Question for Fellow Christians (reading fantasy/sci-fi novels;watching horror movies)

[R0b]

Okay, I'd like to get some opinions here. What is your guys' opinion on Christians reading fantasy/sci-fi novels, and watching horror movies? I am a huge fan of fantasy and sci-fi (especially fantasy) novels, video games, movies, anime, etc. These things, to me, are just entertainment, nothing more, yet some Christians seem to suggest that they are sinful, or that they will lead to sin. For example, the huge argument against Harry Potter was that it would lead kids into occult activities. I've read all seven Harry Potter books (started when I was 12, I'm 25 now), and never once have I felt compelled to become involved in the occult. I read the books, thought "Wow, what a cool story", and went on with my life. Similarly, when I play a fantasy video game, I don't feel compelled to try casting, "Fireball +5" in real life. I play the game, I enjoy it, and when I'm done I turn it off and go about my real life. In other word, I KNOW HOW TO DISTINGUISH FACT FROM FICTION! So then, I ask you, where is the sin? Despite this, though, some Christians would insist that I'm going to hell simply for my choices of entertainment.

As for horror movies, I've heard tame reasons such as they create an unsafe fear of the devil (my Pastor's explanation), to they're 'darkness'-and we're supposed to stay away from darkness-, to they're devil worship. Now I will say that I am not a huge horror movie buff. My fiancee is, and so I end up watching them with her around Halloween time, but I wouldn't lose any sleep over never seeing another horror movie in my life. Still, I think it comes down to fact vs. fiction. Can you watch these movies without them distorting your faith, or drawing you into some crazy beliefs? If they don't affect your faith, then what are they hurting?

Some Christians use the passage from 1 John "He who is a friend of the world is an enemy of God" to defend such positions. They say liking these things, which are 'worldly', is sinful. However, if you actually read that section of 1 John, it seems that John is discussing worldly HABITS, in particular the desire for luxury, covetousness, and the desire for praise from man, according to a Bible study that I read. This makes a lot more sense than, "Don't like/use anything that the world likes/uses!" I say this for this reason: if we start saying that it's sinful to like/use anything the world uses, then where do we draw the line? Do we not buy specific toothpastes because they are made by companies run by non-Christians (and are therefore 'worldly')? Do we only buy houses that have been owned by Christians? What about clothes, cars, food, etc.? You can see how we can easily make this an exhaustive question, which again makes the behavior theory a lot more plausible in my opinion.

Anyway, what do you guys think? What are your opinions on this?

 

[30PiecesOfSilverShining]

Hey R0b,
To answer your question, I too am a science fiction fan. I love to read sci-fi books and watch sci-fi movies. If you have ever heard of Halo, I love reading the books and playing the games. I do not think there is anything wrong with reading Halo or just sci-fi books in general. About the Harry Potter thing, I do not think that Harry Potter is bad, but it's what you make it i guess. Horror Movies. Think about the meaning of the movie. Does it have demons, gore, language, dark references, etc? It may seem fine to some, but others may be offended by the content of it. I also play the Half-Life games as well, which is sci-fi. If you are worried about any language or violence, it's all of what you make it. Yes, if it makes you sensitive, which alot of gore is too much for me too, then you should stay away. Same for language. If there is f this and f that so much that it is way overused, I try to stay away from games like that because it might influence me to use the language. This does not only go for movies and books, but music too. Music can make a great impact (good or bad) on someone's life. I personally have alot of Christian bands on my iPhone and really enjoy them (Theocracy being one of them lol). I do have some secular bands on my iPhone too. Does this mean that I need to get them off? Not necesarrily. I'll give you an example. If you are familiar with Darkwater, I really got into them about a month ago. I was about to do covers of them and stuff until i found out from someone that the lyrics where really hopeless and dark. I though to myself I really should not be listening to this. But this does not mean that all secular bands are bad though. Alot of secular bands may have lyrics that could mean many different things and could have Christian references to them even if they don't intend to have them. Why? Because it's what you make of the lyrics. This goes for everything else in life. Clothes, friends, everything. This is just my opinion on this topic and it is a great question for you to ask because sometimes I ask myself the same thing: Is this good?

I hope I answered your question and good luck with your decision.

 

[R0b]

Thanks for the feedback! I am familiar with the Halo series, though I haven't played much of it myself. I'm a fan of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, myself. I used to play the actual game with the models and all a long time ago, but these days I mainly stick to the computer strategy games and the books (much cheaper than the models!).

