World of Warcraft FAQs for Christians: Should we play WoW?

World of Warcraft FAQs for Christians: Should we play WoW?

Topic / Technology

blog, Video Games

World of Warcraft FAQs for Christians Is this whole area a place that demonic strongholds can affect a person’s life in reality?
It may be possible, but highly improbable. If World of Warcraft is having a negative spiritual affect on someone, my guess is that there’s something else much deeper going on that’s unrelated to the game. The root issue only manifests itself in how they play World of Warcraft and interacts with other parts of life. In other words, I strongly doubt World of Warcraft is the culprit of negative issues in a person’s life rather than just an expression of it.

I strongly doubt World of Warcraft is the culprit of negative issues in a person’s life rather than just an expression of it.

Should a Christian play World of Warcraft and other MMORPGs?
I can’t answer this for anyone other than myself. My personal conviction is that it’s fine for me to play these games for their entertainment and ministry value assuming all my other real-life responsibilities are met and balanced satisfactorily. I find nothing inherently sinful about these games or the communities they create, but I realize others may disagree for various reasons. Two verses seem to apply:

Romans 14:14:

“As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.”

And 1 Corinthians 8:9:

“Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.”

If World of Warcraft pricks your conscience, then don’t play it. If you do play it, make sure that exercising you freedom in this area won’t be a stumbling block to someone else.

[ Read other "World of Warcraft FAQs for Christians" in this series ]

[tags]World of Warcraft, MMORPG, MMO, Guild Wars, spirituality[/tags]

Posted on January 31, 2007

Pingback: The Daily WOW: World of Warcraft Gold News » Blog Archive » World of Warcraft FAQs for Christians: Should we play WoW?
Josh

this is ridiculous! of coarse it is fine, no one who plays WOW is like i wanna do spells like this in real life, hey lets pray to the devil maybe we will get awesome powers. u guys are f***ed up. maybe u should pray more.

Kishi

Dude, its got nothing to do with that. Do you know what happens when you pray? It has an affect on the spiritual realm that is behind the scenes, WOW is logically not dangerous, but spiritually it is monster.

http://www.ReligionIsEvil.com Mr Anonymous.

Dude, If you as a Christian are wondering about the effects of non-christian like characterisations, you should be looking at a whole lotta other games too.

Besides, if people as Christians are worried about their sprituality, then they were in trouble a long time before WoW came on the scene. Yeah.. it’s got demonic stuff, yeah you can do bad stuff to other players too, but it all ends once you un-plug your modem from the wall…. I have seen some people, who claim to be Christians, Lie, cheat, steal and do many dis-honorable things in the real world. I agree it does not perpetuate bad behaviour, but Christian’s in general are terrified of the reality, and use the idea of a God that is but a figment of our imagination and culture to provide comfort that they will be ok.

Anything can happen to anyone and it has nothing to do with a ‘God’….This kind of technology would probably attract them as it’s another false representation of the world, (just like religion), in which they can feel some degree of comfort… So for all you weak-minded Christians.. Sign up today !!!

Kishi

Lets hope that hell is also a figment of someones imagination

(I seriously doubt it)

Joshua Griffith

You know, I’m suddenly remembering the game “Heretic” for PC. Released a while back sometime in the 90′s. It was a game, medieval style, that you were an “Angel” or something and sent out to send demons back to hell via large weapons. A rather gruesome game that was actually funded by the Christian Coalition. So, as far as gaming and Christianity goes… Well, as the man said, it’s up to you.
http://fadf poo face

you are all gay and wow is great

Kishi

and u are ignorant or you just dont care, fine gdluck if u die tomorow (I hope not)

Josh B.

I’m a Christian myself and I must say I was actually wondering if World of Warcraft was alright to play, but after seeing those two verses I feel more comfortable. I know it doesn’t prick my conscience and I have not faltered in my walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. I actually have spread the gospel to a friend in the game. :)

God bless
Aaron

I believe the problem here is less with the content of the game and more focused on how WoW tends to dominate some peoples lives. It is, for some, very addictive and like other MMORPGS may or may not ruin your spirituality, relationships, or maybey even cause you to loose your job. The real question is can you control yourself?
http://www.coreyouth.org Justin

