The definition of the word covet, according to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary, states:

1: to wish for earnestly
2: to desire (what belongs to another) inordinately or culpably

which implies not just a feeling but a deliberate intent to feel a certain way.

I think it’s up to each gamer to figure out whether killing in a video game is sin or not because I think each person has to account for their own conscience. What we put in and get out of video games depends on what we are as individuals. If someone feels like they’re actually murdering someone, then maybe they should take a step back and question that motive.

I’ve played Modern Warfare 2 with religious gamers who didn’t seem to be morally grieved, and I’m sure there are games with religious references that are totally missed. Like art, be it literature, film, or visual — I think video games can be dangerous, thought provoking, influential, and entertaining. It’s up to the person experiencing it to gather what they can and use it, hopefully, for benefit.

I’ve long felt that morality in games can only ever be described as ‘virtual morality’ in that the player know its not real etc. Reading a controversial or blasphemous book does not equate to blasphemy. However, it is the knock on after the game has ended that really counts. Games fans are all too ready to pounce on any suggestion that violence in games needs to be at least looked at – they put their fingers in their ears and fear that the big bad censors want to take their hobby away from them. But the debate needs to be addressed.

It’s not the violence or blasphemy or made up religions that really matter – its the rapidity at which we can now consume them, as the norm, in a blaze of HD textures and surround sound. The real problem is the instant gratification, and a build up of gratification after gratification – kill after kill, game after game.

People need balance.

I think that many of the reasons a religious person might have an issue with games inducing participants to ‘think’ bad things would apply to moralistic atheists too?

You raise though a great question – are we really wanting to kill the virtual or avatar character in the game? Or do we just want to ‘win’ – after all I don’t actually want to hurt or kill someone when doing paintball. Or do I?!

I remember chatting to my rabbi about Scotch – some are kosher and others are not. If they are made in Sherry casks they might not be (due to animal fat being used in the process of sherry making). However he felt that if one could not taste the sherry, and i mean the sherry rather than the difference between a scotch with or without the sherry, then you were not knowingly drinking sherry and would be ok! Now that’s a rather legal, and hence Jewish way of looking at ritualistic law (you ever wondered why there are so many Jewish lawyers?), but the point (there is one I think) is that if I play MW2 and don’t actually feel like I want/need to or AM killing someone then the fact I might be according to the visuals and language of the game doesn’t mean I have ‘sinned’ or thought a corrupt thought as that thought never existed.

The wider issue though, is the same one we have tackled in previous articles about violence and videogames in general. Does playing violent or sexual games regularly desensitise one to such thoughts so that over time they do become real, and easier to express in the real world? I would assume that if you think the answer is ‘yes’ then that is why whether you be religious or just very humanist you too might wish to limit the impact games have on your life.

I’m not religious, if anything (at the risk of sounding like a crazy person) I’m more afraid of a bunch of aliens coming down to harvest us for their DNA/Gene lunch than being punished in hell when I die, but I can belive there’s some wheel of fate of some kind. Maybe that IS god, who knows. I belive in the soul; I belive the more often you put your soul in dark places, the harder it is to make it shine again.

Have you ever killed an animal for a meal before? A real, flesh and blood, kicking and biteing, gasping for it’s life animal? It takes concentration, blankness of mind and almost a removal of mind from body. Unless killing is found to be fun that is. Killing in reality is VERY different than pressing a button.

I’m not trying to belittle your article here, I think what you’ve written is a real mind-opener, a punch in the face of a thought provoker to say the least. I’ve never thought about it this way before, honestly, my heads still spinning from it. Or maybe that’s because I’m still half asleep and I ain’t had my caffene and nicotine yet!

I’ll come back later….