True or false: Most Gamers are athiests

[Cin]

In my opinion MOST gamers are athiests. Out of the 100+ people I know who play videogames, only about 10-15 have a religion. This may be just me, but I've come to the conclusion that most gamers are indeed athiests, or at least Agnostics.

I beleive this is true because of the videogames themselves. They are seperate and individual realites, virtual or not, play a lot of videogames may be confusing our perspective on real life. With all the different demensions and realities gamers go through everyday, how can we define our own?

Most gamers find that god is not the answer, because in a majority of videogames there is no god, and they find that the people there get along just fine. Or, in games like FFX, the religion of the planet is evil, or just plain wrong.

I am an athiest, and I beleive it's because of the videogames that I am. After all the different things that I've seen and played or "lived" if you want to call it, I find it hard to beleive that a god could even exist.

What do you guys think?

[Rena88]

i'm actually a christian. and i disagree with videogames causing people to be atheists. they may encourage the belief of there not being any God but remember, these are manmade products. believing in a videogame jes because it "makes sense" pulls you into a false sense of security. i cant tell you what you believe or why (jes like a videogame) but thats jes what i think.

[twilightsown]

I accept others beliefs, but Myself, I am a Christian. Not sure what specifically, but definitly Christian.
For me at least, it comes down to seperating reality from fiction. I am a video game fanatic, but I don't take what I see there as truth, nor do I allow it to skew my opinion. Gaming for me is merely an escape, not a truth. Something fun, but not something to base a life off of.
Just my 2 cents.
*Hi-Fives Rena*

[Zexion of the Twilight]

Well, what's an atheist? That little bit of information would help.

[twilightsown]

An aeteist is someone who doesn't believe in any form of a greater being, aka God.

[Zexion of the Twilight]

An aeteist is someone who doesn't believe in any form of a greater being, aka God.

that theory is crap, there has GOT to be a Grand Design planned out for the fate of the universe, otherwise, what's the point of life at all?

[Cin]

The meaning of life is to live and die. That is what athiest's beleive. But we're getting off subject.

Do you think it's true that a majority of gamers are athiests? Or not?

[Zexion of the Twilight]

I dunno, considering most gamers don't have lives, probably yes.

[hahannuh]

well i'm christian. i don't think that playing video games is part of the reason that people are atheists. i mean it's just video games and i don't think that people will believe their ideas based on what video games have taught them. what i'm saying is that people will be atheists and people will be religious but video games do not play a part of that division.

[Claryssa]

Actually, most of the gamers I know are non-denominational Christians. And I, like most others here believe that playing video games has nothing to do with religion.

I definately have to agree with twilightsown on this. Gaming is not a truth.

[Zexion of the Twilight]

Yes, games are not the truth, unless it's a quiz. THEN it's the truth.

[Cin]

I'm not saying games are truth.

I'm saying that most if not all of us are teenagers, our brains are still developing and the games that we play can have an influence on our perspectives on real life, wether we realize it or not. We need to look at things like this on a subconious level.

[Darkandroid]

Like Cin said most gamers are teenagers, our minds are always changing we are unsure of many things, for some that thing can be religion, religion is becoming less important in our every day comes when compared to hundreds and years ago, and science and got to do with that, with theories of life and question which religion has claimed to be the answer.

I myself am not sure what the hell i am, i'm not sure if i'm a athiest or religious, and i bet alot of teenagers feel the same way, and to most it's not important, they would rather worry about social lifes and education. Gaming may have a slight influence, since in games in a sense you are god, you are controlling other lives.

[Big C]

I see no reason for video games to influence your religious opinions. If you decide to be an athiest because there is no God in Tetris, then, and I'm sorry if this offends anybody, you are an idiot.

[Rawr]

right on big c, chirtian all the way but somethings i have dout

[Darkwatch]

Now, I'm not being mean, but games can't determine your personal belief's. Games are digital creations that ARE or WERE made up in the back of someone's head, except for the movie games, etc.

I'm Agnostic, and no, I'm not a hypocrite; I have been studying so much about religion and about our world, as well as the evolution and big-bang theory, etc., that my religious standing point is quite scattered. Games had no influence on this what-so-ever.

I'm a very logical person, as well as aware; to not to let games and other things, like movies for example, interfere with my thoughts.

Some of the idea's and concepts in games are quite amazing, yes, and it would be cool to have them, but they aren't, and games are mostly lies on a disc. UNLESS, like I said, it is a movie game, or something copying/replicating, or reproducing an idea already brought up in our past.