There are many posts about this game saying that it doesn’t effect your spirituality….I agree that playing this game will not take your salvation away from you….but…what is it doing for strengthening your faith, and building intolerance against evil, promoting things that are of a good report….showing you how to 1 Corinthians 13 love each other?
Mostly what people have been commenting on is how they want to play this game and using scripture to support why they should be able to. Does this not seem alittle immature? For real…should not the objective question be, “is there anything in the Bible that might hint at the fact there might be something wrong with games of this type?”
We should look first at the content of the game, then maybe pray and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to us the intent behind the game, then maybe look to see if there are addictive qualities in the game. Any game rated “E” or “M” if it becomes addictive and takes the place of responsibilities we have, we need to quit playing for aawhile. Everything we do should be done with the approval or dissaproval of the Lord. there are many things we can do…but not everything is profitable for us to do!
Bill

The fact that so many christians and even pastors 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
Finwaell

Hahah, I so agree with you Josh xD Nothing more to add :) Except.. maybe you should get some sense to your life and not solve “dire puzzles” like this.
Finwaell

oh and pleae do not try to convert anyone ever. Its already bad fearing to bump into you “missionaries” in real life :D:D Salut

Kishi

Gd luck after death ;)

Bill

How can we claim to be Christians when we could care less what God thinks? 1 John 1:6
You’re right I can’t convert anyone. However, if we actually have been converted, we should desire to please God and honor Him. Trying to justify participating in things that God calls detestable seems a strange way to honor Him.
Devin

God gave us free agency for a reason. If you are a Christian, then you believe God gave us agency to do good and not evil.

That being said, WoW is not in any means evil. You are not doing evil if you play the game. It’s a fun video game you can play with your family and friends. If for some reason the games effects rub off onto you in real life (likes casting spells and what was mentioned earlier) then you should probably think about quitting.

The bigger problem is, WoW takes up more than just some of your time. As a result, you lose quality time with family/friends/activities etc. and this is why some people find the game evil. The game is very addicting and spending too much time on a video game is a problem. Unless you can balance your time, WoW takes you away from the best things of life, and leaves you at your computer for hours clicking a mouse and staring at a computer screen.
Bill

How can you say that Warcraft does not promote evil?
Does it not contain witchcraft, sorcery, spell casting, demonic forces?

Agains, read what GOD calls detestable in Deuteronomy 18:9-13.

These things are not from God. If they are not from God, then where are they from?
Bill

BTW – What passage does “free agency” come from, and exactly what does it mean?
Vitaliy

You know…. this is the most idiotic article I’ve ever read in my life… This game is clearly DEMONIC, you rule over demonic powers, participate in demonic rituals, and use demons- how can anyone be a christian and play this game? This is clearly a word to author, stop playing and repent before it’s too late. And most important: don’t lead others into temptation!!! YOU among all others found a way to convince yourself that this game is fine. I am almost sure you are addicted to this game, and worse off, the adds that are on your site mention WOW- you are paid to mislead people, both on this site and in church!
http://www.studentministry.org Tim Schmoyer

@Vitally: I appreciate you jumping to all sorts of conclusions (by the way, I don’t play WoW) and seeing the issue so black and white.
http://www.disruptivefaith.com Josh C.

@Vitaliy – Wow dude. Ouch.

@Tim Schmoyer – Hey I have an idea? Maybe we shouldn’t play Monopoly either? I mean, it does promote greed right?

Just tryin to keep it light! :-)
Bill

This is exactly what is wrong with the “church” today. It has become so indoctrinated by the world that we can’t even tell what is from God and what isn’t. We have “christians” defending and practicing homosexuality, divorce is rarely even mentioned from the pulpit, we are entertained exactly like the world, we have “pastors” who routinely curse and swear from the pulpit in the name of being relevant.
The ironic thing is that in the name of relevance we have become so much like the world that the world doesn’t even see the point of what we’re saying. We’re just another option of life coaching. We offer the same advice they can get from Ladies Home Journal, or Reader’s Digest.
“Your Best Life Now” – they can get that from Tony Robbins, Oprah Winfrey, Dr. Phil. etc., etc., etc.
We are called to be in the world but not of the world.

Here’s some food for thought . . . Jesus Himself said “among them that are born of women there is none greater than John the Baptist”. I don’t think you’ll find anywhere in scripture where he tailored his evangelism so as to be relevant to his culture. He didn’t play the world’s games in order to “reach” the lost, he spoke the truth clearly and unapologetically and left the results to God.
It’s not the method that changes men’s hearts, it’s the Holy Spirit using the message we speak!
TimPundit

I was going to respond with really long article about faith and individuality and the love of Truth and Forgiveness and Compassion and Free Will.

