life. It is a struggle at first, but after mastering your mind, you will overcome everything without hardly trying. Let me remind you that the Kingdom of Heaven is within you. Focus on your inner wisdom and that small, soft voice, teaching the reflection of you, which is God.

Former occult practitioner Curtis "Earthquake" Kelley discusses the harmful influence of violent video games...


YouTube Search - Christian Violent Video Games

Below is a list of ways that a person can open the door to demonic influences in their life....

Notice at the bottom that violent video games is also mentioned.

I personally know from my own experience that these following things caused me to become demon possessed for approximately 15 years. It started with playing around with a Ouija Board when I was about 11-12 years old. Classic Rock and Roll music and heavy metal... this definitely was a GREAT influence on me and brought many demons into my life. Alcohol and drugs... looking back, after I started abusing these things, the demonic activity increased and was taken to a higher level...

Here are some other things that I believe open the door to demons in a person's life...Yoga, Seances, Mediums, Psychics/ Fortune Tellers/ Palm Readers, Astrology/ Horoscopes,Karate (Kempo Tae Kwon do), Horror Books, tarot cards, Meditation, Hypnosis, Sexual immorality with a demon oppressed or possessed person, Violent video games...

Opening the Door to Demons

Originally posted by bigman88

I have that feeling that God will not care for people entertaining themselves by playing something that is simulating violence and mayhem.

But at the same time, if i divide my time carefully, and spend the time i usually mostly spend on videogames in my life, 3 to 5 hours when i have free time, and devote myself to reading the scriptures,and keeping God in mind and spirit, and letting the games occupy my mind, will he mind?

I guess i'm asking if it's possible to progress spiritually while doing these activities?

Unfortunately for you at this time statements like these are signs of your immaturity.You are trying to justify what you know is questionable by "balancing" by what you "think" is good...unfortunately....your plan is doomed to fail.

First .....studying the bible will not bring you in a closer relationship with God.The bible is not God.The scriptures purpose is a testimony OF Yahoshua...God is salvation.It is not the manual of life that you follow like an instructional manual ....doing so is a guaranteed recipe for disaster.

It is very simple and infinity complicated.K.I.S.S......If you listen ..you will hear.It is not an audible "voice" it is a knowing.The scriptures are on a need to know basis.Faith comes by HEARING and hearing by the LIVING word of God.God is not words in a book.

While you are at it I suggest you divorce the thoughts that Jesus is a guy dressed in white robes with long hair and a beard somewhere beyond the stars in heaven spying on you to make sure you still "love him" or ELSE!!. The same with the Father.The Father and Son are ONE.That is the only God there is ....not 3 persons.

The road is wide that leads to the gate of destruction.That is the road everyone must take to destroy what hinders them from enter the Kingdom of God .......it is called ..religion.The valley of the shadow of death we live in is all a dichotomy.Everyone on the wide road thinks they are on the narrow road but the wide road leads to the gate of destruction first..then to the narrow path that leads to the narrow gate that opens into the green pasture field...the Kingdom of God that is within your midst.

No it isn't christ consciousness,higher self, you are God, blah blah,blah...it is exactly what Yahoshua said it was.The kingdom of God COMES without observation it is neither here nor there it is IN your midst.Listen and your ears will be opened and THE seed(the living word of God...not the bible) will be sown in the fertile soil of the green pasture and begin to grow.

Unfortunately religion is the wide road you must experience before you know God.It is the only way it works.Fortunately all the religion in you will be destroyed... that is when you will be...... FREE from bondage(that is the true meaning of forgiveness) and you will KNOW the TRUTH and it will set you free...again fortunately it is God that is doing ALL the work.

You will make it through just as EVERYONE will.I suggest you view your neighbor that way ASAP and hopefully bypass believing the false doctrine of the eternal punishment of hell.That is the one of the most restrictive bondage's of religion and is the hardest to destroy(even though it shouldn't).