I definitely agree with you on the point that it's what you make of it. A prime example on the fantasy side of things, I think, would be games like Dark Souls and Skyrim. I am a fan of both of these games, and both, in typical fantasy fashion, allow your character to perform magic. In Dark Souls you have pyromancy, sorcery, and 'miracles' (healing magic, essentially), where Skyrim has its own categories. Now, some people would look at this and say, "That's obviously evil! Practicing the magic arts is evil!", but are you really practicing magic arts? Is pressing a particular button to manipulate graphics on a computer screen really practicing magic arts? I don't think so. To me, it's just an element of the game. Now real life magic (Wicca and so forth)? I detest it. I've seen what it can do, and I hate it. My fiancee's brother became involved with spirits (he called them fairies and djinn), and he started dating a girl who practiced Wicca. A lot of people think that this is all nonsense, but there was some weird stuff going on around that house. People were seeing things, stuff was moving without any logical explanation... pretty freaky stuff. So I can draw a clear distinction between a gameplay element of a video game (that does not affect me in real life) and actual occult practices that can harm somebody, and that ultimately open up the gates for Satan and his minions to torment people. In my opinion, the video game only becomes dangerous when you have someone who can't distinguish between fact and fiction, and is therefore driven to research/practice actual occult things in real life, thinking it'll be like the video game. Also, for the record, while I'm defending fantasy games, I would like to note that I typically prefer a melee sword fighter over a magic user (or, in the case of WoW, I prefer a hunter). I tend to prefer the action side of games, where I get to be in the thick of things, not sitting back hoping that my energy lasts and that I can blast away an enemy before it gets too close and rips me apart.

In case you're wondering, the brother and his girlfriend are no longer living in the same house as my fiancee and her family, and on top of that my fiancee and her family have since moved into a new home.

 

[M@RS]

I used to play the actual game with the models and all

OH MAN, the memories! LOL

 

[Aletheus]

Nah, bra. Video games is good, movies is good. Don't sweat it.

 

[Trinitial]

If you can set apart reality from fantasy, I don't see why not. Of course, we as humans are going to sin no matter what.

 

[Parched Earth]

This is definitely an interesting topic, and I think can certainly extend beyond just sci-fi/fantasy/horror films. How does a Christian live in the world but not be "of the world?" I am going through a Bible study on 1 Corinthians now. It just started, so I don't have a ton of insight yet, but Paul was writing to the people of Corinth who were facing similar struggles. Chapter 8 talks about whether they could eat meat sacrificed to idols. The Corinthians were surrounded by such a pagan culture, that if they wanted to buy meat from the local butcher or get food at the local "restaurant," it was probably attached to a pagan temple where there was a lot of fresh meat in supply from the sacrifices.

1 Corinithians 8:8-9: "Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. Only take care lest this liberty of yours somehow become a stumbling block to the weak."

Now is playing a certain video game, reading a certain book, or watching a certain movie going to be a stumbling block to someone not as strong in their faith? I suppose that depends on the person and the specific game/book/movie. I think there are certainly some great fantasy books out there (e.g. Narnia, Lord of the Rings) that can actually be edifying. Then there are others that are neutral ("we are no worse off" if we read it or not) and still others that may be more scandalous.

I agree with R0b, that (for me) playing a video game or watching a movie is not going to affect my faith. I used to play Magic: the Gathering all the time. It did not lead me to want to start casting spells or learn more about magic. It was just a game to me. Something neutral. Now would everyone have the same experience if, for example, they were a recent convert who had actually practiced magic arts before? Would playing a game remind them too much of their past experiences and be a stumbling block? I think it is certainly possible. So if I was friends with such a person, would it be sinful for me to challenge them in a game of Magic: the Gathering, knowing their background? I would say so.

 

[M@RS]

^ Yes, yes, yes. As Christians it is wrong if we do not practice some form of discernment in our entertainment choices.

 

[R0b]

Definitely some interesting thoughts in here! I've heard the stumbling block explanation before, and I agree. If I know I'm around someone who doesn't like fantasy/thinks it's a sin, then I certainly wouldn't go whipping out A Game of Thrones or an R.A. Salvatore novel around them; however, to me it is not sinful, as I can clearly discern fiction/entertainment from reality, so in the privacy of my own room/around other people/Christians with the same opinions as me I wouldn't be doing any harm.