Then I remembered that half the people reading this live their lives based on the Ancient Book of Jewish Fairy Tales and anything remotely logical will fall on deaf ears.

Have a nice life all of you, I wish you peace, but most of all I wish you intellectual enlightenment someday. Not cowering in the corner afraid of lightening and thunder.

Kishi

and a nice afterlife to you… gdluck buddy

Bill

It’s more than just a book of Jewish fairy tales
1 Corinthians 1:18-25, Hebrews 4:12

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments; His praise endures forever.” Ps.111:10
Tommyfaith

Well, here is what I have experienced. I am a Christian and I started playing the game with the notion of having a little fun while being connected with thousands and possibly witnessing to a few as relationships grew. Upon entry into the World of Warcraft, where I appeared there was a mostly unclothed beautiful Elf woman dancing, I swallowed hard and moved forward to the quests, telling myself that she was an anomoly and I could avoid this later…which I could for the most part and I have only seen this behavior on 3 occasions on the 2-3 months of play. I thought as an elf priest it would be a good way to start a conversation about the Lord if the opportunity arose, which has been rare. I have stood in places and placed scripture over my head and on the general chat a couple of times, been nice to people and said God bless and things like that… I found that as I progressed I was given skills that were evil, like giving a computer enemy a spell of sickness for example to defeat them, I dismissed this as just a way of defeating an enemy and not real. The landscapes and scenery are wonderful and amazing. As you wonder through this world…I am an herbalist…picking herbs and making medicines that you can sell to make money, you can watch beautiful sunsets or stand on the edge of waterfalls as the water rushes around. I just today gained level 30, I have played for a short amount of time and for hours at a time a couple of times my wife has questioned my staying up past bedtimes to play a game and the example that playing video games are to my 8 year old boy, to which I say, well as long as it is balanced or tell her that there is little difference between this and watching “Lord of the Rings” from which the game is obviously inspired. I came to this site after wondering if WOW is right for a Christian to play….I know in my heart that the reason I play is because “I like it, I want to” and I justify by adding well I am not consumed by sports, I can control and only play 30 or so min a day (but I find that I spend 1-2 hrs when I do play because it just takes that long to accomplish a quest). I do not watch TV, I would be characterized to be one who reads the Bible daily, and desires to lead my family in “family worship” nightly. I have continued to play up to this date because it is fun and offers new challenges and it is a form of escapist enjoyment that takes me away to a different world. I have thought of the parallel that it is like life and choices and battles, I played games when I was younger but as I grew older I knew that they would take up time that I could spend doing other things, I am 43 now. The reason I started playing was because I played another version when I was in my late 20s that was fun, but not over the internet “Warcraft I” or something like that this is different. Here is the end of the matter:
Reasons I have found that make me believe I should not play anymore:
-Casting spells…imitating witchcraft
-Time to complete quests requires me to use time that I would normally be sleeping or working.
-Sexually appealing female characters, not only the half naked dancing ones, but even ones that are fully clothed are beautifully depicted with perfect bodies that you can zoom in on.
-I really would not want my sons to be spending as much time as I have to get to lvl 30.
-One of the biggest reasons (next to honoring Christ) is that the most important person in my life has concerns about me and our children watching me as I tried to tell them that they cannot play because of scary things or poorly dressed things or whatever….I did let my 8 and 11 year old see the wonderful castle at Stormwind because they are very much into knights and things medevil and a few killing of Rabid Bears that he enjoyed watching.
-I really like the game, but that does not mean that it honors Christ, or that I should try to justify playing it, when I look above I wonder how much deeper the game might have taken me if I did not quit today at lvl 30.
-final reason…I am at this site in hopes to sooth my conscience and be able to play knowing that others are doing it in “good conscience”. I should be praying asking God if this is not His Holy Spirit that I am trying to quench.
Bill

In today’s “christianity” it’s very easy to stop evaluating things. So many things are readily accepted as falling within “christian liberty” that we lose sight of the fact that God actually does care about how we live. We tend to forget that we are called to be holy as He is holy (1 Pet. 1:13-19)

Tommyfaith,
It’s encouraging to hear others that are truly desiring to honor God with their lives. Check out Philippians chapter 3 (esp. v12-21)
Frank

Bill, your september 29, 2008 post was very helpful to me. You cut to the heart of the matter that it doesn’t matter if we are only “virtually” killing and practicing witchcraft.