[no-reality_allowed]

damn good topic cin:cool:

im on both sides.......

but i have to lean on cin's side cause it is true that games affect how our brain develops, im a perfectly good example of that.....im so ****ed in the head you wouldnt last 2 seconds in there.............and games have changed my perspective on my life greatly........and yes im an athiest but games have not turned me into one........thats where i disagree with anyone who says so......though my perspective on the meaning of life is to live life to the fullest, but survive as long as possible, and yes eventually die.......(WoOt wOoT cant wait, eternal damnation here i come ^-^)

and now that i notice it most of my friends who play games are athiests too.......but there are some agnostics in there too:D

like bigC said your an idiot if you say your an athiest cause there's no god in tetris xD
im still laughing for reading that xD

[2Foxxxxxxxxxie4U2♥~]

I dunno! XD

I'm a Christian and I get addicted to games like a bee gets addicted to honey! And so are 3 of my cousins, my sister and... a whole bunch of other people I know I'm forgetting! But, hey, I don't know everything... so yeah.

BUT, if more athiests play video games than religious folk, I don't think it has ANYTHING to do with the fact that they play video games. XDDDD

[Pure Beats~]

twilightsown, you are so right. I too am a Christian and i play video games and i know at 30 other Christians who play KH and FF and they believe that vid games are not what your supposed to base your life on, but they can help throught stress in school, but God is always the true answer.

[twilightsown]

*Hi-fives KHchick and gives cookie*
Anyways. I think that people who believe that aetheists are the only ones who play video games are in a community with few religious and vice versa. Pretty much every christian I know plays video games, and many of them get as into it as those who aren't religious. It's all your culture around you. The only way to solve this dillema would be to poll all the kids in the world to know for sure.

[Roxas]

Not to be a bubble burster, but I don't know why you would put all your trust in one person you have never met before, never seen, and truly don't know whether they exist or not.

[Pure Beats~]

I think that people who believe that aetheists are the only ones who play video games are in a community with few religious and vice versa. Pretty much every christian I know plays video games, and many of them get as into it as those who aren't religious. It's all your culture around you. The only way to solve this dillema would be to poll all the kids in the world to know for sure.

once again you are so right! Its good to know that there are other Christians on this site. :D

[twilightsown]

@Mint: So you choose to believe that nothing more exists, that this life is all there is, and that all the millions of peoiple all over the world who believe in a higher being of some sort are wrong? Would you care to explain yourself beyond the "How can you trust someone you've never seen" fallacy. And also, when referring to an omnipotent being, it's impossible to descirbe them as human. If for the sake of argument you are willing to talk this through with me, then you have to right now say that you won't refer to "God" as if "he" were human. if you are willing to talk this through, then you must be willing to allow that if this being does exist, it is beyond mortal comprehension, and therefore cannot be described as such (meaning a mortal.)

[Roxas]

@Mint: So you choose to believe that nothing more exists, that this life is all there is, and that all the millions of peoiple all over the world who believe in a higher being of some sort are wrong?

Yes. You may hate me for it, but yes.

[twilightsown]

I don't hate you for it. Hell I respect you for being man enough to admit to your belief and stick to it. I respect your opinion, I merely find it depressing. I don't plan to change your mind, so long as we can come to an agreement that there are many opinions, and no one truly knows who is right. You may be right, and what I believe may be worthless garbage. Then again, you may be wrong, and your missing out on another facet of human life. My next question for you is, do you believe in a soul of any kind, a ghost in the machine if ou will.

[Roxas]

If you want my honest opinion, I'm Agnostic.

If I was to marry a Jewish woman, who went to Sinagogue, and I loved her, I'd convert to Jew. I would, because I would love that woman. Maybe then I would find that trusting a god isn't so bad. But, for now, I truly believe that the Bible is there to simply teach us morals, not real stories that really happened. Just morals so that we can live life to the fullest. It's like a fictional story, with characters, settings, etc.

[twilightsown]

The bible is based in non-fiction, they have proven the existence of the people who are represented in it. Whether or not al the extravagent stuff is true or not though, even I don't know. More than likely it was written with a dramatic flair to inspire people, but calling it straight up fiction is not accurate either. It's more like one of the movies that's based off of real life, but takes liberties to keep it interesting.

[Pure Beats~]

i personally dont think that the Bible has any dramatic effect to it for it does say that the Word was written by men through God and i highly doubt he was put a dramatic effect on his teachings for he is against blasphemy. (i think i spelled it right)

[~tReAh867~]

we've kinda gotten off topic here, huh? haha.

anyways, to answer back:

i myself do not have a religion, though this is in no way due to videogames or makes me more receptable to video games (atleast i dont think so). I really dont think that an inference as the one yuo have made, Cin, can actually be made. you are generalizing, and without proper study you are basing your theory on very little, if anything.

still, i do see your point. some games do deal with things that force us to confront the realities of life, not to mention they also down play religion, though this does not mean that some religious people do not enjoy playing these games.

ok, im rambling. basically, nice theory but i do not see it to be very valid.

