1is there anything wrong with a 35 year old man being very into role playing games 2are these people generally

Question

smarter or more imaginative than normal

3are there any dangers in playing them

4is there anything wrong with a Christian playing them (don't answer this if you know nothing about them but what the tv or some pastor said but know nothing beyond that)

please answer all 4 parts thanks

well, I was basing the intelligence thing on knowing the fact that both my grown sons who play are highly gifted (med 150 and 167 IQ, my son's girlfriend is gifted and a friend is gifted. I thought my son told e mostly smart people play ..also I am not talking about video games..they apparently sit around a table and use props like characters and such..

they are both very responsible but I personally think it is odd that he is so into this at 35 and says he will do it for the rest of his life..does not do it more tan 3 times a month maybe if that but goes to gaming conventions and stuff

I used to think it might be occult and bad but my son set me straight and gave me a bunch of literature once, but I still wonder ..he is an author and artist and highly imaginative but the other son in more left brained. He waste money on this like crazy and he claims it reinforces his Christian beliefs in its good vs evil themes. He never played dungeons and dragons but it does have wizrds and such

that IQ should be mid 150s not med and thanks for your thoughts

Answer 1

1. I'm 37 years old, and I have been playing RPG games since I was 10 years old. in the last 27 years I've progressed through many different RPG's both as a player and a gamemaster (Dungeonmaster for those into the Dungeons and Dragons scene).

2. I wouldn't say that any of them are 'smarter' than others. I feel that it has taught me to think outside the box in many scenarios, but I play the games for only one reason: Fun! It relaaxes me, takes me away from my own troubles in the real world for a little while and allows me to be creative in a very different way. I can write, but I'm no author. I have never learned to play a musical instrument. I'm not an artist in any standard sense. But I can play a game or run one and make people enjoy themselves. To me, that is a good thing.

3. The only danger, as with anything that people enjoy, is the off chance that it will become an 'addiction'. By that, I mean that the person playing *could* defer important tasks in order to continue playing. Maybe spend money on books instead of p[aying rent. I've never been THAT bad when it comes to playing RPG's. I consider it less of a risk than say some computer or console games. After all, the fun of RPG is having other people around you. With computer/consoles, the need for opthers to participate isn't there anymore. All you need do is connect to the internet, and you're playing with others. I should know, I play online as well lol.

4. I Chronicle 28:9 ...For the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the imaginations of the thoughts....

There is more to that verse, but this is the relevant portion of your question. I do NOT practice witchcraft or sorcery. I do not worship anyone or anythign other then the Lord God. He KNOWS that when I am playing a game, whether it's Monopoly, cribbage, or an RPG that I am doing so for FUN. It is NOT the end all and be all of my life, it is entertainment! He wants me to enjoy the life he has given me, and I find that I enjoy it when I am playing. Does this make me LESS of a Christian, or too wordly for Him? I'm afraid not. I LIVE for HIM, I pray ONLY to Him, and to Him I give all the GLORY!

This type of game gives me the chance to better interact with my son, whom I've began playing with. He has an imagination very akin to mine, and it gives us a chance to play together, talk about things outside of 'ife issues', and better enjoy each others company. I feel that in itself is a blessing when so MANY teenagers are looking to get AWAY from the parental figures, NOT talking to them and instead seeking trouble to get into simply for its own sake.

I'm very open to comments and replies to this, and truly hope that whatever your intended questioning was that God will lead you to the answer that YOU need for yourself.

