Is Video Gaming a Threat to America’s High School Jock Culture?
Is there anything more American than our high school athletic culture? From small town rivalries to Little League Championships, from cheerleaders and their pom poms to young firm men filling out new crisp football uniforms, a pair of bulging muscles below soccer shorts, the pep rallies, the bleachers packed with parents and victory pizza parties, in every way teenage jock culture is the epitome of wholesomeness. This sports world teaches our children to decide between right and wrong in realistic situations. They treat their bodies as temples by exploring and mastering their physical powers. They learn to be part of a social group where the glory of the whole is based on the sacrifices of the individual. It is, in essence, incredible training for the Christianity inherent in our beautiful American boys and girls.
There comes a time in every youngster’s life when they must decide to follow the jock world, to work hard on their bodies and skills, or to chose another path. Often, it’s the freshman year of high school when social pressures are high and the girls start to look awfully pretty. Choosing to be a jock insures a boy popularity, a fantastic group of friends, the love of parents and eventually success with the female persuasion.
When video gaming first became popular, experts warned of the likelihood of increased amounts of obesity, apathy, suicide, school violence, Satanism, masturbation, homosexuality and unemployment. Despite the fact that these predictions have come true, not much effort has been made to stop the production and distribution of video games. Grand Theft Auto, World of Warcraft, the Sims, Halo, Guitar Hero and Mario Brothers, just to name a few, have made unscrupulous corporations rich and taught a generation of our children to hate society and their parents.
Now video gaming is developing into a high school “culture” itself, as more and more children chose this pathetic and harmful lifestyle instead of joining a fun sports team. It is a world of couch potatoes and basement dwellers. Mentally, they have not developed past the 12-year old stage. They were raised on imaginary cartoon characters like SpongeBob, Pokemon, Barney, Transformers, Scooby Doo and Raggedy Ann. All they want is to return to that tv funtime, but their bodies have become so pumped with hormones they’re confused. Video gaming turns their childhood dreams upside down. Suddenly, Raggedy Ann is killing Scooby Doo while SpongeBob sexually pokemons Barney and these kids have found a new outlet for their mixed-up physical urges. It is no wonder, then, that we have increased episodes of violence like Columbine today. Video gaming is an addiction scientifically proven to be just as dangerous as crack cocaine and it’s making our kids immoral and angry in the process. They have lost all sense of right and wrong. They cannot tell the difference between fantasy and reality and shooting guns seems like a fun thing to do. This is all the more tragic when they shoot the jocks, the very thing they wish they could be but failed at so miserably.
Adults who were video gamers in high school are far less likely to become investment bankers, real estate salesmen, doctors, lawyers and sports coaches. They do not become our pastors or politicians. With less athletes learning social and moral skills in high school, we have less of the people who make this country truly great. Instead, we see young adults who cannot accept maturity. They find comfort in worlds of dragons and blue-skinned girls with wings, androgyny and dirty muscular fantasy men. They’re far more likely to meet strangers from the internet in public parks. These poor souls may never have the courage to ask a girl on a date. Homosexuality is often an easy answer for their awkwardness. Out of terrible shame, they will lie to your face and describe themselves as successful, goodlooking heterosexuals with gorgeous girlfriends and a rich social life. But we know this is not true. It’s a desperate attempt to cover up utter failure. Professionally, the video gamer may grow up to be your Radio Shack employee, your bug exterminator, your cable repairman or maybe if you’re lucky, your half pleasant IT guy. But is that what any parent really wants for their child? So please, parents, be vigilant with your children and push them into sports. Take it from someone who knows, you will be saving their lives.
Stephenson’s Five Tips for Happy Jock Kids!
- No laptops! Kids can sneak these into their bedrooms for late-night play. Instead, get a heavy desktop computer and set it up with the screen facing outward in your family room. That way you can monitor you child’s computer use (homework!) at all times without interrupting your television viewing.
- When you’re not at home, unplug the power cord to your computer and hide the mouse. You can always put it in one of your sock drawers. This is a great way to make sure no video games are played when you’re not around.
- Be honest with your boys and tell them they’ll grow up as failures if they don’t excel at sports. Make them go outdoors! Lock them out if necessary. On birthdays and Christmas, buy them sports gifts. Every kid enjoys a new baseball mitt or a football! (I’d avoid skateboards, however, there is too much drug use and anti-social behavior connected with it.) And when they’re 16, it’s time to consider the appropriate “muscle car” for your boy.
- Have a private talk with your child’s friends (maybe when you “accidentally” lock your own kid outside) and ask them some of my video game slang trick questions: “What level paladin are you these days, buddy?” “Gosh, this town is nothing like Vice City, isn’t it?” or “Did you lose your Wee? I found one in the station wagon.” If they answer with any knowledge whatsoever of these terms, you have a secret gamer on your hands. Beware!
- Be concerned about the physical shape of our young people. You don’t even need to be a parent to do this. Watch them run and throw and jump. Encourage them to lift weights. With a handsome firm body, you don’t need an afternoon of sweaty wrestling with a soccer ball as an excuse to celebrate the beauty that our Creator endowed us with. Remind them that jocks can tan themselves shirtless anytime! There is just something so wonderfully wholesome about America’s strong and cocky high school jocks. The pale and pimply loners in black t-shirts too afraid to shower in the locker rooms will never be able to compete with that!
- Sinful
- Suspicious
- Scared
- Sad
- Amused
- Laughing Out Loud
Author: Stephenson Billings
Stephenson Billings is an Investigative Journalist, Motivational Children's Party Entertainer and Antique Soda Bottle Collector all in one special, blessed package! Facebook me here or Fanmail me: StephensonBillings@yahoo.com !
6:34 pm
“young firm men filling out new crisp football uniforms, a pair of bulging muscles below soccer shorts”
That sounds mighty gay, Billings.
“This sports world teaches our children to decide between right and wrong in realistic situations.”
No, it teaches children to be constantly competing with one another, and that physical violence (i.e. tackling) is an acceptable means of winning a game.
“They treat their bodies as temples by exploring and mastering their physical powers.”
So then what’s all this I hear about steroids, eh?
“Mentally, they have not developed past the 12-year old stage.”
Oh, right, and jocks are just sooooo smart…
“That way you can monitor you child’s computer use (homework!) at all times without interrupting your television viewing.”
So, you’re berating children for playing video games, but giving parents tips on how to keep their child’s homework from interfering with their own television viewing? Shouldn’t parents have their priorities straight as well?
“When you’re not at home, unplug the power cord to your computer and hide the mouse. You can always put it in one of your sock drawers. This is a great way to make sure no video games are played when you’re not around.”
Haven’t I already explained to you that if a kid wants to play video games badly enough, he/she will *gasp!* figure out how to plug the computer back in and manage to locate the mouse? By the way, what if the child needs the computer for homework?
“Be honest with your boys and tell them they’ll grow up as failures if they don’t excel at sports.”
So you want parents to lie to their children? My father did not play sports as a kid (he HATED them) and he turned out very successful. He married a wonderful woman (my mother), and they had two kids together, the elder of whom was among the top 3 females in her high school graduating class, got into American University, and has been on the Dean’s List for her entire college career.