[twilightsown]

Yep you spelled it right. *gives another cookie* (Maybe I should stop that...hehe)

[Sara]

Guys...

ON TOPIC: I don't believe in religion, but not because of video games, but because mostly of my dad. He's a fanatic Evengelical Christian and he scared me out of religion long ago.

Also, I don't believe in the bible because it was written by men for men. Simply enough.

[Pure Beats~]

Also, I don't believe in the bible because it was written by men for men. Simply enough.

True, it was written by men, but through God's inspiration. I don't remember where but in Exodus is it written that the Bible is breathed from God and is inspired to men and is written so men may know what has happened and whats to come.

[Darkwatch]

The whole point, KHchick, is that it was made by men. MEN were the central dominance during the time it was written, so likewise, it was primarily directed towards men.

And considering Sara is not a man, I see her point clearly. And for some reason, you fail to see that...;-;

Anyway, regardless if it was by men or women; the bible isn't a part of the game deal. Games are; like I said, created from someone else.

They are /fiction/. To let something so insignificant as games affect the way you think about /real/ life, is beyond me. Even /if/ you are obsessed, it's still so redundant for it to be so. Mostly because of everything I previously explained.

[Misty]

I am a Christian. Yes, I know the Bible was written for men, by men, as Sara pointed out, but I still believe it. (No, I am not a man.) If it wasn't true, how else did we get here? And also, what games portray that there isn't a god? In Final Fantasy X it took forever to learn how to pray to the gods. Sure, I haven't played many Video Games, but I can't think of any that have a world with no Gods.

P.S. I don't mean to put down any other religons.

[Darkwatch]

MEMBERS: THIS IS NOT ABOUT IF YOU ARE RELIGIOUS OR NOT, IT IS ABOUT IF GAMES MAKE YOU THINK DIFFERENTLY OF YOUR RELIGION OR NOT.


One more time that I have to warn you guys and I'm closing this..it's rediculous.

[twilightsown]

@Darkwatch: not to be rude, but what religion we are is a way to decide whether or not most gamers are atheists. I'm assuming everyone on this site is a gamer, so each of their insights into religion is an opinion about whether or not it makes you atheist.
Truthfully, as I have already stated, gaming shouldn't affect religion, though I do believe it could, but not on someone who is the age of most people on this site. I think very young impressionable minds such as grade schoolers could be swayed, but not someone who is past the age of reason. Games don;t sway peoples beliefs, they are merely a scapegoat so we don;t have to place the blame on ourselves.

[Seirio]

I am not an aeitheist,I am Buddhist,yet I am a gamer.It does not matter whether or not you have a religion and play games.

[EvilMan_89]

that isn't exactly true. a lot of ppl DO have religion and they are gamers. i do know that my family has a religion but i dunno what that religion is. luckily, my family doesn't force religion on ppl

[DarknessKingdom]

No, not really. I dont think video games make me think differently of being a Christian. I just avoid some of the games that have no point whatsoever and have continous violence. Some may disagree on what is 'violent' but anything that is about MA+15 with continous gore and horror is too far for me.

Now more on others...

I know plenty of gamers who are not influenced by their religion though I do have a friend who states he is a Christian but I've seen what he plays and how he reacts to it. I believe Doom III, with a gore mod or something, he would consider...cool.

It all depends on the person. How they were brought up, their beliefs, their attitude and their actions, really.

btw, I have also done no research on this. I've just stated a pov.

[Sorafan60]

I for one am a Christian, and proud to be one, but I really don't play any video games (except for Kingdom Hearts and Jak and Daxter). I dunno, I don't think it's true though. I dunno, I respect everyone's opinion and/or belief.

[Darkwatch]

The bible is based in non-fiction, they have proven the existence of the people who are represented in it.The existence of Jesus Christ was never proven. No one truly even knows if he even walked this planet. =/

[cloudfinalfantasy3]

I have a religon christanity but i play all kind of games. And no i'm not thinking different of my religion cause i want to go to heave cause if you belive in heaven dont you belive in god?

[Cin]

The only paradise I beleive in is the sanctuary of videogames, that's why I play them, i thought perhaps others shared my points of view.

[Zero-Cerberus]

Uh, I play videogames and I'm a Chrisitan. Kinda wierd beacause I play GTA - San Andreas, and like that game breaks like every Sin, Lol.

[Samurai]

I'm actually Catholic, not a christian (like there's a difference), but yeah...I play God of war, OMFG AM I GOING TO HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!?

