A Christian’s View of World of Warcraft

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Introduction to World of Warcraft

Note: Title was changed from A Christian View of World of Warcraft to A Christian’s View of World of Warcraft becasue I don’t represent all Christians.

If you haven’t heard of the World of Warcraft game, you or your children will. The popularity of this game is mind blowing–over 11 million people are playing worldwide, undertaking role playing adventures for a fee of about $15 a month. World of Warcraft is a MMORPG (massively multi-player online role-playing 3-D game).

Character and Quests

You begin the game by creating a character choosing from ten races and nine classes. The classes in World of Warcraft are Warriors, Mages, Druids, Hunters, Warlocks, Priests, Paladins, Rogues, and Shaman. Races are divided by Horde or the Alliance. The Alliance includes Humans, Night Elves, Dwarfs, Gnomes and Draenei. The Horde includes Orcs, Tauren, Undead, Trolls and Blood Elves. Male and female sexes are available in all races.

View this video from the creator to get an idea of the of the characters game.

Characters take on “quests” or assignments that include traveling through terrains and fighting different kinds of monsters. Players climb and improve skill as they perform the quests. At times a player may need the help of other players. These are called dungeons which can be two to five players or groups of 30 to 40. It can take several weeks or months in order to pass the dungeon depending on the skill and the playing style of the player.

Many of the quests involve violence. Much of the game is spent fighting a diverse and sometimes frightening assortment of computer-controlled creatures gone bad-wild boars, wolves, rogues, undead creatures, dragons, thieves, etc. that include graphic depictions of blood during combat with appropriate sound effects.

Players control an avatar (character) in the world inside the game. They explore the landscape, perform all activities and perfect skills while winning items. Items include things like herbs, manna, and gold. These items, along with different weapons and armor, are a focus of the game as they improve various attack or defense skills.

Subscribers advance through levels one to 70. But level 70 does not mean the game ends. It’s a bit complicated to explain but once a player makes it to level 70 for most this is the real start of the game. Many users have different characters at a 70 level.

Casting Spells, Witchcraft, Ghosts, Violence

Players fight by casting spells. Different spells have different effects on other players or monsters. Players earn the ability to cast spells by visiting trainers and by receiving items dropped by monsters, found through quests, or sold by other players. The strength of the spells depends on the players’ level and earned items. Spells can improve or weaken friends and enemy troops. Other spells do direct damage to enemies or heal allies.

When a player dies, they receive a dialog box to “Release Spirit.” By pressing this button their character is transported to the nearest graveyard as a ghost. Priests, shamans, paladins, druids, and warlocks all have the power to bring other characters back from the dead. The method and frequency with which they can do so varies by class.

World of Warcraft is rated “T” for Teen with warnings of blood, suggestive themes, use of alcohol, and violence. WoW is a place where thousands of people communicate in an unmonitored environment. Foul language is used consistently. Alcohol is occasionally referenced. Players can buy and consume alcohol in taverns and pubs to the point of getting drunk.

Women characters are dressed scantly. Promoting lust. Players can “flirt” with one another while some females are scantily clad. (A teenage girl suggested I add this red flag, her words dressed whorish and horrible!)

A Christian View

The Bible is clear that casting spells is an abomination to God. Those who practice witchcraft (sorcery) will not inherit the kingdom of God (Galatians 5:20-21). These practices are anti-God and are in rebellion against Him. Also see Deuteronomy 18:9-14; Isaiah 44:25; Jeremiah 27:9; 2 Kings 21:6; 23:24, Ezekiel 21:21; Isaiah 19:3; 1 Samuel 28, 1 Chronicles 10:13-14.

Do not let your people practice fortune-telling or sorcery, or allow them to interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, | or cast spells or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead. (Deut 18:10-11 NLT)

“When you come into the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire [an ancient occult practice], or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination [detestable] to the LORD…”-Deuteronomy 18:9-12a

Some Christians play WoW and feel it is harmless. I have talked to some of them that look at me like I’m off my rocker for even considering there is something wrong with this game.

Various message boards have threads of discussion about Christians playing WoW. Players say they even use the game to be a witness and lead other to Christ. They defend the right to play this game because it is not really evil but only a game.

World of Warcraft is Just a Game?

Is it OK to play a game about casting spells? Gamers aren’t really casting spells. They are only humans, not priest or warlocks, and they only direct the character that they have chosen to go through an adventure casting spells.

Let’s look at in from another view. Adultery is a sin, is it OK to pretend to practice adultery (virtual sex)? Homosexuality is a sin, is it OK to pretend to practice homosexuality (virtual sex)? Murder is a sin, is it OK to pretend to practice murder (video games)?

The Real Spiritual Battle

We are in a battle daily–not a virtual battle–a real battle! The Christian walk is a battle against our sin nature or our flesh. “The flesh” refers to the fallen nature still with the believer. In Romans 6, Paul says the old man has been crucified and that we can overcome the flesh by reckoning ourselves dead to sin and by yielding ourselves to God. God’s Holy Spirit assists us in our battle against the flesh.

God wants to transform us into Christ’s likeness (2 Cor. 3:18; Rom. 8:29 and 12:1–2). If we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit (allowing the Spirit to control our lives). Walking in the Spirit is the daily experience of the believer who feeds on the Word, prays, and obeys what the Bible says. Christians are to live lives of holiness by the grace of God. The Bible explains we are to prepare for battle by putting on the armor of God:

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand (Eph 6:10-13)

Satan is a strong enemy, so Paul exhorts us to be strong. Paul knows that the flesh is weak (Mark 14:38) and that we can overcome only in Christ’s power. The very power of God is available to us through the indwelling Spirit (3:14–21). We must sit before we can walk, and we must walk before we can stand. We must understand our spiritual position before we can have spiritual power. We must beware of the wiles of the devil (Eph. 6:11) which means his strategies, devices (2 Cor. 2:11) and snares (1 Tim. 3:7). He is the ruler of darkness and uses darkness (ignorance and lies) to further his cause (2 Cor. 4:1ff; Luke 22:53).(Wiersbe’s Expository)

People are like tofu. We take on or absorb the things we are surrounded by. Read this passage from Galatians and ask yourself what fruit is produced by playing WoW? :

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (Gal 5:19-6:1a).

How We Spend our Time

Even secular parents voice concerns over the addictiveness of the game, and the creation of a sedentary, non-communicative, non-social existence. Wikipedia explains the high level of addiction in WoW:

Stories of game addiction are a common source of criticism of WoW, earning it the nickname “World of Warcrack”.^[67] In June 2005 it was reported that a child had died due to neglect by her World of Warcraft-addicted parents in South Korea.^[68] …

Dr. Maressa Orzack, a clinical psychologist, was interviewed August 8, 2006, stating that of the 6 million subscribers “I’d say that 40 percent of the players are addicted.”^[70] The 40% figure was not derived from a scientific study overseen by Orzack, but rather came from “a forum that Nick Yee runs.” She added in an August 2006 interview that “even if the percentage is 5 to 10 percent which is standard for most addictive behaviors, it is a huge number of people who are out of control.”^[71] Also, according to Dr. John Grohol, a colleague of Orzack’s, “Dr. Orzack is not claiming that up to 40 percent of World of Warcraft gamers are addicted based upon any actual evidence or surveys of players. This is just her opinion, based upon her own experience and observation of the problem.”^[72]

This video is an interview of a family with a teenager playing WoW up to 12 hours a day.

“It matters to God how we use our time. It is something which He has given us. We don’t own it. We are responsible to manage it for Him. It doesn’t mean we must always work. Part of our time should be used in recreation and rest, the development and enjoyment of relationships. But we must be aware of how we use our time, and use it wisely” (Max, Anders 30 Days to Understanding the Bible).

Anything we spend time doing to the point of putting aside Bible study and prayer should be a signal to us that there is a problem. It is like recognizing hunger pain as a signal to eat. Time is limited. It is like a bandwith. Use it well.

“Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found faithful.” (1 Corinthians 4:2).

Think on These Things

Thoughts are powerful; “as he thinketh, so he is” (Prov. 23:7). Where we focus or thoughts can lead to either unrest and discouragement, or spiritual thinking and peace.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honorable, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. (Phil 4:8).

Paul encourages us to press toward the goal, to live a life that would honor God and kept his focus on eternity, not the things that this earth can give:

…forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.

Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample. (For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:

Whose end is destruction, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things.)

For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (Phil 3:13b - 21)

How do we set the captives free?

Twenty years ago Christians would be livid about this game, but after years of this desensitization WOW slips under our spiritual radar. World of Warcraft is one of the many tools used to captivate and desensitize many concerning the Occult and divination (They appear to be sheep, but they are wolves in sheep’s clothing. Beware, as Christ warned, for they are everywhere.)

But God can set the captives free, once a captive turns their eyes toward Jesus. The way back from any captivity is first acknowledging that one is a captive and seeking God.

Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Heb 4:16

When the LORD brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.” Psalm 126:1-2

Change comes by incrementally by transforming the mind (Romans 12:1-2) –by grace, Scripture, prayer, Christian fellowship– in putting off the old man and putting on the new man in Christ (Ephesians 4:20-32). Then you are set free to live and think in a manner that is pleasing to God. (Matthew 28:20; 2 Timothy 3:10).

Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. Rom 14:19

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There Are 131 Responses So Far. »

Comment by Mrs. Mecomber :

It is a relief to see a Christian defending the faith and not immoral and dangerous “games”! Thanks for bringing this up; you’ve made numerous relevant points. I believe the same goes for the Harry Potter/Lord of the Rings/Narnia hype.

Mrs. Mecomber’s last blog post..Fort Stanwix, Rome, NY: Summer 2007
Comment by beth :

Wow, Robin. I think yesterday was the first time I heard of this game, and it was just because there was a mention of it on a page I ran across on the net. I had no idea it was so popular.

What I hear of it reminds me very much of Dungeons and Dragons which was popular when I was a teenager and young adult.

I feel you are doing your readers a favor by alerting them to the danger of games like this. Even if they disagree, you will surely provoke them to think it over. In Yahweh’s judicial system, witchcraft and sorcery are capitol offenses. Why would believers choose to identify themselves with these type of characters?

Peace!
Comment by mommyandmeThanks for an intelligent and informative review! :

Thanks for an intelligent and informative review!
Comment by Jennifer Bogart :

Amen to that Robin! I am with you! Jesus saved me from the occult, so our family stays as far away from anything portraying magic as positive as we can. Like Mrs. Mecomber above we also apply the same reasoning to Harry Potter/LOTR and Narnia. Though they are promoted as Christian friendly, magic can never be ‘good’ no matter how hard we try to portray it as such.

Jennifer Bogart’s last blog post..How to Avoid Offending Pregnant Women
Comment by Evan :

Reading things like this, seeing the “true American” buying “American” vehicles drinking foreign gasoline faster than my little foreign car, watching the politics of Hillary Clinton, and John McCain, viewing CNN, listening to calls for a moral America, and constant demands to curb global warming, no matter what the current economic cost convince me that life is one huge long running joke, and all I can do is watch.
Comment by Scott :
Comment by garrett :

you’d think that with all the righteousness of christians today they would be going after some thing more important. like actual murder and genocide going on around the world. The simple fact that you’ve spent the time to dissuade a video game among all things just about proves that your not directly trying to make a difference. stuff like this is complaining at best.
Comment by Corey :

Kudos to the writer for actually researching World of Warcraft enough to give an accurate description of the game. I don’t agree with her stance that it is evil, but I respect the fact that she researched it instead of just repeating other things she heard about it and stretching the truth to agree with her point, as many articles of this type generally do.

However, this comment isn’t necessarily about the article, but about Jennifer Bogart’s comment. The Narnia books aren’t only “Christian friendly”, they are Christian allegories written by a devout Christian, C.S. Lewis, the writer of Mere Christianity (which happens to be the only thing that has come close to converting my atheist friend). The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe is a clear allegory to the betrayal, crucifixion, and resurrection of Christ. It was written by Lewis to help his 5-year-old goddaughter have a better understanding of Christ’s sacrifice.
Comment by Tonya :

garrett, why are you surfing the Internet instead of out fighting all the world’s murder and genocide?
Comment by H0MEFree :

It seems if a viewpoint comes from a Christian, it automatically makes that viewpoint wrong.
Comment by nick: coondog :

Thanks for this awesome post. This may help me later if I am trying to convince someone that world of warcraft is bad.

nick: coondog’s last blog post..Go visit Ron Paul Friday At Branson, MO!
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Comment by Miss Jocelyn :

Wow thank you for sharing! I will show this to mom. I recently did a few articles on this similar topic but on Lord of the Rings, Chronicles of Narnia, and other such fantasy books.

Thanks!

I’m having a giveaway! Come check it out!

Blessings!
MJ

Miss Jocelyn’s last blog post..Pondür Me This Giveaway!
Comment by S :

It seems like some Christians have a real problem differentiating between fantasy and reality. If you do, you would be wise not to play role playing games or read fantasy or fairy tales. But I think that some of the practices common in some churches today (name it and claim it, praying certain terms over someone as if they’re an incantation, trying to divine God’s will by flipping open a Bible at random) are more in line with what the Bible describes as witchcraft than anything in a video game or Harry Potter book.
Comment by gosu :

lol
Comment by nick: coondog :

“S”, are you saying this is an ok game? The game is horrible. why would anyone want to play this JUNK? What is with these people these days? Witchcraft IS BAD. and if you are having problems with deciding whether or not to be playing this game, just ask yourself, Would Jesus be playing this game?

nick: coondog’s last blog post..Go visit Ron Paul Friday At Branson, MO!
Comment by Jacque :

Robin
It is not easy being that voice, calling to repentance, out in the wilderness. You have done it well in this article.
Some questions came up in our family during our discussion of the whole LOTR/CON discussion that our discovery and Jocelyn’s articles have sparked:
WHY do we Christians not allow our faith to cross every line in our lives?
WHY is it that if it is comfortable to us or an amusement, that we exclude it from the Bible and what the Bible says about such things?
WHO do we think we can do that?
We say we want holiness, but we refuse to put it to our flesh and be crucified as we know we are called to.