Answer 2

1. It is a matter of degree and personal definition. My personal definition is if one part of life is crowding out all other and there are identifiable negative events related to that activity, it most likely is a problem. Example, person plays games all day, never exercises, is up late, late for work, got fired from job. You see where I am going.
2. No. Sometimes they think so because they are mastering a specific problem, but navigating a career, social and family interactions, growing though education, travel, volunteer work etc, is actually much, much more difficult than a video game.
Some people are not challenged by thier job or other aspects of life so they want to get away from boredom.
3. Using gaming as a way to avoid the things I mentioned above.
4. Religion is really personal so hard to answer. But for a teenager, the exposure to violence, misogamy, or withcraft might be a concern. For an adult, they would have to look at thier religous views and map that against the activity.
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Answer 3

1. No, there is nothing wrong with anybody of any age playing them. It's a leisure activity like tv, books, needlework, scrapbooking or gardening. Unlike those other activities, this one involves a social aspect. It is a chance to meet with like-minded people who enjoy the same things... much like a book club or a bible study group.
2. I'll bet these people are evenly represented across all intelligence and imagination levels. Those that are more imaginative will have an easier time with the game as they must "see" the game in their heads with only small figures to represent where they are in the game. They must envision the look, sound, smell, feel of what their character is experiencing. Intelligence doesn't play into it as significantly, in my opinion. Creative problem solving tends to be more "out of the box". IQ Points (also in my opinion) tend to show that a person is a good test taker and will score well on tests based on answers that other people gave. That said, my IQ is in the mid 140s and I play these games. I also acknowledge that I'm really just a good test taker.
3. Dangers in role playing games? Not in and of themselves. As with any activity, a person can spend too much time with them. Addictive behavior is more indicative of the person than the activity. For example, alcohol does not make one an alcoholic. It is the person's behavior towards the alcohol that makes him or her an alcoholic.
4. OK, this is kind of a sore spot. And yes, I am fully educated in what it means to be a Christian. Why would it be more wrong for a Christian than for those of any other faith or those of no faith at all. Isn't eternal damnation just as horrible for anybody, not just Christians? Is it because Christians have worked so hard at isolating themselves from evil while everybody else is so steeped in it that they arern't worth socializing with? I will now step down off my soapbox and answer.

Christians tend to know, understand and recognize evil very well. Pretending to act in a pretend world that has both evil and good in it is in no way damaging to a person who must interact in a *real* world with evil and good in it. In fact, one might say that it is good practice as the evil and good in most of these fantasy games is very blatant and easy to recognize while that in the real world is much more difficult to see.

Christians dislike using the word "magic" or anything associated with it. Generally, this is because it brings to mind witches, sorcerers and others who tap into unknown and unseen powers of the universe and/or associate with Satan, the devil or whomever in order to do so. But, isn't it magical to watch your newborn baby's eyes open and gaze at you for the first time? Isn't the fact that I turned out a beautiful, edible pumpkin pie magical? (If you knew how I cook, you'd say yes). Isn't the fact that someone got a job just as they were on the brink of losing their house and their family magical? Yes. Some might also use the word miraculous. The use of magic and miracle are synonymous in this context.

What about people who truly wield magic? They curse others and wish them harm. They call down powerful weather to irk others. They make cows go dry and women to miscarry. oh really? c'mon.... what do wielders of magic do? I don't know. I've never actually seen anybody call forth Satan to do their bidding.

What do magic wielders in these games do? They toss fire around like it was a basketball. They heal their teammates. They freeze opponents in place. They discern truth vs lies with the toss of the dice (literally). In the games, these abilities are neither heaven nor hell sent. They are imagined and written down on a piece of paper. The odds that somebody will play a magic wielder then decide to try throwing fireballs around at home (and asking Satan to help) are pretty thin, don't ya think?

I know I don't have any facts to quote or research to reference. Your question, however, isn't very researchable but probably has lots of unscientific first-person witness references. The best you can do is gather some opinions, think about their source and answer the question for yourself. Instead of looking for the "right" answer. Like many of life's questions, this one has no "right" answer. Try praying on it. If that doesn't help, talk to your religious guide (pastor, priest, whatever...). But do me a favor. Just because your peer group thinks a certain way, don't go with that answer. Try thinking for yourself and going with what comes to your heart. If you still have questions, try sitting down and playing it for yourself for a little while. You'll be able to form a much more intelligent opinion than asking complete strangers about it on the web.