[Zero-Cerberus]

I'm actually Catholic, not a christian (like there's a difference), but yeah...I play God of war, OMFG AM I GOING TO HELL!!!!!!!!!!!!!?

Rofl, nice. God Of War is ownage! And Besides, those are fake Gods.
I don't belive in "Zues" and "Ares" -.-

[Anniexo]

I'm not religion, but I'm not athiest eaither so with me it's false

[Zexion of the Twilight]

I follow Oden the All-Father who leads us with infinate wisdom
and verily he imparts this message unto you infidels
**************************** youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

Be quiet, respect is shared in all religions! I've sinned my share of sins, at least I'm going to Limbo. :) Better than the other eight circles.

[Oerba Yun Fang]

I know a lot of people who play video games & none of them are athiest. I'm a LDS (aka mormon) & i LOVE to play all sorts of games, even games like GTA. Hard not to like them lol. But yeah i'd have to say your theory is false.

Videogames are meant to allow players to have fun & enjoy themselves, the things in those games are not a reality. Although graphics now a day's make it looks as though they could be.

[whale dog]

I dont believe in the Bible or the church. Not because the Bible was written by man but that has something to do with it. mostly because it's been translated so many hundreds of times that how could it possibly have been translated correctly, intentional or not? But i do believe in God sometimes. Basicly half of the time I think it's ridiculous and the other half of the time I don't know what else to believe.

[Roxas]

I agree with whale_dog. Whenever I feel like believing in god will help me, I do. But then I usually say I'm atheist. I guess I'm not.

[Gamefreak103]

I am a gamer, and I am Catholic.

To tell the truth, I don't go to church every Sunday and I would rather play my games!:(

FORGIVE ME!!!:(

[Roxas-]

Well, I am religious, and I am a ******* Kingdom Hearts Freak!!!!!!!!!

[DarknessKingdom]

I'm a Christian and a gamer.

I know a few gamers that are actual Christians...they just suck at gaming XD

[xlaydee]

i am a christian.and so is the rest of my immediate family.my brother plays video games and he knows what and what not to play. it all depends on what descion you make in your life to say either youre an atheist or not. i mean if you play a game that is demonic for like a month, it is of course going to have an impact on you and probably will influence you into believing that sort of stuff.i know were all old enough to know what common sense is so why not use if for your own good.

*sorry if that didn't make any sense to you. i was typing as i was thinking so hopefully some people will correct me...CORRECTLY.

[xValorxSorax]

For me, it's false. I basically have no religion. I believe in god and play video games of all types.

[dandanrevolutionextreme]

i know that i am an atheist. i was catholic, then i got confirmed and just dropped it.

[Alex C:]

False because I for one am catholic. Yes video games might distract you from religon but doesn't mean you're atheist.

[shadowjak]

Stop Bumping These Old Thread Dammit!

[Saint of Twilight]

I'm not an atheist. In fact I'm quite the opposite. I love my religion, and I love playing video games.

[SquishyZ3ro]

Personally, I am a christian. Most of my gamer friends believe in some form of a God. I have one friend who is Buddhist, another that firmly believes in the greek gods and goddesses. Hardly any of my friends are atheist. So I'll say that's false.

Also, video games, if anything, increase my faith. You will play a game where there is a priest, who can ressurect people and perform miracles. Religion. You can play a game where several characters pray to the Gods for strength. Religion. MOST roleplaying games are the same way; they have some form of a god in them. Hell, even Age of Empires does, with their monks being able to heal units. Few games that I play lack religion or say that religion doesn't exist.

[Mirai]

Athiest here. There are quite a few Christians, and even a couple of Moslims, over at Serebii.net, a HUGE Pokemon forum. I don't think videogames have anything to do with it. I really don't want to say what I think is the reason for more athiests nowadays, since it might affend the religious.

[Psybin]

I am Agnostic. While i believe that religion is useless for those strong in mind and heart, it does serve a purpose for those who need constant reassurance in the grand design.

I believe that there more than likely is a greater "being" of some sort. whether it's some dude who looks like Zeus or some form of something we could never dream of comprehending...i don't know.

I play video games but am not an aetheist.

I refuse to believe in a religion that has man made rules of how you must conduct yourself. the only good thing that came from religion is morality. but we all have a sense of what is right and what is wrong.

i believe the point of this question is moot. whether gamers tend to be agnostic or aethiest, I believe has nothing to do with videogames themselves but rather that gamers tend to have much more open minds. and refuse to be boxed in by something so strict as a religion.

For all you who have said you are catholics or christians or what have you. i would imagine the majority of you are not strict in your practices. otherwise you would naturally abhore the violence and mysticism found in most games.