I applaud Jocelyn because she found out something that was sinful in her life, and she took it to the Word, objectively, and even though it came out on the side she didn’t want it to, she is getting it out of her life. She is renouncing it and doing what the Word says.

I think we are selfish, complacent and arrogant to think that we can apply our own desires and opinions and interpretations to a Holy God and His Word. Giving up a sin that has become a part of ourselves is not easy, but Jesus set the example, and we are not called to do the “easy”.

Spiritual bondage has become a bit like soft-porn in this world, and especially our nation: it is a huge blind-spot to most Believers, and having this blind spot, many do not wish to see. It is taking “Christian Liberties” too far. All things are lawful, but all things are not edifying. We are called to edification, not self-gratification.

Praying for all of the mockers and scorners who are caught up in this sin.

Jacque’s last blog post..Prayers For Alex Who Was ?Voted Off the Kindergarten Island?
Comment by Jacque :

The third question is “WHO do we think we are that can do that?”

but, that’s ok, because, I want to check the “follow this discussion” box anyway.

lol

Jacque’s last blog post..Prayers For Alex Who Was ?Voted Off the Kindergarten Island?
Comment by Brian J Buurma, DDS, MS :

Thank goodness, someone finally addressing a HUGE issue for adolescents and teens, including ours!!! My wife and I were beginning to think we were the only ones concerned about this strange Wow thing. We cannot believe the power it seems to have over our kids. It scares us and we have been searching for answers, only to find that “Focus on the Family” and “Family Life” don’t even directly address the issue…or, if they do, they largely ignore the obvious evil nature of it. Rather they talk about the addictiveness of video games in general. I think Wow needs to be dealt with; and I am singing Robin’s praises already even though I’ve only just discovered her here today.
Comment by S :

I’ve never played it and don’t plan to. I’m sure there are plenty of reasons not to play WOW, not the least of which is that it’s a waste of money and a time waster, but I don’t buy the “RPGs are evil!!!!” mentality.
Comment by bbrian017 :

This is the reason governments have taken over society. Religion always goes to far and get carried away!

This is a joke!

bbrian017’s last blog post..3 Diseases That Hit The World…Hard
Comment by Jacque :

I have learned, bbrian, that opinions, being beliefs, prove that even non-”religious” opinions are religious, all the same. So, that is kind of a circular comment.

Jacque’s last blog post..Prayers For Alex Who Was ?Voted Off the Kindergarten Island?
Comment by nick: coondog :

“S”: I’m not saying all RPGs are bad, you can have a RPG without having witchcraft in it. They could even make a RPG that teaches stuff about the Bible, Like a game where you are against evil and on your way(or quest) to defeat evil, A preacher or pastor comes to talk to you about God and Jesus. They could even have a Bible in the game so you could read the Bible even if you don’t have a physical Bible.
and you don’t have to use witchcraft to fight either, Why not use Robot Lasers or Swords?

nick: coondog’s last blog post..Go visit Ron Paul Friday At Branson, MO!
Comment by Stephanie :

I have never heard of this game before. Thank you for the heads up!
Comment by Maudie :

I also want to applaud you for reasearching this game. You also should check in to “EVERQUEST” and “EVERQUEST2″ made by sony. It is also known as “evercrack”. It is very addicting and my husband has played off and on for years, nearly destroying our marriage at times.
Pingback by Walking Therein » Blog Archive » Forbidden Love :

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Comment by Tony :

Someone commented and asked why Christians should be worrying about video games with so much suffering going on in the world. We’re concerned about the suffering in the world but we’re also concerned about our children.

Tony’s last blog post..Faith of a Child
Comment by Sheree :

Hi Robin
My husband and I have been watching this game take over our children’s lives. The game is extremely addictive, and it took over every aspect of their life. We prayed earnestly for years and praise the LORD our prayers are being answered, our oldest boy, decided to sell his character, our youngest son made a choice not to play any more, and our second son is still struggling with the continual draw of the game to keep playing. It doesn’t help that he lives in a house where the other occupants all live for this game. WOW is the reason he moved into this home to start with. They have continual link up and play each other all night. I remember once when a new expansion was released they went to a shopping centre at midnight to be the first to receive the expansion pack. They saw people there who looked like they had not seen daylight for months, and in fact had spoken to one person who said he had played the game solidly for three months to achieve some level within the game. This game is such a terrible time waster with a high spiritual content. It got so bad that every conversation we had with our children involved the latest activity of the game. This is no child friendly game, its insidious, and all consuming. It is not easy to break away from once you have spent any time playing it. Thank you for your post. If anyone is concerned about the game you have every reason to be. It is not appropriate for any Christian to play this game and I am thankful that God has the power to change lives and free us from these horrible addictions.
Comment by Jenn :

We’re going to have to agree to disagree about a lot of the things you wrote.

I know that there are some people who just can’t do things in moderation. They become hooked — on booze, drugs, cigarettes, even food, and yes, video games.

But it is a fantasy and there are plenty of Christians who understand that. The Harry Potter books are completely harmless, as are the Star Wars books, Star Trek, etc.

Are you suggesting that because The Wizard of Oz includes witches who cast spells it is evil and must be avoided by Christians? Give me a break! That’s just ridiculous.

As to your comments about other sins, there are many Christians such as myself who simply disagree with your interpretations.

I am particularly offended by your harsh declaration about sexual orientation and tacit assumption that all “right-thinking” Christians will just fall in line with you. Well, here’s the news: We don’t. Sexual orientation is just that: An inherent characteristic. Expressing one’s immutable trait is not a “sin.” It is an acknowledgment of the way God mad you and yes, Robin, God makes some people straight, others gay, and some bisexual. Do you even know any Christian members of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community? Have you bothered to study the subject and understand how the members of that community feel? Have you ever extended Christian compassion to them by really LISTENING to them?

You’ll probably just delete this comment because it doesn’t comport with your view of the world. It is your site and that is your right, but it is sad that so many people in American today are so polarized, convinced of the correctness of their beliefs and making no effort to understand or appreciate others’ worldview.

If you want to read a truly eloquent, articulate, and well-reasoned discussion on the subject, I strongly recommend “The Audacity of Hope” by Barack Obama. Reading it will make you think and, hopefully, open your eyes to see that there are so many more ways to look at the world other than through a narrow, judgmental tunnel.

Jenn’s last blog post..The Letter (Part Twenty-Five)
Comment by Jennifer Bogart :

Jocelyn, I would love to read your articles and the conclusions that you came to :).

Jenn - As far as sexual orientation being something that we cannot change, I must disagree. I was a bisexual until God removed my bisexual nature when He gave me a new heart. This is not just something that people ‘pick up’ as a personal belief, it is something that God lays on their hearts. God changed me after my conversion, all the glory goes to Him, as it was a lifelong struggle with sin until then. Human reasoning is only that - we must align our lives with God’s word in all areas. The Bible tells us that homosexuality is an abomination, and I’m afraid we can’t change what the word of God says no matter how much some might like to argue it away.

Jennifer Bogart’s last blog post..Thank You For the Cardy Welcome!
Comment by Jennifer Bogart :

Hmmm, perhaps I should have said I do agree that sexual orientation is something we cannot change. I never could, God needed to change it for me :).

Jennifer Bogart’s last blog post..Thank You For the Cardy Welcome!
Comment by Penny Raine :

bless you, bless you, bless you! dear sister, I love when people tell the truth!
May His blessings be upon you!

love you! Penny Raine
http://www.pennyraine.com/blog

Penny Raine’s last blog post..Dixie’s day
Comment by S :

Do you really think that pretend, make-believe, fairy tale magic using wands and such is what the Bible is referring to when it speaks about witchcraft? They’re not even in the same ballpark from my perspective, and I think that’s the fundamental difference between those Christians who have no problem with the magic in Harry Potter (or video games, Lord of the Rings, or Star Wars) and those who do.
Comment by J5 :

hi
Comment by Miss Jocelyn :

Wow, PTL Mrs. Bogart for His awesome healing hand on your life. You are a testimony of his love, compassion, and forgiveness!

I’d love for you to read my articles. You can find them here:
A Former Witch Looks At The LOTR - http://aponderingheart.com/blog/?p=432

Abstain From ALL Appearance Of Evil - http://aponderingheart.com/blog/?p=446

Blessings to you!
MJ

Miss Jocelyn’s last blog post..Special Times With Daddy
Comment by Katia :

I wanted to comment on this before, but had to run…. First of all, I commend you for taking such a stand on this and making a post on it….This is your blog and you say whatever you like. Isn’t this our freedom of speach? You also have the right to erase any comments you like, for this also is your freedom.

Yes, the church needs to wake up to this…..
One comment said “Why will you waist your time on this issue and not on others things more important???? Because this is where it starts. We get slowly accustomed to evil, it creeps in to the point where it’s not so evil any longer, until something horrible like 9/11, Holocaust and genocides hits us again.

I grew up in Brazil with lies, “evil called good”….what I mean is: the white and the black magic….they are all bad….as a child my whole family practiced macumba (talking to dead people, services with an alter, people practicing divinations, crystal balls and other horrible things…..going to a gathering on Friday night and going to church on Sunday morning….”The church sorta overlooks these issues, because we have purgatory to redeem us from our evil”
I was told by the people doing these things who also went to church that it was OK, as long as we didn’t cross to the black line side??? Truthfully, I never understood where that line was.

I was very afraid all of my life, to the point of going to sleep with the light ON until morning. Superstition and other similar things where the root bases for my fears. But, “ALL WAS GOOD” there was so much evil in all of this, so much fear, how could it be good?????
My culture doesn’t see any thing wrong in many moral issues, why? Because there is no Godly principals, no morals and absolutes taught, “All is good, we make our own evil”…..I see America going down the same path. Is the church ever going to wake up?
Praying for you,
Katia

Katia’s last blog post..Pray for a miracle
Comment by Nicole :

I’ve heard about Dungeons and Dragons, Pokemon and other games with supernatural undertones or overtones. This is my first time hearing about WoW. I heard about it on the radio on my way to work this morning. For everyone that thinks this game or any game or movie with supernatural undertones is harmless, be warned. Nothing and I mean absolutely nothing is harmless about any aspect of supernatural dealings. Yes, it’s a game but it’s a game that is meant to pervert your perception and turn you way from God. This is and has always been a trick of the enemy to turn people away from God. And you are performing witchcraft because the game enables you too. You are playing real people that have attached themselves to these characters and you are deliberately trying to destroy or help them. People would rather cast spells in the game than read the Bible. The game can be classified as a religion. One definition of Religion is “a cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion”…whereas with God it’s not about religion but relationship. And too many people have an intimate relationship with this game.

I agree with other posters that say magic, white or black, of any sort goes against the Word of God.
Comment by Matt :

Sigh,I have serious reservations about an argument that is more or less founded on the precept that if it “drags” us away from the bible, it must be evil (only red flag that has a position). I do admit that my job can be pretty rough, but evil? And all movies, all TV, all books, all games, all sports, etc…good grief. There are Amish communities that share some of these more extreme views, please find them and partake if need be. I can’t say God has ever put it on my heart to condemn anyone or anything…actually he has done a good job teaching me that I do not have that authority.
Comment by Brad :

There is a lure with anything that is occult or forbidden. The truth is that God knows what is good for us and what is bad. There is a deceiver that uses the same old lies over and over. He says: “Why not? Everyone else is doing it. Is secret power really there for me? Is God keeping something from me? It is just a game. It is not real.”

People choose to walk in darkness (Rom1:18-32, John 3:19)

Trust God when he says keep away from these things. Trust God even when you don’t’ understand (Pro:3:5-7). I would not put much stock in man’s wisdom. Barak Obama has limited resources to draw from (Pro 14:12).
Comment by Deanna :

My husband plays world of warcraft almost daily. I bought him a computer for his birthday in June. I got him the game not really thinking about its content. I was raised in a very conservative christian home but I admit to pulling away from God starting in high school. I have deeply had the desire lately to renew my relationship with him.

I am writing his hoping to get some christian opinions and point of view. This past night I woke up screaming and remember nothing but seeing a very demonic looking face by my bed. I woke up by my husband grabbing me and shaking me to see what was wrong. The first think I thought of was his world of warcraft game. I believe in the presence of evil from the devil, so I called on Jesus’s name and felt chills all through my body. After finally falling back asleep I had what seemed like a very realistic dream of hearing a demonic voice and then I felt myself again calling on Jesus’s power to cast out any presence and to calm my mind. I woke up from this dream immediately feeling as if I had actually just spoken the prayer not just dreamed it.

I am very familar with bad dreams, often dreaming of tornadoes and terrorist attacks but brushing them off quickly and falling back asleep. Yet this “dream” did not go away so easily. Even in the daylight and presence of my husband and child I do not feel safe and secure in my home.