All in all .....our time in the realm of the valley of the shadow of death (the 3 dimensional physical realm only) is short.Make the best use of your experiences and listen to the still small voice.... always ....without ceasing.That is the Kingdom of Gods seed growing in your midst.

reply to post by bigman88


It's a lot of reading for one silly little question, I'm not sure if you are serious, If you are 25yrs old, I would think you must know the answer yourself..... GTA's I play them myself often, are just fun silly games, handy to have when it's raining outside... or when god goes on holiday... when the cats away..etc... as a matter of interest, Aren't gods more concerned with your spirit, than what ps3 or xb games you collect.... Really!!! Go get a ps3 before someone goes nuts...

reply to post by bigman88

I am not 'religious' but I spend more time 'spiritual' than the average monk, so I often think about such things and ask my inner-guidance about it. (There's a whole cast of divine characters in there, so it's easier just to say inner-world.)

I was sitting in the movie theatre watching SALT at one point, eating bad popcorn, and I suddenly said:

Is this wrong? Bad? That I'm engaging in this incredibly violent entertainment, eating something bad for my body? Does this harm my spirituality, or separate me from the light? Do I need to avoid this?

And the answer I got plainly right then was:

What matters more is that you “live”. Keep your attention fully in the present, as completely as possible. Let experience come about and come to you, and meet it with interest and integrity.

Well, for whatever it's worth, that's what I was told.

PS the new theme's smilies make grinning seem much less cool now...

reply to post by Rex282


Reading the bible will be a great and epic story but yes that's all it is just a testimony of Jesus. Reading the Bible and knowing every verse from Genesis to Revelations will do nothing for you and will not give you Salvation just as Jesus bodly said. Salvation is worked for, it is a way of life you must strive to live inspite of all the darkness in this world, where you truly can still love God above all and your neighbor as yourself. This love is all about loving service to others, that is the path of the light and the journey towards to God. Traditional religions are built around the literal words of the scriptures not the messages of metaphors it uses, while they have their place to bring people to a basic understanding that there is a higher power, Rex is right is saying that it is only the begining of one's spiritual journey.

While there is no such place as a burning hell inferno, we should know that there definitely are consequences for our actions in this life that go beyond the flesh. What we sow is what we reap and if we've lived a life of selfishness and sin, we can't expect just to be reap the same rewards the righteous recieve.

Originally posted by akushla99
Oh my!...No...He/She is watching you, and only you...quit the thumb-wiggling!...don't you know it will reverse your opposable thumbs and turn you back into a simian beast!...satan is in these games!...they are made by satans minions for satans little helpers! (it's not just santa that needs helpers)...you should start wearing a hessian shirt and thigh-prick, and doofing yourself over the head with a crucifix...this will stop you going to hell, for sure...

Å99

Thank you so much, akushla, you have been helpful in your valuable input...

reply to post by jmdewey60


I think i saw that game on steam. And another train one form the same company.

Shouldn't really have used the word major; those games are usually the shooty, exploding heads type games that everyone likes, but are quite generic and samey samey this generation.

The indie games are often the most creative nowadays, and sometimes not violent. Imagine if those devs had AAA money!

reply to post by ctophil


I have been watching violent movies while my mom and pops would go to bed since i was 5. I have been playing violent videogames at friends and cousins houses since i that age also.

Then or now, i have never felt any pull towards anything i played or watched. Even at the young age of 5, i knew fully full well that this is a movie, this is a game; people doing these things in real life would be ABSOLUTELY horrible.

I'm 25 now, and raised sensibly; the possibility of me starting a gunbattle or jacking some person's vehicle because i played GTA 5 is not something that needs to be considered.

I'm just getting other people's opinion on the view God has on spending any amount of time, especially a small amount, on playing videogames like GTA5.

Originally posted by bigman88
reply to post by ctophil

 

I'm just getting other people's opinion on the view God has on spending any amount of time, especially a small amount, on playing videogames like GTA5.

You have absolute free will to do whatever you want in life. If you go out and commit crimes, well that will create lots of karma for you, and to balance the karma would be harder. Does playing violent video games create karma? No. But playing it obsessively does. But then anything that you obsess over creates karma. Karma is only a way for the Universe to balance itself. It is not judgement nor punishment from God. Judgement is only the thought process of the Ego, your lower self.