I'd be very interested to read you're replies.

so, in short. i agree.

[SquishyZ3ro]

Ask and ye shall receive. ;P


I am Christian and I do believe in God, and I would say my faith is very strong in that. I detest death and murder and I feel that the world is full of sin and immorality. Having said that, I do play video games. Very violent video games, on occasion. (Call of Duty 2, anyone?) And I even play games like Baldur's Gate I and II that are purely about a made-up realm of wizards, demons and magic, having their own set of gods and goddesses completely detatched from the real world. I enjoy these games but I do not take them to heart. I do not imagine myself in these games, killing people at random. I do, however, feel that there can be good reason to kill and that sometimes it is necessary to serve a greater good. This ideal is often present in RPG's. In a way, my games reinforce my faith and determination to follow God.

This also has something to do with my beliefs, though. While my religion disallows murder it says to protect and love one's cousins(other humans). I understand this to mean that murder is evil, but sometimes it simply must be done. The practice of black magic is banned to Christians and the bible commands a witch's death.

Many people see Christianity as a purely non-violent and peaceful religion. That is a great misunderstanding. The religion is about courage and purity of heart, doing one's best to sin as little as possible. But God knows that some things must be done, and thus we are allowed to ask forgiveness.

.... Wow, I drew that out. Sorry if I rambled. xD

[The Dreaded Paw]

I call myself 'atheagnostic'. I strongly don't believe in God, but I'm not entirely unaccepting. I try my best to be the kindest I can be to everyone and I try to treat everyone with respect. That, I think, is the best one can do. If there is a God, I would hope that he would understand my skepticism and could judge that not believing is not worth an eternity of pain and suffering.

Anyway, I think it depends on the person when it comes to videogames affecting religious opinion. Videogames have not had anything to do with my beliefs and I don't think that they are generally anti-religion, for example: Tactics Ogre - The Knight of Lodis. This game reminds me of the story of Lucifer and there many references to religion. I loved the story to this game, but it didn't affect my beliefs.
Video games can affect us or not, we are all different.

[xekushi]

i would actually like to see a vote on this. just about all the gamers in know are athiests so id like to see some numbers to tell me what percentage there is here.

[BlessedOne148]

I'm Catholic. Catholic to the bone. Came from CAtholic parents who came from CAtholic families. I will be buried Catholic. If you judge what religion you are based off of fake video game plots, then you're an idiot. None of that is real, though some people would like it to be. Also, one more thing, not everyone who plays games is an atheist and/or agnostic. Maybe only the ones you know are. All the ones I know, believe in God.

[xekushi]

That seemed a little aggressive. Did i offened you, cause im sorry if i did. i just want to know what the percentages are.

[BlessedOne148]

Oh no, it wasn't you, I just replying to the topic in general.

[Laurence_Fox]

i'd like to say I was brought up Catholic, had 12 years of a Catholic education. But I remain unconvinced of a higher, omnipotent being guiding my fate. I cannot take that the bible is concrete evidence but some of the verses are rather enjoyable to read. Revelation. :D

But back to the topic at hand:
I enjoy playing video games and could see how some of them would have an effect on young, impressionable minds. But I don't think video games have an effect on your religion. Maybe some of the more graphic games like Silent Hill could cause some doubt.

But most of the people I know that play games are Christians and don't seem to cause a problem.

[zexionXienzo6]

I don't think that theory is correct... because i know some gamers and they aren't athiest... and why would that be true? It seems a little out of the blue to me.

[8730]

im agnostic, but i would never link my gaming with my choice of religion. it's my personal choice in life. it might have had some small indirect affect, but i havnt based my decision on it.
and if you want to debate religion you should try the debate in intelligent discussion, debate corner.

[AkuseruVIII]

I'm too lazy to decide whether I "believe" (those are air quotes) or not but I PWN in games so does this count?

[Nanaki]

Really, it doesn't matter if your Christian, Buddhist, Aithiest, or..any religion, really. I don't think it matters what religion you are. Hell, I don't even know what I am! I believe there are no 'gods' in the form that we think of them. Yes, there are God-like creatures out there, but I'm not worshiping them. I also believe that Zai has ALWAYS been here, and NOBODY created it. And, as for most gamers being Aitheist, uhh, no. I don't buy that...

[[s y n n e ]]

Urhm....

well, I am buddhist~ but....I dun really agree with certain things in different religions, but I DO believe there is some sort of divine divinity taking place. But~ iono....

but anyways, I dun like to get into that - Video Games are from your imagination. You know? I mean...>.> stuff that shouldn't really be taken seriously - you know?