“On birthdays and Christmas, buy them sports gifts. Every kid enjoys a new baseball mitt or a football!”
So, so, so untrue.
“There is just something so wonderfully wholesome about America’s strong and cocky high school jocks.”
Probably the second gayest thing you’ve ever said.
Now that I’m done picking apart various quotes of yours, I would like to add some more of my thoughts:
I HATE jocks. I DESPISE jocks. I’ve hated them my whole life. You know why? Having grown up as a quiet, shy little kid, I was the PERFECT target for teasing from the jocks (even before they were old enough to really be called “jocks”). Jocks are buckets of testosterone, and they feel the need to impress people wherever they go. They are also incredibly, incredibly greedy. It is absolutely mind-boggling how much food they eat in one sitting. In my college’s dining room, you can be guaranteed that whenever you see a jock, he will pile onto his plate: at least 3 hamburgers, at least 2 hot dogs, whatever specialty they are serving that day (usually some kind of meat, potatoes, pasta, etc) as well as several slices of pizza, and at least 4, count ‘em 4, overflowing glasses of powerade. They will LITERALLY pile all that food onto their plates. One time when they were serving something crappy for lunch, I had to resort to getting a hamburger. I had to wait in line for one, as they weren’t quite ready yet. There was a jock in line in front of me. The chef took four burgers off the grill and placed them on the serving plate. The jock took ALL FOUR, without any thought that there were people behind him also waiting for food. One time, during some sort of family day thing, my friend was waiting in line for a burger with her dad, and all of a sudden from across the room, I hear the dad yell “Did you see that? He took five burgers!”
However, NOT ONLY are jocks greedy, they also caused the possible deaths of three of the school’s beagles. Our Veterinary Technology program gets beagles and cats every year for us to train with (I know, it sounds inhumane, but rest assured, they live in very good conditions, receive LOTS of love from us, and are adopted out to loving families at the end of the year). We fall in love with them instantly, and they want love, too, so it’s a win-win situation. Well, one night a few years ago a group of the school’s football players thought it would be funny to break into the kennel and set the beagles free. We got all but three of them back, and for all we know those three little doggies could be dead.
That is why I HATE jocks.
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8:25 pm
athletes eat a lot cause they burn it all off playing around! dont you know anything about the body? i thought you was a nurse. and they growing up to be strong and big. some of them are real big, over 6 feet, so they have to eat. you’re really showing your colors here claire. this is just too bias your hate and all. so what if there good at sports and better looking? its how the world works!
and sorry about the beagles but what does that have to do with food or anything? your just trying to blame someone for anything.
and i like this story. reminds me of the chioces i try to make as a mom. you dont want kids getting all weird in lviing in there bedrooms all the time.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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9:01 pm
“athletes eat a lot cause they burn it all off playing around! dont you know anything about the body?”
I’m AWARE of that, you dolt. However, NOBODY needs to be that greedy when it comes to food. Yes, they do need to eat more than the average person, but they take it to the extreme, and it needs to stop.
“so what if there good at sports and better looking?”
Who said that they were “better” looking? In my opinion, they’re disgusting pigs.
“and sorry about the beagles but what does that have to do with food or anything?”
Why do you assume that the beagle story is connected to the food story? The beagle story was yet ANOTHER example of why I hate jocks. It has nothing to do with food. Do you need me to sum it up for you?
I hate jocks because:
1. they killed three dogs
2. they’re greedy pigs
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9:13 pm
Well I Still Think Your Jealous!
Hot debate. What do you think?
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9:17 pm
Please explain to me why I would be jealous of people who KILLED OUR DOGS?
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9:36 am
Everybody stop agruging!Whoever posted this is a closet homosexual,and anyone who takes this even remotely seriously is as stupid as the OP
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1:14 am
For Christ’s sake, its You’re. YOU ARE, not your. A typo is a one thing but if you’re arguing for one side and you can’t understand the difference of you and you’re you make everyone look bad.
Also, an interesting fact is online video games tend to not only encourage but will force players into working together if they want to win, improve cognitive thinking and increase hand to eye coordination. The truth is that videogames (like Dungeons and Dragons and various tabletop activities) are something that family values groups can sink their teeth into and blame when they do something wrong with raising their child.
Also the man who wrote this must be a closet pedophile. Just the way he describes the jocks really creeps me out.
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1:09 am
okay so my first day of high school i’m obese even though i eat less then i should due to asthma i cant be on a sports team so because of that i would’ve been unsucesful.okay let me see quarter back ended up in jail for dui.receiver just dropped out of school in his third year.i am making more money then the rest oh and now im in shape i out grew my asthma and now their the ones who are over weight
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9:38 am
Hahaha, the best part about that is they keep eating that much after they’re out of school and at home sitting on their asses. Almost every jock I knew from high school is now overweight with a dead-end job.
Nerds have this thing called intelligence that ends them up in high-paying tech jobs. And every nerd I know has a hot girlfriend, whereas the jocks just have ugly ditsy overweight ex-cheerleaders with the mental capacity of a football.
Thankfully, we don’t need to justify this article because everyone knows those above facts. This article is hilarious as hell.
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11:37 pm
You know whats funny… most jocks that I know have turned out to be complete failures in life. A good amount ended up in prison and another portion had their girlfriends prenant before they left highschool. Me one the other hand I am a “gamer” and I am going for a P.H.D in forensic psychology, have a wonderful girlfriend who I planning to marry as soon as I graduate and I have had no problems with my friendships and have had some of the same friends since 1st grade. I do not have an aggressive bone in my body, I am no homosexual, and I also work in a contract pharmacy not a fast food resturant (no offense to those who do.) Playing video games does not reflect your intelligence or social level. Also just because someone is a jock doesn’t mean they are stupid or cruel. Some of my best friends are what you could consider jocks and they turned out just fine. A good portion that I do know are idiots and really don’t have a bright future.
Clair much praise to you bringing logical and thought out responses. Too bad most people don’t do that and leave rubbish like “f**k you” or “you suck.” Keep up the good work. Billings… I really don’t know what to say to you… maybe get an education that isn’t so far right that it would scare the crap out of the Nazis. Or just maybe try logics some time instead of biased responses that hold no substinence. I’ll agree that violent games can breed violent behavior in children but it is rare and easily manageable. Increased obseity is another vaild arguement since kids just are not getting outside as much as they should. However the decreased social life and homosexuality or totally unfounded. As for the a “pair of bulging muscles below soccer shorts” thing… thats all yours… ummm enjoy?
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6:30 pm
You don’t hate jocks. You hate yourself
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11:43 pm
Well nobody cares what you think claire, because you’re going to hell anyways.
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1:50 am
I’m really glad that you’re not the one who gets to decide that, dumbass.
“Nothing impure will ever enter it… but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
How about you stop being a judgemental asshat and start living with the attitude of your damn savior.
