Computer Games and Christianity - Book Report/Review Example

 Computer Games and Christianity The assumption of the world in the computer games is various according to their genres, countries of their creation, their plots and the sources that have inspired certain games. Thus, there is a variety of games where one saves the world, by both peaceful and violent ways, but also there are the games that bring up tiny evil lords. The possibility to create games with the nonlinear plot made it possible for people to choose what kind of game (a game of diplomacy and peaceful solutions, a game of war and destruction, a game of random having fun) they want to play (Shepard). It is not only the Dragon Age world, the Mass Effect, the Fable, the Star Wars online - all these games bring the variety of choices in order not only to behave justly but also – to make ones just behavior the matter of the free will. Still, there is the other aspect that is far from being appropriate - a lot of games resemble Walhalla, the Scandinavian paradise of the eternal fight for no proper reason except the fight itself. The worldview described in the games and their moral influence may vary from mostly positive and religiously encouraging up to the totally inappropriate. The religious justification for playing inappropriate games is quite obedient but still straight and somehow corresponds with the method of the free will in nonlinear games. Either one wants to be pure and he decides what type of games to play, and thus creates both the room for fun and does not harm his mind with the unnecessary dirty thoughts like the massive killing of nameless mobs or justification of the inappropriate behavior, or he wants to corrupt his mind and later be ready to face the consequences (What does Scripture teach about playing video games). For example, it is worth mentioning that evil heroes often receive more material profits while good ones are prone to have the acceptance and the assistance of people, that also may serve an example of the common state of things. Still playing computer games is basically not bad. It is just another way of narrating stories, more fluent than films and books separately are, as it allows not only to embrace the world but also to influence it. Playing encourages people to use their free will and accept the fact that each step can greatly influence the future and each word can in the end up saving their lives by means of finding the loyal allies. It is the lesson each of people should learn in his life. The games this way can be called a toy-purgatory where one may sincerely uncover his motives and gain the Heaven or Hell according to his behavior. The more practical among the positive aspects of online gaming is cooperation with people through the world disregarding the cultural differences. Moreover, games encourage people to be considerate, calculative, attentive, rapid (The Positive and Negative Effects of Video Games); to unite and, among other things, to entrust their lives into the hands of each other – it is a valuable lesson that probably each needs to experience, and it would be better when under safe conditions. There is also the negative side of the issue, called the game addiction. Inability to control own will while trying to receive virtual profits can result in losing an immense part of the real life. Games can make it difficult to spend one’s time appropriately while he is overwhelmed with experiencing the features of the certain virtual world (Video Game Addiction Symptoms, Causes, and Effects). The computer games influence the development of computers as they are and the profit of this development is used in the variety of aspects, for example, in medicine (Atkinson). It is worth mentioning the flight simulation, surgery simulation, movement simulation in the artificially created location by means of using own body as a keypad as possible ways of practicing skills, inspired by computer games. It can be summarized that the interaction between Christian virtues, a way of life and the computer games are rather stable. In the informational aspects the games are no more influencing than any other source of information is, moreover, they can be basically used in order to teach people such virtues as the responsibility for own actions, correlation between the act and the consequences on the larger scale, possibility to use the free will for good aims, understanding of teamwork as the concept of loving the people beside each other. Computer games also teach mercy and forgiveness, as literally, no one can predict when the internet would collapse and all the team would lose – thanks to the one who has turned out to be offline. And to the one that will still remain the ally and a friend, despite being faulted. Games also influence the evolution of the certain reflexes of the human body and brain that also can cause no harm to the Christian. Games, in the end, influence the progress and this fact end up in saving dozens of life. Still, there are aspects that are unacceptable from the religious point of view. The first one is harming one’s conscience with the inappropriate information that may end up in spoiling the personality and accepting the morbid behavior and beliefs. The second is the game addiction that may correspond to the sin of sloth as a person literally does nothing efficient and spends her life for no good. Thus the assumption of the world depends on the type of the game and its plot. Video games create the possibility for cross-cultural exchange, scientific progress, and self-improvement. At the same time games create the moral issues in both spiritual (receiving inappropriate beliefs) and in material (wasting time in an inappropriate way) level and make it difficult to recognize between good and inappropriate. Online games are directly bound with the different cultural aspects of both real life, films, books, in each of the life spheres and this is their main cultural aspect, as a binding matter between both cultures, religions styles and people around the world. References Shepard, M. Interactive Storytelling - Narrative Techniques and Methods in Video Games: Linear and Non-Linear. Retrieved November 18, 2015, from http://scalar.usc.edu/works/interactive-storytelling-narrative-techniques-and-methods-in-video-games/linear-and-non-linear. What does Scripture teach about playing video games? (2013). Retrieved from http://lavistachurchofchrist.org/LVanswers/2008/04-26.html. The Positive and Negative Effects of Video Games. (2015, August 9). Retrieved November 18, 2015, from http://www.raisesmartkid.com/3-to-6-years-old/4-articles/34-the-good-and-bad-effects-of-video-games. Video Game Addiction Symptoms, Causes, and Effects. Retrieved November 18, 2015, from http://www.psychguides.com/guides/video-game-addiction-symptoms-causes-and-effects/ Atkinson, D. MEDICAL IMAGING BENEFITS FROM COMPUTER GAMES. Retrieved November 18, 2015, from http://www.hector.ac.uk/research/documents/atkinson_medical_imaging.pdf Read More