I would like any opinions as to whether you believe games such as these can open a so called “portal” or simply opening our hearts and minds to demonic evil influence.
Comment by bbrian017 :

Deanna you have no worries! if you feel this strong about spirits in your house Hun it’s something else and not wow!

It’s a game, simply a game. If anything maybe the game go you thinking about demonic things but there’ not too many demonic things in wow….

Seems to me you need some psychiatric help!

I think you should let someone else in your family watch your kids until you’re same and mentally stable again!

bbrian017’s last blog post..How To Drive Traffic To Your Affiliate Programs
Comment by Jacque :

Deanna~
Trust your Heavenly Father to protect you, and pray that your husband chooses to protect your family by throwing away this game.

“It’s a game, simply a game. If anything maybe the game go you thinking about demonic things but there’ not too many demonic things in wow….”
Above all, please do not listen to people who have little discernment in holy things.
It IS WOW, and games can be evil. Even the ratings commission knows this or it wouldn’t rate the games.

Christians have a knack for finding a reason to do whatever it is that makes them feel good, regardless of what God and His Word tell us.

I pray that you will not shun His warnings. Sometimes He does not give them more than once, and the consequences are not ones you will want to live through in this area, more than likely.

God has given you all you need in His Word. Don’t take my word for it; take His. Trust in Him and Him alone, and you won’t have to wonder if the tauntings and evil revelry in your sufferings (like the one above)make you right or wrong in your interpretations.

May God grant you wisdom as you seek His Word, and may your husband desire to seek Him with you.

Blessings~

Jacque’s last blog post..Getting in Gear
Comment by JinHee Lee :

Hello.
First of all thanks to the Ms Sampson for providing us this website with this topic. It was acutally the Words quoted on this website helped me making up my mind not to play wow.

It has been a few weeks now since I quit WoW. I am a Christian and I have been playing wow nearly two years. I have read the post and comments and I would like to share my opinion.

I believe wow is not just a game. Why? I am not talking about Mario or Sonic the hedgehog etc, but the game is heavily dependant on community inside the game itself. That, without other people playing online with you at the same time, the game loses its point and fun. When I played wow I was so happy to interact with others while playing game. I met many friendly and good people(I met a lovely Christian as well!). Also I was delighted to tell people when they asked me why I did not associate or make groups with characters whose profession is ‘warlock’(this profession is demonic). I actually felt guilty when I joined a group with a warlock.

One day, I found out that my password was changed. Turned out that my account had been compromised or in other words, ‘hacked’. I contacted Blizzard but the account was compromised/hacked again several times(Even after scanning with Anti virus programme). At the same time the sermon the pastor gave on Sunday was about Gideon,Judges 6. All of sudden I thought maybe the account being hacked was one of the warnings. I ‘googled’ about the if a Christian should play wow or not and Thanks to The LORD I found your website!.

And after reading your post and comments, I agree that the contents of the game do involve witchcraft or even demonic materials. I would like to tell you that there are demonic things in that game. As a former active and addicted player of wow, I can tell that there comes a moment when players surrender or lend their characters’ bodies to a demon to finish a ‘quest’. The reward of that quest was very popular and many people finished that quest. I really regret doing that quest too and helping others doing that quest.At that time before I did that ‘quest’, I prayed that even though I carry out this quest, may the soul of the character not be handed over or affected by demon. I know it is a computer game but to me, I felt very guilty doing that quest as a Christian controlling that Character. The character I played represented me in that game.
That was about a year ago. I was such a fool. Even though I prayed for the soul of the character I played, I believe I still sinned by doing that quest. People may argue that the game is a fantasy world and it is not real. However, even if it was only a game, surrending or lending a body to a demon is NOT acceptable in Christian point of view. Not to mention that the developers of the game set the world in the game made by some gods called ‘titans’. There are many inappropriate or bad attributes I can go on to write about this game.

So I say, for the Christians who are considering whether to play wow or not, Please do not play it. I hope this comment helped. Thanks very much for reading this far. I am not saying I am perfect and I know everything but I just wanted to give my opinion and recommendation.
Comment by JinHee Lee :

I am sorry I made words mistake in “Thanks to ‘the’ Ms Sampson”. It should have been “Thanks to Ms Sampson.

Again, “I‘googled’ about ‘the’ if a Christian”. It should have been “I ‘googled’ about if a Christian”. Thanks.
Comment by admin :

Thank you JinHee for sharing your experience. It may help someone else.
Comment by Jack :

I’m sorry but I play world of warcraft and I think that there is nothing wrong with it. I don’t play for 16 hours a day, that is obsurd!
Comment by Zerias :

I agree completely about the game. It is not suitable for children. There are some things about the game I would like to clear up as well as a proposition for all Christians.

1. Not all characters in the game use spells/witchcraft. For example the Rogue and Warrior classes.

2. There is a language filter and an Ignore option to ignore particularly vulgar players.

And now for the proposition:

As Christians we must put God first before everything and must also preach His word to all. This includes reaching people through all media such as radio and television. But what are the odds that a non believer is going to switch to a Christian radio channel or a Christian channel? If you want to reach people, go to where they are and preach the Lord’s word even if it means going to World of Warcraft to preach it. There are Christian guilds in WoW that preach the Word to people in game. I myself intend to start a guild of followers to help preach the Lord’s word to people in game to those who may be hopelessly addicted and need God to fill the gap in there lives.

If your are interested and would like to help out look me up in the Rivendare server, Horde, by the name of Zerias. Yes I am a Horde character but even Jesus himself dined with sinners and tax collectors (Matthew 9: 10-13) to preach the word to them so they would be saved.

God Bless
Comment by jim :

good review, the game is highly addictive and i wouldn’t recommend it to non-believers or someone who isn’t solid in the faith. I do play the game on occasion and for a strong christian with their priorities straight, i see nothing wrong with the game if they don’t put playing the game over spending time with the lord… if i have some free time i’ll spread the gospel while playing wow.
Comment by Bill :

The fact that so many “christians” are defending playing this game is truly a sad commentary on how weak the church has become. We can so easily justify the sin/rebellion we want to hang on to. “It’s only a game, I’m not actually casting a spell on someone.”
I would suggest carefully reading Deuteronomy 18:9-13.
Divination, witchcraft, interpreting omens, sorcery, casting spells, mediums, spiritists.
These things are detestable to the God that we claim to follow.
Then I suggest reading Matthew 5:20-48.
Here, Jesus himself closes the arguement about not “actually” doing these things.
There is a very clear confrontation between the things promoted in World of Warcraft and God’s word. You must make a choice.
The bottom line is found in 1 John 2:15
Comment by Gabe :

I love how people can say “This is evil and so is that”. The truth is, that any argument can be made using the old testament to say “something is evil”. Does that mean we should then lock ourselves inside our houses and sing hymns to ourselves and rad scripture while waiting for it all to end? I certainly don’t think so. I personally think that as dgfgfrrg said “You must make a choice”. I have to say that whether you are for or against something, telling people what’s going to happen in their lives because of it is very judgmental and I disagree with it 100%. I’m not going to argue for or against war craft, because the real issue is this: One: Jesus died for our sins. He is the only way to heaven. Two: All sins are equally as bad. Three: As Christians, we are to set a loving example to both other Christians and to non Christians.
By simply saying “this is evil” are you really setting a loving example or are you merely trying to make someone else agree with you out of fear. If anything, it saddens me to see how many people are willing to label certain things which in ten years will be obsolete. Its a stupid video game people. If you really care about something, you should care about the homeless people, the suffering, the ones who are in your own neighborhoods who the government neglects and the health care system won’t help because they can’t afford it. The people in third world countries who die of malnutrition and are abused by militant governments because some of you are too busy saying “war craft is evil” and focusing your energy on something that in the grand scheme of things isn’t really that important. Again, if you want to make a difference, get off your butt and do it, instead of preaching about the “evils” of the world. We are supposed to be people who help those in need and make a difference. Otherwise, we’re just like the pharisees, telling others what not to do and not actually living for Christ. Its one thing to “follow the rules” and not help anybody out, but as 1 john 4:20 says:
1 John 4:20 (King James Version)
King James Version (KJV)
If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
You can quote all the rules you want, but if you can’t put into application your faith, then your faith is dead.
James 2:20 (New King James Version)
New King James Version (NKJV)
But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?
I hope I’ve made my point here. Whether or not war craft is truly evil, condemning people for playing a game is in my opinion a bad thing to do.
Comment by Jacque :

My dear friend Robin~
I have continued to receive these comments as they have come in, but I must now remove myself from receiving them.

I simply cannot stand the lack of fortitude in some who call themselves Believers. There is a force of good in this world and a force of evil. I am tired, weary and disgusted that most Believers do not know the difference between the two or really do not care, because that would mean their flesh suffers.

I am sick to death of hearing their whining and calling those who preach the WORD legalism. Jesus was a legalist, people, according to your definitions! If you don’t like it, take it up with Him!
“Whether or not war craft is truly evil, condemning people for playing a game is in my opinion a bad thing to do.”
Yes, let’s not let people know that God will condemn them, let’s just let them walk through life practicing evil, and we can smile and nod, so as to not condemn them. Then, when God says, “Depart from me, I never knew you,” YOU can be the one they hate!!! Not me brother. Give them a warning, otherwise, why didn’t we just sacrifice Jesus just for our sins instead of Him giving all the whys and wherefores?? Why have a whole Bible to read, instead a little letter saying accept Jesus as your Saviour?

So, for all of those still getting these or those who will come after… take it up with the One True God, not your perception of Him or even what you wish He would let you do. Yes, you can play, watch, and read all the evil you want, but what does that do for His command to us to “Be ye Holy as I am Holy”? Evil does not equal holiness, and the Bible, in every language and version says that a little leaven leavens the whole lump. Even a little bit of evil or a little bit of witchcraft is still the same evil and witchcraft God hates and will not allow to enter into heaven.

He tells us also to “be ye perfect as I am perfect.” He knows we can’t be, but we are still to try. Let’s grow up and stop sucking on the milk… let’s start chewing the meat fellow Believers!!!

If Obama is elected as President, we will be getting exactly what we deserve in this nation, and a lot of these comments are proof of that!

God help us all!

Love you Robin!
HUGS and blessings!
Jacque

Jacques last blog post..Our Dixon Cheerleader-s!
Comment by Francine :

Just want to thank you for this website. It has greatly helped our family!!!

No wonder in scripture we are warned to not be deceived so many times as we are so easily deceived in calling evil good
God’s word can be trusted. He has given the warnings for a reason. So glad we found this site.
Comment by Fred :

Normally as someone not of your religon, I would have just laughed at this blog and went along my day but I thought no…not this one, Im going to say something, I will not insult you for your beliefs more power to you,but is this all you people do is look around for something to call evil or wicked? Do you stay up at night contemplateing the next thing that is an affront to your god? Did I miss somethingwhen I read the bible about “Thou shalt not have creativity and thought to dream of other worlds and thier historys?

Lady look in your own back yard, catholic priests molesting small boys, Lunitic evagers collecting machine guns calling themselves the chosen one leaders of your churches caught with prostitutes and worse? Leave games, Fantasy, and Scifi alone, to some of us they make life in a society where people like you thrive, worth getting up another day.
Comment by Fred :

Oh yeah and you are racist Jacque lol as I feared rednecks and drones?

If Obama is elected as President, we will be getting exactly what we deserve in this nation, and a lot of these comments are proof of that!

God help us all!

Love you Robin!
HUGS and blessings!
Jacque

What are you afraid a black man might change your worldor he might fight or peoples rights, and take your christian beliefs out of schools where it doesnt belong , Now Im sickened Im glad I turned my BACK on your god,at least what I beleve in now The GODS I beleve in now dont turn out people and craziness like this.

Very Sick to my Stomach.
Comment by Miss Jocelyn :

Being how you are not saved you don’t understand the Bible tells Christians to purify themselves and to seek holiness as our God, the one true God, is holy. We were created to further His Kingdom (I mean he is God), and to meddle in such things as witchcraft and magical other worlds are not of God, but of Man and the Word of God says they are wrong.

I do not believe or endorse much of what churches believe today. They are misrepresenting the Christian faith and the Body of Christ. I am ashamed of a majority of it.