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3:04 am
Claire, just because I celebrate the success of our young Americans, you shouldn;t work yourself up into a frenzy. You accusations of homosexuality are offensive and childish. I’m sick of your outrageous and inexplicable claims. Obviously a man like myself, a dedicated Christain with incredible ties to his community, would not stand such words in person. It’s so easy, however, for you to throw this horse dung at me online. That’s just shameful and shows how low you have sunk. If you had pride, you could say these things to my face instead of in some anony chat room. Well, shame on you!
Hot debate. What do you think?
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6:22 am
Stephenson Billings, oh you arrogant retard.
Everything you post just makes you look like more of an idiot.
Tell me, who dropped you on your head as a child to make you think like this?
Yes i would say any of this to your face and no you would not do anything about it.
you are retarded.
THAT IS ALL. BE GONE NOW, FOOOL
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9:40 am
“If you had pride, you could say these things to my face instead of in some anony chat room. Well, shame on you!”
Rest assured, if I ever do meet you face to face, I WILL say those things. I’m not afraid of you.
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10:23 am
You sound like a jock, that had a few girls around you that played football in high school and are now depressed because a VIDEO game player makes millions while you sit on your butt all day writing worthless articles about nothing.
How is it christian to talk about men’s sexy bodies, cheerleaders, and how cool jocks are?
Writing this article is not being a christian, please review it over and over again.
I am a gamer, I make $45,000 a year, I am a IT professional, and without trying to figure out how to fix my computer so I could play games I would have never understood a computer. So yes video gamers can be successful and many I play with make a very good living.
Saying a gamer most likely will not be a lawyer or politician means nothing, how is making a living lying all day christian and right?
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10:48 am
haha, what an absolutely ridiculous article… I dont mean to sound like an ass, but why is it that whenever christian’s tend to speak there mind, its always far fetched and extremist..this article almost should have been put in the movie jesus camp. And I am open to the idea of new beliefs, however I can never seem to meet you nutjobs half way.
Anyways, you are so incorrect its not even funny.. Why do you have such hard feelings over video games? You have no control over this issue. What you should be doing is trying to unify the two groups instead of making people seem as if gamers are the devil… Unbelievable, I would really love to see your proof for that accusation. And another things, whats with christians and the devil? I was raised catholic although Im not anymore (because of video games probably!) and we never droned on about the devil as much as you guys.. leave it alone, please.
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12:36 pm
Dear Stephenson Billings:
It’s people like you that have caused my generation to become “heathens” and “godless pagans”.
Your article sounded more homoerotic than almost anything I’ve ever read. While you were busy jizzing all over yourself, writing about muscular and sweaty teenage boys, some of us were doing good in the world.
Does your God not preach of tolerance, acceptance, and love? Did he not heal a leper, and did he not wash the feet of others? Yes, he did.
I play video games, yes. I’m not a virgin and I’m unmarried. I curse, I look at pornography, and I enjoy movies with a violent and graphic plot.
Yet, I am the same person who holds doors open for others, and says ‘please and thank you’. I am the same person who was never kicked out of class or reprimanded in school for being disrespectful to a teacher or others, unlike many of the ‘jocks’ I attended school with. I’m the same person who would never mistreat a woman. Many of the jocks that you dream about being the ‘good future of the christian faith’ often cheat on, abuse, lie to, and generally mistreat women.
I’m sorry. I have values and I am a generally good person. I’m respectful, kind, courteous, and willing to help others when I can. I’m not perfect.
But neither are the jocks that you blow your wad over. They do more harm in the world than someone like me. If you can’t see that, you were either a jock in high school, or you are overly delusional.
I wish I could still believe in God. But it’s people like you, Stephenson Billings, that make me unable to believe that there is an all powerful God who loves each and every one of us.
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7:06 am
Your post makes me feel awkward about being a christian.
I didnt fail at school.
My parents never pushed me into sports, I’m studying to become a teacher.
I am a voluntry youth worker and you know what? I play video games!
Also every ‘Jock’ I have met has been a selfish idiot who bullies everyone around him who is not like him. I personaly will not force my children into sports.
I would also stop my children getting into the crowd of jocks to begin with.
So I would be saving my childs life by stopping them getting into sports, as most of the jocks ive known over the years have died in pub fights, car accidnts (their faults), drugs and getting involved with riots.
Out of the 20 or so jocks I went to school with only 4 of them are alive today.
Worst part is their all over weight and jobless.
I seriously hope your going to reconsider this post.
I have given you a non christian awnser to your non christian argument.
Next time you feel about ranting on your weird glory days do it on a sports site.
Its people like you who make christians look bad.
You have had enough of my attention now.
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3:59 pm
I am at such a loss for what to say, here, but I felt the need to say something. Mr. Billings, it’s people like you that have made it so difficult to even mention our Savior in front of my peers without being greeted with a slew of horror stories about bad experiences with alleged Christians.
I know we’re called to rebuke, but we are called to do so LOVINGLY. This is just mean.
I am a Christian. I teach a 3rd and 4th grade Sunday school class, assist the worship ministry as a soundboard technician, and work on the IT team. And yes, I am a gamer. I am not, however, obese, or even overweight. Nor am I underweight. I’m healthy. I’m not pimply or pale (although acne has nothing to do with athleticism, and I think it’s unfair to bring that up), nor am I unintelligent. I have a 3.7 GPA, and have just been inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society.
I will concede that I’m not a part of the WOW crowd, nor the GTA fans, but I loved video games all through my childhood, and still do. I play Mario Kart and Dance Dance Revolution with my students (with their parents full knowledge), and we talk about Wii Fit and Sonic the Hedgehog during leisure time. There’s nothing wrong with it.
I can see that you’re passionate about what you believe, but please stop being so closed-minded! Jocks are NOT the only face of future Christian America. I could never play sports because I had asthma. I cooked, read, studied, sewed, drew, and played video games. So what if I was shy and still am? So what if I preferred solitude in my room during adolescence? Does that make me a liar or a hypocrite or a threat to society? No. You’re alienating your own family, and making Christians out to be a cruel, prejudiced, and narrow-minded people. It hurts my heart to read through your article and see such intolerance for diversity within the body, and makes me ashamed to have kinship with you through our Lord.
I will pray for you.
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9:08 pm
So, I’m trying to figure out if Stephenson Billings is a Troll, does this for the collection plate funds or is just clueless
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2:01 pm
To Claire and Stephenson;
Dear Claire,
Thank you so much for everything you have said. You make excellent points, and honestly if Stephenson wants to keep dodging answering, there is nothing we can do. I was a jock in high school. It was a small Montana school, however, and I was respectful to all women, and enjoyed the game, exactly as it’s meant to be enjoyed. A game. I currently am in Pre-Med, and I do not think being a jock was a bad decision. It taught me leadership, honesty, and to enjoy life. However, I agree that most jocks are complete tools, and, although from Stephenson’s picture, which looks like he himself is either a necrophiliac, or a pedophile, and that it does not take “being a jock” to be successful. The whole article seems hastily written, by someone who is so numb-skulled and set in his ways that he can “assume” whatever he wants about America’s Youth. Thank you Claire, you are a very intelligent person, and the world needs more of you than radical egotistical assholes like Stephenson.
