{"id":23,"date":"2011-07-25T16:50:25","date_gmt":"2011-07-25T20:50:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/gamingforgod\/?p=23"},"modified":"2011-07-25T16:50:25","modified_gmt":"2011-07-25T20:50:25","slug":"wvgwjp-what-video-games-would-jesus-play","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/gamingforgod\/2011\/07\/wvgwjp-what-video-games-would-jesus-play.html","title":{"rendered":"WVGWJP? (What Video Games Would Jesus Play?)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Let’s assume for a second that the Son of God has come back, and let’s also assume that he’s put the second coming on hold for a bit so he can try out these magical things called “video games.” Yes, those are ridiculous assumptions, especially since heaven is most likely a 24\/7 idiot-proof version of the Holodeck. But all silliness aside (well, at least some of it), if you stuck a controller in the hands of Jesus, what would he play?<\/p>\n

\n
    \n
  1. Katamari Damacy<\/strong>
    \nOne of the things often overlooked about Jesus’ character is his sense of humor. I think he probably has a pretty dang good one. And I suspect a game about rolling things up into a larger and larger ball (including cars, houses, cows, hot dog carts, etc.) would make him laugh. A lot.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a>
    The mental image of Jesus chuckling while rolling things up in a big, sticky ball makes me smile.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>\n
  2. Battletoads
    \n<\/strong>Since only someone who is all-powerful can actually beat this game, it’s a natural fit for the Son of God. When I get to heaven one day, I’m going to sit down with Jesus and have him beat that freakin’ hover bike level that punished me over and over and over as a child. That would be\u00a0awesome.<\/em><\/strong><\/strong>
    \n<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a>
    The devil punished me with this game. Seriously.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>\n
  3. The Sims
    \n<\/strong>The Sims is a game where a god-like entity creates miniature beings, pushes them towards friendships, gives them jobs, tries to encourage intimate relationships between them, and then watches in horror as they spurn his wisdom and make themselves miserable. On second thought, this game might hit a little too close to home.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a><\/li>\n

  4. \u00a0Sonic the Hedgehog
    \n<\/strong>Sonic can run on water. ‘Nuff said.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a>
    Sonic and Jesus have more in common than one might think.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>\n
  5. \u00a0Second Life
    \n<\/strong><\/strong>Yes, this would probably be the one game that Jesus would play more than any other (although calling it a ‘game’ is debatable). And I’m actually quite serious here. With over 20 million registered users, no other game would offer him the chance to interact with the greatest number of people in a single space. However, registration numbers aren’t the real reason. Second Life offers a level of community and interactivity that cannot be matched anywhere else. People have built their own religious buildings (such as synagogues, churches, and temples), and religious organizations often hold services in the virtual space.If the Son of God were going to play video games, and if he had to get his message out through digital means, Second Life would definitely be where he’d do it.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/a>
    A church service taking place in Second Life.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n

     <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Let’s assume for a second that the Son of God has come back, and let’s also assume that he’s put the second coming on hold for a bit so he can try out these magical things called “video games.” Yes, those are ridiculous assumptions, especially since heaven is most likely a 24\/7 idiot-proof version of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":303,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,3],"tags":[31,29,32,6,30],"class_list":["post-23","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-religion","category-video-games","tag-second-life","tag-sonic-the-hedgehog","tag-the-sims","tag-video-games-2","tag-what-would-jesus-do"],"yoast_head":"\nWVGWJP? 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