I think the basic idea to guide a person in relation to these phenomena is whether or not the medium brings us closer to or takes us farther away from God and the supernatural reality of our existence. We live in a radically anti-christian society now that in so many ways attempts to divert from our consciousness the deepest facts of our human experience. Given this, a person cannot be too cautious over what thoughts he allows into the range of his day-to-day mental life.
I think I finally understand what evil is
Julian Morales
Alexander Lewis
Interesting point. Everything in moderation. The devil is often alluring, he can pull us in with temptations of what we love.
Jack Hall
I get what you're saying, that there are lessons from the fictitious that can lend a hand to our reality. I never stated that imagination is evil, what I'm trying to state is immersion into the false world such as D&D, movies, video games, etc is allowing disconnect from the creation God created and putting someone else's work above the Lord's.
The Bible may have fictitious stories in it that serve the word of the Lord, but if we over indulge the stories and worlds that were created and not just simply take the lesson as the tools they are, we are missing the point of what those lessons are ment to teach us. Instead we are submitting ourselves to the gifts of a false reality. No longer do the lessons the story serves becomes important, but the stories themselves become a distraction to implementing the learned lessons.
I too have games that have spoken to me, Star Fox 64 is one to be specific, I remember the quote Peppy says: "Never give up, Trust your instincts" and that was something I took with me all the way today. But what instincts would I have if I spent 10 years of my life reading all the Star Fox books, playing all the Star Fox games, watching all the Star Fox cartoons etc. Just because a liar tells you a few truths, doesn't make him a trustworthy person.
From that point, it's fine to play Megaman and understand his teachings but move on. Once you start start collecting all the games, playing them days on days on end, idolizing his teaching as of that of Jesus, even getting into that degenerate speed running culture, I'd believe you'd be sinning in the eyes of the Lord
Oliver Sanchez
It's important to note that sin is sin, and any medium that glorifies it should be avoided.
That being said, I did notice that certain things like games, music, and browsing certain websites make me feel spiritually impaired, even though they don't glorify sin. My only explanation for this, is that it is the result of carnality. Living for the flesh has a negative impact on our relationship with God.
Parker Johnson
Of course, anything (except things like prayer) is bad when done too often, but there's nothing wrong with getting together with some friends once a fortnight to play d&d for a few hours.
Thomas Hughes
Well you're substantially right, but may be missing an aspect. What you're likely feeling is the social isolation that often comes with over use of technology, whether it be over indulgence of tv, internet, vidya, etc. It is generally not the moral content of said mediums, but that they fill an over-sized niche within our lives that rightly ought to be filled with social interaction (that is, ROBUST social interaction like interacting socially at church or with friends and family, whereas things like the over-abundance of sterile, transactional micro-exchanges in public or at work accomplish the same thing as isolation [it's worth looking at the results and commentary surrounding the "mouse utopia" experiment if you're unfamiliar]). In this way it is largely irrelevant whether the activity is in theory pro-spiritual, since without nourishment our social being will whither and die, taking our spiritual being with it.
It's not that you're praying too much, but that you're nourishing your social life to little, social ills beget spiritual ones and vice-versa. Even monastics and ascetics generally didn't live alone, they had a rich and fulfilling social life with their brothers. Those who did live alone had a deserved reputation for being (or going) nuts.
This is something that Christians and traditional people fail to grok, that the social and spiritual are closely related but synonymous domains, and that the social won't sort itself out with just more fervent prayer (absent an obvious miracle, but mostly God works through us). How did television and movies become degenerate? How has faith and morality been eroded further in spirit and in statute with each successive generation? It certainly wasn't that their prayers to Satan were more numerous or fervent than ours to God, it was through accumulating social capital, biding their time, and sticking the shiv into the public's back once they could get away with it.
So take a tactical lesson from the Satanists, and accumulate social capital, make friends and be active in your community, go to church, even make friends with members of the local police force and fire department, go to PTA meetings, run for local office if you can do it. If you're an art or tech or law fag, hold your nose and apply for positions within pozzed corporations and keep your mouth shut until you've got the position to start undercutting them, or the capital and know-how to defect and become a competitor. You'll be more fulfilled and you'll do a lot more damage shooting the devil in the back with a clear shot being a respected member of the community with a lot of friends than as a lonely NEET on a Mongolian basket-weaving forum. If all else fails then just be a good parent to well-socialized kids, teach them well and prepare them to have to do more, because the way things are going, they will.
Sorry for the wall of text but it's worth saying whenever it's remotely relevant.
Jose Price
Thanks for taking the time to write this, you do make some good points! And the 'mouse utopia' experiment was very interesting, I hadn't seen it before and it's similarities with human-society are quite striking.
You did give me some things to think about, I agree that a malnourished social life will most likely have a huge impact on our spirit, but I'm not convinced it is the biggest factor. At least, not in my case. To give you an idea of my situation, I'm a highly sensitive (en.wikipedia.org
I think the biggest impact generally comes from the nature of activities and the mindset wherewith we partake in them. The Spirit of the Lord is grieved by sin, and will obviously not be with the people who live in it. If we partake in activities that glorify sin (certain games, music, movies, series, etc), and if we delight in them, then we are glorifying those sins as well. I'm convinced that this has a similar impact as committing the sins themselves.
The carnal mindset has this impact as well, though I believe it to be more subtle. The carnal mind is enmity against God (Romans 8:7), so it's obvious that God's Spirit doesn't abide in those who have a carnal mindset. As you most likely know, carnality means 'worldly'. The 'carnal mind' refers to those who live worldly, to those who live for themselves instead of for God.
I think the biggest reason for the fact that so many "Christians" aren't experiencing (much of) God's presence, is that, while most of them try to get rid of all (well-defined) sin from their lives, they forget that they are no longer their own (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). They still (to a certain extend) live for themselves and want to stay in control of their lives. The only way to get close to God, is to surrender your life completely to Him. This is what it means to forsake everything you have (Luke 14:33), to trust God for everything you need (Matthew 6:24-33), and to acknowledge Him in all your ways (Proverbs 3:5-6).
To get back to my own case of feeling spiritually impaired after certain activities.. Spending hours, playing games, watching series, expanding my movie or music collection… that was me "living for myself". Those things were my treasures, which means that (in those moments) my heart was in them, and not in the Lord. This is in stark contrast with the days I largely spend reading and studying the Bible. In those days I feel more satisfied, at peace, and spiritually alive than ever.
Of course, things like playing a game, watching a show, or listening to music are not inherently evil and we don't have to give them up (unless they glorify sin), but if those things are our treasure, then our heart is not with the Lord, and His Spirit will not be with us, rendering us spiritually impaired or dead.
I guess I'm repaying your wall of text with another one.. but I thought this would be useful as well.
Wyatt White
Brother, you spoke of myself. Thank you for your words.
Juan Davis
As much trump worship help make Nu-Zig Forums happen. Varg faggoty single handily destroyer race realism. Varg probably done more damage to Zig Forums than trump. Varg the text book Definition of degeneracy. Black metal is the one music genre more degenerate than gangsta rap.
Luis Rogers
NOPE.
You're doing it wrong: Peoples' sin causes them to disconnect with reality (ie; God).
Pretty much the whole Bible, but I guess I'd start with Romans.
That said, Solomon was on the money: everything is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
Why does this happen so easily?