Stepehson,
How in the world can you say any of the things in your article with any confidence? I know you are the extremist religion type, but for God’s sake, this is completely ridiculous. Honestly I know why I’d never heard of you until a friend dropped the article by in college because it is a hilarious attempt to push your propaganda. All I can say to you is that you honestly have not contributed to society any more than a video game player. Video games are completely fine! If it’s raining and ya don’t want to read, or you just want to relax it makes no difference. However, people writing half-witted, moronic articles such as yours are the real problem today. I was All State Football, placed at State track, and All Conference Basketball, and I still am not the Herculean depiction of a successful person you claim will come without personal effort. I strive in school through school work, not my sports achievements. Sports ARE good things, but they are not life in general. Life, is what motivates you. To me, life is spending time with family, camping, recreation. My life has not/will never be affected by video games or your religious/ignorant rants.
Thanks people who realize that this is completely retarded and poorly thought out by a biased writer, who most likely is hypocritical in his beliefs, sexual orientation, and most likely never actually had a sports career in the first place.
Peace.
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8:07 pm
Excuse me, assmunch, but how the hell is she supposed to say that to your face when she doesn’t even know you in person?! And with all that talk about muscles beneath shorts and whatnot, you sound an awful lot like some kind of pedophile. Judging by your picture, I wouldn’t be surprised if you were.
I know one thing: if I were to meet YOU in person, I’d see to it that my LaVayan Satanic boot would make quick friends with your ignorant conservative ass. And trust me, you wouldn’t like it.
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8:43 pm
dude, Billings is so gay.
Have you seen the bananna filling thing? You’re so gay I don’t even have anything mature to say here. You are just so gay it blows my mind like your load all over some poor high school football player’s back.
anyway I just wanted to point that out.
did I mention how gay that billings dude is.
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10:16 am
Wow! I would unsubscribe to this site just for posting that crap. First off it says video gamers most likely wont be politicians or lawyers? The writer is saying that like its a bad thing….No instead video game players are inventors of google, facebook, and are some of the richest people in the world!
I am also christian, and when is talking about bulging muscles, and girls all over a jock being christian? The author basically said that being a jock makes you more popular and sexy…hmmm ok.
Anyways, so the author of this probably makes $25,000 a year and is angry that gamers are making millions in game, out of game, and still writing better then he or she.
I am a gamer, I play 25+ hours a week, plus I work 40+ hours a week, I own a house, 3 cars, I work in IT and am 24. I have played since day 1 and guess what! I would not have my job without gaming and being determined to fix my computer so I could play games!
So the author of this is false! And he, or she needs to understand the culture of gaming before he, or she starts typing on that fancy computer that was MOST LIKELY BUILT BY A GAMER!
Thx for posting this I have officially vented!
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11:27 am
I think the much more important concern is the effect of spending hours and hours more or less motionless in front of a TV or computer rather than the effects of the content of the some silly games.
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9:24 pm
Where is your data to support the claim?
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10:18 pm
you guys are so stupid it makes me want to puke i am the star quarter back in my skill and guess what i own all the systems so every thing you said is stupid also one of my dearest friends killed himself over football from taking steroids to get bigger i dont hear video gamers dieng of that dumb shits
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1:15 am
Nerds rule the world just think about it a nerd could steal all of you account information and the jock would have no clue!!i myself and a videogamer and i run so am i good or am i bad?also if a jock picks on some one in school then when will the memories come back to haunt them…When they get a job working for the person they picked on!so i think nerds/video gamers rule the world cause through cyberspace they can do what ever they want.
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6:46 pm
Oh wow, this entire article has confirmed to me that you’re actually a pedophile. It probably wouldn’t be so bad if you didn’t use phrases like “young firm men”, “they treat their bodies as temples”, and let’s not forget the best one: “a pair of bulging muscles below soccer shorts”.
Oh how I laughed.
And as for computer games being the root of all obesity, could that not also be blamed on the wide availability of automobiles and increasingly popular fast food chains, not the mention the ease to simply order a pizza out and eating it while watching the television? Surely that plays some kind of role.
Apathy? Well I can surely tell you that I’d be just this apathetic with or without computer games.
Suicide? Who’d want to kill themselves when Command & Conquer 4 is coming out next year?
School Violence has always been a problem. I’ve a feeling that the jocks you worship so much are major players in THIS particular sport.
Satanism has always been there, computer games hardly promote that kind of thing. You’re more likely to be fighting demons in a computer game than siding with them.
Masturbation has always existed, and there’s no argueing that bit of fact, I’m afraid. If you’re going to blame anything, blame the wide availability of porn. Or are you bored of that one already?
Now that society is beginning to accept people with different sexual preferences to others, it only makes sense that homosexuals, who have ALWAYS been there, are beginning to show their true colours. Um, which would be all of them, in a rainbow. I suppose.
Unemployment, blame the economy. Jobs are being cut and people are being laid off of work, it’s not their fault, but with these cuts comes a rising unemployment figure. In actual fact, people out of luck with work are trying their hand at creating their own games, with many proving successful and earning them a small fortune. The growing market for computer games is creating jobs in an economic climate that is doing the opposite.
Now really, you should research these topics more. I KNOW it’s easy to just blame it on something and be done with it. But isn’t that a bit… You know…
Lazy?
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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8:29 pm
if you sit on the floor all day playing a game on the tv of course your going to get fat! you have no logic. thats just stupid. and sure some of that other stuff has been around, but the whole video gamer thing just makes it all worse. there are plenty of science behind that so dont try and be all crazy here and just blind yourself to thr truth! and if a boy is sitting around all day what skills is he learning for a job? its the kids who get out there and network new people and shake hands and do honest work who get ahead. if you sitting home alone all the time that just sad.
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16
6:27 am
Who says the person spends all day playing video games? I go to the gym a few times a week. I’m actually a tad underweight, how is that so if I spend a bit of my time playing video games? Maybe this only happens in America because most of my friends in England who play video games are thin and quite a few are athletic.
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6:28 am
Helolo I am JaniceFun I LIEK to say MeANIngless and biASEd garbage with strANge PUNctuation so thAT i can THink IM CLever and stUFF LOl.
Seriously… get a fucking clue
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1
7:27 pm
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
36 
1
8:27 pm
I think you just gave Billings a Hard on by posting those pictures…
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1
8:34 pm
that’s just not proper to say such things here, sorry.
Hot debate. What do you think?
3 
29
9:25 pm
That’s probably a very good bet. You could make bank off of it.
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5:22 am
Oh, YOU’re telling people what is proper to say and what’s not? Not only do you treat homosexuality as some sort of desease, you confuse young people with false statements, trying to “push” them into stuff they do not want to do.
If you want your kid to end up derailed and criminally, push them to do stuff they do not want, and raise them with an orthodox view on the bible. I’m sure they’ll thank you for it when they grow up to discover the truth.
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6:30 am
Jeroen you say that they’re calling homosexuality a disease when in the article it says:
“These poor souls may never have the courage to ask a girl on a date. Homosexuality is often an easy answer for their awkwardness.”