Also, my mother, Jacque is not a racist. If Mr. Obama was a man of morals and of good standards we’d have no problem with him being president. We didn’t vote for McCain either. Had nothing to do with his race, just his policies and our Christian faith. Jacque’s remark was in reference to what Obama believes (and with further research John McCain’s). Period.
Comment by HeTalksToMe :

I myself am a Warcraft player. I have been playing for over two years. I myself see nothing worng with playing the game but I can see the points of view of the people that think its bad. To be a church going christian is to be a servant of God. How can you be a servant of God if your wrapped up in a level 70 warlock that drains souls and life of other characters and or monsters in the virtual world of Warcraft.
I look at it this way. Everyone has their walk with God. God teaches everyone things he needs and wants them to do and know. If you think its an evil game then God has obviously laid it upon your heart to steer clear of these types of things. If you think its a great game then God has yet to lay it out for you and you still have many things to learn. Everyone learns at a different pace. I am sure everyone here knows, if your true in your walk with God and you follow his word then God has no problem in making his point clear to you. He will open your eyes and he will make it clear as to what you should be doing. I think free will is a choice everyone has and the people here trying to sway the free will choice of others around them is “in itself” wrong. I think the original blog was the closest thing to right that I have seen on this page. The blogger posted what he/she feels God put on their heart to post. Even backing the points with scripture. In my eyes thats not swaying free will thats preaching. But just to blurt out, Warcraft is wrong, blah blah, witches, blah blah, witch craft, blah blah, is spweing hatred which will lead to other things like straying from the subject at hand and attacking others and imposing your will or opinion on others. Eveyone has the choice of free will, the choice is your own. They will be judged for their decisions later by God, not by man on any given day.
Comment by Jacob :

“The fear of God is the beginning of Wisdom.”
Comment by Sarah :

It’s good that you looked into the game before writing a review, but I definitely do not agree with your stance. WOW is meant to be a game of fantasy and I feel that as long as the person playing the game realizes that fact they’ll be ok, and as far as these kids getting addicted to WOW, parents need to be handling that. In fact Blizzard even made it to where parents can block their child from playing the game at whatever times they feel necessary.
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Comment by matt :

I kind of feel that the ppl condemning this game are generalizing. What about playing a character like a paladin — a holy warrior that heals ppl and protects them or a holy priest? Do these also get classified as ‘witchcraft’. Even though there are many mentions of priests in the bible. Looking at some of the skills that these characters possess point to Jesus —-> Spirit of Redemption, Holy Light, Divine protection, Purify, Lay on Hands, Divine Intervention.. and the list goes on
Comment by shelby :

I can attest to Wow’s addictive perspectives. I used to play long hours of this game when it first came out. I’m now going to school for ministry and I know several youth pastors and the like that play the game. I would disagree that things like “witches,” for example could be seen as evil based on Scripture. These figures are viewed in a negative connotation in Scripture because they are in-fact practicing magic that is of a demonic source. Further, Wow is a role playing game. It is not inherently sinful to pretend to have powers, for example, as long as it is done with a contrite heart that does not stray from God. It’s no different then reading a novel, for example, and pretending your something to exercise the imagination.

Although I disagreed with you on the point explained above, I would agree that Wow is some-what of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. It IS time consuming. There is no such thing as a “casual” wow player. By implication if your “casual,” meaning less than 15 hours of game play per week. You probably are terrible at the game. I had 4 months of game play in 7 months of real life! Do the math, that’s roughly 40-60 hours a week. I was working and going to school during this time. The average gamer plays 30-110 hours per week. MMO’s are devastating for the spiritual life of an individual. As Christians, we need to keep are minds attentive to the ways of this world. Ephesians 6:10-20, Paul, talks about wearing the full armor of God. This is also seen in various verses through the book of Isaiah. This is a Biblical principle. We are called to be prepared. Although it is “OK” to have a hobby. This is far beyond a hobby. “It is a way of life.” Make no mistake.
Comment by Shelby :

I decided to make another post. In response to HeTalksToMe remarks about everyone “on their own walk.”

We are not on our own walk! Paul writes that we are to bear with one another in Ephesians 4. God reveals Himself to us through other image-bearers of Jesus Christ, people. By implication we receive revelation through information like this, and by the hard work of believers to analyze media. This could be an article that God used to speak to you! You have presuppositions that come from post-modern philosophers, whom were agnostic at best. So I would encourage you to seriously consider. How does wow affect your family, your friends, and more importantly your MIND and your SOUL! I used to love wow. I started having dreams about becoming sick or dying, or worse. It finally hit me…. What if I wasted it. What if we fail to connect with those around us to get phat loots from internet dragons? It’s hard to break the love of the game, but at least think about it.
Comment by xmrkneezx :

If the Holy Spirit convicts you not to play WoW…obey and don’t play. Don’t get caught up in pushing your convictions off on others as if it’s true for everyone. That’s a very bad place to put yourself. Christians who play WoW are just as saved as Christians who do not play. Salvation doesn’t hinge on a video game.
Comment by dj :

I am a christian who has recently begun to play WoW yes it is time consuming so one has to practice self control, No one has mentioned you can fish in this game..yes fish..hunt wolves, bears and boars just like hunting..there are christian guilds where born again players meet, chat and pray with each other..how wonderful it was the other night as I was bonding with my unsaved nephew who is addicted to the game tell someone that I would never be a horde (bad guys.) only alliance who in the game itself descibes them as hating anything demonic..
because they know im saved. Men need a battle to fight..I reccomend wild at heart for all christian men..and for the ladies so you understand how God made us so differently.
I digress lol..I like to hunt so I can kill fake animals and I have yet to see blood..I like to fish and plan on fellowshiping on a virtual lake catching fish and witness to my unsaved nephew..can I duel other players? Yes im waiting for the day I beat a warlock and gloat you’re on the wrong side by that character a glass of milk, at the virtual inn and talk..yes talk you can if you choose to sit and talk if you want..there is a nice social side to the game that has not been mentioned, I have met many gracious people online from europian countries. I am a caregiver in real life and my character is a holy priest who heals and administers first aid..we are to love our enemies and do good to those who spitefully abuse us and we are also to not resist an evil person yes read it carefully not resist, but offer our other cheeks if smited on one, Wow is a perfect place to implement those attitudes since you can allow someone to beat you in a duel and explain why to someone who would never walk into a church, go on a christian website, watch christian television or ever listen to a gospel song ever in this lifetime..and yes narnia was written by C.S lewis author of mere christianity and the screwtape letters.
My question is this..how do we preach the gospel to people who are involved with the “evil” portions of this game? How would Jesus reach Wow players?
dj
Comment by Mitch :

xmrkneezx, “Don’t get caught up in pushing your convictions off on others as if it’s true for everyone.” Can’t you see that your comment is pushing your conviction on others? May I suggest, xmrkneezx, that you have been convicted and that you don’t have any Scripture to back up your position?

dj, you said: “how do we preach the gospel to people who are involved with the “evil” portions of this game? How would Jesus reach Wow players?” How would you, dj, witness to a druggie?

How did Jesus witness to the sinners of His day? He certainly did not join in with their sin in order to witness to them.

Regards,

Mitch
Comment by Miss Jocelyn :

“He certainly did not join in with their sin in order to witness to them.”

That is what people miss. Jesus went to the slums and to the the streets to minister, but he certainly didn’t go have a drink them at the bar.
Comment by Anne-Marie :

Robin…sorry to see you’re getting beat up on this. I agree with you. I could make several arguments for what makes these MMO’s bad, but I think only one thing really matters. Anything that one uses to trump God’s will in one’s life is idolatry.

My husband gives up sleep and other things to play MMO’s. He neglects his children (and me) and most certainly neglects prayer and communion with God and fellowship with other Christians. I’ve tried to warn him of the consequences…the relationships he is failing to build right now with his family won’t be there when he really needs them…and no MMO will ever fill the void in his life.
Comment by Jennifer :

Just visit with the spouse or sibling of someone who is addicted to this game. You might reformulate your opinion if you think this game is not dangerous. I won’t even argue the point anymore. I have lived the nightmare of what this game does to people. It’s real and it is a complete scheme of our Enemy to render God’s people numb, ineffective and neglectful of the condition of our world.
Comment by The Question :

To be honest i stumbled acrossed this Blog by accident.I read through all of it interestingly enough i find all of these peoples views quite Thoughtful in there own ways but heres my Opinion on this.

Is the Weapon the Blacksmith makes Evil or is The weilder being the Blacksmith or the Weilder being the Warrior evil. There is no right or wrong answer you decide.

And you might ask how does that fit with WoW. Well it fits very well this Mmorpg is a Smoregis borg of Old Storys of Legend and lore with in a Massive world that people some times glance over while playing, and may never see the little things in wow that make up the story line Such as Arthas Prince of the Humans who While trying to Presue the thing he hated so much became what he hated the most a Simalar Story line of Moby Dick. This game is what you interpret it.I Think people who are more likely to get addicted to this game are also more likely to get addicted to more then just video games,Ovcourse this is a personaly observation of my surroundings. This game has more to it then Witchcraft and Sorcery it has Honor,valor Faith and a Human spirit that cant be broken by the [Burning legion] And Sargeras Aka Satan who is all of Azeroths Enemys or the Lich king and the undead scourage.
ive been playing this game for four years and to be honest…………………. Id Rather Build Mindstorm Lego Robots and watch Childrens Cartoons. This is just a game and id rather play sports and build stuff:)but its all up to you in my eyes No harm no foul but its all good have a Happy new years and God bless ya
Comment by The Question :

Im sorry for those whose Love ones do not have a Strong Will to fight its addiction and see what wow Truly is but a game and a Retelling of old storys of peoples Misfortunes and Triumphs. Youre chars Growth also goes towards protecting this fantasy world and to build youre own destiny with in this game . Honestly i think this game could if some ones imagination was big enough create a story of a heroes triumph through darkness from this game simlar to if you where inspired by the bible . some times the Real World is a lil more important than this Fantasy world that Blizzard entertainment Created Dont bash the game Bash the Player please.
Comment by A Seeker :

I have just read all the posts and comments. I am also a WOW player and have been for almost 3 years. I have recieved many different opinions from fellow believers on this game and it being in my house. I just don’t see the probelms with the game that everyone else does. My husband also plays the game and we have created a family guild. A lot of our real life friends play this game and have joined our guild. They all know that inapporiate language and being hurtful to any members will get you a warning, being asked to leave and then as a last resort we will remove them. AS for WOW running our lives…not happening! We have three small boys and a huge extended family in our town. WOW never holds us back from family functions, camping trips, swimming, skating, board games, reading, and anything else that comes along. However my husband and I have our time together on WOW. We run instances together as a team and we have made it our time together. We play on separate computers a few feet apart and enjoy each others company. WIth the way the world has been going, its sometimes hard to find a common interest with your own spouse and that leads to future problems. I thought about giving up WOW, but I still see no harm when there is no addiction to a video game in our lives. If WOW ever became a problem it would be out the door faster then the return of Chirst. We do other things together besides WOW, but on those cold nites when the kids are in bed and the T.V. has nothing on fit for anyone to watch let alone believers we will play a video game together.
ANd as for the talks of magic and witchcraft I believe that itstead of attacking one specific thing you should attack it all. LotRs, Harry Potter, and some other obvious ones have already been mentioned, but what about the ones no one thinks of? Has anyone decided Disney’s Little Mermaid should be classed as evil? It has a sea witch who uses magic on a young mermaid…but wait its disney. Also Cinderalla, Sleeping Beauty, Aladin, Beauty and the Beast, Shrek, Mulan, Quest for Camelot, Care Bears, Smurfs, and Matilda (just to name a few) all have magic, spells, witches…but no one says anything about them. So until you can go through your own home and rid it of anything magic related why be the first one to cast the first stone?
And one more thought to ponder…a childrens book of magic and card tricks…should they use it? They call it magic even though it is just a trick with your hand? Are you practicing magic when your say to someone, “Pick a Card”
Comment by The Question :

Quest for Camelot is my Favorite movie next to Prince of Egypt. You have a really good point though Seeker
Comment by Doug :

Great Blog! Anyone who plays WoW might as well start singing “I’m on the highway to Hell”.
This game along with others have a un-holy annointing on them that gives one a false sense of peace. Playing these types of games opens one and his family up to demonic activity as they are conformed into the image of the devil and his followers.
Comment by Jordan :

oh my gosh
cant yal find something better to do than argue about some stupid game over then internet?
u say what would jesus do? I dont think Jesus would be on the computer or watching tv in the first place, but does that mean its a sin to?? heck no
yal also say that its a sin to “pretend” to do any magic, or sex, or murder…funny thing…last time i checked, most movies have that kind of stuff in it, so what? we’re all going to hell then because we’ve watched that stuff??
NO, christianity is based on faith
and from what i’v seen, you all seem like a bunch of ignorant, arrogant, and prideful group of believers
you wanna make a defference in the world? go out and be a witness, stop trying to preach about some dumb internet rpg.
I know a few ppl that have played World of Warcraft, and they act more like christ than most of you have been
Comment by Jose :

Hi, I see that there’re a lot of ignorantrs here. Christ is thr truth, but do you know who is Christ? If not, don’t even type anything here, please. I play WoW a lot, and I’m a practicing Christian. And I know a lot more of people as i am exactly.
But the most important is that God exists, and Christ is the truth of all the life.
Comment by Chuck :

Our pastor and at least one of the elders is involved in this game. The pastor has been confronted by several people in regards to his playing of this game and his advocating for the teens within the church to get involved with this game as well. People are leaving the church left and right. The pastor says it’s nobody’s business what he does is his own time.
We’ll be leaving too.
Comment by JHS :

My kids have quit playing World of Warcraft and we are all happier for it!

I don’t subscribe to the theory that every fictional work that depicts witches, etc. is inherently evil. However, I will say that this game got a hold on my boys with which I was not comfortable. They spent too much time in their rooms, did not interact with each other or us, and became quite surly when I suggested that we were not going to renew the subscription.

Since my youngest attends a private Christian high school (very conservative . . . much more so than we), I had a little talk with the principal & she asked one of his teachers to whom he is very close to speak with him. The teacher is a young man in his 30’s to whom the kids look up and relate. He had a long talk with my son about the dangers of spending too much time playing any video game. I did not let on that I asked for the conversation or knew anything about it. I just sat back and walked . . . and waited.

They both asked for Nintendo Wii games for Xmas, including Wii fit which they are having fun with. They got the wireless connection going and before long, the youngest was bringing his computer out of his room into the family room. At first, my husband was kind of upset because he got “displaced,” but I told him to cool it and watch his Hascar and History channels in the bedroom or living room. He agreed and joined me in monitoring the situation.

Even as I type this, the two of them are in the family room interacting with each other and talking to some folks on the internet about “Animal Crossing.” I can hear the conversations because they are coming through the stereo system. They are both happier, less moody, and more cooperative.