There is a fine line between reality and fantasy, its your job to define that line ((or something))

[DogBoyX]

;250288']
There is a fine line between reality and fantasy, its your job to define that line ((or something))

THANK YOU!
no seriously, games are games, not life.

[iammyself]

I know some people who play games and are religous. I personaly believe in something that is there, but it doesnt have to be god, it just some order of life. So, I dont think that games have anything to do with religion, but it is true that not many gamers are religious.

[RavenSetFree]

I'm not really sure. Some of my friends play video games, they're not athiest but they're not really religious either.

I'm not quite sure what I am. I'm technically Jewish, but I don't believe in God. I find the whole idea of God rather stupid. If you think about it, the plot lines of video games are just as realistic as God.

*shrug* I don't know that many gamers, so I cant really be sure, but from the few I know, none of them go to church.

[xekushi]

Games and indeed games, but what is are Gods when their is not faith, thats pretty much all they are as well, or atleast thats what i think.

[Alice]

That's a pretty stereotypical remark, although I didn't think it was even a popular stereotype. I myself am agnostic, and I know a lot more people who are agnostic than athiest. No one I know goes to Church, but that doesn't prove your religion or anything. Christianity is considered to be the flexible religion where all you have to do is believe in the concept and you're saved. I don't really know anyone who practices other religions, since I live in a pretty hick town. >.>;

A lot of the people I hang out with a pretty hardcore gamers who when not playing videogames spend their time on /b/ and such. God knows what the majority of 4chan believes about religion. I think most of 4chan is either athiest or agnostic.

[xekushi]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying any one religous is an idiot. I just find it hard to belive in an all powerful being when the only proof is the teachings of a book.
But i love the ideals of most religons.

[XIIIHearts]

I don't think that most people who play video games are atheist, most of my friends including myself have religions but we play video games when we have time.

[Meh]

it could also depend on where you're from, and the culture there. where i live (and come from) most of the gamers are Catholic.

[White_Rook]

Gamers can be whatever they want, it's just a subculture propagated by the increasing advancements in technology and people's increasing efficiency with it. Whether you believe in a cosmic being really has no affect in playing video games or how much yo uenjoy them.

[Jaxed]

Being a fairly rabid gamer I know many other gamers, but I never heard of that causing people to go aitheist......quite frankly, none of the people I ever played with are aitheist........If you know 100+ people who are, maybe you need to find a new crowd.......

[Eclipse]

for me i dont really believe in god,even though im catholic.But i do believe in the big bang.and a "greater being" or "creator" doesnt necessarily mean "god".anyways i dont think games have anything to do with people and their religion.I play games,not alot as i used to but im a calm guy that doesnt worship the devil or wanna kill people at a highschool lol.

BIG BANG! BIG BANG! BIG BANG! BIG BANG! BIG BANG! BIG BANG! BIG BANG! BIG BANG!

[Neku]

I think that religious beliefe has nothing to do with video games but rather, personal mind set or a product of invironment. Me, personally, I do believe in god, but I do not believe in religion. But for a very long time, due to my upbringing and things I saw growing up, I didnt believe there to be a god at all. it had nothing to do with my games, but rather my family. It's like saying 'someone played GTA so theyre more likely to go steal a car' its an unfair generalization, or 'bobby listened to marilyn manson, and shot up his school, it must be the music artist's fault' People need to stop finding scapegoats and point at the person in their mirror for their decisions.

no offense to anyone, of course. your all entitled to do whatever you want, ^^

[Venial]

Gamer doesn't equal atheist. My friend is obsessed with video games (Mainly Zelda, but she's been getting into Kingdom Hearts lately), and she has a religion (can't remember what it is). I don't believe in Christianity. I believe in the concepts of Shinto and Buddism. Therefore, I'm not atheist.

And I really agree with Arc. For some reason, people like scapegoats. If I die in KH1, it's not because I used Donald as a scapegoat so I can run away just long enough for a healing spell. It's my fault because I likely did see an enemy coming from behind, or I did something extremely careless. Going with the 'Charlie and Marilyn Manson' example, it's not Manson's fault that Charlie shot a kid. Charlie, ultimately, made the decision. Not Manson.

[Xioayugoth]

I don't really believe in anything, just treating everyone as an equal.

Video games never made me like this, I learnt it from the books I read a year ago. I like my games a lot, and I don't think any of them do anything but make us fantasise about being a keyblade master or princess of heart, not manipulate our beliefs.

[Crispers]

i dont belive in anything really..

[xekushi]

I don't think games make people change religon,(unless its one hell of a game) but i asked a few friends about this and i guess they started out as athiests but enjoy games. So i guess it depends on the person.

[John Clay Rice]

I'm a Christian and a gamer.

