I have spent some time browsing your site...the first thing that jumped out at me was your Twelve Steps. My initial and immediate impression was that one could not be a "gamer" and a Christian; that the two were mutually exclusive.
I have been saved since the age of 13. I have a strong spiritual relationship with our creator, and firmly believe he sent his son Jesus to die for humanity's sins. If you do to, then I'll see you in Heaven.
I have many hobbies. ONE of them is computer gaming. In fact, I started gaming in 7th grade (1982) with D&D. In the late 1980's I bought an IBM XT computer and started buying games. Over the years I have bought quite a few games, and built quite a few computers to play them on. In fact, I usually hop on my computer to play a game most nights of the week. I also play soccer, racquetball, softball, football, read, watch occasional TV, fish when I can, woodwork, and work on my house. ::whew::
Now, that's just what I feel like doing in my copious spare time. My **commitments** are to God, wife, children, the earthly body of Christ (the church), country, and Corps (yes, I'm in the service).
I offer you this to show you that a person who frequently games as a hobby can be a "normal" person...you obviously feel differently, with some assumption that a frequent gamer is addicted.
The next part of this post will likely anger you. I do not mean to disregard the tragic loss of your son.
Many years ago, a young person killed himself who also played D&D and the case was widely publicized. I'm sure you have heard of it. However, when a study was done to show how gaming promotes teenage suicide, the suicide rates among teenagers who played roleplaying games was lower than the general population...so the study wasn't widely distributed.
The bottom line is this: People who kill themselves don't have Christ in their lives. If they were saved, they have denied that by not allowing the Holy Spirit to live within them. You son had the wrong center in his life. He chose gaming over God. He could have easily chosen a million other things to make an obession of. The most popular are porn or sex, drugs, alcohol, partying, etc, ad nauseum. Others include work, phone, TV, sports (say, like golf). Gaming doesn't even equate to the first set, as are they obviously sin. Gaming isn't. Yes, I know some will argue about the very basis of fantasy gaming being anti-religious, but as with sci-fi gaming and first-person combat gaming, neither of which usually make any reference to a fictitious deity, IT AIN'T REAL.
I am sorry to have to flame/rant like this, but you are assuming that gaming was the problem for your son. It wasn't: he made a choice to have the wrong center in his life. There is nothing in EQ or any other game that is addicting, forcing a chemical dependancy. Playing is a choice.
Seek to add others to the Kingdom by witnessing. Let God tell them what is wrong with their lives... He'll remove anything that doesn't belong... pruning. Telling people that they're addicted to something that isn't wrong isn't going to win them over to Christ.
My regrets to you.
Agreed. Very nicely done Midniter. I posted something similar, though my thread was not as focused on religion, as I have a somewhat different focus in my life. The point was the same though, you can be an avid gamer and still be normal: You just need to find something constructive to center your life around and keep priorities straight.
Unfortunately, my post was deleted (perhaps because you have referenced god, and the moderators encourage religion as a way to help cope with addiction, yours may have a better chance of avoiding censorship.) At any rate, I Hope some people get to read your post and think about what you have said before it ends up in the "unrelated" folder. =/ It could be quite helpful for those who are struggling with gaming addiction, and helpful for those who are coping with those who are addicted.
Edited by: Lanorra at: 12/12/02 2:49:54 pm
Possibly it was moved to the unrelated post section, because we are trying to get back on topic, here.
Liz Woolley
"Topic" being if you stick up for them or agree with them then you can have a voice, if you do not agree then you must be sentanced to silence so they dont actually have to justify or try and rationaly argue their points. It is hard to keep the people with the dillusions believing when they see things that make sense that dont actually point their problems at the game.
The problem is that people may start to realize that the game didnt do anything to them, in which case then they will start agreeing and posting, and sooner or later it will only be 2 or 3 people left blaming the game with the rest realizing it was their own problem. When you only have 2 or 3 people believing something you cant get a 48 hours special.
Its really simple if you look at it.
Our organization is adapted after A.A., and like A.A. we are people sharing our experience, strengths and hope to help each other recover and heal from the problems caused by compulsive game playing.
We are not here to convince people of anything. We are not a rebuttal forum.
Like A.A., people who have already decided themselves, they want to leave the games, come here. This board was not created for social gamers to come here, and defend themselves, as social drinkers to do not go to A.A. meetings.
We never invited social gamers here. That is not why we are here. I don't know how many times I have to state this, but I will continue to do so, until you understand.
Liz Woolley
The topic of this section is general discussion of anything reasonably related to gaming addiction. Unless of course you disagree with the "party line"...in which case its unrelated.