Sounds like the author thinks the same thing.
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7:39 am
I was talking about the author and JaniceFun, the reply wasn’t posted where I wanted it to.
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12:55 am
Hmm…. let’s look at this. Janice syays- ah, screw it, I’m just going to copy/paste the entire string I want to flame her with.
Frank says:
September 8, 2009 at 8:27 pm
I think you just gave Billings a Hard on by posting those pictures…
Praise or Condemn: 3 1
Reply
JaniceFun says:
September 8, 2009 at 8:34 pm
that’s just not proper to say such things here, sorry.
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Reply
The Defiant Soldier says:
September 8, 2009 at 9:25 pm
That’s probably a very good bet. You could make bank off of it.
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Reply
Jeroen says:
September 9, 2009 at 5:22 am
Oh, YOU’re telling people what is proper to say and what’s not?
HYPOCRITE!
By the way, Commisar, (or however you say it, I’m not going reply hunting again) WARHAMMER 40K IS AMAZING! CAN’T WAIT FOR THE MMO!!!
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9:30 am
As much as I Agree,Rules 1 & 2
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7:59 pm
Well, I think Claire and Chris pretty much summed it up, so I guess I’ll take the “Pot-Shot.”
“Are those…..”(ok get ready for this.)
“Are those the little altar boys that sit under your desk? Wow. You must doing pretty well billings. Did you take beefman up on that offer to split halfsies on facebook? You naughty boy!”
There. I’m done. And Claire and Chris, GOOD JOB!
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8:47 pm
Well I think this artical is VERY BRAVE! You people all love your video games and talk it all the time but you know what? There are so many bad things that come from that life and there is a whole nother world out there away from you computers. Kids who plays sports are just happy and nice. I am a MOTHER and I know these things. I am happy that my sons always loved there sports. They have good friends and I am proud there life. I just think you guys are so fast to attack what you dont understand. Well this one is plane and simple to me! I am happy my boys are old enough (17, 19, 23) that they dont get into this silly stuff. Its all just a big watse of time really.
Hot debate. What do you think?
2 
33
9:10 pm
“Kids who plays sports are just happy and nice.”
Happy? Maybe. Nice? No way. Throughout my ENTIRE school career I was teased, simply because my quietness and shyness made me an easy target. You know who teased me? The sporty kids, primarily. Also, it’s not really “nice” to kill three innocent dogs.
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9:26 pm
Thank you, Janice. I always appreciate your words of support. It is interesting that there is so much anger from some of the people posting replies right now. It perfectly exmeplifies the type of angry, loner character that I was referring to in my article. I am happy to hear that your sons were raised with an involved and loving mother. It must really show in their promise!
Bless you, Janice!
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28
10:22 pm
Janice… did you just reply to yourself an hour after your comment? are you that lonely?
and jocks don’t all turn out successful, we all know jocks are “cool” and drugs are “cool”, put them together, most jocks take drugs, usually not the heavier deadly one like cocaine, but softer ones like pot. Does God want kids to take pot, i doubt it.
and why are video games evil? if they are, then theres a flaw.
we all agree sports are good(its true!
)
you say video games = evil
a sport videogame is what? it cant be good, cuz its a video game, but it cant be bad cuz its a sport, not a “gay-inducing” magic weapon buying game (lol)
You say a kid played for 24 hours? well thats not the kid’s or video game’s fault, thats just bad parenting.
please use common sense, video games are like any hobby, too much of it is bad, just like too much sports, or too much exercise or eating, yet all these things in moderation arent bad for you.
Let kids play video games if they like it, but make sure that they understand that the priority list doent change:
1) yourself
2) family and friends
3)School/work
—-
x) video games
you need to take care of yourself and your family before other things, that completely true, but starting lies about magic items making you gay and satanic dress up parties with wild sex isn’t the way to set priorities straight.
I’ve played video games since i was a wee lad (like 4 years old), I’m going to college in nutrition, i could be the one making diet plans in hospitals or preventing you from getting the swine flu from that dinner you ate at.
video games are a hobby, if they become to much more than that, it can be dangerous for your self and your social life, but if you take care of yourself and take all things in moderation, video games are a fun way to spend the evening.
PS: Don’t hate gays because they like men, its like hating someoen because he like blue instead of red. I dont mind them, i dont want them hitting on me, but i dont mind them, in their core they are people, just like you and me, and thats all that matters in Gods eyes.
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7:20 am
“Janice… did you just reply to yourself an hour after your comment? are you that lonely?”
Nah, she didn’t. Stephenson just forgot to log out of his Janice account and into his actual account before posting. Way to go, Stephenson! *cheer*
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10:28 pm
Uh oh, looks like Janice is talking to herself again.
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6:44 am
oh i heart you claire <3
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0
6:33 am
SAMEFAG LOL
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1
4:33 pm
HOW DOES I LOG OUT
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1
12:00 am
Lol I take back what i said. You dont deserve a second chance. I thought you were just a misinformed reminiscing old fart. But you have to be about the stupidest person on earth. you blow your cover as janice wide fucking open then continue to use that profile to back up your arguments.,.. what a bitch little samefag. OMfg i didnt know stupidity came in that level. It shouldnt be possible, but damn.
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8:13 pm
Well hey, there are some people who are actually adults who really enjoy video games. because they were raised under different beliefs. and what sickens me is the idiot sports kids who pick on those who WERE raised or grew up differently. it’s like kicking a starving African child in the face because they are that way. It is YOU people that are ruining it for the kids who like video games.
also, having a girl doesn’t mean INSTANT WIN at life. have fun being dragged around the town and to the mall with your fat wife you met in high school.
I’ll have fun with my life, hope you enjoy yours and we never meet.
-stan has fooled you :3333333333
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9:31 pm
“… a whole nother world”??? I suppose you work as a publishing editor when you are not forcing your kids into sports?
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8:01 pm
OH MY GOD. You’re a mother?! I thought you were some confused preteen judging by your lack of grammar skills and basic knowledge of the English language. That’s terrible, people like you shouldn’t be allowed to procreate.
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8:54 pm
OP is right
but jocks (most of them) are crazy single minded stupid people. true they maybe strong at body but they are weak at mind. what people should do is to invest thier time on what is going to benefit them now and in the future.
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2
9:37 pm
Once again, a claim with no evidence to back it up. Why, oh why, do people try to make unfounded claims, assuming that their own prejudices are backed by fact?
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9:09 pm
This article is an embarrassment to everyone involved. I am a 17 year old gamer, a senior in high school. I have a dozen close friends who I hang out with regularly, I am friends with almost everyone else at school as well, and I do not plan on shooting the jocks any time soon, although the jock-y-est of them are shallow assholes who I have seen sell out their friends over a girl or a game. I know exponentially more drug-abusing jocks than gamers. The image of the “popular football player in high school who fails later in life” exists for a reason, and is far more well known than the “gamer who fails later in life”.
And sadly, you are too wrapped up with your fond image of jock-culture being a great thing to realize that that aspect of America is already dead. Giving a muscle car to your son for his 16th birthday?