I canceled both subscriptions to World of Warcraft and have informed them that under no circumstances will they be reinstated. I have been praising them for giving it up, and letting them know how delighted I am that they are spending more time together and out of their rooms. My computer is in the living room, so even if I am here reading blogs, writing in my own blog, etc., they are just a few feet away from me and we are talking to each other more in the process.

What happened? I think the teacher got through to my youngest, but he has never said a word. I also think that he talked to the oldest but, again, they never told us about their conversation. I also think the oldest followed the youngest’s lead in giving up the game and, finally, they have both reacted positively as a result of seeing their parents’ pleasure.

Oh, yeah. One more thing. Their mother (me) prayed about it. Silently. Without discussing it with anyone else.
Comment by RSMHobbit. :

First of all, while I admire your desire to do God’s will, the sad truth is that you are still a babe in Christ.

The fact that you quoted the Old Testament at ALL shows this.

15″We who are Jews by birth and not ‘Gentile sinners’ 16know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.

Faith in Christ frees us from the law. The moment that we try to push people towards it we become as Paul stated…

4You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope. 6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

So what you have unintentenally done is push people away from the Christ by trying to use the law. We are not under its yoke any longer and never were as it was nailed to the cross some two thousand years ago.
Comment by RSMHobbit. :

So what Paul shows is that anything that you do apart from love is sin. So if you think that giving up World of Warcraft will approve you before God, God’s wrath is upon you as you just threw Christ out the window.

However…

That being said we must also consider that if we do something that will stumble our siblings you have sinned against Christ.

So if World of Warcraft is something that you know will stumble you brother in a church that you go to, you are better off then to stumble them before Christ.

The law is nothing. Faith through love is everything.
Comment by RSMHobbit. :

or I should have said you are better off giving it up than to stumble your brother or sister. Sorry.
Comment by epicphail :

“S”: I’m not saying all RPGs are bad, you can have a RPG without having witchcraft in it. They could even make a RPG that teaches stuff about the Bible, Like a game where you are against evil and on your way(or quest) to defeat evil, A preacher or pastor comes to talk to you about God and Jesus. They could even have a Bible in the game so you could read the Bible even if you don’t have a physical Bible.
and you don’t have to use witchcraft to fight either, Why not use Robot Lasers or Swords?
————————————————
I just want to say to that, there are no ‘Bible based’ RPGs because no one cares. But, I think that you guys are putting this waaaay out of proportion. It’s a game, for fun. You don’t HAVE to play it. If a VIDEO GAME is causing this much stir-up, I can’t imagine what kind of schism a magician like David Blane is doing. F.y.i. I am a christian, but a video game isn’t evil. I agree with what garret said also, why are you going after a video game when there is real murder and genocide going on in the world.
Comment by epicphail :

Our pastor and at least one of the elders is involved in this game. The pastor has been confronted by several people in regards to his playing of this game and his advocating for the teens within the church to get involved with this game as well. People are leaving the church left and right. The pastor says it’s nobody’s business what he does is his own time.
We’ll be leaving too.
————————————————–
I’ve gotta say… wow… that’s just sad. Your pastor is right, what he does in his own time is his business. You shouldn’t leave a church just because he plays a video game. Doesn’t the Bible say to ‘Love thy enemy’ and such? Is it really our place to judge another’s sin?
Comment by ChristianSoldier :

First off, I’m a Christian foremost. I’m currently serving in the U.S. Army in Iraq. I’m also an avid WoW player. When I’m not at work, or playing WoW, I’m talking about Jesus to my fellow soldiers. I actually have the nickname “Preacher” because of it.

Now about WoW being evil because of witchcraft…
I’ve done EXTENSIVE study on witchcraft and the paranormal before I was a Christian so I have that background behind me and while there are parts that are demonic in this game, it’s main fault is the addictiveness about. It took Christ showing me my marriage was falling apart to understand this. I stepped back from it for many months and re-built my relationship with my wife. Now we both play WoW as our “together time” part due to the fact I’m 1000s of miles away. As Christians, we must keep Christ first and make sure you put time with him first. A few hours (I’m talking 2-3 at the most) every other day is not harmful to your Christian walk.

As for the magic bit, REAL magic as described in the Bible and by actual practiconers(spelling) is WHOLLY different from pushing a button in a game. It’s not the act but the spirit of the act.

As Christians we should strongly argue against massive amounts of time spent in this or anything! Moderation in all.

If anyone wants to discuss this with me, feel free ChristianSoldier03@yahoo.com. Just mention that you read me here.
Comment by Penny :

There’s a phrase I learned a few years back that means a great deal to me. “A man with an experience will never be at the mercy of a man with an argument.”
I have had a very real experience with the Lord. He turned my life around and upside down. His presence is still a strong factor to my life everyday. I can’t be persuaded by another’s argument against this.
I too, have strong views on certain games, movies, music and so on. I’ve taken a beaten over them, too, although I feel certain that you have gotten it worse than I.
As I’m reading the various comments, some I just skimmed, I’m thinking that these issues aren’t so cut and dry. People have to grow in the Lord. Someone who is new or hasn’t been in Christ a long time won’t have the same understanding that I have, due to my several years in the church. Please understand that I wouldn’t advocate playing this game or seeing certain movies to anyone, but, I’ve found that as I’ve grown in Christ over the years, things that I was so sure was okay in the past were suddenly something I needed to see come to an end and they have.
I don’t find fault in the article. These things need to be said. I personally wouldn’t play the game, I wonder why people I know, continue to play it — I have to believe that if someone is truly a child of God, He, God, can and will make it clear that they should not do or maybe stop doing something.
What we absolutely must be careful of is: not walking in love. Those who don’t know the Lord are critical of the body of Christ, for these very reasons. For God loves those who do evil, just as He loves those in His church.
My comments are more for those who have left comments than the author of the article. Someone is always going to disagree about something we believe. We want to draw them to Christ, not push them away.
I’ve been called legalistic–I’m sure I still am called that. For a long time I found it confusing. What I saw in scripture seemed so clear. What others saw in me was PRIDE thinking my view was — The View.
We all need to be encouraged and to encourage others to spend more time with the Lord. I feel so sure that if we were to do that, we’d find the desire for any other thing, especially those things He would want to give up, would begin to fade away.
I want that.
Comment by HeTalksToMe :

“Comment by Shelby :

I decided to make another post. In response to HeTalksToMe remarks about everyone “on their own walk.”

We are not on our own walk! Paul writes that we are to bear with one another in Ephesians 4. God reveals Himself to us through other image-bearers of Jesus Christ, people. By implication we receive revelation through information like this, and by the hard work of believers to analyze media. This could be an article that God used to speak to you! You have presuppositions that come from post-modern philosophers, whom were agnostic at best. So I would encourage you to seriously consider. How does wow affect your family, your friends, and more importantly your MIND and your SOUL! I used to love wow. I started having dreams about becoming sick or dying, or worse. It finally hit me…. What if I wasted it. What if we fail to connect with those around us to get phat loots from internet dragons? It’s hard to break the love of the game, but at least think about it.”

Perhaps I offended you in some way, I didn’t mean to come across that way. What I meant by “everyone has their own walk with God” is: He teaches us all in different ways. If by “post-modern philosophers” you mean God, then yes that is exactly right. I listen when he speaks, I move when he moves me, I speak when he puts it on me to speak. I do not always understand why or what I am supposed to be doing, I do not question it.
I am a fairly secluded person, I always have been. I have made a lot of bad decisions in my life when I had way to much time to think and act upon my thoughts. In the long run it got me in a lot of trouble. I was taught a hard lesson, not by you, not by man, but was taught through my mistakes by God.
Now I take things a lot slower, I listen and pay attention to people around me, I try to be thoughtful to everyone I come in contact with, friends, family, and strangers. I do not wish to have an exhaustive discussion about what God would do if he was here, or whose belief is right, or how you or someone else interprets the bible and his words are meant in this way and this way only because thats how you or someone else see’s it. All I am saying is that I give God the praise in my life for all things, good and bad. I thank him for the lessons he teaches me no matter how hard a lesson it is to learn.
Something my grandmother taught me a long time ago about listening to God, she always said,
“Sometimes you just have to be still”
Comment by admin :

Super comment HeTalksToMe. Wise words. Thank you.
Comment by Brian :

Stumbled across this blog, actually.

Kudos for the homeschooling! My two younger siblings are homeschoolers themselves. Good to meet a fellow believer and homeschool family.

As to WoW, I personally haven’t played it, and really have no desire to play it, as I’m just not interested. I enjoy video games, just not that particular genre, by and large. Thus, I can’t make a comment on the game itself.

Like JHS, above, I don’t subscribe to the theory that all fictional works that depict some sort of supernatural aspect are inherently evil, and I also don’t subscribe to an “anything goes” mentality. This is where discernment comes into play.

As believers and individuals, we do have to be discerning and make wise media choices as the Lord leads us. This can be easier said than done, but if we’ll seek the Lord’s guidance, He’ll show us what we need to do in our personal lives. If our lives are firmly rooted in Christ, everything else tends to find its proper place.

What I want to do in this post is point out two things:

#1, Al Menconi has a wonderful biblical illustration that helps the individual (for you parents, both your kids and yourselves) make wise entertainment choices. He calls it the “Teeter Totter” principle. Rather than posting a link, as I’m not sure what the blogger’s stance on link-posting is, I’ll simply direct anyone interested to go to Google, type in “Al Menconi Teeter Totter,” and click the top link that shows up in the results.

#2: I want to attempt to lovingly point out a fallacy in one of your arguments, particularly what’s listed under the “World of Warcraft is Just a Game?” heading.

While I understand what you’re getting at, I have to say that this argument really isn’t a fully accurate way of identifying something as being sinful. I quote from your second paragraph in that heading:

“Let’s look at in from another view. Adultery is a sin, is it OK to pretend to practice adultery (virtual sex)? Homosexuality is a sin, is it OK to pretend to practice homosexuality (virtual sex)? Murder is a sin, is it OK to pretend to practice murder (video games)?”

What you’re saying makes some sense here. But, let’s apply this same principle in other examples:

-Stealing is a sin. Is it wrong for a child to pretend to steal by playing a game of Cops & Robbers with friends in the back yard?

Or, let’s use a topic you used above in a different light:

-Murder is a sin. Is it wrong to pretend to murder (or pretend to be a murderer) by playing the role of “Injun Joe” in a school or community production of “Tom Sawyer?”

Or, we could put it in a church context:

-Adultery is a sin. Is it wrong for a young girl to pretend to be an adulteress by playing the role of the adulterous woman in John 8 who was taken before Jesus by the Pharisees in a Sunday School class skit?

-Idol Worship is a sin? Is it wrong to pretend to worship an idol by playing the role of an Israelite in a skit about the Golden Calf incident?

We could keep going, but I think the point I’m trying to make is clear. The principle you’re applying can’t identify something as being sinful in and of itself. I believe the reason behind that is that what Scripture tells us is that it’s the intention of our hearts that is of the utmost importance in situations such as these. As we seek the Lord’s guidance, He helps us to discern what He desires for us personally.
Comment by Brian :

excuse the double post. I wanted to go back and correct a typo, but couldn’t. The “?” after “Idol worship is a sin” should be a “.” That’s intended to be a statement of fact, not a question.
Comment by Johne Cook :

Thanks to ChristianSoldier for his rational post and attitude toward all this.

WoW is a role playing game that depends on community. It is based on the sword and sorcery fantasy genre popularized by JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. Like nearly anything, it is a fine pass-time when done in moderation. Yes, it requires some self control, but what pleasure in life doesn’t?

We play City of Heroes, another MMORPG. The only difference between the games is CoH involves superheroes fighting crime while WoW involves fantasy figures. The mechanism is almost identical. My son and I play on a regular Tuesday night team from 6:30 to 9pm. We call it our ‘bowling night.’ We have a dedicated team of 8, we get into a voice channel online, and we have a blast together. My preacher and his entire family play. All things in moderation, y’know?

As for the witchcraft elements in WoW, you do realize how nutty you make Christians look, right? As readers of Harry Potter understand the difference between elements of a fantasy story and genuine occult practices, video games involve a series of logic puzzles and challenges. There is no spiritual component to technology. It is neither good nor bad in and off itself. It is what you do with it that is good or bad. Games, in and of themselves, are opportunities to see one’s character, and to demonstrate proper choices to others.

I think my approach of playing a MMORPG with my son is a sensible approach. It is a limited time of communion, a shared activity. You can learn and display both nobility and leadership in games like this if you approach this as yet another opportunity to mentor impressionable youngsters.

I see a great opportunity to minister to today’s culture. We have a publication that engages in pre-evangelism to sci-fi fans, another group that is suspicious of organized religion. And yet, some great minds have enjoyed the genre, and have written for it, from C. S. Lewis to Cordwainer Smith.

