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Introduction History of Video Games Skyrim Duke Nukem Dead Space 2 Saints Row 3 Mortal Kombat Call of Duty Gears of War 3 Dark Souls Fear 3 Pokemon Battlefield 3 Minecraft Contact GHVG |
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 One of the most common retorts I hear is the ratings system. The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) assigns age-oriented ratings based on the content of video games. It’s a great site for parents, and I’ve used it to check every game I research. The best part is that it sums up all the questionable or inappropriate imagery in a condensed blurb to help the public understand what kind of content a certain video game may have. For instance, Call of Duty is given a “Mature” rating for containing blood, gore, violence, drugs, and foul language. A rating of “Mature” recommends that no one under the age of 17 should play the game. So why aren’t I satisfied with this? Older teens and adults aren’t as sensitive as younger children. They should be able to handle adult concepts like warfare and military service. But the fact is that the entire medium is still targeted towards kids. Video games are an entertainment whose demographic is young teens and children. If Playboy were to produce a coloring book where readers had to draw in pictures of nude women, they could sell it behind the counters of gas stations, but it would still be a child’s product. For as long as video games have existed, violent games such as Call of Duty have been primarily marketed towards and sold to kids. The atrocities at this point go without saying. Call of Duty is a game dedicated to teaching players how to shoot and blow up other players. Bonus points are awarded for killing multiple people and for shooting people in the head. Players are giving dozens of realistic weapons, complete with animations depicting how to load ammunition, sight the gun, and fire. It’s the best training tutorial someone could ever view before taking a trip to a firing range. This is what kids are playing and the rating system does nothing to stop them. 
If Africa, ten year olds are given assault rifles and told to kill people. People in our country drop their jaws and call it terrible. We send our missionaries and our bibles to their people, trying to stop the wars and teach the ways of God. But in this country, we’re giving our children virtual guns and telling them to kill virtual people. Why are we not also appalled by this? Why are we not trying to convert the heathenish children that run around in our own backyards? He who defends God’s word in one situation but not in another is a hypocrite, and when we allow our own children to sin recklessly, we become sinners, ourselves. Where are the games that promote love and kindness? Where are the games that star Champions of God? If I had to create a game that I felt comfortable knowing my boys would play it, I guarantee that it would not resemble Call of Duty the slightest. The biggest problem with Call of Duty is what’s referred to as multiplayer mode. In the following video, the player is not killing empty computer programs, but other, real-life players across the country. Every soldier in the game is controlled by a living, breathing human. The game deliberately tells kids to kill each other. Note how detailed the characters are. Can this still be called a game? 1 Samuel 2:9 It is not by strength that one prevails. When I say that God Hates Video Games, does He hate watching the young men and women of America killing each other in Call of Duty? If we know that the Bible says to love one another, why are we emulating Rambo and terrorists by starting firefights with strangers? Love thy neighbor, don’t hate a stranger. When I watch videos of Call of Duty, all I hear is people swearing at each other; yelling in frustration. I see players throwing grenades and stabbing others in the back. I hear children shouting names. What has happened to the parents of this generation? Children need structure and discipline. When I watch the videos, I hear God’s name taken in vain. Players threaten each other. Oh yes, players threaten rape and bodily harm. Players threaten the family members and loved ones of their opponents. The fact that these are real people makes it all the more disturbing. Humans are influenced by those they associate with and we always hear about good kids who get caught up in a bad crowd. When someone is surrounds by those whose actions are not pure, they tend to perform similar actions. When someone is cursed at and threatened during Call of Duty, they curse and threaten right back. It’s a self-feeding fire, and the only way to escape it is to douse yourself in holy water. In time, the burns will heal. The bad-crowd scenario works in reverse, too. We’ve seen criminals, who after serving their time, joined congregations and discovered what it is like to live in God’s presence. All we need is for people to follow the example of ex-cons and become ex-gamers. Learn to hate God by playing Gears of War |
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Updated 01/07/12
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