Tommyfaith, thanks for your very honest self-evaluation. It is good for me to hear when I’m dealing with the same thing.

I ended up on this web page after searching online for “can christians play wow”. I’m pretty sure the answer is that we shouldn’t. Still, it’s very tempting. And it’s hard to find what to do with my time. I read the Bible and other Christian books a ton. And then I just get burnt out from reading so much. Any suggestions on how to spend my time? Is there a form of entertainment that will not displease God?
Bill

Frank,

I thank God that He is working in your life. That’s what sanctification is all about. It’s being made aware of sin in our lives, confessing and repenting of it, and moving on.

I would suggest praying about getting involved in some kind of service ministry. Maybe you could join or start a bible study, which is a great way to mentor/be mentored.

All for His glory!
Andrew

Thank you Bill for posting those bible passages and Tommyfaith for your evaluation. They really helped me reassure myself that I made the right decision to quit WoW. It’s nice to see that I’m not the only one who’s been struggling with this decision. I played it on and off for the past 3 or so years (well since it was released), at times more heavily than others, and the past several months every time I would log in I had this feeling that I shouldn’t be playing and that there are other things I should be doing, etc. For a while I tried to ignore it, but I finally realized that “feeling” was actually God telling me that I shouldn’t be playing anymore. It certainly wasn’t an easy decision, I’ve made quite a few good friendships with people I played with and even though I found the game enjoyable, that doesn’t mean I should be playing it. I realized now that when it comes down to things like murder, drunkenness, adultery, witchcraft, greed, lust, coveting, etc. is doesn’t matter whether it’s “just a game” or not, God sees it all the same.

Two verses I can reccomend someone to check out:

1 Corinthians 6:12
Matthew 6:24
Chris

It all depends on the intentions of the person. Always.
Beelz

maybe you guys should just stick to christian guitar hero

Kishi

dude, u aint got a clue do u? Read "this present darkness" by frank peretti. Its fantasy but it illustrates y stuff like this is so important…

Some girl

This is a decision that I’ve been struggling with a lot. I actually stopped playing for a few months and felt much better. Not just mentally, but physically as well. And then I missed the friends that I made so I turned my account back on. Well, I started getting a nagging feeling again that I shouldn’t be playing this game. When I quit before I prayed about it and I talked to a couple people and I was given the advice that maybe it’s just not right for me. And that could be. But the more that I think about it, the more I realize that it probably isn’t really a good idea for anyone.

There are a few reasons that I have made me come to the conclusion to quit (again).

1. Someone had said “If God were there in front of the computer, do you think he would approve of this game?” Well, knowing that God detests these things, I’m willing to put my bets on the fact that He would NOT approve of WoW.

2. I am looking up “Christian views of WoW”. This is a red flag for me. If something is nagging me that much that I feel I need to research whether it’s even okay to do it, I’m thinking it’s probably not.

3. I have kids. Okay, having kids doesn’t always mean you can’t do something. Kids aren’t and shouldn’t be allowed to do everything adults do, BUT in my house the computers are in a public area (i.e. the living room). So pretty much anything that anyone does on them is viewable by everyone. And much to my chagrin, I have even let one of my kids play this game (granted it was a warrior, and there wasn’t much use of magic on his part, but it’s still in the game all around him). This is not good. For me, I have a fully developed mind and can differentiate between fantasy and reality, but for a child it’s not always that easy.

These are three big factors for me. And really it’s been hard now and in the past to say no to WoW. I’ve been playing this game for quite a long time. I have leveled lots of characters, put in lots of time “raiding”. Made many friends. The friends I made are wonderful people and I like them very much, but I have a way to communicate with them outside of the game. So I am thinking it’s time for me to say goodbye (again) to the World of Warcraft.

In the Bible it says in 1 Corinthians 10:23-24
23″Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive. 24Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.

So even though it *may* be permissible, it is definitely not beneficial to my body, my mind, or my soul. And I’m not seeking the good of my children by letting this be a game that’s played in my home.

Just my two copper..