I know a few gamers that are actual Christians...they just suck at gaming XD
I'm a christian and I'm very good at games. Espceilly KH1 and 2.

[killedbyoathkeeper]

I'm Christian.......... Baptist to be exact............... and I play video games pretty well..........

[♥AL90♥]

WTW! This thread was made in 2006! whoever keeps posting in acient threads! Just stop it!!!

[Repliku]

Most gamers I know are spiritual, not always religious, but they do research and find things they believe in. I am not a 'Christian' because I don't believe in it and turn more to eastern spirituality, which some will try to say is atheist or pagan. However, I know Christians, Wiccans, Jews, Buddhists, etc that follow beliefs and enjoy video games and computer games. I also know atheists as well and it seems to me in rpg groups I hang in that the number of various people claiming to be of religions or spiritual is strong. They just aren't all Christians.

[Meh]

Most gamers I know are spiritual, not always religious, but they do research and find things they believe in. I am not a 'Christian' because I don't believe in it and turn more to eastern spirituality, which some will try to say is atheist or pagan. However, I know Christians, Wiccans, Jews, Buddhists, etc that follow beliefs and enjoy video games and computer games. I also know atheists as well and it seems to me in rpg groups I hang in that the number of various people claiming to be of religions or spiritual is strong. They just aren't all Christians.

That's true, and I agree with it.

[Peyton]

In my opinion MOST gamers are athiests. Out of the 100+ people I know who play videogames, only about 10-15 have a religion. This may be just me, but I've come to the conclusion that most gamers are indeed athiests, or at least Agnostics.

I beleive this is true because of the videogames themselves. They are seperate and individual realites, virtual or not, play a lot of videogames may be confusing our perspective on real life. With all the different demensions and realities gamers go through everyday, how can we define our own?

Most gamers find that god is not the answer, because in a majority of videogames there is no god, and they find that the people there get along just fine. Or, in games like FFX, the religion of the planet is evil, or just plain wrong.

I am an athiest, and I beleive it's because of the videogames that I am. After all the different things that I've seen and played or "lived" if you want to call it, I find it hard to beleive that a god could even exist.

What do you guys think?

I think what you are saying is a good theory and pretty true.
That theory goes for many of my friends as well.

I am an athiest myself so and I play lots of games and it have had a certain effect on my. Not that I have become shizofren or anything like that and actually think I am someone from a game. But it have had an impact on my sight of the world.

I agree.

[George Costanza]

Well im a gamer and im also Athiest but most of my friends are Jewish or Roman Catholic who are also gamers so meh.

[Broken_Vow]

I don't think it really matters. I only (really) have 2 gamer friends, and they are one is a Christian and the other is an Athiest. The other ones aren't really gamers.

Erm, the one who is Athiest is kind of twisted, and worships the Devil as a joke. O.o Not really something to joke about, but as I said before, he's twisted.

So, um, I mean, maybe I'm just missing something, but it's never affected my beliefs. Because both of my parents had to different religions, so I was never sent to one specific church. I kind of wandered.

So I'm not really sure what to believe, but it gaming hasn't seem to corrupt any of my friends.

[Enigmatic Boy]

I'm not sure. But i know that games don't neccesarily convert people to a different religion. First of all, games are just games. The messages in the game shouldn't be strong enough to convert people's beliefs. I however, am a Roman Catholic, and nothing I have seen so far in video games has driven me to the point of converting my religion.

[VI schemer]

I'm a gamer and an aeitheist, and IDIOTS at my school keep trying to "convert" me. It's really getting to me. I can't beleive that people belive something written in a book that has no proof. I blame the parents, not videogames. although videogames can influence it, like in FFX when Rikku questioned Yevon. "Where's the proof?"

[Aurora]

