"It's Just A"

Ever hear the phrase, "It's just a game!" when you were trying to convince someone that a video game was sin to play?  It's a common phrase.  We use the phrase to justify pretty much anything in our lives we want to participate in:

Harry Potter "So what if there is magic...It's just a book!"
The Golden Compass "So what if the witches kill God...It's just a movie!"
Mario Brothers "So what if one of the characters is a homosexual...It's just a video game!"

The classic line is typically followed by "It can't hurt me!".  But can it?  The Bible time and time again says that if we surround ourselves by righteous individuals and the things of God that our spirit will be strengthened and enriched that we will increase in knowledge, understanding, and wisdom.  Wisdom is very important Biblically, two entire books are dedicated to the subject of knowledge, understanding, and wisdom and every book of the Bible promotes searching for and acquiring all three.  But can things which promote evil harm us?  The Word of God makes it clear that when we hang out with or surround ourselves by unbelievers that we will be corrupted by them.  So, yes...Books, Movies, Video Games, and even unbelievers can harm us just through association...perhaps not physically...but definitely spiritually.  This damage is typically done quite slowly as the devil seeks to corrupt us and cause us to stray from God in slow processes that are too subtle for us to notice and quickly fix.  This is to ensure that if we were to realize how we have become corrupted, that those things corrupting us will have become addictions or attachments in our lives that we can not easily give up...or...will simply refuse to.  Therefore, we begin to use the line "It's just a..." to justify our sins.  But what if it can not harm us?  What if a video game could not cause any harm to us physically or spiritually?  Is it then alright?  The Bible commands us to fear the Lord...then it defines what that means.  The Bible states that to fear the Lord is to hate evil.  What do people typically act like toward the people or things they hate?  They avoid those things and people at all costs...even if it means they have to sacraficing something.  For example, when the Subway in my area changed owners, the new owner more than doubled the prices, added fees for things that use to be free, stopped allowing unlimited free refills, started using cheaper and inferior food supplies, and stopped maintaining the cleanliness of the store.  His actions were equated to something the Bible states God abhors...a thief and a sloth.  He was purposely breaking Subway regulations to make extra money for himself.  I personally hate being cheated out of my money, so how did I respond?  I stopped buying food from that restaraunt even though it meant that anytime I go bowling I can't eat (since when I go bowling his restaraunt is the only one open inside the building and outside food is not allowed to be brought in the bowling alley) and it meant not eating at my favorite restaraunt anymore.  I've seen people refuse to go to award ceremonies being held in their honor because someone they hate was going to be there.  I've seen people stop going to family reunions because of a family member they hate.  Yet, we are commanded to hate evil and when it comes to a book, movie, or video game promoting evil acts...we say..."It's just a game...it's not like its real."  Are we truly hating evil when we are unwilling to sacrafice our fleshly desires to stand along side God in putting such promotions of evil out of our lives?  No...we are not.

What has this phrase brought us to?  At what point does a game stop being just a game?  For years game companies have been putting out witchcraft based games like Zelda, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, World of Warcraft, Dungeons and Dragons, etcetera out and Christians have been playing them under the motto "It's just a game."  But does God hate witchcraft?  Actually...no.  He abhors it.  To abhor something goes far beyond hate.  The words abhor relates to a form of hate that can't be defined in words.  A hate so strong it must be felt to understand and recognize.  If hate can cause someone to avoid something even when it means sacrificing their own desires, pride, greed, or needs...then how much more would God desire us to avoid those things promoting that which He abhors?  But the video game industry saw that its player base was not avoiding witchcraft, and began to use more and more blatant withcraft in its games...then...it went to the next level with games where you work for criminal organizations stealing and committing mild crimes.  Once again, our Christian community began to use the phrase "It's just a game" as we tried to remind them that such things are sin and to entertain evil thougts and enjoy committing evil acts in reality or in fantasy is a sin.  Remember Christ said that whoever lusts after a woman has committed adultery in his heart with her already.  He did NOT say...you can look but don't touch.  After all, it is just a game.  Pornographic movies are not just movies we can watch with lust and enjoy.  Sin is a sin...whether entertained in the mind or through actions.  The Bible states that the wicked THINK evil continually...that they have evil IMAGINATIONS continually.  Video games play on our imaginations, fantasies, and thoughts.  When you play a game where you commit evil acts and you enjoy doing it...you are playing the part of the wicked by having evil imaginations.

But the phrase is not some innocent phrase that has led to us enjoying committing mild crimes and witchcraft...no...the video game industry took itself to the next level with Grand Theft Auto.  The Grand Theft Auto series has been so popular that the newest version Grant Theft Auto IV has cost more money than any other game in the history of the video and computer game industry combined...a whopping $100 million dollars.  What has me worried is not so much the content of the game but the fact that Christians are promoting it.  The website HollywoodJesus.com is a classic so-called Christian site which has promoted many evil movies and games in the past by applying justifications for watching them.  HollywoodJesus.com is actually promoting Grand Theft Auto IV with wild reviews and talking up even its predecessor...Grand Theft Auto III.  A "Christian" on the site raves about its realism and how he can do everything in the game that he can do in real life.  Some things he mentions include stealing, run people over, dealing drugs, and yes...cheating on his girlfriend.  But what else does the game permit players to do?  A nice short list includes:

Stealing cars
Running over pedestrians
Killing Cops
Dealing Drugs
Paying Prostitutes for Sex
Perhaps the Prostitute didn't perform well enough or you just don't like paying for sex...just kill her after the "deed" is done and take your money back

And that's just a short list of the evil acts you can commit in the game.  I wonder, which part of that is so realistic to a Christian?  I haven't done any of those things in my life.  I certainly wouldn't consider it realistic for me to do so.  Which part of this game should be raved about?  Perhaps the best element of the game is what you can not do...

You can not pull out a Bible, preach to those on the street, and save souls for Christ.
You can not spread Chick Tracts around the city for people to read and come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
You can not start up a charity and feed the needy while reading the gospel to them.
You can not smuggle Bibles into countries that kill Christians daily.

Yes, after comparing what one can and can not do in the Grand Theft Auto games...it becomes ever so clear why Christians find it so enjoyable..."It's just a game."  If you don't murder prostitutes after having sex with them so you can take your money back in real life because God forbids you from it...rather than because it is immoral...then Grant Theft Auto gives you the opportunity to live out our evil fantasies.  After all...God won't judge us for what we do in a video game.  There are no moral absolutes in video games...just in real life...or...are there?

Think I'm being paranoid or hateful for condemning these games?  Don't take it too serious..."It's just a blog."