MennoNet.com

I'm a pacifist.

I usually enjoyed Risk growing up, but it sometimes made for bad feelings. People made alliances (or people thought others were ganging up against them) and broke them leading to resentment and anger. My parents took the game away for a year one time.

I enjoy chess. I was my Jr. High School champ and I was on my High School team, but I haven't put much time into the game since 1970. One of my sons enjoys playing me occassionally; it's a good bonding experience.

I think both games are good developing logic and strategy.

Games like paintball are much too much like war to feel right to me. We did not give our sons toy weapons, but when they made their own they had to treat them like real weapons, never pointing them at a person or possibly dangerous direction.

Sudsy wrote:

Neto wrote:Monopoly is not a war game, but it is based on applying principles of economic greed to the 'family time'. My Grandpa burned a really old set back when I was in my early teens (like with the houses & motels made of wood, etc). He got convicted about it, but I'm not sure it was to do with the economic cut-throat practices so much as the simple reason that it used dice - the connection to gambling. (We were not allowed to play any type of cards at home, not even Old Maid, Dutch Blitz, or that other one the "worldly" Mennonites played - I can't think of the name of it right now.)

and instead of playing euchre we played a game called 'Rook' which we renamed 'Pentecostal Euchre'.

That's the one, Rook. (I've never heard of Eucher.)

Another one: Uno.

cmbl wrote:It's true that games can be a forum for social interaction, but I think it's at a surface level.

Well, I'd say that is nearly entirely dependent on the company

In The Christian Example, one story cited playing Dutch Blitz as possibly endangering one's salvation.

Interesting that the majority of the comments seem to be negative, but the majority of votes are positive. If that's due to "and others" not commenting, you may unlurk.

Josh wrote:In The Christian Example, one story cited playing Dutch Blitz as possibly endangering one's salvation.

The very name has military origins, in case they need further ammunition for that argument.

KingdomBuilder wrote:

cmbl wrote:It's true that games can be a forum for social interaction, but I think it's at a surface level.

Well, I'd say that is nearly entirely dependent on the company

Milton Bradley's Battleship, for example, is mostly at a surface level. Well, there may be a submarine. Not sure.

(I can't believe OJ missed this one.)

My only excuse is that I've been submerged in paperwork the last few days. But yes, I believe there is a submarine.

I hesitate to comment too much on this type of thing because I myself have very little conviction against activities described above but nor do I want to be a stumbling block to does that really do find it distracting to their Christian life.

I know the modern game of risk uses soldier figures. The older one used to simply use a 3 sided little block thingy. Just call them Bibles if it makes you feel better. oops I guess that still does not take care of the dice problem.

As to card games. I think it was the inventor of Veggie tails that in his biography said that as a child growing up he was not allowed to play traditional card games but they played Rook because that was what the apostles played. He was kidding of course.

Games were a part of my life growing up. They still are a part of my social experience with many of our friends and extended family. My Dad is always up for a good game of chess. He always beats me. Used to always beat us in Monopoly as well.
I personally would probably draw the line with Jim at paintball but then I think of the hours of fun we had as children playing bag tag on the beams in the barn which is not that much different.

OK I am sorry if I made light of a subject that really matters to you. I am leaving. Don't shoot me on the way out. What am I thinking? You guys wouldn't shoot me.

ohio jones wrote:My only excuse is that I've been submerged in paperwork the last few days. But yes, I believe there is a submarine.

But the sub never submerges. It simply is not that real.