The Bible Vs Video Games

[Albion Knight]

The Bible Vs Video Games

Despite what some ignorant politicians and journalists might tell you, video games are fairly bland when it comes to how “adult” their content is. In fact they are usually too bland to emotionally engage and would be far better if they moved a bit in the “adult” direction. This blandness comes partly from their heritage of being seen as children’s entertainment when, in fact, far more adults than children play video games and the median game player is in their late twenties. Another reason for the blandness is the dull censoring hand of the platform holders who are amazingly prudish.


The fact is that established old media have vastly more shocking content than video games. This is an irrefutable fact. And often that shocking content has no age rating and is available to children from birth. Books are a prime example of this. And a prime example of a book that children are encouraged to read is the Bible.


There is a handy website that allows you to search the bible for content. Using this we find that the King James version has “harlot” in it 48 times, “sodomite” 5 times, “fornicator” 5 times, “smite” 133 times, “kill” 208 times and “maim” 7 times. This is shocking, you have to wonder what any right minded parent is doing exposing their children to this stuff.


What we need here is a level playing field. For books, television, video, film and games all to be age rated by the same people using the same criteria. Then the vocal anti gamers would be in for a big shock. Most games would be available much younger and many books would find themselves with an adult rating. Including many classics of literature. And possibly the Bible.

Source

Obviously comparing video games is sensationalist but so is comparing it to crack and hard core porn. In reality there are some games that should be limited to a mature audience. but that doesn't not mean banning them or vilifying them. The problem is that Video games are still seen as games for kids. It will take a couple more generations for the public at large to realize that its another major medium just like Movies TV and Books.

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[XXXREAPERXXX]

Re: The Bible Vs Video Games

+ Rep , good find

 

[Arseface]

Re: The Bible Vs Video Games

I agree with everything in that article. Classifying the Bible as M reccomended for 15+ is a good idea, but the problem with that is that religion is for some reason seen as "untouchable" and to try and censor it (or the Bible, at least) will more than tick off the conservatives fighting for video game "violence" to be cut out.

 

[Tsuyu]

Re: The Bible Vs Video Games

I agree with everything in that article. Classifying the Bible as M reccomended for 15+ is a good idea, but the problem with that is that religion is for some reason seen as "untouchable" and to try and censor it (or the Bible, at least) will more than tick off the conservatives fighting for video game "violence" to be cut out.

There is only one solution - we need to make video gaming into a religion, then we'd file for tax-exempt status and we'd be a real religion for sure.:ninja:

 

[Arseface]

Re: The Bible Vs Video Games

There is only one solution - we need to make video gaming into a religion, then we'd file for tax-exempt status and we'd be a real religion for sure.:ninja:

:O Good Idea. I'm going to steal it:ninja:

 

[Albion Knight]

Re: The Bible Vs Video Games

There is only one solution - we need to make video gaming into a religion, then we'd file for tax-exempt status and we'd be a real religion for sure.:ninja:

That's It!!! :w00t:

 

[Dark Drakan]

Re: The Bible Vs Video Games

There is only one solution - we need to make video gaming into a religion, then we'd file for tax-exempt status and we'd be a real religion for sure.:ninja:

Its genius... :O

 

[Miekkas]

Re: The Bible Vs Video Games

Um as folks know from the Religion thread, I'm usually pretty chill about how people view the Bible, but I think this is going a little too far. Do we really have to attack the Bible now to defend our rights as video gamers? I'm not trying to cause a debate or argument here because that is not the purpose of this thread. I'm just uncomfortable the the idea, but I guess that is understandable considering I am a Christian.

 

[Angel]

Re: The Bible Vs Video Games

It's much harder to "rate" a book than something as visual as a game or TV show anyway. To rate a book, you usually have to read it in full context, understand the various writing styles, realise similes, analogies, metaphors, denotations, connotations etc etc - it would take some considerable thought and comprehension to do this. (Unless it is See Spot Run" or something, but you know what I mean).

It is far easier for those with an axe to grind to see a few trailers or play a demo of a game and decide it should be banned/censored or whatever. A visual aide requires comparatively little imagination to envisage what it happening - a book requires more effort to do this.

Why the Bible has anything to do with this I don't know...why not pick on every religious text while you're at it? Religious texts are in a different league to your mainstream media - I don't really understand the comparison at all. Or am I just dense?