Kishi

I know its tough, but well done

Lida

Please don't. If you can't handle it, just don't.I mean, really – your kids might ACTUALLY think they can be a warlock in real life! LOL. are you for real? We don't need a bunch of people thumping their bibles at us when we do play. It's enough to deal with in the real world.

Kishi

Please dont, post your ignorance. Its not about this realm, its about whats going behind the scenes in the spiritual realm.

http://intensedebate.com/people/graceydo graceydo

Tim, I was super concerned by your first answers of "blissful dilusions" about WOW.
You are surely deceived and already in the devil's clenches. I hope not one person
takes your advice. It will be devestating to them, when they reach the point of standing in
front of the judgement seat of Christ.
You are leading thousands of luke warm Christians astray.
Julia

The Lord's blessings to you, Bill. The Lord has given us such a wonderful gift in the imagination, but even that gift must be redeemed for it is meant to be used to craft real
solutions to real life. May the Lord make you His Man of His courage in the real world.
Really?

This is the reason people hate Christians. You're too busy arguing about a stupid mmorpg, and not focusing on the things that matter. Either you're very VERY good trolls, or you've got you head stuck so far into your bible that you can't analyze what it says. I'm a follower of christ, and to be honest, I'm starting to hate telling people that because of the BAD reputation it comes with. WoW isn't some evil abomination sent from the devil as temptation. I'm a level 47 Undead Warlock, and I feel absolutely no spiritual conviction about having some fun killing virtual, non-existent things with a computer generated ghoul. On the topic of spell casting and whatnot, I also have an alt Troll shaman lvl 30. The reason I brought this up is because before I came to Christ I was deeply into shamanism. I feel ABSOLUTELY no spiritual convictions about playing and casting spells as a shaman, even though I used to practice shamanism and gave it up for my relationship with Christ. Do I think shamanism has it's roots in witchcraft? Yes. I also believe witchcraft is evil. NONE of the spells or abilities have their roots in the real world. You're just being foolish if you think otherwise. Good luck casting frost shock. ; )

Kishi

If you feel no spiritual convictions, then I wonder how alive your spirit is. If you can speak in tongues, see visions from God, journal and hear Gods voice speaking to you, sense when things are amiss when you enter a house and are generally a spiritual powerhouse, then I withdraw the comment and your spirit is very alive!

Really? v2

Not everyone is blessed with those spiritual gifts, Kishi, scripture does NOT say everyone gets one of those said spiritual gifts. I feel no spiritual convictions because God understands just as well as I do that there aren't spiritual underlays to this game. Like I said earlier, all the spells and casts in the game are completely fictional, no different then lord of the rings, or harry potter, they're only dangerous if you let your imagination run wild with them. Which no one with the normal mental health of a teen or adult would do. and if you say "younger kids could play, so we should get rid of it," Shame on the parents for not keeping a close eye on their children, as not to let their young imaginations and fantasys run wild.

Rod

I read your comments. Sincerely, I didn't find scientific arguments about if there is something wrong hidden in Warcraft. And, sincerely, I don't know it. In this sense, there is weakness in the negative commentaries…
BUT, I found a common denominator in these comments… It's the consequence to play often this game. In other words: the addiction. This addiction seems to move away to the player of the reality and the social relations with the family, friends and responsibilities. Mmmm… Interesting!!!
Remember. Jesus Christ said: “For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes.” (Luke 6:44).
Therefore, if this game has a "fruit" with bad effects in the life of the Christian players, then this "fruit" isn’t a blessing. And if it isn’t a blessing, it doesn’t comes God. Okay? Then… where does it come from?
Rod

Repeat. I don’t have evidences about something hidden in this game. However, it seems to have a "fruit" that isn't good for us. The Bible and the Holy Spirit teach us that we can recognize if something is good or bad by means of the "fruit". Make sense for you…?
Finally, I read some comments with words like "stupid". This kind of expressions moves away from the non-believing people. Those expressions reveals our religious pride because probably we thought that we're better and wiser than other people. It's a terrible error. Indeed, it's a sin. We attacked other people with these wounding expressions only because they don't think like me. It isn't healthful spiritually. Think about it.
Jesus Christ is wise, loving and patient. He always gave hope words and guides spiritual. We must imitate Him and we don't say offensive words which hurt and bring division within the Christian church. All we must be humble. Helping us, making all the things with love, asking to God that gives us wisdom through the Bible and the Holy Spirit.
Kishi

