Cameron, a youthful clerk in the High Court of New Zealand, asked me one day: "Which of the three earned more money in the first week of its sale: a Hollywood movie, a recorded pop song or a video game?" I know that a blockbuster film can earn as much as US$100 million and that hit records don’t make as much due to internet piracy, but I am clueless about video games. He offered the answer – a video game. I responded, "Halo 3", which I read about in the news, to which he replied, "No, there is a bigger one – Grand Theft Auto IV." "How much take?" I queried. He answered, "US$500 million in its first week of release!" Described as " a major commercial and critical success, Grand Theft Auto IV broke sales records by selling about 3.6 million units on its first day of release."
According to Wikipedia, the lead character in the game is Nikko Bellic, a Serbian immigrant who comes to Liberty City in pursuit of the American Dream and to exact revenge on Florian Cravic whom he blames for the betrayal of his old army unit. From then on, deception and mayhem follow. The story features two possible endings depending on the choice made by the player either pursuing revenge or engaging in drug dealing. You are given a choice between two evils. One can just imagine that more than 3.6 million people today are engaged in this anti-hero action adventure that glorifies violence and criminality. Where have gone the heroes and triumph of good over evil?
The engagement of a multitude in graphically violent entertainment does not make such a past time wholesome or morally acceptable. For was it not a multitude (upon the instigation of leading priests and elders) who shouted for Jesus to be put to death? (See Matthew 27:20) There are those who argue that the violence in the virtual world has no effect on a player’s thinking and actions in the real world.
How many incidents have occurred of mindless youth offenders indiscriminately shooting innocent people? Why are boy racers prowling in the streets in the dead of the night? Play based on a sinful script contaminates the mind to commit sin. Life then imitates play. "Will you play with [the crocodile] as with a bird? Or will you put him on a leash for your maidens? (Job 41:5)
Everyday we are asked to make a choice: Blend or bland? To blend is to let go of our core beliefs and adapt to what has become pop culture. Those who refuse to go with the flow earn the bland tag. "The Lord has given me a strong warning not to think like everyone else does" (Isaiah 8:11) One who keeps the Word of the Lord may seem bland in this world, but God looks at him with favour. "A good man will obtain favour from the Lord. But He will condemn a man who devises evil." (Proverbs 12:2)
Just as I was about to write the concluding paragraph of this piece, Cameron got back to me and shared about an incident wherein his young cousin suffered burns when an agitated playmate poured hot water on the former. He wondered how the fight got to that point. "Could it be due to playing violent video games?" I asked. "Huh?" he responded and fell silent for awhile.
by Mel Libre
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