 

[Miekkas]

Re: The Bible Vs Video Games

EDIT: I'll just give my thoughts in the Religion thread

 

[Albion Knight]

Re: The Bible Vs Video Games

I think the point was to draw a comparison in content but to be fair the bible doesn't have any pictures or any animations or sound effects or music or for that matter any AI. Man the Bible sucks as a video game

 

[Angel]

Re: The Bible Vs Video Games

Well the interactive Bible does have animations, sounds and pictures

Never used it though - the space it requires to run would cripple my PC :lol:

 

[Albion Knight]

Re: The Bible Vs Video Games

In regards to the thread about the Bible being as bad as video games in terms of violence, I do think that the adult content of video games and the Bible are the same at all in this context: Do parents and religious schools usually start teaching the adults aspects when the students are little kids? Of course not. They teach the more appropriate aspects like the Golden Rule and go from there. The adult content in a video game however, is much harder to avoid, especially if it is like a bloody and vulgar FPS with no settings to turn off such things. The player is going to have to experience the adult aspects of the game if they want to play the game at all. However, I do agree there should be some careful moderation of the Bible to avoid children from being exposed to certain aspects of the Bible until they are older.

True but those games are Rated M. Also the comparison was to the Bible not to the children religious literature. For those you can compare them to E rated games like Viva Pinata, which is actually does have a bit of sex and violence if you consider pinatas dancing and occasionally whacking leafos with the shovel :devil:

What it sounds like you're saying is that children should NOT be allowed to read the bible directly but should be given age appropriate sub text of the bible. I would have to agree with that. I don't think reading about sodomy to a child is appropriate at all.

The thing is that this is not happening for the most part, But young kids are getting exposed to Mature games. IT really boils back down to the fact that video games are still seen but the public at large as being "for kids" when in fact they have clearly grown beyond that demographic.

 

[Miekkas]

Re: The Bible Vs Video Games

True but those games are Rated M. Also the comparison was to the Bible not to the children religious literature. For those you can compare them to E rated games like Viva Pinata, which is actually does have a bit of sex and violence if you consider pinatas dancing and occasionally whacking leafos with the shovel :devil:

What it sounds like you're saying is that children should NOT be allowed to read the bible directly but should be given age appropriate sub text of the bible. I would have to agree with that. I don't think reading about sodomy to a child is appropriate at all.

The thing is that this is not happening for the most part, But young kids are getting exposed to Mature games. IT really boils back down to the fact that video games are still seen but the public at large as being "for kids" when in fact they have clearly grown beyond that demographic.

It is good to see we are on the same page.^_^ You said exactly what I was trying to say. Teachings from the Bible must be taught appropriately according to age group. To not do so is being an irresponsible parent in my opinion. Under normal circumstances, I don't want to be teaching what rape is to my five year old.

 

[Arseface]

Re: The Bible Vs Video Games

I actually have a couple of Childrens Bibles lying around from when my parents were full on Christians.

 

[Angel]

Re: The Bible Vs Video Games

Jessica has quite a few - including a lift-the-flap bible where you can lift up parts of the Ark, for example, to see the animals. She has a gilt-edged NIV bible which was given to her on her dedication but she doesn't read it.

I for one would be horrified if she came home from church one day and said "mummy guess what? We learned that a man offered his daughter to be gang raped in the Old Testament!" and I'd be looking for a new church too...

 

[Miekkas]

Re: The Bible Vs Video Games

Yes I think that would be a good idea :lol:

 

[Gikoku]

Re: The Bible Vs Video Games

Well, there was that bizarre Bible Game for the PS2. Where if I remember right, if you ate any other fruit in one of the levels that wasn't an Apple, then you were a sinner (it was either that, or the other way around). Really messed up stuff, especially since the game was aimed at little children.

 

[Angel]

Re: The Bible Vs Video Games

There have been quite a few shockingly bad video games based on the bible - make me cringe more than anything. And as far as I know, the "forbidden fruit" was never defined in the bible as an apple...

So far, the only thing I can stomach which is aimed at kids via the medium of TV/CD-Rom is Veggie Tales because it just makes me laugh. Nothing like ridiculous, sarcastic fruit and veg to make the bible a bit more interesting Everything else just makes me want to hide with embarrassment...

 

[Tanro]

Re: The Bible Vs Video Games

I agree with the fact the bible has much worse things in it than you generally see in most video games, or books, movies, television or magazines for that matter.


If you are a Christian and/or easily offended don't read the following

Spoiler

I really hate Christians perhaps more than any other religion. Christians are so two faced. They preach love and tolerance, but they were often times the worst ones. So called Christians were persecuted by the pagan religions. Then the turn around and do the same thing to all other religions. I am fascinated by mythology and one of my favorite religions to study are the Norse sadly little is known about them because the Christians had to march in on their high horse and burn everything in the middle ages.

Another thing religion is basis for about 75% of the worlds problems. People of one sect or religion or cult want to kill people of another etc. And I say the world problems because this stuff is world wide and not limited to a specific goverment, country, region or continent. Religious intolerance is pretty much world wide