by Tim Whiston

Created on: May 15, 2008

Can video gaming and Christianity co-exist? What a bizarre question.

First of all, whether proponents on either side of this odd little debate like it or not, both video games and numerous sects of Christian worshipers are sharing space and time in the same universe as I type this. So the short version of my answer is: yes a co-existence is both possible and in progress.

Having said this, I'll now have a crack at what I assume is the more philosophical question at the core of this debate. Can video games continue to be manufactured without incurring the fiery wrath of God, and/or will the Christian religion survive in the wake of a growing population of inherently wicked game enthusiasts?

I'm going to have to "yes" again. What's the big deal?

Granted there are members of the Christian society who believe they have been commissioned to help God judge the planet for its sins. Furthermore such self-righteous advocates tend to be in the business of defining exactly what sin is and is not.

And I'm led to believe by the fact this debate even exists that sufficient numbers of those calling themselves Christians object strongly to the existence of video gaming as an activity. I'm fairly certain nobody in the video game industry is lobbying to shut down the Southern Baptist Convention, for instance so until corrected I'll assume the debate exists due to anti-gaming advocacy on the part of elements within the Christian church.

For a group of people who constantly claim to be targeted for persecution, modern Christians sure seem willing to attack other groups, ideals, organizations, and activities that don't readily conform to their doctrines. But I'll save that line of commentary for another article.

As someone who is familiar with and humbled by the teachings of Jesus Christ, I see no reason to seek the demise of the video game industry or those who support it. In fact, trying to put the lid on anyone based on the fact that they produce or endorse content and expressions which I don't agree with is something that goes entirely against my personal philosophy.

I concede that excessive time spent immersed in digital worlds may not be the ideal lifestyle, and certainly there are many games I consider unsuitable for my 9 year old nephew. The glorification of violence by any form of media, including video games, is a primitive indulgence that I would very much like to see our culture evolve past.

However, it's just plain silly to presume that all video games are violent. Many are

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