Amen to that, All to His Glory!
http://intensedebate.com/people/Playsafe Playsafe

The short answer is No.____Demons, Evil Spirits, Witches, Warlocks, Spells, hexes etc are all real, they are not fantasy from films or games, they are alive and well all over the place. If a game has you casting spells, performing rituals, dealing with magic etc then of course it's an abomination to God and is very dangerous. ____And if you need any Bible verses to prove this then you really need to just start reading your Bible, it's everywhere. And how some of you can even attempt to quote scripture to condone participation in sorcery is beyond me. Just because it's a game does not make it safe you know. The world is all made by rules, spiritual rules, Gods rules and the fact is Demons and Evil spirits are attracted by Witchcraft, Satanic symbols, Sorcery and the like, so if you do WOW you are walking right into Satans grasp and OUT of Gods protection, yes thats right.____One last thing as I am currently on my work break and have to dash. Stopping playing WOW is not enough, you need to repent (which is to turn away), ask forgivness and also seek some deliverance as there is a very high chance you may have picked up a few Demons.

Clavicus Vile

So the Christmas of the devil? Why do you participate in Christmas then Playsafe? "Roman pagans first introduced the holiday of Saturnalia, a week long period of lawlessness celebrated between December 17-25. During this period, Roman courts were closed, and Roman law dictated that no one could be punished for damaging property or injuring people during the week long celebration. The festival began when Roman authorities chose “an enemy of the Roman people” to represent the “Lord of Misrule.” Each Roman community selected a victim whom they forced to indulge in food and other physical pleasures throughout the week. At the festival’s conclusion, December 25th, Roman authorities believed they were destroying the forces of darkness by brutally murdering this innocent man or woman." source: http://www.simpletoremember.com/vitals/Christmas_…

No one has a mana bar in real life, and saying that WoW is some devil's tool makes you look like a complete ignorant moron. and no, this isn't the good kind of ridicule Matthew 5:11 was talking about. I would love to show Jesus my WoW account, and how much fun it is, and he would be happy to see me happy. There isn't sin involved with WoW apart from the whole addiction matter. Also, what happened to "Nothing can pluck you from my hand"? You very clearly said WoW could do that. L2Christian noob.

http://intensedebate.com/people/Playsafe Playsafe

Well Christmas 25th December is clearly not the day Jesus was born, I am well aware of that. This day was adopted by Christians to oppose these anti-Christian beliefs to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. On Haloween we have a party, not to celebrate Haloween but to celebrate jesus and pray against Satanists. So basically just because we celebrate the birth of Christ on 25th December does not mean we are celebrating a pagan festival.

Anyone can pick and throw scriptures about from the Bible and put them in all sorts of contects. You must take the Bible as a whole message, read it all and get it's true revelation and meaning. I know WOW is bad not because I found a passage in the Bible that says it's bad, although there are plenty telling us to not partake in anything that is not gloryfying God. I don't play WOW simply because the Holy Spirit has shown me the dangers of it and I have first hand experience of the Demons that you are opening yourself up too. One of them is Anger by the way.

By the way, you are so right, nothing can pluck you from his hand, but you can easily walk out from under it.

Clavicus Vile

If it's dangerous for you as a person, I can understand that. but telling me i don't understand the bible because I haven't read the entire thing, or am taking things out of context? Really? Last time I checked, that's the beauty of the bible. That one person can read certain verses, and get a completely different, but not necessarily inaccurate, interpretation of that said passage. You must be a troll, because much of what you say doesn't line up with scripture. Pray against satan yes, but pray against satanists? No. Pray for satanists. Hopefully that was just a typo or not thought through well on your part.

"in everything you do, glorify God." Please explain to me why I can't glorify God in WoW. It's absolutely no different than another other thing, like riding a bike, or fixing your car, watching tv, etc. If you're trying to tell me I have demons, I'm sorry, I might make a typo or two in the next few sentences from laughing too hard.

"By the way, you are so right, nothing can pluck you from his hand, but you can easily walk out from under it."

