I like to play RPGs, but I've come into some moral conflict regarding some of them lately. Namely, the Persona series, and from what I've heard, Grandia II. I obviously don't believe the things these games support, so I'm concerned about playing them. On the other hand, they're just video games. Can anyone who played these games give me their honest opinion on them in regards to Christianity?
Your inner struggle with what you're exposing yourself to is not unique. We've had a lot of discussions about it over the years. With that said, here's a quick list of threads that I found that you might want to read.
You may not get all the answers you need, but those two threads should help you get a basic answer.
The full answer ultimately is found in God. If you're afraid that your game may be interfering with your relationship with God, or stopping you from following Him the way you should.... then it's time to put the game down.
Welcome as well!! Like Durruck said, we have had a lot of these questions before, and a lot of discussions. To my knowledge, most, if not all, of these discussions end up to what Durruck said.
The full answer ultimately is found in God. If you're afraid that your game may be interfering with your relationship with God, or stopping you from following Him the way you should.... then it's time to put the game down.
God can use all of us in very different ways. As long as you keep doing everything for His glory, than I say your fine. But as soon as gaming/eating/breathing starts hindering your walk with God, you need to take a break and shift your focus back on Him.
God said:
1 Corinthians 10:31 (NIV)
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
The general consensus among most forum members is: If you feel convicted when playing a game, then stop playing that game--but don't try to enforce personal convictions on others.
I'll start with a disclaimer: I've only played Persona 3 and 4. I haven't gone back and played Persona 1, Persona 2: Innocent Sin, or Persona 2: Eternal Punishment. They're on my list of games to play, but I likely won't play them any time soon.
First and foremost, all Persona games I'm familiar with are rated M for Mature. You won't find content that glorifies crime or objectifies women (on the contrary, Persona 3 and 4 feature some of the strongest and most dynamic female characters in video games) like in the Grand Theft Auto series, but you will find violent imagery, profanity (not gratuitous, but still profanity), and mature themes. This is not Final Fantasy and this is not for young gamers.
Second, the Persona series does include occult imagery. More specifically, tarot cards feature heavily in the plot; however, the tarot cards are not used in divination practices, but rather as a storytelling device. Certain characters are associated with certain arcana of the tarot deck because of their personalities.
Third, the Persona series includes characters from a number of mythologies, including Chinese, Japanese, Celtic, Greek, Roman, Indian, European, and others. As someone who's fascinated by mythology and enjoys picking out common threads among stories told by vastly different people groups, I think the inclusion of these characters is an inventive and intelligent addition to the game; however, I can see why parents would not want their children playing a game where their character can summon characters like Incubus, Loki, Ganesha, or Ares.
The Persona series is not for younger gamers, just as Greek mythology should not be taught to children. (If you disagree with that statement, I ask you to read a synopsis of the myth of Leda and the Swan and reconsider.) If you are offended by the inclusion of tarot cards as a storytelling device (again, not used in the practice of divination), then I recommend avoiding this series.
On a related note: Many Western gamers play video games developed by Eastern (specifically, Japanese) companies without understanding the culture from which the games are derived. Christians who have spoken out against the Shin Megami Tensei series (of which the Persona series is an offshoot) likely don't understand that the Japanese are not promoting the occult or anti-Christian messages.
Sticking with that theme, "demons" as included in Japanese storytelling (including anime and video games) are not the same as demons in Scripture or Judeo-Christian theology.
Japanese storytellers often borrow from various religions and mythologies to tell stories. For example, Neon Genesis Evangelion borrowed from multiple sources, including Christianity, Kaballah, and Carl Jung's theories (more specifically, the theory of collective consciousness). Evangelion wasn't an attack on Christianity, even though it borrowed imagery from Christianity. Similarly, the Shin Megami Tensei series is not an attack on Christianity because, from what I've gathered, the writers for the Persona series don't believe in any religion other than humanism (i.e. "If we all band together, get along, and try our best, we can conquer anything.").
And while humanism can be a stumbling block for Christians (perhaps moreso because its appeal is obvious and its lies more subtle), humanism is still a far different creature from Wicca, Satanism, Kaballah, or other religions.
As for Grandia II: Speaking strictly from a gameplay perspective, I really enjoyed Grandia II. The battle system was fun, the characters were likable, and the graphics were excellent for their era. The Dreamcast was in sore need of quality RPGs and Grandia II is one of the few titles that delivered. All that being said, there is imagery that may be offensive to Christians. More specifically...
..the depiction of organized religion borrows heavily from Catholic imagery and portrays the church as deceptive, self-serving, and essentially evil. I mean, seriously, how many times can ominous singing in Latin foreshadow the revelation that a religious figure is corrupt and evil? Get some new material, JRPG writers. The "evil Catholic church" thing has been played out.
Grandia II is a pretty solid game up until the 2/3 mark, then the story takes a dive. Unfortunately, you won't find many stories in Japanese RPGs that don't follow a similar path, whether at the 2/3 mark or near the end. (Final Fantasy IX comes to mind.)
Another contemporary example of using mythology to tell a story is Okami, a terrific action RPG with a beautiful art style. The game borrows heavily from Japanese mythology and folklore, but I never get the sense that the writers believe in or are trying to promote Japanese mythology. If anything, the SMT series can be said to be pro-humanism.
In other words, many Japanese storytellers don't believe in any gods. They only use mythology to tell stories.
Again, if these games offend you or if you feel convicted playing them, then don't. When in doubt, don't play the game.
I obviously don't believe the things these games support, so I'm concerned about playing them. On the other hand, they're just video games. Can anyone who played these games give me their honest opinion on them in regards to Christianity?
The links Durruck posted should be very helpful. The question of, "Is it okay to play this game?" comes up often on these forums, so many of us are well-versed in answering the question now.
