WINNING YOUTH TO CHRIST WITH VIOLENT VIDEO GAME

[LindaR]

This is an article from Way of Life Friday Church News Notes, October 12, 2007--not sure if this is the correct forum to post this, if not, feel free to move it to the appropriate forum.

WINNING YOUTH TO CHRIST WITH VIOLENT VIDEO GAME (Friday Church News Notes, October 12, 2007) -- Hundreds of churches are using the violent and addictive M-rated video game Halo to allegedly reach young people with the gospel. On ?Halo nights? teenagers flock around big screen televisions and engage in violent virtual combat and then listen to a brief watered-down, no repentance religious message. Kids as young as 12 attend Halo night at Colorado Community Church near Denver and play the video game even though it is rated M for ?mature audiences? and those buying it must be 17 years of age. Tim Foster, a 12-year-old who attends church-sponsored Halo parties, explained the allure: ?It?s just fun blowing people up? (?Churches Lure Youth with Violent Video Game,? Edmonton Journal, New York Times News Service, Oct. 7, 2007). Contemporary churches are so in love with the world that they see nothing wrong with using the world to win people to their type of Christianity. They offer rock & roll worship and Halo youth outreaches and Hula dances and pool parties and poker nights and football baptisms. Once the wall of separation is broken down between churches and the world there is no end to the sinful insanity that will ensue. ?Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God? (James 4:4).

http://www.wayoflife.org/fbns/fridaynews/news/2007/fridaynews071012.html

This is a church which has "Gone liberal" for real! Instead of the church following the Great Commission of Matthew 28:19-20, the church is bringing the "world" into the church!

[John81]

In this "seeker sensitive" driven atmosphere so many "Christian" churches have fallen into this makes perfect sense.

The problem is, it may make sense to their flawed human reasoning but it makes no Scriptural sense!

Drawing folks into church so they can engage in worldy, even sinful activities is NOT a way to win souls to Christ.

[Jerry]

Yes, this article sickens me (ie. that some professing Christians would justify any evil or compromise to further their ends). The even worse thing is, young Christians (or even older ones!) who allow these things to come into their lives - because they are convinced they are a good thing when used to "further God's kingdom" - eventually lose their discernment altogether. They can't understand what is wrong with social drinking, or watching R-rated movies, or reading novels filled with blasphemy and violence, or listening to secular Rock (let alone Christian Rock), because they have learned to approve of things that are wicked, instead of things that are excellent - and when they gauge everything else in their lives, it lines up to the new standards they have lowered themselves to.

Try arguing with someone why Amy Grant is wrong when they listen to Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd.

Try arguing with someone why Robert Schuller is wrong when they read books on psychology.

Or why C.S Lewis is so bad when they read Stephen King and J.R. Tolkien.

Or why they shouldn't watch The Passion when they feed on Arnold Schwartzenneger (excuse the spelling) movies and are entertained by New Age movies (such as Star Wars, Star Trek, The Matrix, etc.).

Instead of training themselves to gauge all that is in their lives with the Word of God, they have led the world (and their conscience, which is defiled) be their guide. Sad. And then we wonder why we cannot see eye to eye on so many Biblical issues and standards...

Hebrews 5:11-14 Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Philippians 1:9-11 And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God. (This is quickly becoming one of my latest favourite passages.)

1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.

Ephesians 5:8-12 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.

1 Corinthians 2:15 But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

[John81]

A new church opened its doors in a college town about 25 miles from here this year. They opened with week-long block party! This party included a small carnival, bands and various worldly entertainment. The "services", from what I've read, sound as if they might be similar to the little I've seen of Hillsong on TV; filled with rockin' music, and lot's of it, and a little tame preaching on the side.

Sadly, some area churches decided they better ratchet up their entertainment factor and have copied some aspects of the new church.

[Ande]

That's ashame. We are called to come out from them and be ye separate. Bringing the things of this world into the church is not being separate! It's compromise! :amen:

[John81]

[quote="Ande"]That's ashame. We are called to come out from them and be ye separate. Bringing the things of this world into the church is not being separate! It's compromise! :amen:[/quote]

Agreed!

Sadly, one of the loudest mantras coming from "Christian" churches today is the idea that we must be like them to reach them.

Does one reach a drug addict by getting hooked on heroin? Does one reach a drunk by downing a bottle of whiskey with that drunk?

Not only do these "modern Christians" not follow common sense, worse yet, they fail to heed the clear commands of Scripture!

[BibleBeliever123]

It would seem the only time that a violent video game should be in a church is if they were going to burn (or possibly smash) them, so that God could get the glory.

Acts 19:19,20

19Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.

20So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed.

[Madeline]

Violence begets violence whether it is in a video game, or in real life. One thing that I find justifiably violent is the devil being cast into the Lake of Fire for all of eternity.....