Instead of demonizing gamers, get to know them. This is wide-open ministry field that needs more believers, not fewer.
Comment by Janet :

I am almost 60 years old and have been a
Christian since l984. Prior to that I was a
“white witch” who studied Astrology for 15 years
and practiced it as well as being involved in the New Age Movement for 20 years. Christians
tried to tell me that the things I was involved in were dangerous but I wouldn’t listen. To make a long story short, I needed lots of deliverance which included casting out demons after I was saved. After that, I stayed clear of Harry Potter, LOR, CON, dungeons and dragons, etc. Recently I prayed for a man who had been deeply involved in WOW.
The demons manifested and had to be cast out. He now is a sold out Christian and can tell you
himself that he would never get involved in the
game again…I believe the Word of God no matter
what anyone else says.
Comment by Johne Cook :

I ran across an article from September of 2008 that reinforces my experience; that for many videogamers, they are fully aware they are playing a game, however, with the explosion of social media like Facebook, Twitter, (Shoutlife anyone?), people taking part in social networking may be far less as aware of their playing field.

http://mashable.com/2008/09/05/gamers-and-social-media-users/

MMORPG Gamers and Social Media Junkies More Alike Than You’d Think

There are two major pursuits that lead people to plant their butts in front of computer screens and pound on keyboards for hours without pay. One group of people loves social media in all forms, shapes, and sizes: Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, FriendFeed, blogging, etc. The other group loves to play around in massively multiplayer fantasy worlds based in magic and technology. These two groups are more alike than unlike, with one key difference. The second group usually realizes that they are playing a game; the first group usually doesn’t.

Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs) are a popular pastime where people immerse themselves in fantasy worlds. Players spend many hours in games like World of Warcraft (WoW), amassing gold, experience, and property while making an uber-powerful character. Other online games like Everquest, Entropia Universe, and EVE Online project the same allure as WoW, while simpler brethren like Kingdom of Loathing, Gothador, and Adventure Quest have their own loyal players. This isn’t a new phenomenon either: MUDs (Multi-User Dimensions) and MOOs (MUD Object Oriented), earlier forms of online games with a heavy reliance on text have been around since the late 1970’s.

It’s pretty clear that you’re in a different world when you’re playing a MMORPG. You can explore that world on your own, but it’s often profitable to partner with other players to help beat down your foes and become stronger. Sometimes your foes are just products of the game. In other cases you battle other players like yourself in order earn wealth, fame, and bragging rights.

Do you see some parallels with social media?

The bottom line for me is that the same lesson applies across-the-board; in everything, moderation. Furthermore, God can use Christians to reach people using both of these tools. We should be very careful to be clear about the real problems. The problem isn’t in playing videogames or taking part in social networking, the problem is in putting those things before God, before family, before responsibility.

The most important thing I’ve learned recently has to do with self-management. Author Cory Doctorow wrote a post about how he gets things done. He’s all over writing, gaming, film, and all kinds of social networking, but when it’s time to write, he carves out large blocks of uninterrupted time by turning everything off and relegating all his incoming messages to e-mail, which he doesn’t check while he’s working. We can apply this to anyhing, but the message is the same; carve out time for the things that matter, and find ways to use technology deliberately, not letting technology be our masters.

http://www.internetevolution.com/author.asp?section_id=479&doc_id=149350&

There’s a world of difference between queue-able and interruptive media, and we bridge it at our peril.

As I’ve mentioned, for my son and myself, we play our MMORPG of choice, City of Heroes, on one night, for one dedicated time period. We run a dedicated group from 6:30 to 9 on Tuesdays, and we call it our ‘bowling night.’ We start ontime, we end on time or early, and we don’t play that game again until the following week. It satisfies the urge, gives us enough time to play deep missions (Task Forces, in our case) and it gives us the rest of the week to do other things. (For me, I have small group bible study, take part in various ministries for our small church, eat out with the wife, play with the dogs, publish a monthly magazine, do some editing, do some writing, and generally have a full life apart from work and the game.) When I’m in the game, I am a mentor to other players I meet. When I’m not in the game, I’m not in the game. I rule it, it doesn’t rule me. The game isn’t the issue, managing it is. That’s all. One /can/ do it and be a committed, ministry-minded Christian.
Comment by Frank :

its possible to play the entire game without using magic if u pick a class that uses no magic such as warrior or rogue. what about that?
Comment by Steve :

I am a Christian and I started playing this game with the 10-day free trial. With college degrees, a good job, and a loving family I generally consider myself fairly well adjusted but I was a little unprepared for the addictiveness of this game. Having played video games for the last 25 years I’ve made game playing a core hobby in my life and I know a little bit about what makes a good game…depth, complexity, etc. This game truly has it all and more.
After playing the game for about 3-4 weeks what happened next was truly unexpected. My wife told me over lunch one day that she heard footsteps come to her door when she was having her morning devotions. Since we have a 4-year old she immediately called his name figuring it was just him padding around the house. After 30 seconds she got up and went into his room – he’s sound asleep! When she told me this I asked many questions…”are you sure”, “could our son simply have gotten back in bed”, “could it have been something else”, “are you really sure you heard that”, etc etc. I didn’t want to believe that by playing this fun game that something demonic was in our house and that I have weakened the spiritual armor of our home. The truth, as I’m beginning to see, is that I have been slowly eroding my own armor (and that of my family) through certain types of books and video games for years. Suffice it to say that night I cancelled my account, uninstalled the game, and chucked some other sci-fi books and games with sorcery themes.
I now see that this is exactly how a believer falls…slowly, and with many small steps. The truth is that I liked this game so much that I want to find a Christian blog that is solidly behind WoW as a harmless game. Privately I know I’m deluding myself. All this just for a game I’ve played for less than a month? Something is definitely out of place.
What were the footsteps? I have no idea, maybe nothing (so I tell myself), and maybe something much worse. One thing I do know about them - they were a wake-up call! I read the Bible every day, and have been doing so for 15 years. How is it that I gloss over the parts on sorcery? Probably the same reason that Christian people post that WoW is ok – because I want it to be! I like it! It seems ok, it’s just a game, I’m not really doing anything bad, blah blah blah. I have read many forums on this topic and if there’s one common thread, it’s that many Christians (and non) are aggressively and violently opposed to a contrary viewpoint on WoW. If you want to know what most WoW gamers think about Christians, go to the main WoW forum and type in “Christianity”. Nothing but hatred for Christ/religion, and immature Christians hating on the neighbors they are supposed to be loving on. It’s not a community for believers, and for those who think they can play and be witnesses, this game is not a mission field.
I bought into the lie, and now I’m trying to work this all out. We serve an amazing God, and I truly believe He is trying to lead me away from some of these pursuits.
Robin - you are to be commended for your thoughtful, informed, and reasoned approach on this topic. Sadly, there are few blogs out there that present the topic with your straightforwardness and clarity.
Comment by Tarvarno :

A very good review, I must say. However, I would like to explain the other side of the discussion, as a Christian gamer (though I don’t play WoW, and haven’t for some time.)

First, you have to understand the philosophy of a game. It’s a diversion, something to help someone take their mind off things for a time. What is necessary for a game, or anything for that matter, to be diverting? It has to be different, in some notable and significant way, from real life. Take Chess for example, most would probably agree that playing Chess exercises their brain in a way they don’t usually encounter in real life. Same with a board game like Clue, only now you have a game that’s taking things a step farther, by adding an aspect of immersion. Chess lacks a backstory to follow, Clue at least begins to fill it in. Both games teach ways of thinking and problem solving that are difficult to learn experientially in real life, but which can be useful in real life. Now, on to my second point.

When you propose to enter an alternative universe for a time, you must, on some level, play by the rules of that universe. When playing Chess, for instance, a person is doubtless more willing so sacrifice pieces on the board to win the game than that same person would be willing to sacrifice men on a real battlefield to win a battle. The basic rules of the two universes are different, in real life one has to count the cost in lives when fighting, while in Chess nothing matters but the final outcome of the game. The same principle is at work in games like World of Warcraft. Take magic, for instance. In the real world, all supernatural power has a source, either divine or infernal (for lack of a better word.) Now in WoW, that’s not necessarily so. Magic may come from a divine or demonic source, but there is also magic that exists more as a passive principle or a pervasive substrata. A mage conjuring a jug of water isn’t calling upon hell, he’s simply using his disciplined mind in conjunction with the magical currents flowing over around and through the landscape, which are no less tangible to him than upper atmospheric currents are to the weatherman. Assume for a moment that Jehovah had created our world with a pervasive magical substratum. Would He still have forbidden us from “doing magic?” No more than He would have forbidden us from measuring and harnessing the wind. Some classes draw on different kinds of pervasive magical forces, and a couple draw on divine power. The warlock, it should be noted, doesn’t necessarily draw directly on demonic power, but uses the same forces and principles as a mage to subjugate demons and use them, not form alliances with them. Notable exceptions are warlock NPCs who are sometimes seen collaborating with demons, but don’t worry, they’re very much the “bad guys” of the game.
Comment by Tarvarno :

One last note.

Video games like WoW are a perfect example of the handiwork of what J. R. R. Tolkien described as a “sub-creator.” He describes the work of the sub-creator so:

“[When an author creates a believable world] what really happens is that the story-maker proves a successful ’sub-creator’. He makes a Secondary World which your mind can enter. Inside it, what he relates is ‘true’: it accords with the laws of that world. You therefore believe it, while you are, as it were, inside. The moment disbelief arises, the spell is broken; the magic, or rather art, has failed. You are then out in the Primary World again, looking at the little abortive Secondary World from outside.”

The idea is not to create a world in competition with what our Creator has made, but one that reflects and examines the same idea, and is ultimately meant to glorify our Lord. We people are created in the image of our God, and with that image comes a desire to explore and to ourselves create. But as we are below our Creator, and reflect only dimly His likeness, so it is with the sub-creations that people delight in so. Here’s something else by Tolkien that explains this well, I think:

Though now long estranged,
Man is not wholly lost nor wholly changed.
Dis-graced he may be, yet is not de-throned,
And keeps the rags of lordship once he owned,
his world-dominion by creative act:
not his to worship the great Artefact,
Man, Sub-creator, the refracted light
Through whom is splintered from a single White
To many hues, and endlessly combined
In living shapes that move from mind to mind.
Though all the crannies of the world we filled
With Elves and Goblins, though we dared to build
Gods and their houses out of dark and light,
And sowed the seeds of dragons – ’twas our right
(used or misused). That right has not decayed:
We make still by the law in which we’re made.

Finally, if you believe that I am in error, please do point it out, because if that is the case, I don’t want to continue being deceived. I must acknowledge that that is a very real possibility, so please, tell me your thoughts.
Comment by Nikki :

You Jesus freaks scare me. To condemn a video game, books, tv shows, etc. is just plain ignorant. I play WoW and love it. It’s a fun game, and, yes, I’m a fantasy buff. I read fantasy books, watch fantasy movies, and obviously play fantasy games. There is nothing evil about it.
For everyone who has a loved one who is “addicted” to this game, I know it is an addictive game but there is such a thing as will power. By no means, is this game evil. They just need to get off their butt and do other things.
Comment by Heidi :

It is refreshing to see an informative review on such items…Question to consider, where does your heart belong? If we spend too much time in anything not really worth while, our hearts are certainly not centered where they belong and the activity is liken to an idol. Idol = idle (not going anywhere or accomplishing anything) As a Christian, I played the game to see what all the hype was about when my children decided they wanted to play….Yikes!!! I messed around with witchcraft when I was younger and before I received Christ and it is nothing to sneeze at….For supposed Christians who allow this or Harry Potter in their homes, I have a question…How are your relationships with your children and your spouse? If there is mouthiness from your children and less than amicable relationships…amongst other things…ten to one there is also some sort of deceitfulness going on right under your noses and you’d be surprised at what effects these things and more have on our being. As for the people who think we are fools..I feel sorry for you…The Word of God even warned us that you would see it that way. Evil doesn’t dress in a red suit with a pointed tail. His best diguise is the form he’d originally been given..that of an angel of light. My prayers are for the deceived children of God, because if their eyes are not opened to truth they may greatly regret it one day. Remember also that for everything that is original there is a forgery…Maybe also people who search after the glory of the supernatural that has not been authorized by God have just simply been in christian churches that are spiritually dead!?!
Comment by Heidi :

Remember too, little foxes spoil the vines
Comment by Michael :

I would like to point out a few things that seem to be biased in Robin’s article.

1. “…that include graphic depictions of blood during combat with appropriate sound effects.”

I have done the trial to compare it with this article and I didn’t even see blood. The closest thing was a red number to signify damage done. The sound effects are more like grunts than “blood gushing” sounds, as it seems to be depicted.

2. The language problem is a very small problem. There is a filter for cussing and other forms of bad language.

3. The alcohol problem is very rare. As long as you don’t buy it you pretty much won’t get it.

4. The “Women characters are dressed scantly” is a huge misrepresentation. The only way a person can make this inappropriate is by removing the person’s clothes-not fully removing clothes fortunately. It is a rare occurrence that I have only seen in a “beginning city”. Also, it is only lust if a man lingers on the thoughts.

5. “virtual sex”? There is none. I really don’t know where this came from.

6. addiction-as Christians, we should hold each other accountable for things like this. I completely agree that we shouldn’t have distractions like this. Luckily, the creators of the game (I don’t know their names) have a play schedule that a willing Christian can give to his spouse or close friend to let them limit his/her time.

7. As for the witchcraft, I think it is not a huge problem for a strong Christian. However, obsession with the game(addressed above) is a bad thing that could lead to real attempts at witchcraft. As long as the Christian understands that it is wrong and does not linger on thoughts about magic or get obsessed with it, it is okay.

