There is a video game series called Shin Megami Tensei. It is a game series where you can fight and recruit demons in a fight against deities from multiple religions and mythologies. Beings such as Angels and Archangels are grouped within this common category of demons, which are party members that you can recruit and even fuse to make stronger demons. In some games the final boss is YHWH, some it is Satan or Lucifer.
There is a lot of sacrilegious elements in the game, but I'm wondering that is it wrong for one to play these games if one were to observe the games objectively and understand that they are completely separate from actual Christianity and that the enjoyment derived doesn't come from the depictions of fighting angels or God, but through the gameplay stripped away from its aesthetics?
Before all the memesters arrive: No, it isn't. At least far less than modern western media. A game like that is far more likely to get you people interested christianity, while a modern western series just likes to celebrate it's degeneracy. Just remember that it's some made up fiction. The creators vision of christianity is about as realistic as pagan religions. Can you read some norse lelgends without worshipping false idols? Then just enjoy the game Then please stay away from it until your faith and is stronger and you are less easiely influenced.
Kayden Ward
What about Demons' Souls? It's a game in which you must slay demons in order to save the world?
Would you guys consider it haram?
Michael Rodriguez
It's my favorite jrpg series ever, and these games made me buy my first Bible (But I ultimately thanks God for that)
A pagan fiction with biblical elements and influences. Close to biblepunk genre, but not really. No more, more less. For fun, it is okay; just do not buy into it too much. If it bothers you, then just do not play it.
Blake Robinson
OP, I say this with sincerity. You should stop playing video games, and start reading the Bible. This is the only truthful response I can muster up.
They're heavily influenced by gnosticism. Don't take the worldview they're pushing to heart and make sure you expose yourself to Christian theology as sort of panacea. You should be alright.
Dominic Miller
Abstain from all appearance of evil. 1 Thessalonians 5:22
Liam Fisher
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Dominic Anderson
I'm playing Persona 4 on Vita. I just saved a character from becoming a homosexual.
Superficially you work with "demons", but you actually use them to do good, not evil. You jump into an alternate reality where you help people overcome their "shadow selves" which are full of sins and weaknesses. Pretty good tbh
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Ayden Sullivan
This user nails it, OP. If you're a new Christian and unsure what the Bible teaches, I might avoid SMT. There needs to be a level of wisdom and discernment to understand where they're using Christian language but not saying Christian truths.
If you're more established in the faith, I recommend SMT Devil Summoner. It's a fun turn based strategy game and the story grapples with Biblical concepts like sin, atonement, and forgiveness more directly than some of the others. It's far from a Christian game (really more henotheistic), but it's an interesting experience nonetheless.
Kanji was never in danger of becoming a homosexual. Kanji said it himself. It was never about whether or not liked dudes. He was just uncomfortable with the contrast between his embraced identity as a man and how he actually liked conventionally feminine hobbies. Kanji's shame in his love for the conventionally feminine hobbies manifests itself in his "shadow self" as an overt homosexual.
The whole idea of a "shadow self" is rooted entirely in Jungian psychology. The "shadow self" is the amalgamation of the parts of yourself that you deny because you deem it socially unacceptable. One of Jung's core criticisms of Christianity is that it tricked people into perceiving what was actually a natural part of themself and denying it and rejecting it and pushing it away, labelling it as a "demon". Jung believed that the entirety of the idea of "demons" (as found in Christianity) was the result of people wanting to have a scapegoat for the less socially acceptable aspects of their character. Essentially, he sees "Satan" as a coping mechanism for those too afraid to confront all aspects of their character. If someone came to Jung, talking about what are clearly signs of demonic possession, Jung would most certainly tell them that there's no "demon" and that they just need to come to peace with all parts of themself.
It's true that you help people overcome their weaknesses in the sense that they're forced to confront the comfortable lies they tell themself but since demons are dismissed as aspects of the individual psyche or aspects of the collective psyche of society then it's implicit that Hell doesn't exist. At least, not as anything more than a mere state of mind where one is in a state of denial regarding their "shadow".
Tyler Hernandez
I'm gonna have to say yes, though it pains me to do so as they are among my favourite video games. This past weekend, I couldn't find my copy of the original Strange Journey, so I decided to buy and play Nocturne on the PS3. I couldn't find it on the actual Store on the console, so I looked it up and found out that it isn't available to download in Australia. I felt at that time that God must have been preventing me from playing it, but I didn't let that stop me. I was stubborn and determined to play the game. I looked around for a solution and eventually came to the decision to make a new PSN account with the US as it's region. I do that and it worked, the game was in the console store, along with DDS 1 and 2. Unfortunately, when I went to pay for it, it would not accept my credit card, because it was not a US card. I then decided to just pick up a $10 gift card and use it on the American account, but I found that I did not even have $15 and had to choose between the card and buying more water for my mother, so I decided to just let it go. I've been told to just emulate it, but that is almost certainly stealing. If God doesn't want me to play SMT, then I won't. I am still upset that I can't find Strange Journey though, I looked everywhere and at this point I just want to know where it went.
Cooper Brooks
What kind of man would stand and smile while listening to someone tells a story that slanders his father and excuse such by how excellently the insult is told?
Dylan Nelson
It's not a sin but I bet it would be pretty irritating to play, at least I'd find it pretty irritating.
Well, what was made for evil was used for good in your case.
Hudson Adams
Since you seem quite comfortable with breaking the regional boundaries on games, did you ever consider just buying whatever version you could off of amazon or ebay and then using that physical copy on your PC to emulate the game?
Easton Diaz
Why would I spend $60+ dollars on a game that is $10 on the PlayStation store?
Gavin Miller
I don't live in Australia but, just checking amazon, I can find copies of SMT: Nocturne going for £13. Are you not comfortable with buying used games? To be fair though, I think I misunderstood your problem. I thought the issue with you not having $15 would've been that $15 is the minimum amount of money you can use before buying something (or something along those lines) but you were just saying that you had less than $15 on the card.