So what is my answer? God doesn't care and is not affected by what you do, it is your individual experience in life; therefore it is God's experience through you. God doesn't think the way man thinks. The Mind of God is in another league by itself. That's why in my other posts around ATS, I always say put on the Mind of God, not the Mind of Man.

reply to post by bigman88

I think i saw that game on steam.

That's not it.
I just got the new version in the mail today.
It comes on 8 DVD's, then you download occasional small updates.
It's a flight simulation with kind of realistic scenery except the buildings are generic.
Like NYC looks like a city.
You need to put some NYC specific buildings in to make it recognizable.
I need to now reposition the buildings that I already made, to fit right in the new version.
So, right now, I am having to deal with this same question, about time spent with "video games", except it isn't hard to answer in my case because if I don't do this repositioning and modifications, all the other work I did will be kind of a waste.

Originally posted by jmdewey60
reply to post by bigman88

 

I think i saw that game on steam.

That's not it.
I just got the new version in the mail today.
It comes on 8 DVD's, then you download occasional small updates.
It's a flight simulation with kind of realistic scenery except the buildings are generic.
Like NYC looks like a city.
You need to put some NYC specific buildings in to make it recognizable.
I need to now reposition the buildings that I already made, to fit right in the new version.
So, right now, I am having to deal with this same question, about time spent with "video games", except it isn't hard to answer in my case because if I don't do this repositioning and modifications, all the other work I did will be kind of a waste.

edit on 6-9-2013 by jmdewey60 because: (no reason given)

Whoops, sorry, sounded like the one on steam i saw.

The thing is, if it's time being spent creating something that is real life, and not fantasy violence, then i think it's time well spent. It's impressive making something look almost as real or well represented as the things in real life.

From reading your posts it seems you do it as a hobby. Or do you live off of it?

reply to post by bigman88

. . . it seems you do it as a hobby. Or do you live off of it?

hobby, though hypothetically, someone could offer to pay me to make a particular building or something.
I did that once for free, for a teacher in Brooklyn, where he for some reason has a class in flight simulation.
He thought it would interest his students if their school building was in the simulation.

Brooklyn Technical High School.
You can't really see it so well in this shot but it has a sort of fencing material on the roof as a cage so they can play basketball up there.
It also has this big radio antenna (you can kind of see in the in-game screen capture) on the roof so they can do their own radio shows.
If you are using a ground vehicle in the simulation, you can drive inside the building at the receiving dock.

Originally posted by Rex282

Unfortunately for you at this time statements like these are signs of your immaturity.You are trying to justify what you know is questionable by "balancing" by what you "think" is good...unfortunately....your plan is doomed to fail.

First .....studying the bible will not bring you in a closer relationship with God.The bible is not God.The scriptures purpose is a testimony OF Yahoshua...God is salvation.It is not the manual of life that you follow like an instructional manual ....doing so is a guaranteed recipe for disaster.

It is very simple and infinity complicated.K.I.S.S......If you listen ..you will hear.It is not an audible "voice" it is a knowing.The scriptures are on a need to know basis.Faith comes by HEARING and hearing by the LIVING word of God.God is not words in a book.

While you are at it I suggest you divorce the thoughts that Jesus is a guy dressed in white robes with long hair and a beard somewhere beyond the stars in heaven spying on you to make sure you still "love him" or ELSE!!. The same with the Father.The Father and Son are ONE.That is the only God there is ....not 3 persons.

The road is wide that leads to the gate of destruction.That is the road everyone must take to destroy what hinders them from enter the Kingdom of God .......it is called ..religion.The valley of the shadow of death we live in is all a dichotomy.Everyone on the wide road thinks they are on the narrow road but the wide road leads to the gate of destruction first..then to the narrow path that leads to the narrow gate that opens into the green pasture field...the Kingdom of God that is within your midst.