Now, if there was a game/movie/book that suddenly started describing in great detail the practices of a Wicca ritual, then I would end up turning it off/closing it and getting it far away from me. I think there is definitely a distinction between playing a magic character in a video game/watching it in a movie/reading it in a book compared to having that medium actually show you the methods for real life occult practices. As I said before, I do not like the idea of real-life occult things at all. There is a 'psychic'/tarot card reader shop not too far from my house, and I really don't like the fact that it is there. Is it harming me? No, of course not, but I know that there are going to be people who will go into that shop thinking that they'll find answers. The sad part is that my church (and actually several churches) are within close proximity to this shop, so the people seeking false answers could very easily find the true Answer at any number of those churches.

 

[FleshAndBloodTheocracy]

What you're asking basically boils down to one theological debate:
Normative or Regulative Principle.

The Regulative Principle is the belief that we can only do what the Bible says we can do. They typically hold the belief of solo scriptura - which means ONLY the bible has any authority.
The Normative Principle is the belief that, as long as we make sure we do what the Bible says, we are free to do and enjoy other things, as long as the bible doesn't forbid those things. They typically also belief in sola scriptura - which means the Bible is the ULTIMATE authority, and that there are other authorities we should obey as long as they do not contradict the Bible.

Personally, I believe in the Normative principle. God gives us freedom, and He made Creation for our enjoyment. Therefore, we should enjoy it in a way that is not sinful. Watching horror movies is fine, but if you're in the company of someone with a weaker faith, or someone who is known to have difficulty separating fact from fiction, it is probably best to pick a different genre.

 

[R0b]

FABT:

I never knew about that... interesting. Also, I would have to agree with you that the Normative Principle seems to be the most logical approach. The Bible even tells us that we are to obey the earthly authorities (as long as they don't contradict God) because God has put them into place. I think Paul specifically states it in one of his letters (I know in Ephesians he tells slaves to obey their masters), but you could even say this is supported by Jesus telling the Pharisees to, "Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's".

I'm really glad I brought this here. I'm getting some very well thought-out responses. While I'm relieved because I'm essentially getting the answer I hoped I would (is that bad?), there is still plenty to think about. I'm obviously not free to just run around screaming, "I love fantasy!" in church (well, who would anyway?), but I also have to consider the people I'm around. For example, I read a Christian blog site called 'What Christians Want To Know', and one of the writers on there says that he doesn't feel any true disciple of Christ has any place watching horror films. This same guy, though, defends listening to whatever music you like (so long as it doesn't promote sinful actions or anti-God/religious sentiments) under the principle of Christian liberty. So, obviously, if I was around this guy I would be safe to discuss Led Zeppelin (he's also a fan), but I should probably refrain from telling him about my trip to Kings Dominion for their Halloween attractions. Again, Halloween isn't really a big thing to me, and I could care less about horror movies, but since I'm marrying a woman who enjoys horror and has a decent collection of films, I figured I might as well make sure I'm in the green. I have taken it to prayer, of course, and I can't say I've felt God convict me or send me any, "Don't watch horror!" flags, but I also realize that we sometimes miss signs from God.

Though, now that I'm thinking about it, I should probably restart my Skyrim game. I tend to play female characters (I'm a guy, in case that wasn't clear enough), and now that I think about it, I'm not really sure how that would sit with God. Plus my Skyrim character wasn't the most.... moral of people. Granted, I haven't even seriously touched the game in a while, but if I get back into it I suppose I should start fresh with a male character. On the other hand, it's just a game. Hm... well, thoughts here?

 

[Seripha]

That's an interesting thought. In most fantasy games, I tend to make multiple characters. Most of them are guys (I am male, by the way), but I almost always make one or two girls. I guess I never really gave it much thought, but it never occurred to me once that it would be wrong, so to speak. After all, fantasy exists as a genre for us to experience something that would never occur under normal earthly confines. Playing the role of the opposite gender would be a completely different experience as you explore whatever world you're a part of. Personally, almost every guy and girl I've known that plays fantasy games has, at one time or another, played a character of the opposite gender, just for fun. I guess I never really "feel" like I am the character I am controlling. I just simply feel like I am guiding someone else through an adventure, but that's just me.