Playing a lot of video games does not confuse our perception of reality, no matter what our age. We are the ones who rationalize, justify, and explain all the information that our brains are flooded with every single second of every single day of our lives. And that's a lot of confusing information to try and make some kind of sense out of, because our world is filled to the brim with mixed messages.
Because of that, our minds need a way to think of something as being not just one thing or the other, black or white, but in a grey area with white and black around it. If you're out in the wilderness and by looking around, you find you cannot see the sun, and yet you're not in pitch blackness but in twilight, then you know there's a number of reasons that could explain why. Not all of them assume the sun has set. Perhaps it is rising. Or perhaps you're in a gully with high cliff walls that block out the sky. Or maybe even a big storm is approaching and the clouds have blocked out the sun.
A human being can find a way to survive that makes use of every single one of these possibilities without negating any of them or without it being necessary for any single one of them to be correct at all. Or it can decide to choose one of the scenarios as the most likely and put all its effort into forming a strategy that takes advantage of it.
When there's only one person confronted with making a decision based on the information at hand, it's a lot easier to do than if you have a group of people, each of whom have their own eyes and ears and brains, and each of whom has an opinion on which explanation is most likely.
That's when a person really starts getting mixed messages, and when they have to make a decision which ones they're going to accept.
If you hear thunder, and your friends come up to you and say no, we did not hear thunder, and there can't possibly be a storm coming because we don't see any clouds, and we don't care what you say, even if there was a storm coming you're a wuss and we're going to keep walking instead of finding a nice place to shelter in, what are you going to do? Give in to popular opinion or go hide in a cave by yourself for hours while your friends laugh at you?
If you give in and keep walking, does it mean you have to accept their explanation and dismiss the evidence of your own senses as a hallucination? Or do you walk a few steps behind them, seething with resentment because you KNOW you heard thunder and you're going to be there to point your finger and say "HA! I told you so!" when the lightning strikes one of them? Or would you put it aside as something that only time will tell?
I'm sure you can think of a million other ways to deal with these problems, and that's part of my point. Take away our flexibility to see the Real World as individuals instead of subscribers to a single belief system about how the world really is, and you take away our ability to survive at all.
I can completely accept that there are two 'real worlds' when I am playing a video game. The 'real world' where Heartless don't live under the bed I'm lying on, and the 'real world' in which the game I'm playing has certain rules that cannot be ignored if you want to keep on 'existing' in it. That is, if you want to keep Sora alive, you kick Heartless butt all over the worlds.
It's not hard at all to transfer from one world to another so that I'm not keyblading my bed or telling Donald he needs to put on pants. And I think a lot of people would agree that it's not. Adults don't give kids enough credit. A three-year-old knows the difference between 'let's pretend' and reality. A three-year-old also knows very well whether or not it believes that hot dogs are blue, girls are allowed in the boys' bathroom, or if Santa Claus exists.
They know the rules they are taught by adults, and they also know the rules their own minds have made up for them about the world.
Ask even the smallest child capable of speech if they can fly like Peter Pan, and chances are that after running around the room making zooming noises and waving their arms around, they will be very confused when you tell them no, you meant can they REALLY fly like Peter Pan. They'll laugh at you. They'll say no, you're being silly. But ask them what if they were in Never Never Land, and they may laugh and nod and say yes yes, but only if Tinkerbell sprinkles me with pixie dust!
So the answer to your question is "No, I do not believe video games make atheists out of people of any age". It would be insulting people's ability to make their own judgments about things, whether it was a video game or a movie or a book we were talking about. And I know there are lots of folks out there who believe just that, that human beings are very susceptible to the messages of video games, movies, and books. It's why those folks tend to burn them.
But I'm pretty sure that people, whatever their age, tend to believe what they want to. They choose to believe in angels or faeries or blitzball. Messages can be powerful, but the person's Heart really does have to be open to that particular message for it to sink in.

[Ienzo]

I'm religious yes but I don't play loads of videogames- I'm usually on KHV or doing HW or watching TV. I've never heard of the word 'athiest' before though.

[Thir13en]

I'm atheist but I don't necessarily think its from videogames.

I believe nothing because I don't feel anything to make me want to. It sounds selfish but wait. I am Catholic by my baptism as a baby (I know, just a baptism doesn't make you Christian I'm speaking technically) and I have heard that people are drawn to their church, they feel a sense of commitment, I just really haven't felt that. I have morals, I don't think of murdering someone is right in any way, but I don't feel anything that makes me WANT to believe...

Did I just keep repeating myself over and over again?

[southy787]

I agree. From seeing religion threads on other gaming forums it is clear that this view of aetheism is held by the majority of gamers.

[Roxas is Hot]

I disagree.

Yeah, video games can certanly spell it out for others, but I don't think they'd turn into an Athiest from it. I didn't.

[darkelven123]

im an athiest and i always have been

[Roxas is Hot]

im an athiest and i always have been

Meh, join the club.

[Lulus_Moogle]

I'm a hard-core gamer and a christian! And you know what! If you really think about it Video Games (like Final Fantasy) can be uper religuis!! Ok lets take FF VII for example: Aerith (Aeris) prays, 'Holy' the great materia, the 'promised land' Hmmm.... Sound familur??? you know what, I could go on for like ever!! Probly the most important one: Cloud what's to be forgiven, he whats his sins cleared! That's probly my favorite aspect of FF VII!!!!! (well Advent Children....) And a lot of kids at my church love KH and FF too! I think that theirs a mix... Religuin dosen't matter! It's just how you see the game! I see it regluis, others may not... WHO CARES!