Feel free to respond to my post.
Comment by Anne-Marie :

WoW and other MMORPG’s are life stealers. These go way beyond your normal video game. My husband has been addicted to them for our whole marriage. He gives more time to them tan to us. And this happens more than gamers want to admit. There are plenty who are far worse than my husband. They don’t call us WoW Widows for nothing.
Comment by admin :

1. Yes there is blood. This game is EXTREMELY VIOLENT. Killing, slaughtering, maiming, attacking other players, looting bodies is is the main goal of game. Clans and guilds closely resembles gangs. While some players are drawn to World of Warcraft for magic, most are drawn for violence. As the Pope said “”How could one explain this ‘entertainment’ to the countless innocent young people who actually suffer violence, exploitation and abuse?”
2. Yes, language is a problem. Almost all players cuss and take God’s name in vain a LOT.
3. Alcohol is offered.
4. The woman are dressed scantly. VERY SCANTLY! I almost did not include the WoW video above because the woman was dressed so seductively. Do a Google search on World of Warcraft women. Amazing you think I misrepresented this? What do you call scantly?
5. I never said there was virtual sex in the game.
6. It is addicting. As shown in the 2nd video. Addicting as drugs and alcohol.
7. Witchcraft overflows in this game. Just visiting the main page gives me the willies.

This post was to point out problems to parents. Parents can visit the site to verify what was said here.
Comment by Michael :

1. You are over exaggerating the violence. Clans and guilds resemble gangs? In what ways? Also I doubt there is anyone who is drawn to this game for violence. There are war movies which show realistic violence. Would you classify them as EXPLICITLY VIOLENT? Because if you say yes then the game could not be extremely violent or anywhere near that.

2. At this point I’m wondering if you actually tested the game like I did. There is a chat filter that blocks most of this. Unfortunately it doesn’t block misusing God’s name, but in the ten days that I tried it, I never saw anyone misuse His name. Plus you can combat this by putting people on your ignore list or leaving “channels” as they call them (so you don’t have to hear their chat).

3. I never said alcohol isn’t offered. Should this be a problem for a strong Christian?

4. Women wear fully covering pants initially and show no cleavage. If you read my post, you would see the only time it happens. I would say scantily is anything overly loose or tight, and and any cleavage.

5. You did not explicitly say that there was virtual sex but if you read this then you will see what I mean

“Adultery is a sin, is it OK to pretend to practice adultery (virtual sex)? Homosexuality is a sin, is it OK to pretend to practice homosexuality (virtual sex)? Murder is a sin, is it OK to pretend to practice murder (video games)?”

I know you were just trying to illustrate a point but in this context it seems as though the game has it. Plus that video is nothing at all like the actual game.

6. I never said it wasn’t addicting. Read my post again and you will see that there is a schedule that you can get someone else to control your time.

7. Overflows? I still don’t think you have tested this game. People aren’t running around saying “Look at me I am controlling demons”. The first video on this page is not at all what the game was like. The characters are less graphic and not as violent.
Comment by Tomas :

Funny, its probably more people playing this game than there is people beleving in god. Religion is the main reason for war…
Comment by cheryl phillips :

please do not judge people. god is the only one who can. each one of us have vices. It a game and soild only be view as such. it should be played in monderation and should not take the place of socializing in the comunity such as church. We should respect our christian brotheren that plays this game. As sooon as in inhibits our relationship with god, we should slow down and conversate with god.
you christian player of wow.
cheryl
Comment by Reece :

This article was very well crafted. Well sourced, researched and written. I would really like to thank you for writing this. The part i really appreciate is how you try to make a way, make room, for other views. Your article doesn’t, however, leave room for someone to get mad; the verbatim of this article is just too kind. Again i thank you. The simple fact that anyone could become offend by your view in the way it is expressed truly adds to the stereotype of a WOW player.
For that i apologize; many who play this game are…for lack of a better description, young. There is a stereotype that Americans are fat, lazy, and arrogant. And we are, plenty of studies show it and our media makes no secret of it. This being said, does that make the apparently average American not want to be an American? Perhaps. But there is something to be said about the original American views and values of a truly atomic, once average American family. So for those you have immigrated to Canada, perhaps there is something left in Americanism to be proud of.
There is also the stereotype of the gamer, though thankfully growing dim. One that presents him as a nerd with no life, and possibly, maybe probably, no salvation. Modern video games have done much to change that view. Now video games have taken the place of tv with interactivity, and less of that couch potatoes syndrome. WOW is one such game that has fulfilled that niche, along with Jak and Daxter, Command and Conquer, HALO, and many more. these games have been proven to be addictive, violent, and in many cases unchristian like in nature. Many would agree though; Many people have issues and are need of an escape. Many people |NEED| God as their personal savior. Many people turn to the wrong thing for that escape, and get lost forever.
I 21 years old and work naval intelligence and have am working on my Bachelorette degree in Communication Studies with a minor in business. My time is devoted to spemding time with my wife, working out, rock climbing, kayaking, camping, picking up after a roommate and two dogs and many other things Most importantly I am a born again Christian that loves the Lord with all my heart and i spend less time reading my bible than i should, i talk to him all the time. I also play WOW.
I have been asked by many why i play, and if being Christian is contradictory to that. i have never gotten mad, but i ve also never thought about it…so I’ve never really given an honest heartfelt response. After reading this article and much soul searching i have come up with a true response.
It can best be represent by responding to the question: Do you love the game? No. My feelings for the game are likened to that of a young Christian man that plays a sport. He enjoys the game. He spends time getting better at the game. And sometimes, he is overjoyed when he wins, and is disappointed when he loses. He knows that non-Christians play his sport too, but he doesn’t leave, he uses the game as a testimony and a common ground to maybe save those lost to life. He also knows that the game is no more responsible for his shortcomings in his life than God. Those mistakes belong solely to the young christian man.
Does satin use WOW to trick man. I answer whole heartedly, yes! But there is a verse that dictates that God will often take Satins plans, and make good come out of them! That is the power of God. There demonic elements to the game, there are demonic elements in life. Can you avoid them; the question is, should you avoid them? WOW is more than a game…its too big to be considered that. Its a battlefield. And we called to go the battlefield and wage war against satin… to take the fight to his strongholds. ““I’d say that 40 percent of the players are addicted.”” Jesus said that has come not for the healthy but the sick. Thats the realit of the game for me. I play one of few characters that i think a Christian should play (my beliefs on that are large enough for another article). He is considered a holy knight that is called to fight against evil in all its forms. I believe this is an untapped resource for those interested in winning souls.
For information contacting me do so in game or at my email address.
Server: Underbog Faction:Alliance Character: Desertseeker
email: dmontaue@live.com
P.S.
I love my family and miss you all very much!!!
Comment by Garry Moore :

Following your logic, Christians should not be playing World of Warcraft or, for that matter, even games as seemingly innocent as Super Mario Brothers for these games teach that killing “game characters” is okay and that desensitizes players to real-world killings. (To quote the author: Murder is a sin, is it OK to pretend to practice murder (video games)?)

Indeed, everything from video games to Saturday morning cartoon shows create an “acceptability” to violence and immorality. The Christian must be able to differentiate between these things and reality. Any Christian who feels “uncomfortable” directing an on-screen character to do something they would not do in real life (or watching a character on TV do something they would not do in real life) should and probably must follow his or her conscience and turn off the game or the TV (or at least change the channel) to keep from becoming desensitized to violence, immorality, and the occult.

And what of a Wii game that only has one pretend bowling or playing baseball without casting spells or killing anybody or anything?
Following your logic, perhaps Christians should not play those games either. They run the risk of losing track of time while playing Wii and, to quote you once again: Anything we spend time doing to the point of putting aside Bible study and prayer should be a signal to us that there is a problem. Still, I have to agree that any Christian who alters the amount of time spent in the Word or in prayer to permit “sufficient” time to engage in any activity (computer gaming, fishing, whatever) should re-evaluate what they are doing.
Comment by tami :

thank you so much for this info!!!!!
Comment by Bev :

I ran accross you blog by looking up wether a christian should play WOW. I do not but have many family memebers who do and profess to be chrsitians. It concernes me because WOW has so much in it that is against what the Bible teaches. I think so many have a lack of discernment. My prayers that their eyes would be open to this evil. Thank you for expressing the truth.
Comment by Shelley D :

Thank you so much for this thorough overview of WoW. I have an unsaved son-in-law who falls into this category. He is one of the top designers for a cell phone company and works from home. My daughter does her best to raise her children for the Lord. She is an active member of a solid Bible believing church. Ironically, he attends with her every Sunday morning. The spirit cannot do its job when we make ourselves available to Satan to remove God’s word. This coverage made me realize that I’d better get serious over the prayers that I offer up on behalf of my son-in-law and others. We do not have long. Thank you.
Comment by zak cav :

I just wanted to thank Robin and most of the people who blogged on this subject. This is something i had struggled with off and on for over three years, and at time it had threatened to ruin my relationships in real life even with my closest family like my wife. Now i didnt realize it at the time but i would let this game gain complete control of a majority of my thoughts and time, stealing time that i should be spending with my family and friends. I started going to church with my wife and family after she started attending a new church with a co-worker. This is something we had talked about doing for a while but had not, probably because i was attached to the computer any time i could manage to get away for even five minutes.I found Christ and he drastically changed my life. Now i had a number of bad habits i gave up pretty much instantly but i kept telling myself it was fine and trying to listen to others opinions when it came to WOW. Now none of these people where godly people, and they told me no its fine, and to do what i wanted to do not what others wanted me to do, but i felt conviction weighing in on me heavier and heavier every time i played. It took a few post i read on this site to open my mind. Now i know their is bound to be some people that are gonna blog after me and say that its fine and just because that happened to me its not like that for everyone, and they can think whatever they want. I know gods truth and will stand firmly on it, that’s all that matters to me now he gave us life and the bible says how we should spend it. Now this game may not be bad but the addictiveness surely does make it a tool of the devil he will use anything whether its drugs, alcohol, sex or even a video game to keep us separate from God and stop the plans he has made for us. Someone on this site said with all the suffering why are we worried about a game, i let this game take all my time and spent my time selfishly doing what i wanted and desired which was WOW. No longer is that the case i am now dedicated to my family and trying my best to help others especially the less fortunate while spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our world is upside down and backwards i caught more flack from people when i started a new wholesome life than i did when i was leading a sinful one, i felt like i was being attacked. I figured out i was being persecuted for having non-worldly beliefs, and a more Christ like view, and most of the friends i had i barely talk too if at all. That’s fine with me they obviously just wanted someone to drink and play video games with, not a real friend. I now feel closer than i have before with my family and have a relationship with Christ, and thats all that i need :). And if u think i never played i had a level 80 rogue on akama pvp and multiple other charecters 70 and up plus lower toons on aggramar
Comment by zak cav :

Peter 2:15- For it is Gods will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.

Proverbs 3:5-6- Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6)in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your path straight.
Comment by Ben Miller :

Seriously its not that big of a deal parents just read in to it to much its just a game and dont you think it would be better for them to be in their room safe at home for hours rather then out getting into to trouble or doing drugs having sex ect.? Do you think the actuall world has a better influence on your child? No this world is so corrupt that I believe it would be better to have your child at home most of the time then out there being influenced by more serious things then just a silly thing. GAME ON!
Comment by Omar Bravo :

I am surprise with the comments made by some christians, how can you say its just a game when pure evil is clearly in front of you and then you try to act like nothings wrong and or say that God has a purpose for you playing that game. I find it quite offensive people claming that they love God when they play these classes,heres some examples of the 3 talents each class has and also 3 spells since each class has over 100 spells its impossible to list them all.

Classes
Death Knight talents are Blood,Frost,and Unholy.
Spells are Army of the dead,Death Gate,and Death Grip.
Druid talents are Balance,Feral,and Restoration.
Spells are Revive,Mark of the wild,and Rebirth.
Hunter talents are Beast Mastery,Marksmanship, and Survival.
Spells are Tame Beast,Bestial Wrath,and The Beast Within.
Mage talents are Arcane,Fire,and Frost.
Spells are Torment of the weak,Polymorph,and Teleport.
Paladin talents are Holy,Protection,and Retribution.
Spells are Holy Light,Exorcism,and Holy Wrath.
Priest talents are Discipline,Holy,and Shadow.
Spells are Shadowform,Guardian Spirt,and Smite.
Rogue talents are Assassination,Combat,and Subtlety.
Spells are Shadow Dance,Killing Spree,and Prey on the weak.
Shaman talents are Elemental,Enhancement,and Restoration.
Spells are Cleanse Spirt,Reincarnation,and Bloodlust.
Warlock talents are Affliction,Demonology,and Destruction.
Spells are Summon Succubus,Imp,Felhound,Felguard,and Voidwalker.
And the last class is the Warrior talents are Arms,Fury,and Protection.
Spells are Execute,Revenge,and Recklessness.