As far as magic is concerned, I heard a really awesome argument about it a while back that made a bunch of sense to me. I've always been of the opinion that anything in fantasy is purely for fun and not to be taken seriously, but I was never really able to give a solid argument why until I read this person's viewpoint.

Here is my version of the argument. Magic is more or less something that cannot be explained by the normal physical properties of our plane of existence. Imagine for a second that another world exists in which the concept of jumping just flat out doesn't exist. No person in this world is able to suspend themselves from the ground for any period of time. It is impossible, and the very laws of physics in this universe prohibit it. Now imagine that you are transported to this dimension. You jump. Someone sees you and claims that you must be using magic, since this would be impossible otherwise. Now, extend this argument to a fantasy world in which somebody generates fire into their hands and flings it at an enemy. To us, this is magic. How can anyone create fire from nothing? To them, it's just a simple physical property of their universe. Creating a fireball out of nothing to them is like jumping to you. It's just something that their universe allows. No satanic activity involved.

To me, that argument made a lot of sense. Ultimately, I try to not agonize over every tiny detail. If something is so small that I have to literally force myself to find where it's affecting my life, it probably doesn't matter. However, if something is truly affecting your life negatively, it will surely be obvious to you.

I think each person is a little bit different. I wouldn't take anything I've said here as fact, but rather as an honest opinion. I hope it helped!

Cheers,
Seripha

 

[Rawshik]

So much stuff that could be said but I'll try to be brief. Fantasy? Nothing wrong with it. From my understanding, there were people that got into occult practices from Harry Potter and that's why so many Christians took it as a terrible thing. I, personally, have never read those books and have no desire to but I do really like Lord of the Rings. As people have said, I think this is about your level of faith.

I used to play Magic: the Gathering all the time.

I strongly believe that there is nothing wrong with fantasy or fantasy games but I have had an experience with this. For a while I was really into Magic and so much that one day I felt God telling me to throw away my cards because the game had addictive qualities over me. And so I did. Now is this to say that everyone should do that? Nope. It's to say that at that specific time, the game was hindering my relationship with God because I "enjoyed it too much." Would I ever play it again? Possibly, but that depends if I feel any conviction about it again. The Jewish people do everything they can to have God's perfect will in their life, so much as going to the point of not drinking coffee if it's become an addiction to them. I think that's a good way to live our lives.

Now, horror movies. I feel a little different on that. The Bible clearly tells us that fear is of the devil. If a movie welcomes a spirit of fear into your life while watching it, I don't believe it should be seen. And because that's what those movies are intended for, I don't believe we should watch them. Fear is not just a human emotion.

Onto Halloween. It's a day that causes thousands of people to practice fear and thousands of actual occultists to become more "spiritually active." As you said, R0b, you don't like occult practices. As much as we would like to think that it's not a big deal, it completely is. Occultists and witches are praying to their gods, practicing their rituals, and casting spells during this time (the entire month of October they become more active) and that is a direct opposing force to God and to Christians. I believe we should not support this day and instead dedicate even more of our time to praying (and possibly fasting) during this month because this is in direct correlation with spiritual warfare. If they are making the powers of hell more influential and stronger on Earth, we need to fight that and make the power of God more influential and stronger on Earth.

As for you making a female character in Skyrim, I don't really see anything wrong with that but it's all biscuits and gravy if you decide you shouldn't.

 

[R0b]

Rawshik, I didn't realize people were actually getting into the occult over Harry Potter. That's quite sad, really, that people couldn't enjoy a story (that, at least in the beginning, was meant to be for children) without taking it over the edge. I guess a lot of it really does have to do with your own perception of fact vs. fiction, and perhaps with how you were raised. My parents raised me with a clear distinction between what is real and what isn't, so I guess I was blessed there. I used to play the Grand Theft Auto games, yet I never felt compelled to commit the actions I did in those games in real life. Granted, I now look at them and ponder about the moral ramifications of the games, and I doubt I'll ever play them again (besides, open world fantasy games like Skyrim and Dragon's Dogma just seem more fun), but the point is that I could play a game that was morally vacant in and of itself and yet still retain my morals in the real world.