Dead.
Preventing your kid from experiencing any videogames?
Impossible. If they go to friends’ houses, they will see them, play them, and wish they had them.
The thing that shows that you honestly just don’t belong writing articles, however, is your claim that gamers never grow up in maturity past 12 years old, when you in fact are stuck at 16 yourself, as you’ve proven with this article.
So I am going to tell you a terribly ironic statement coming from a 17 year old gamer:
GROW. UP.
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14 
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9:58 pm
Rezeil, I’m glad you’re one of the lucky ones. But not everyone has it so easy with the poor life choices they make as an early teen. I hope you put a greater value on friends and schoolwork than on your video game world. It really contributes very little to you later in life. And maybe kids will always sneak behind their parents backs, but don’t you think it’s important to get the word out about the dangers they face? I do. And I’m trying my best to inform parents who really don’t know any better.
As I noted in this article, I am older and experienced enough to know what the future is for people like this.
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27
6:38 am
No, you’re old enough that you don’t understand anything about this culture. You say that people who play video games will end up with bad jobs. Who do you think created the internet? How do you think you have this website? Do you really believe a jock developed the internet while at the sidelines of a football game? Video games have no impact on what job you could get as long as they don’t affect you work. I’m sure Bill Gates and Steve Jobs have played video games at some point in their lives and they’re doing a lot better than most, if not all, of the jocks who were at their schools.
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8:16 am
I could care less who created the internet. It’s been around much longer than your gamer “culture” so stop confusing yourself. I was writing about a very real and sad issue here. Gaming has made our children so sedentary that they’re losing physical stamina. And morally, it’s teaching them nothing.
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25
9:22 am
Losing physical stamina? I’m sure there are many other things contributing to that in America. It is very easy to play games and exercise. Maybe we won’t have that body of yours you keep saying about but I can live with that. Hey, it doesn’t matter anyway, you’re just going to be rotting in the ground when you die!
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9:35 am
It saddens me you have to throw such childish and negative language around. I pray that I’ll be in heaven in my afterlife.
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22
7:54 pm
Technically, the computer game came before the internet.
The first computer game was a tic-tac-toe game in 1952
http://www.pbs.org/kcts/videogamerevolution/history/timeline_flash.html
The internet arrives in 1957.
http://www.davesite.com/webstation/net-history.shtml#1957
Both the internet and video games started at roughly at the same time. And they all eventually made their strides into what they are today.
Please do more research before making incorrect statements.
I mastered multiplication as a kid from a School House Rock computer game. Games aren’t the problem. Obsession over a game is the main problem and is often caused by poor parenting due to lack of discipline. The parent has the right and responsibility to look at the ESRB rating on the game and take it away.
Also,
Do you really think Tetris is the work of the devil? Or do you think Grand Theft Auto is the work of the devil, and then summarily lump all video games, including Tetris and all the educational games targeted for children into a generic statement and lump them together?
Please write better and refrain from lumping everything in the same boat.
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17 
1
11:52 am
Are you fucking kidding me? The time between the birth of the internet, and the gaming culture can be measured in DAYS, you moron!
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0
9:13 pm
I’ll bet that Billings sniffs jockstraps.
Well-loved. Like or Dislike:
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10:42 am
claire why do you put up your photos here? you should shave your legs laughing out loud!!!
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3 
13
5:35 pm
Those are some damn fine legs, right there.
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9:22 pm
So, wait a second, I think you got some of this backwards. First of all, Video gamers are more likely to become the successful businessman than some slovenly failure, unlike a jock. Also, you seem to have missed that most people in the military (yes, the defenders of your countries freedom!) either got the idea to join up from videogames, or actively play video games during what little free time they may have overseas. Along with that, Video gamers usually make the best pilots in the world for both military and commercial applications (working as an ENGINEER (holy craop a successful gamer no way!) I see pilots who make over 10000 dollars…just for getting off the ground), and their highly developed reflexes help them avoid potential hazards.
With this article, you are also telling parents that allowing thier children free choice is bad (what about democracy?), censorship is good (so, you’re korean I take it?), and that anyone who is different deserves to be shunned from society.
Another problem I have with this article is how you consistantly emphasize that jocks are so perfect, and how everyone should aspire to be a muscleheaded roid rageing failure. You are telling these parents that the people who constantly abuse fellow students, are one of the HIGHEST causes of violence and depression in schools, and who frequently fail half thier classes…are the perfect examples of christianity. Violence and ignorance sounds pretty christian to me actually, so I guess you got that one part right…
Now, if anyone is willing to have an intelligent discussion about this, and not just consistantly say “Science tells us so!” without having any proof, or supporting statements, feel free to leave a reply and I’ll get back to you ASAP. To any parents reading this-TALK to your children, ask them WHY they play video games, dont just mindlessly push them into something they may hate.
-[LM] CjAy
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11 
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10:20 pm
First of all, I highly doubt your connection between military men and World of Warcraft players. Look at our soldiers and their body types. They look more like football players than gamers. Though since the military is so high tech these days I’m sure there are a few nerds in the back rooms keeping the radios running and all.
Also, you say gamers grow up to be successful? Sure, you can look at Bill Gates and a few other internet millionaires, but the bulk of Fortune 500 company CEOs are serious, hardworking men where the ability to socialize intelligently, including navigating obstacles is very important. They’re also the types who know how to motivate large groups, their sales forces for instance. This is a definite ethic learned in sports and being a team captain or a school president. Again, our CEOs and politicians did not grow up geeks. Maybe their number crunchers did.
And don’t give me the free choice nonsense. Parents need to be PARENTAL! And that means making choices for our children and leading them down the right path for development and success. I wouldn’t let a 14 year old girl go on a date with a 30 year old, just because she felt it was an expression of her “Free Choice”.
And of course, I find some of your claims to be outright exaggerations. That’s precisely what I was referring to in my article when I stated: Out of terrible shame, Video Gamers will lie to your face and describe themselves as successful, goodlooking heterosexuals with gorgeous girlfriends and a rich social life. But we know this is not true. It’s a desperate attempt to cover up utter failure.
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23
11:19 pm
kk To the OP who claims out Military men and women are not gamers…..several of my buddies are in the Military with me (a gamer) considering the Air Force…..gtfo….this is why I don’t believe in God
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9 
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2:05 am
Actually in world of warcraft there are these things called raids where you get 25 people together and kill bosses with scripted abilities. Each boss does different things and each player will have certain jobs in the fight in order to be successful.
Someone has to lead these raids. Guilds will die on a boss for weeks and weeks before getting it right. Do you think that takes some kind of motivation and leader to kill these very difficult encounters? In fact, in the higher guilds, you might have to fill out an application on why you are a good player and what will you bring to your guild that someone else won’t. This is JUST LIKE A JOB APPLICATION. Spelling/grammar/intelligence count for A LOT on these applications. It takes teamwork, dedication, and organization as well as accuracy and precision in order to lead and accomplish a raid.
