The Pope is upset games glorify violence

25 January 2007

Posted by:Ferry

Pope Benedict said on Wednesday “If you play violent games you will die and burn in hell!” Ok so we made that up, he didn’t really say that, but he did mention how the media upset him by harming children when they glorify violence in the name for entertainment.

He might not have gotten the note that even in games people can see the difference between what’s real and what’s not. Still, let’s hear what his holiness has to say: “Any trend to produce programs and products, including animated films and video games, which in the name of entertainment exalt violence and portray anti-social behavior or the trivialization of human sexuality is a perversion. It is all the more repulsive when directed at children and adolescents.” Don’t we have Teen and Mature ratings to prohibit kids or teens from getting their hands on games like that? Yes we do!

He continued: “How could one explain this ‘entertainment’ to the countless innocent young people who actually suffer violence, exploitation and abuse? Globalization had led to an even more pervasive effect of the media over children and their influence was rivaling those of school, church and home, the Pope said.”

“I appeal to the leaders of the media industry to educate and encourage producers to safeguard the common good, to uphold the truth, to protect individual human dignity and promote respect for the needs of the family,” he concluded. Game creators are merely responding to demand, the Pope should really be talking to parents. Let’s hope you agree with us when we say that what he describes is in part the beauty of videogames, to be able to accomplish tasks you’d never be able to do in real life and experiment with yin and yang. Whether, that’s saving the world with a flying robot, or to rule the streets of Vice City with iron fist. Quotes via CNN

Categories: News

http://www.nusuni.com/ Jeremy Steele

Somebody get the Pope a PC with Doom on it, stat!

I see no problem with monster violence on video games, but human vs human violence on them is just sick, lucky there aren’t very many of those types of games.
http://www.myspace.com/astrotriforce astrotriforce

There is such a fine line that’s it’s really hard to debate.

Some people will say anything and everything with violence/sex/drugs/etc. in it is bad, but I believe there are meanings and messages to be found in many things of a seemingly violent or wrong nature. Just cause it’s got violence doesn’t mean there aren’t qualities that are redeeming (can’t think right now of the right word).

In the end I just pray that kids understand the message Christ preached and come to their own conclusions. That’s what should be focused on and what’s the most important thing in the end, not what games, movies, books, music etc. they did or did not partake of.