It's interesting that you had that experience with Magic: The Gathering. For a long time, I had the same issue with video games. Free time was video game time in my mind. My fiancee works the night shift in the ER at a hospital, and for the longest time she would work either Thurs., Fri., Sat. or Fri., Sat, Sun. Either way, they were all days where I had a lot of free time, and pretty much all of it went to video games. One Sunday, not very long after I had actually hit my knees and prayed for Jesus to be my Savior (I've been a believer my whole life, but only found out this year that you needed to outright ask for salvation; I always thought that I was going to Heaven simply by my belief), I was sitting in my room playing Tales of Graces F. At some point I turned it off, and became curious about Christians playing video games, so I googled it. The article I read suggested that spending an abundant amount of time on games could be seen as idolatry. This shook me up. Like, REALLY shook me up, to the point that I ended up doing something I never do: going to a local park and taking a walk, where I just reflected and talked to God. It really helped. These days I don't play video games nearly as much as I used to; in fact, for a while, I barely touched them at all. It helps that my fiancee now works Mon., Tues., Wed., which are all days that I tend to be busy (two jobs on Mon. and Wed. and a guitar lesson after work on Tues.), so my free time is less. On the days she's off I usually end up spending a lot of my waking hours with her and her family, especially because they're going through some things at the moment that allow me to help them. God did put us here to serve others, and I've asked Him to let me do that, so I seriously believe that the help I give to her family is God's way of using me to serve others at the present time. Even when she was still working her old schedule, though (but after I had the revelation that I was spending too much time on video games) I tried to make it a point to be less of a hermit and more of a family guy. I still live at home, so I would make it a point to go downstairs and hang with my mom, her boyfriend, and whoever else happened to be there. If there was something I wanted to do, I would try to do it down there. For example, I'm working on a Gundam model right now (yes, I'm one of those Japanese animation geeks). Here lately, I try to take it downstairs and work on it in the living room, where everyone else is watching TV, so that I can just spend time with the family. I think I can honestly say that I feel happier not being a complete hermit.

Obviously my situation is a bit different, since I didn't completely stop playing video games. It did teach me how to prioritize things in my life, though, and video games got a huge demotion. It helps that I've found a church I can go to (Eastern Assembly of God... contemporary worship service, and when the pastor preaches he holds my attention and I actually learn something), and that I've gotten into a Bible habit. I tend to read a chapter first thing in the morning, and then later in the day (unless it's a weekend, then I do this part in the morning too) I read my devotionals. I've recently started cross-referencing my morning chapter (which I read from the Good News Bible) with my KJV and NIV Bibles later in the day. I'm also currently in the process of reading The Purpose Driven Life, so I have a lot of Christian materials to keep me thinking and to spend time with. I would estimate that I used to put 20+ hours into video games a week. Now? Maybe a couple. My 3DS probably sees the most action, simply because I can carry it with me and play it in a vehicle if I'm not the driver.

As for the female character thing, I never thought there was anything seriously wrong with it, but the thought had occurred to me, so I figured I'd throw it out there while I had a thoughtful group of people to bounce the idea off of.

Your argument against horror movies reminds me of my pastor's: that they can create an unsafe fear of the devil. I can certainly agree that this is possible. I think they can also be used as warnings against the occult if done right, but honestly how many people would be capable of doing that? To illustrate my point, though, I'll say this: my fiancee once had me watch a movie called The Witchboard (it might have been the second one... anyway) where a woman gets involved with this Ouija board. She starts out talking to a little boy's spirit, but ends up getting deceived by a demon, which goes on a killing spree and ultimately possesses her. Now, the message that sends to me is this: DON'T MESS WITH OUIJA BOARDS! To me, that's a pretty clear message. Unfortunately, I know most people won't take that attitude of trying to learn something. I have a habit of trying to find something worthwhile in everything (that attitude certainly helped me find God's purpose in a bad situation my fiancee's family went through a few months back), but I think that habit is probably few and far in-between people. To be clear on something: I knew better than to mess with Ouija boards prior to seeing this movie. It was just the clearest example I could think of. Anyway, I defer to my original point: I could care less about horror movies, and would not miss their presence in my life. They don't tend to terrify me (though some of the more modern things just flat out disgust me with all of the gore), but they don't actually do anything for me. I'd much rather watch a fantasy movie or anime where I can enjoy an engrossing plot and likeable characters. Between the two, I'd take the anime (or a television series) over the movie, simply because I'm not a huge fan of sitting still for 90+ minutes watching the same thing. With an anime, I can watch one or two 25-30 minute episodes and then go do something else.

