So if Halo is rated "M"......

[Pastor Rich]

I think you have to consider content into this as well. The content that makes Halo rated M compared to the content that makes GTA rated M. BIG DIFFERENCE

The same applies with the Passion of the Christ and Basic Instinct. The content makes all the difference.

By the same standards that make H3 rated M and the Passion of the Christ rated R.... The Bible would have to be rated NC-17 at the very least and potentially worse. Content and context matter.

I also like and agree with what Ed said concerning the gluttony aspect. Good Word.

[Ed_]

I agree that you have to consider the content as well, that's why I posted those particular games/movies. The content is very different between 'M' rated games and 'R' rated movies. However, as bad as people think GTA IV is, there are some depraved people that appear to play Halo for a wrong reason (see #10).

I also agree that the Bible would be NC-17, no maybe make it NC-21 with respect to movie rating and 'AO' for games. It's full of things that rival any graphic game or movie. Yet, within the Bible there's a message of Love where as within Basic Instinct there's a message of lust.

[The Frenetic]

If the kid buys it without parental permission and plays it against their will, then yeah, it's a sin.

If the kid has parental permission and consent to play, then why would it be a sin?

A lot of people believe that videogames such as Halo, and Counter-Strike and Doom, are responsible for incidents such as Colombine and the Virginia Tech shooting. Well, the first thing is that those poor souls are pushed to that mostly because they are being shunned. Besides basic physiological needs, the need to be accepted is a powerful human need, and lack of it hurts us greatly. The fact that they played videogames had nothing to do with it. Dylan Kebold could have been a professional cellist, and he would have reacted in a similar manner. MLG makes people under 18 sign a parental consent form (which, obviously, requires parental signature to be valid) and like NFG said, he does a similar thing.

There is already a law that prevents people who are under 17 from buying an M rated game. This is only slightly enforced, and even if it was completely enforced, kids could just have their parents get them the game, or older siblings/relatives.

As for if one game is worse than another, M-rated games are rated that for a reason. You can shoot and kill people in Saint's Row and GTA, and you can shoot people in Halo. You see people being shot all the time on TV. If you've seen Star Wars, you've seen people be shot at, zapped by lightning, and impaled on lightsabers. How is this somehow appropriate when the same actions in Halo are not?

[Tactr]

Anything can be a sin right? So this is a gray area. If it's something I wouldn't play in front of a child, I probly wouldn't let them play it either.

[vVSalvationVv]

Honestly I don't see any gray in this question at all. In my opinion the question has been answered it can be a sin yes... Do I think Halo is fitting for my 9 year old daughter? NO WAY!!! Has anybody listened to the language in the game? I do try to shield my childrens ears as much as possible and to use the words that are used in that game in front of children is wrong. However GTA takes that to a whole new level, GTA is a porn as much as a game and even a grown adult should not play that game. I at one time was a addict to Video games... Almost ruined my marriage in the first year or so, Madden was in control I took days off work just to play for 14, 15 hours my wife would go out and I would stay and play. THAT WAS A SIN. Gaming was running my life, now adays my wife just about has to beg me to sit down and play with her... But you see as already stated video games as well as a lot of sins are heart issues, why do you play it and how does it affect you...

[Freedomdawg GBG]

However GTA takes that to a whole new level, GTA is a porn as much as a game and even a grown adult should not play that game.

You can hate GTA all you want, but to say that is a sin, and a game like Halo is not, doesn't seem fair. There is plenty of killing in Halo. What makes that not a sin in your mind?

[Night Adversary]

It all has to do with your conscious, anything that is a sin in the Bible will hinder your conscious, and then there are things that just bother YOU, but maybe not someone else. If it feels wrong, don't do it. And you can't put it on someone else, something that is wrong in the Bible aka, everyone, yes you can tell someone that it is a sin, but playing a game like GTA, if it doesn't bother that individual then you can't say it's a sin for them.

[Red Baron]

My question is how did this become about Halo/GTA or any game being a sin? This is like saying is a gun a sin. A noun can not be a sin for to sin is to do something, aka a verb. Now are playing these games wrong, I do not think so. If you are unable to control yourself in regards to playing a game, then YOU have an issue. I have said this before and will continue to, anyone who says they have to put a game down because it is destroying their lives needs to do a self examination. It is not the game that causes us to do anything, it is US who cause us to do things.

This is in my mind kind of like what we were discussing in regards to Paul's words in another thread. Paul at times makes it clear that what he is saying is the Lord's commands and at other times his own thoughts. He feels that some things are wrong that are not commands, does that mean they have to be wrong to all people in all situations? I would say no. In the same vain, not everything that someone might think is wrong is sin. There are things that I think are wrong that are not sin. Sin is laid out to us in the law given in the Holy Scriptures. Sin is something that is a universal wrong in the eyes of the Lord. Now can these games lead to a greater tendency to curse, etc for members of the youth? If not properly monitored, taught, and raised, yes. I can say the same thing for having them read some well known and respected literature too.

Those are my 4 cents.

[vVSalvationVv]

However GTA takes that to a whole new level, GTA is a porn as much as a game and even a grown adult should not play that game.

You can hate GTA all you want, but to say that is a sin, and a game like Halo is not, doesn't seem fair. There is plenty of killing in Halo. What makes that not a sin in your mind?

I see and understand your point HOWEVER just sit and look at each game... yes both have killing in them, Halo is humans fighting for their planet against an alien race, there is also the language, and if you really want to get picky cortana isn't dressed very modest...

Now you have GTA, There is killing (hookers, Cops, little old ladies, Dogs, pretty much if it moves on the game you can kill it), next look at the name of the game GRAND THEFT AUTO, the whole game you steal cars, ambulances, motorcycles, ecs... you are incouraged to do things with the thousands of hookers that run the streets. Do I really need to go on???

I really do get your point but just because something has VIDEO GAME infront of it doesn't mean its OK. If you find your kids out back playing army and one little kid acts like they shoot the other little kid no biggy right? I mean we make hero's of our troops (or we should), now turn the tables if your kids are out back and your son takes a wiffle ball bat and starts "playing" like he is beating to death your daughter who is "playing" like she is a hooker....

Please tell me at what point do you say thats OK because its just a game? Can you not see my problem with that game....

And as I said in my last post I truly believe its really a heart matter, if your heart is right I don't really see you wanting to play GTA any how. Its not my place to judge I am simply stating my opinion on the matter, and you do as you wish, and play what you like.

[A REVELATI0N]

I agree with Salvation on this issue. There is a huge difference in rating between Halo and GTA (these are just the examples that are being used). I am an adult and know that I can handle playing GTA in fact I really want to, but choose not too, but because I can handle it does that still make it right. I can handle watching a rated R movie, but does it still make it right. I just don't think we need that junk in our heads. There are PG-13 movies my wife and I will not watch, even though we can "handle" the content. They are just filled with junk. Some of them even have awesome plots and story lines that I want to see. Would I play halo with Jesus (with the sound muted ) Yes! Would I play GTA with Jesus. No. (I know thats a pretty far out comparison). Maybe it just me, but i look at the one like a sport sort of like paintball. The other I think has a multitude of moral issues. This is just my opinion and I believe everyone has there own convictions.

The words from this song have really been on my mind lately. I just feel like its talking right at me.

If Ephesians says to imitate Christ
Then why do you look so much like the world?

http://www.ilike.com/artist/Todd+Agnew/track/My+Jesus?src=onebox