No it isn't christ consciousness,higher self, you are God, blah blah,blah...it is exactly what Yahoshua said it was.The kingdom of God COMES without observation it is neither here nor there it is IN your midst.Listen and your ears will be opened and THE seed(the living word of God...not the bible) will be sown in the fertile soil of the green pasture and begin to grow.

Unfortunately religion is the wide road you must experience before you know God.It is the only way it works.Fortunately all the religion in you will be destroyed... that is when you will be...... FREE from bondage(that is the true meaning of forgiveness) and you will KNOW the TRUTH and it will set you free...again fortunately it is God that is doing ALL the work.

You will make it through just as EVERYONE will.I suggest you view your neighbor that way ASAP and hopefully bypass believing the false doctrine of the eternal punishment of hell.That is the one of the most restrictive bondage's of religion and is the hardest to destroy(even though it shouldn't).

All in all .....our time in the realm of the valley of the shadow of death (the 3 dimensional physical realm only) is short.Make the best use of your experiences and listen to the still small voice.... always ....without ceasing.That is the Kingdom of Gods seed growing in your midst.

edit on 5-9-2013 by Rex282 because: (no reason given)

I appreciate and value this knowledge and lessons that you impart to me regarding faith in God.

Only thing is, you have come up with several assumptions of my level of knowledge and my beliefs regarding this.

I never had the simple view of Jesus being a bearded man in white robes in the sky watching me. I'll go crazy if i think i'm under perpetual surveillance by some bearded man in the sky. I never saw Jesus and God as separate. It was always said that Jesus was God himself in human form on earth. And i believe that.

I never thought that simply studying the bible will automatically bring you closer to God. Many people read this thing yet go do the wrong thing. Studying the bible, understanding, and practicing the lessons and morals within it, and keeping it's teachings, asking God to bless you with clarity understanding, for it is the word of God communicated through man, will bring you closer to God. I never saw God as words in a book.

Christ consciousness, you are God, Higher self? I have read about this new age stuff, and recognize it's slick deception. Never believed in it, never even studied it. Don't know why you think i had this stuff in mind. At all.

I'm not trying to justify anything, yet. I am now trying to get closer to God, and am reevaluating some activities that i had fun doing. One of those things is videogames. Especially the violent ones. It is only entertainment, but it is an activity that does not usefully utilize your time, and it is a videogame that simulates violence for entertainment. I am only asking if while i am working on bettering myself spiritually and mentally, if God would think this violent game distasteful in his view.

You have formed many assumptions on my belief and knowledge of this, when there was nothing much to you can go on to form these assumptions. Granted, i still do have plenty to learn, and more to grow.

Thank's.

Originally posted by jmdewey60
reply to post by bigman88

 

. . . it seems you do it as a hobby. Or do you live off of it?

hobby, though hypothetically, someone could offer to pay me to make a particular building or something.
I did that once for free, for a teacher in Brooklyn, where he for some reason has a class in flight simulation.
He thought it would interest his students if their school building was in the simulation.

Brooklyn Technical High School.
You can't really see it so well in this shot but it has a sort of fencing material on the roof as a cage so they can play basketball up there.
It also has this big radio antenna (you can kind of see in the in-game screen capture) on the roof so they can do their own radio shows.
If you are using a ground vehicle in the simulation, you can drive inside the building at the receiving dock.

edit on 6-9-2013 by jmdewey60 because: (no reason given)

I live in Canarsie, Brooklyn, and my childhood friend up the block from me went to Brooklyn tech.

That looks pretty close to how the school looks from what i remember. Lokks really accurate.

Is there any way to detail the surrounding areas? I always see cities of flat blurs in flight sim games. I played a lot of Ace combat on ps2, and always was disturbed at these vast cities of blurry, flat planes. I'm guessing it's a matter of painstakingly crafting each of the hundreds of individual buildings, which is WORK, and time. Not feasible, i'm assuming.

I'm just thinking that by now, there should be some kind of randomizing or replicating program/tool; you put in a series of shapes, sizes and colors of buildings that represents the city well, and the program models all over the place in different sizes shapes and colors. Then you go in and micro-manage wherever you need to.