As for the Halloween thing: I honestly did not know that there was that kind of occult activity going on throughout the month of October. I've heard of people killing black cats on Halloween night, but that's about the worst of it. The only really 'Halloween-y' things I tend to do are my trip to Kings Dominion (and, recently, Bush Gardens) during October, where my best friend and I are probably more of an annoyance to the workers than anything. We go into the haunted houses at Kings Dominion and dance in the strobe lights. Seriously, these things aren't scary at all. We make a mockery of it, though in retrospect that might not be the most Christian thing to do, either. Anyway, I like roller coasters, so that's my primary reason for going. Again, I could care less if I had nothing to do with their Halloween attractions and just got on the rides the entire time. The only other thing I tend to do is on Halloween, where I go over to my aunt's house for food. The family congregates there with their kids and sends them trick-or-treating in the neighborhood. I hang out in the house and eat the free food. That's about the extent of my Halloween participation. This year it falls on a Wednesday, when I work my second job in the evening, so there won't even be that much involvement. I don't know where all of that falls on the scale of acceptable vs. non-acceptable, but I think I can safely say that I've always preferred to stay away from the 'darker' side of Halloween.

I do like your idea about praying harder and possibly even fasting during October, though. I was already thinking of trying something called the Daniel Fast (details here: http://www.daniel-fast.com/index.html) during the month of October. Perhaps I'll give it an even stronger consideration now.

EDIT: As an extra thought, where would you rank something like, 'The Walking Dead'? Typically, you would classify zombies under horror; however, from what I've seen of the show it seems more focused on the drama/suspense between the characters.

 

[Rawshik]

The Walking Dead, for me, is more about the drama and advancement of the characters. Sometimes the action scenes are cool but I'm not huge on that. I guess if someone legitimately found that show to be scary then they shouldn't watch it but, let's be honest, that would probably only be little kids.

 

[FleshAndBloodTheocracy]

I wasn't scared by the Exorcist, so no horror movie really "scares" me. Lol

And my character in Skyrim is a total sociopath/mass murderer/con-man/thief/serial killer/whatever. I find it's a good outlet for depravity. My body count's in the thousands. Lol

 

[R0b]

I thank you guys for the interesting discussion! It has definitely helped me to put some of my questions and concerns to rest. It's funny, though, because for the longest time I never let the opinions of people against this stuff get to me. I never believed that God cared as long as it wasn't dragging me into real-life evil. It was a recent attack on my mind, and now I feel a lot more calm, like the fight is over. I was skimming through a book called, "Kingdom of the Occult" this evening, and of course it had the typical comments on things like Harry Potter, The Exorcist, World of Warcraft, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and so on. Honestly, I found myself rolling my eyes, but then they quoted Paul (I can't remember which book it was from, but part of the quote was, "Why should my liberty be dictated by another man's conscience?") and essentially concluded with the idea that some Christians need the darkness in their entertainment to refute the world. There were other points, of course, but this is the one that caught my attention, because it seems to me that they're saying that, by having this stuff in the entertainment, we're able to resist the pull to actually get involved in this stuff in real life (where it actually matters). Perhaps I'm misinterpreting their point, but that interpretation seems to make sense, though I can't see myself ever getting involved with the occult, even if I had never become interested in fantasy. Anyway, I would be interested in hearing other peoples' opinions on this comment.

On another note, how many of you who play video games happen to do so on PS3? Would you be interested in adding each other to our friends' lists? I'm thinking about picking up Dead or Alive 5 soon (and eventually I'd like to get Dragon's Dogma), and it would be cool to have people to play with. Well, it would be cool just to have some known Christian friends on my friends' list, if nothing else. I'll have to get the exact spelling of my username, but I'll put it up later for anyone interested.

 

[JayArby]

I short: don't do anything that will lead YOU to sin. If someone says "such and such always leads to sin," I say, speak for yourself. But of course be discerning.

 

[robhudd]

Not to sound like a cliche, but ask yourself if Jesus were with you (and He always is *S*), would you do watch it, or play it, etc.?! I've clean up many things in my life trying to live by this simple rule, and I haven't regretted a single thing. Things I thought I would miss, I haven't. When you know your doing your best to please Jesus, it's all worth it.

 

[Aletheus]

I can see myself playing Tekken 3 with Jesus.