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7 
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8:20 am
Oh what a simplistic mind you have… You think wrangling with your joy stick will really teach you the skills to hold down a job? You’re far too myopic to truly understand what I was trying to say here. There’s an incredible difference between hanging out with your computer screen and actually interacting with live human beings in person and getting them to accomplish things. Sports teaches our youngsters some great values and life skills. Why else do we put so much emphasis on athletic scholarships at colleges?
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13
9:54 am
Stephenson there are some very good Christian video games. I think you overlooked that. Guitar Praise for instance is very popular with Christian adults and children.
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0
8:35 pm
Unfortunately, the majority of the high-end universities have gotten rid of their sports scholarships.
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0
2:55 pm
Ooo, I know why! Offering high dollar scholarships to good athletes means better athletes for your athletic programs and a better athletic program means more students paying to go to your school and better ticket sales. Ka-ching!
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4 
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9:30 am
“And don’t give me the free choice nonsense. Parents need to be PARENTAL! And that means making choices for our children and leading them down the right path for development and success.”
Parents do have the right to tell their kids to take a break from video games, but they do NOT have the right to force their kids to play sports. There are lots of kids like me, who FUCKING HATE SPORTS.
And, there’s always the possibility of severe injury or even death when you play sports. If I were a parent, I’d feel mighty guilty if I had forced my child into sports and then the child died.
CSB image warning.
“I wouldn’t let a 14 year old girl go on a date with a 30 year old”
But you seem to find it okay for a 60 year old to hit on an 18 year old.
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10 
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9:44 am
Seriously Claire? This is what you’ve debased yourself to? Posting nasty bloody pictures because you’re so confused by my journalism? I worry for, my girl.
And believe me, I am only interested in your soul. Please do not let others trick you into thinking I am inappropriate towards children. That is quite upsetting to me.
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1 
19
10:23 am
“This is what you’ve debased yourself to? Posting nasty bloody pictures because you’re so confused by my journalism?”
Confused by your journalism? Hardly. I merely posted those pictures to make a statement about how dangerous sports can be.
“And believe me, I am only interested in your soul.”
My soul is for me to be interested in, nobody else.
“Please do not let others trick you into thinking I am inappropriate towards children.”
Considering how I wrote the first reply on here, I’m pretty sure I managed to find out all by myself how perverted you are. If you don’t want to be labeled a pervert, perhaps you should stop posting things such as: “…to young firm men filling out new crisp football uniforms, a pair of bulging muscles below soccer shorts…” or telling 18 year old girls about your body.
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11:45 am
“And believe me, I am only interested in your soul.”
Yeah. That’s the only reason you were hitting on her. Riiiiight. So I wonder…..
If I went through this entire site, how many times could I count Stevy contradicting himself?
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2:27 am
“First of all, I highly doubt your connection between military men and World of Warcraft players. Look at our soldiers and their body types. They look more like football players than gamers. ”
That’s just plain bullshit I know of atleast 10 people who play World of Warcraft while they’re not on patrol in Iraq and I mean frontline soldiers I’ve played with a soldier who was on medical leave after getting getting shot twice while in Iraq. What do you have to say about that?
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2:52 am
Exactly! I mean, when I played on Crushridge in my guild there were so many soldiers from all over Europe! Some were still in Iraq and used WoW to relax a bit.
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9:59 pm
I am a former commissioned officer in the U.S. Army. I was a Chemical Officer (a specialist in surviving nuclear, biological and chemical warfare). I went to OCS (Officer candidate school) with a whole bunch of people who were convinced that PT (physical training) was leadership. This was a problem (not an asset) with the Army. These ‘PT is leadership’ types failed to use their brains for much other than keeping their hats and/or helmets above their eyes.
Gamers have joined the military (as have jocks). Neither group has an exclusive capacity to lead, organize, motivate or succeed. I played table-top wargames (Avalon Hill) when I was younger (my father got me into them). I had nearly died as a baby, so I was not much of an athlete. I did play some sports for a while, but found that I was too small for most of them.
AFAIK, you believe that my ability to: Help train troops for the first Iraqi war; help to double the product line of the #1 OTC Pharmaceutical company in the U.S, work on AIDS research for three years, and finally work for a year on the toughest-to-analyze pharmaceuticals (gels, creams and pastes) all before I became disabled at the age of 34 (from a syndrome that the medical community is still yet to understand properly) is abject failure.
Oh yeah, I also have 4 children (ages 16 to 23) who are loving children who never got into drugs, don’t have a greedy bone in their bodies and help others whenever they can.
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9:26 pm
As a teenager in high school I had very, very little to do with the “popular” crowd. I pretty much hated the lot of them, seeing as how most of them made fun of me all through grade school up until about senior year. In my freshman year, myself and a handful of the “unpopular” kids, i.e.:gamers, LARPs, bad geeks and the like, started playing rugby after school on the band practice field a couple days a week. In junior year, some of the jocks got interested in playing and actually showed up one or two at a time. Every single one of your precious jocks that ever came to play left with minor concussions, broken fingers, lacerations, avulsions, and abrasions out the yin yang.
So there’s what I think of your oh so wholesome jocks and the phony, wannabe badasses they think they are. Oh and by the way, I play World of Warcraft and have actually progressed quite far in the game, all while passing exams through paramedic school with high B’s and A’s. I also have a terrific girlfriend named Katie, who is working through nursing school to be an RN. I am also not fat. I’m about 5’9″ and about 150 lbs. The Air Force served me as well as I served it, I think.
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5 
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10:09 pm
Daniel, hmmmm… So you’re telling me you beatdown a bunch of jocks because of your physical superiority picked up fooling around with a joystick? Please don’t make up nonsense for me so easily. I’m older and have been around the block far too many times.
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17
1:57 am
Just like you haven’t made up any nonsense? Where are ANY of your sources?
“When video gaming first became popular, experts warned of the likelihood of increased amounts of obesity, apathy, suicide, school violence, Satanism, masturbation, homosexuality and unemployment”
“Video gaming is an addiction scientifically proven to be just as dangerous as crack cocaine and it’s making our kids immoral and angry in the process”
“Adults who were video gamers in high school are far less likely to become investment bankers, real estate salesmen, doctors, lawyers and sports coaches.”
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6 
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8:21 am
Welcome to the internet, my young friend. In case you’re unfamiliar with it, there are these things called links. I have provided several with my article. Just click on them! Please do this before posting your wrong-headed silliness.
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11
6:50 am
Okay, let me first of starting by saying.. I dont belive in god, heaven or hell or ANY other religion.. i am an Atheist and if you find that wrong.. so be it.
Second. YES World of warcraft have gotten the official ”title” of being the most addictive game in the WORLD..Even got a place in Guinies worlds records.. However, this dont mean that EVERY player in the WORLD that plays world of warcraft is addicted to it..
Looking at the replies you gave us.. You hate Gays/lesbians.. Though alot of people think of being Gay as an insult, i dont.
People have a tend to look down on things they dont see as normal, in this case. You dont see video gaming as normal. You think playing too many video games will make you stupid and fail in life.