That sentence is a paradox. Nothing means nothing. Yourself included. God didn't say "Nothing can pluck you from my hand, except for yourself" So your argument is invalid.

adam

i, as a fourteen year old christian, and a level 80 paladin, will honestly say there are times where i know this game is not appropriate. (i.e. loading screens and female players boasting low-cut tops and threadbare costumes) but these are no more than you would see at a beach. that doesn't mean stop going to the beach, but it doesn't necessarily give you the o.k. to play WoW. if you play with fire, you'll get burned, so its up to you. but if you do decide to play, get a bible and play with it beside you, and bookmark some passages on having a good attitude and remaining pure.also, get christian friends to play and start an accountability guild. works wonders for me.
http://intensedebate.com/people/Playsafe Playsafe

It's the Satanic content thats the main problem and having a Bible next to you won't do a thing. You can't have it both ways, you either play WOW and walk out of Gods protection and open yourself up to Demonic forces or you bin WOW and open yourself up for blessings.

You can't say a prayer like "please God protect me in WOW as I interact with demons, witches, spells, walk on Hex marks, Pentagrams, Divination, false Gods etc etc". If you place your hand in the fire it will get burnt. And just because some Christians live in complete denial about what you can and can't do is no excuse, read your bible and you will get all the answers you need. Listen to the Holy Spirit.
Toad

If you believe that the bible is the one true book, then WoW is not, and you should enjoy playing it. It's a game. Is the bible a game? If you believe that WoW is real, then this makes a mockery of the bible.

Good day.
WoW Player

YAY! Christian people that don't believe computer code can be inherently evil!!!!! As they say in computer-land, WOOOT!!!!!
Tman

There is nothing at all Christian about this game. If you are a Christian you have no business playing World of WarCraft. Could you imagine Paul, Moses, Elijah, or any of the bible characters sitting around playing a game when (as you believe) There is a real Demon named Satan trying to distract you from spending time with your God. I hate to say this but Christians should stop trying to have it both ways. Either you believe in God and you are going to follow the life path He has set before you i.e. the life of Jesus or your going to drop it and spend your 70 years (plus or minus) living it up. Make your choice
Triple Double

"There is nothing at all Christian about this game."

There's nothing Christian at all about Coca-Cola, so don't drink it?

"If you are a Christian you have no business playing World of WarCraft. Could you imagine Paul, Moses, Elijah, or any of the bible characters sitting around playing a game when (as you believe) There is a real Demon named Satan trying to distract you from spending time with your God."

I'm sure Paul, Moses, Elijah or any other biblical characters sat around and did nothing from time to time. I'm pretty sure everyone in existence has done that at some point. Do you even take the word "moderation" into account? Not everyone who plays WoW is an addict, skipping work and being a self wrought pariah on a computer in their basement, you know.

"hate to say this but Christians should stop trying to have it both ways. Either you believe in God and you are going to follow the life path He has set before you i.e. the life of Jesus or your going to drop it and spend your 70 years (plus or minus) living it up. Make your choice"

So what you're saying is that God doesn't want us to 'live it up'? I'd highly rethink that statement from a biblical and public standpoint. All you're doing is making it sound like God just wants us to live a bland life filled with regulations and rules, so we can die feeling less accomplished then if we sat and played WoW 24/7 365. Is WoW inherently evil? No. Can it lead to sin through consuming a persons life, so we spend no time with the things that actually matter? Yes. Sort out what you believe, and these ludicrous lies you've been told. It's like watching the show " A haunting." It's just laughable, and yet they try to be so serious.
http://sparacio.com John

Your all fooling yourselves and making excuses for a game that is unGodly. Yet you call yourselves christians and condem others for their shortcomings.
http://intensedebate.com/people/timschmoyer Tim Schmoyer

I have never felt it necessary to moderate comments on my site because I really value differing opinions and viewpoints — it encourages me to think through my position on an issue and I love the ongoing dialog.

But for some reason when it comes to WoW, Christian's can't be civil toward each other. I see nothing but name calling, judgmental attitudes, and Pharisaical condemnation on both sides of the issue in these comments and it disgusts me. Have you forgotten that regardless of whether we play WoW or not, we are still brothers and sisters in Christ? And even if you think that someone who plays WoW cannot somehow also be a Christian, I would hate to see how you treat other unbelievers around you. Seriously. It's because of discussions like the ones in the comments above that brings shame to the reputation of Christians and especially to Jesus.

So, since you people cannot show Ephesians 4:29 maturity in your speech, I am closing down comments to this WoW post for good. And if you decide to send your rant to me via email instead, it will be promptly deleted with no response.