As any reader of this website knows full well, videogames and religion [URL=http://www.gamepolitics.com/category/topics/religion]tend to mix like oil and water[/URL].

Every few weeks, it seems, a story pops up about a religious group expressing dismay or anger over a videogame. The latest such tale revolved around a [URL=http://www.gamepolitics.com/2009/12/21/christian-group-calls-mw2-ban-also-hunts-witches]Maine Christian group calling for a Modern Warfare 2 ban[/URL].

The constant collision of these topics caused a Bitmob contributor to [URL=http://bitmob.com/index.php/mobfeed/musings-of-a-gamer-are-religion-and-gaming-mortal-enemies.html]pen a column asking whether or not games and religion are mortal enemies[/URL].

Mike Gingras writes from the viewpoint of a religious gamer, noting that players are constantly breaking the Ten Commandments in-game, but he takes a broadminded approach to it all:

[INDENT]My argument is that games, like any art, are a means of authorial expression and participant reaction. In a game, a person can safely dabble in behavior or thoughts that they may not necessarily agree with.

[/INDENT]He continues:

[INDENT]As a gamer and a religious person, I believe that virtual worlds with unfixed consequences are a safe way to learn about your own beliefs and values. I remain unconvinced that playing a video game where you can wrestle with your own personal sense of right and wrong is a bad thing.

[/INDENT]Gingras ends with the question, “So, which is it? Is gaming a hobby that people of all faiths can enjoy? Or is it something that the faithful should stay away from?”

[url=http://www.gamepolitics.com/2010/01/07/games-and-religion]More...[/url]