And much more horrible names. Of course people who have never played this game have no idea of what I just said so kuddos to you please dont make the mistake that I made of trying this game and wasteing 3 years of my life.
And the so-called Christians saying this is not an evil game think about this if you die where do you think your soul will go after knowing the truth about World of Warcraft and ignoreing it.
Thank you Lord for letting me see the truth, and forgive me for judgeing these people because Salvation is individual.
May God bless you Ms.Sampson.
Comment by Omar Bravo :

And it doesnt matter what religion you follow or if you dont follow a religion it doesnt take a genius to see what kind of evil you are RP with. And I’m not saying I dont sin we all sin even with our thoughts, we just have to ask God to have mercy on us and follow him instead of the man.
Comment by zak cav :

people talk to each other in warcrafts chat log so degrading and disrespectful exactly how geez has just demonstrated and even worse. and Ben is right somewhat but i have a son i let play warcraft, and i saw how his attitude changed dramatically. He started trying to talk to us just as disrespectfully as people would talk to him in the game, and that didnt fly, so when we said he couldnt play he would throw temper tantrums and bug us non stop wanting to play. he might be safer from physical damage than out on the streets, but he took lots more emotional and mental abuse from older people(who should know better) and name calling than he would playing in the real world with kids his own age, dont fool yourself…

Mathew 15.14- Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit.(NRSV)
Comment by D :

I’ve been playing WoW for a little bit now…my highest character is lvl 28 and I’m still in spiritual upheaval about it. Someone said that if God is telling you not to do something then don’t do it(not quoting exactly). This makes perfect sense. I should pray about this and then make a decision. The big sin here on my part may be disobeying God.
Comment by Robin @ Heart of Wisdom :

Praying for you D. Playing or not playing isn’t the problem– its a heart issue. Ask God to give you a pure heart.
Comment by micky :

AMEN!Anne-Marie

My husband has been playing these types of games for years! Your right there is missing such and important part of live. We have three kids and aren’t allowed near the computer when he is playing these games, so he even knows he shouldn’t even play these types of games. Even though he doen’t want admit it. I have dicided just to love dispit all of it. I’m not supportive of it and he know it. I believe the Lord has plan and its just in my timing. Theres alway a bigger picture we can’t see.
As for the evil in this I believe there is! Just another of satan traps to distroy lives. You can tell people all you disagreements and reason why this isn’t good, but there not going to listen util God changes there heart. “BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD”.
My family has been ripped apart by these types of games starting with dungon and dragon and now wow. Tell my kids that it is good. Out of mouths of babes!
Comment by admin :

9 When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. 10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifices his son or daughter ina the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, 11 or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord, and because of these detestable practices the Lord your God will drive out those nations before you. 13 You must be blameless before the Lord your God.
(Dt 18:9-13)
Comment by Pureragon :

Well 15 and im a strong believer in christ and try to follow Gods way everyway i can and since ive played a few MMos i think i say somthing about this topic.

Well let me start off and say since God is benevolant he wont be telling us to do somthing without a reason now practicing wicca and witchcraft is wrong and unlike in all these fantasy games or the whole fantasy genre , real life magic isnt good or bad , it is just straight up evil and comes from the devil , now if any of these genres have any reference to real life magic as in real spells signs etc like world of warcraft or orther fantasy genres like harry potter we should keep well clear away from them as they will teach or tell us about witchcraft which we really dont need in our heads , also they open a door way for satanic forces to come into ourfamilys and lives and can cause us lots of troubles and if any of you have children they might entice them into the practice , but is look at orther things in the whole fantasy genre such as Lord of the rings or orther things like it that have connotation to reall life magic and are just purely fantasy then we can play,watch,read etc, them as long as we wont go out in our life and start trying to practice wichcraft also id like to back up my statment with a bible referance

-1 Corinthians 8:4-13
008:004As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one.
008:005For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,)
008:006But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
008:007Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled.
008:008But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.
008:009But take heed lest by any means this liberty of your’s become a stumblingblock to them that are weak.
008:010For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols;
008:011And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?
008:012But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.
008:013Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.
(KJV)
Comment by Julian :

I am a Christian. I attend church 3 times a week, I help with every event, and I devoutly believe in God. I, in my past, was addicted to drugs, real violence, and many other things. I do my best to help people with anything I can. To the points of wasting time, I wasted years of my life whoring around, I have found WoW to be a much better substitute. Is watching sports wrong? I don’t believe so, but the posters here find that anything fun is a waste of time. Am I to walk around reading my bible, casting judgments to others? Christ died because we were not good enough, to say that Christ does not have the power to forgive, or to believe that we don’t need forgiveness because we can avoid wrong ourselves. Let me give everyone some advice, if you find your children are playing wow or video games too much, get some courage and tell them “NO”, or you will raise worse demons than anything this game could produce. No, you cannot have an RPG without spells, most RPG’s are also based around doing good, in a fiction (that means not real) universe. We can decide to point at everything else besides ourselves as parents, friends, or spouses. All I have to say is when is the last time you went and gave a homeless man your coat? When have you loaned money without even expecting it back? When have you devoted hours upon hours to renovations to churches? When have you gone out of country to help those less fortunate? Put things into perspective people, 11 million people play this, which is actually less because some have multiple accounts, there are 6 Billion people in this world. This means that 1 in 545 people play. If your child is addicted, you need to check your parenting, not the video games.
Comment by Julian :

And just to clarify it is believed that 60000-400000 people have been killed in darfur…. stop worrying about a MOSTLY adult game, that MOST children probably should NOT play if you are concerned about that, and blog and post about that. Maybe even take up a random offering in church for refugees, then look at the totals in the plate. It is a very clear indication of church priority.
Comment by admin :

Where you choose to spend time, energy, money shows who or what you worship.☝It could be Wow, pets, sports, shopping, etc.
Comment by Damaris :

Quoted from Sheree’s post above:

our oldest boy, decided to sell his character, our youngest son made a choice not to play any more, and our second son is still struggling with the continual draw of the game to keep playing…

So…basically…you condone the fact that your son benefited financially by his game play and by transfering this to another? Also, are you aware that part of the Terms of Service legal agreement made when an account is created states that account trades/sales are prohibited?
Comment by Justin :

This is an expample of something that gives Christians a bad name. I am a strong Christian and I don’t think there is anything wrong with playing WOW. My father is a strong Christian, and he plays with me and has been a game programmer for over a decade. From what I read and see, I think the people that see games as such evil are very disconnected from the games themselves and from how games are made on a technical level (I think it’s kind of like thinking a microwave is evil because all you see is that it superheats items “magically” - once you understand it your view will change).

It is absolutely ABSURD to say that playing a game where you are casting spells is similar to practicing sorcery. There is no evil intent, and there is no immoral action. I can play a game and hit a button that appears to freeze a well-textured polygonal mesh and go to sleep without a worry.

Implying that the game is negative because some people are too irresponsible to limit their play time? This is obviously a reflection on the people, and not the activity. Any fun activity can be engaged in to the point where it becomes a problem.

Scantily clad women? Well that’s everywhere lol. I’ve known many fellow Christians that totally condemn scantily clad women in games, then they themselves go to the beach and throw on a bikini which is much of the time more revealing. When WOW is more lust-inducing than a trip to any American beach, then I’ll agree with your statements here. (btw, as a male who has visited beaches and played WOW all the way through, the beaches are a million times more lust inducing LOL).

On Violence - If violence makes you queasy or uncomfortable, then I can totally understand if you want to stay away from artistic depictions of it. However, there is no more violence in WOW than you will see virtually anywhere else. I argue that violence itself is not a sin - it is where it is directed that makes it a sin. For example, do you think you’d be sinning by killing a deranged boar? Do you think it would be a sin to decapitate a demon? Again, if violence bothers you then stay away from it (there is a warning on the box of the game after all).

Players buying and consuming alcohol? During the time I spent playing WOW, I saw less reference and use of alcohol than I did while watching TV or hanging with out with other people. Again, don’t blame alcohol as being a sin - the sin is overusing it. The message being to quit blaming the perfectly fine activity and start blaming the behavior that takes it too far.

The socializing in an unmoderated environment? Well it is moderated. Everything you say can be reported, and often is. Accounts are constantly being punished for deviation from the rules of conduct. It is very unnerving to people that have not yet adopted Christianity when they hear tripe like this, because nobody should live in a box of complete censorship. Rules should be enforced, but speech by any medium should always be free! You try to block what you believe to be offensive to Christians, and you open the door for them to block your expessions of your Christian beliefs.

In closing, I am a Christian who has played WOW, had fun with it, and was responsible enough to not let it interfere with my spirituality or my work.
Comment by Travis :

you are a crazy person. the bible is a book written by man not god you cant use it as god’s laws. plus World of Warcraft is a fucking video game. im suprised you didnt mention the titans, the metal gods who created azeroth and outland, which are the 2 worlds that wow takes place on.
Comment by Benjamin the Left-handed :

The Scarlet Crusade is a group of maddened zealots so dedicated to the removal of all undead that they commonly attack the living.LoC 166 [It is] a group of crazed human zealots, that battles fervently and vainly against the Scourge in the Plaguelands.WoWRPG 20 In the Western Plaguelands, the Scarlet Crusade strikes against the Scourge from Hearthglen.WoWRPG 21 Many Knights of the Silver Hand remained on Lordaeron for several reasons ranging from missing the fleeing boats, to a sense of duty to clear their homeland of the undead. With the destruction of Lordaeron in front of them and the knowledge that Arthas had betrayed them, some knights actually went mad. They hunt the undead in Lordaeron with a zealousness that frightens. Many innocent mortals have been killed through misunderstandings, or simply “just making sure”. These paladins have a frightening policy: When in doubt, assume the person is undead and kill him. These knights would never admit that they walk the same dark road that led to Arthas’s damnation, but few of them continue to follow the three virtues. Those who question their leaders are assumed to be undead sympathizers and are slain. Many serve the Scarlet Crusade out of fear, as to speak up means instant death. WoWRPG 169

Even WoW has its nutters. In many ways I think its an accurate portrayal of life occurances. Yes…I mean to draw a parallel between a ficticious order in WoW and Christians that see wrongness everywhere they look. Robin, you are the Scarlet Zealot that counts her fellow man as an undead enemy. I believe that you and people like you are looking in the wrong place for all the right reasons. Good luck on your journey, may you cut a clearer path through the fogging pages of too old lore.
Comment by Mark :

Robin after reading this I had a major witness and a strong urge to uninstall this game and cancelled my subscription. I see now looking back that it was affecting my job and my relationship to such an extent that I was on the verge of losing everything. And for what a GAME!! Im glad and feel a weight lifted from me. I hope others who read this and are addicted will just ask themselves one question. Are you pushing away your loved ones and friends? when do you think they will leave you?
Comment by Julia :

How many little ones are not being attended to because of this game? It is occultish and it is
an initiation into such. Fantasy is somehow seperated from truth in the minds of some, but as
Christians we are called to truth in all things,
and imagination is a gift given by God to craft
solutions for real life and not as a magic carpet
ride escape from real life. Somehow culture in the western world has left us very confused about that. We are deceived that, say, when we purchase a
ticket to a movie and see a naked body we are not like a peeping Tom voyer. What right do we have to see that body? Because we paid for a ticket? We are seduced by the culture we live in to discount such. Some are more in love
with their “freedom” and their “entertainment” than in obedience to Scripture. The truth is, the Lord needs young men and women who are really intelligent and really talented and really the best that they can be for Him in the present age.
The apostles were not some dummies. Although these were fishermen and some from other fields, He made them the most intelligent men I have ever
heard, the toughest, the most courageous, and modern man is set on fake courage played out on a game! There is so much more and it is real! If the lure of the game is to portray a false calling instead of boredom, the Lord can give a man the real thing and promise, through Him, He will overcome. Get off the false and have the courage to live the real!
How can you square that with people who sit around playing video games and wasting their youth and brains and talent? It’s really sad.
Comment by Ryan D :

Come on guys, what is all this bickering for? Seriously… You are either black or white on this subject… If you claim you cant play this because of witchcraft… then throw out all these movies… NO EXCEPTIONS- Wizard of Oz, Star Wars, ANYTHING with a superhero, and Peter Pan…Really guys, who is going to go that far? Peter Pan is witchcraft is it not? Fairy dust and flying and living young forever… THIS IS satans WORLD!!! WE ARE IN IT, JUST DONT GET ABSORBED BY IT!!! Don’t shelter your kids please, they are going to be overwhelmed at age 18 because they dont know how to live in the world. They will rebel! This is satans world, and we can not protect our children from him. God can. Just pray guys… Trust God and live for Him. John 3:16 is all that matters guys. If you are an adult, and you want to try WoW… go ahead, use it as bonding time between you and your spouse, but dont get addicted to it. Its just a game, and yes, it has strong spiritual warfare mentally, which is why you can not let kids who are not mature play this. They can not separate fantasy from reality like we can, which is asking for doors to be opened. Just remember, put God first, and remember John 3:16
Comment by Reba :

Thanks for this blog. Messing with witchcraft is what World of Warcraft does. The Lord says that if you lust in your heart after another person’s spouse, it’s the same as committing adultery. So if you play a game with witchcraft in it(druids, warlocks etc.), you are still committing sin. Thank you for pointing out that “as a man thinks in his heart, so is he” as stated in Proverbs.
Hitler read “Mein Kampf”, and became a psycho for believing it, many adults and children are obsessed with this game and the “spirit world” and are unbalanced for it, because the spirit world IS our real world. And to just say that it’s entertainment is still wrong. I can watch a movie with sex in it right? No…that’s fornication and adultery depending on the context. Still wrong. And the actors simulating the sex scene…are wrong, yet we have so compromised what our eyes see and what goes into our minds. Job said “I will put no unclean thing before my eyes”. Do we follow Job…or the guy next door who says WOW is ok? I will follow Job..and Jesus. Yes, to play WOW is against Jesus. You are either for or against Him. It’s that simple. Black or white, hot or cold..not lukewarm. And WOW is definitely a satanic game, just like a Ouija board, or books like Potter, Twilight, Goosebumps and the like. Fantasy that goes against the teaching of God’s word has no place in a Christian’s life. We are to be pure in heart, and gentle in spirit, and I sense the anger from those who are pro WOW or the like. They are angry that people who tell it like it is..witchcraft and anti-God, they are are actually angry at God, for what HIS rules are.
I didn’t make them up, God did, but it’s up to each one of us to follow his rules. NO witchcraft allowed…even in fantasy.