I dont say i can proove you wrong. What i do say though is. We live in a world were, like it or not, technology is becomming part of the day. Today we declare war, and ”Do” war with weapons and other ”close up” stuff.. Seeing the way technology evolves.. i belive that in maybe about 100 years from now, we will start the first ”Internet” war. Meaning that we wont use guns and other stuff.
About the ”People are getting stupid from video games” part again.
I live in denmark.. In my class we got 22 students, 9 of which plays world of warcraft (Indluding me). ”Strangely” enough its those 9 students who are ALWAYS getting top rating when it comes to english essays.
Also, its those 9 people who are ALWAYS getting top rating when it comes to Medie/IT..
People who play video games WILL become VERY handy with computers and such.
And seeing the world we live in at the moment. In only a few years, you couldent care less about being in top shape when applying for a job.. You NEED to be handy with computers.
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10:44 pm
On a side note I started to Learn english when I was around 6-7 YO doing that and playing video game ( and I’m born french in Canada)
Oh and By the way the people who actually fail at school are the Jock in almost everything
Oh and for the military there is a Lot of soldier who play video game not just WoW but FFXI as well ( I had a party with 3 US soldier, 2 japanese and me
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4:49 pm
Yeah, that’s because you’re too drunk to find the house!
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6:41 pm
That’s cute. I’m writing that one down, Charlie!
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9:38 pm
haha you know what guys im a jock and a gamer and guess what JaniceFun<—gay you need to shut your shit mouth(yes you ate shit for breakfast) because jocks are fine some are gay shits. You need to understand that your being opionated i hope u can understand that word because you dont seem to understand that this is a troll site.
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9:57 pm
just hope that author of this text don’t have any kids. “you have a secret gamer on your hands. Beware”. wtf is that about??? does he think there’s a devil hiding in pc? and btw computer kids are smart (most of the time:), cuz u need more than hand/leg-eye coordination to use it), not like jock’s, strong and brain-dead. and shame on u Stephenson Billings, Investigative Journalist publishing yuour work on internet, maybe even using pc to write it, shame on you
sorry for bad english, not my native tongue, and what i know, learned it from computer, not from jock
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6:44 am
I’m sorry, you’re wrong. It has been scientifically been proven that if you play video games for so long you turn into the character you’ve been playing. For example, if you are playing GTA you will go out, pick up a hooker, screw her in an alley and then mow her down and steal her money.
You have been warned, go to this website now! http://www.god-helps-gaymers.com
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3:49 pm
Well obviously, the solution is to play Madden 24/7
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8:23 am
I am not a father myself but I do work with many children and have learned a great deal about their struggles with internet and gaming addictions. Try not to be so facetious with your comments, it’s really not productive.
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9:14 pm
Hey Stephenson, you’ve already acknowledged yourself that you have no children of your own and are basically basing any and all arguments you’ve put forth on pointless conjecture, backing up your own arguments with ‘evidence’ that consists of posts written by other bloggers on this very website. That’s the kind of thing you would get an F for writing a grade school essay.
Oh also, a soda bottle collector has absolutely no business deriding someone else for a hobby. That was probably the funniest part of your post.
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10:00 pm
i cant believe that i acctaully read all this. and for once agian i came into the same conclusion, that when christianity is in danger (loosing ppl) they start blame the way the lost them cuz less ppl = less money and less crowd control. so good job blaming the ones who choose a different way of living and dont believe in that bullshit called religion and to make all the religion fanboys happy YES i will burn in hell!!! happy now? good
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10:28 pm
Haha oh wow, this site is really full of it. This site pretty much explains why no one takes Christians seriously anymore, and why the agnostic and atheist population continue to grow. If parents actually follow the advice posted here, you’re the most laughable parents in the country. Disregard this comment though, as most here probably will. So very close minded and intolerant…
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10:31 pm
Articles like these are the reason fundamentalist fanatics shouldn’t be allowed in the internet, they keep breaking the boundaries of stupidity.
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10:55 pm
tottaly agree with u m8
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11:00 am
I got one thing to say and one thing only…
Those who agree with the OP if this post will all burn in hell.
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10:59 pm
10/10
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11:47 pm
You know, someone else had a very similar view on topics like this. He knew He had the answers, and could show people the Way. He promised that if you followed Him, the world would be a better place.
I’m talking of course, about Adolf Hitler (What, you thought I meant Jesus Christ??? lol)
Hitler preached just this kind of intolerance and hatred that you are streaming on this website right now. Kind of makes you feel a little sick inside doesn’t it? No, it probably doesn’t, since your ego has inflated to the point of being the only actual thing you have left. I pity you. Christianity is supposed to teach tolerance, and peace.
You are a very perverse individual, I hope you change someday.
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8:27 am
As many of my friends here can attest, I find Nazism and Adolph Hitler incredibly awful. It’s also personally offensive to me that you accuse me of having these types of sympathies. The Nazis were very cruel to Christians and Adolph was never one himself (he persecuted priests, married out of a church, invaded Christian countries like Poland and France, etc. etc.). So save you rhetoric for the Daily Kos.
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10:04 pm
Oh dear, poor Mr. Billings feels bullied. What’s the problem Mr. Jock? Why don’t you just shove all of us into lockers like that poor kid at the end of your article? You’re clearly a strong member of the jock master race, so I think you should have no problem.
Sarcasm aside, this article is disgusting. Would you really compare the actions of modern jocks with the Christian ideal? If there is a parallel there, I think I’ll have to rethink my faith.
Video games are one of, if not the most popular forms of entertainment these days. In fact, many social boundaries have been lessened or eliminated due to this common ground where you don’t have to have a chiseled body or play sports to compete. More and more people of every gender, age group, and lifestyle play games because it gives them all an even playing field, not to mention they’re entertaining.
I’d love to see your reaction to how the Wii is being integrated into nursing homes as physical therapy and entertainment. Would you take that away from the elderly and claim you did it for Jesus?
I’m just appalled, honestly.
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12:28 am
Are you serious with this article? You even have a picture of a jock bullying another kid in the article. Guess what???? bullying is now a CRIME in most states which can result in time in Juvi for the most serious cases. Guess who is leading things like our nation’s military…….that’s right video game JOCKS! We have the brain power necessary to do something more then grunt and beat people. I say GO TO HELL CHRISTWIRE!
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12:30 am
“When video gaming first became popular, experts warned of the likelihood of increased amounts of obesity, apathy, suicide, school violence, Satanism, masturbation, homosexuality and unemployment”
Whhyyyy the fuck do you people think that homosexuality is caused by video games? Homosexuality has been around longer than video games.. They are just coming out of the closet now because it is slowly getting more accepting to society.
And no, just because a man isn’t all muscles and firm buns DOES NOT mean he isn’t going to get a girlfriend. You are promoting shallowness based purely on looks, thus also promoting the whole ‘women are property’ bullshit.
You fall in love with who shares similar interests, not those two can bench press 200 pounds. I would stay away from an idiot like that, men with egos are suck assholes. Your kids SURE are going to be successful like that.
Oh, and if you look at a lot of suicide victims.. You don’t see a lot of these kids killing themselves because video games told them so. Pressuring parents, sports, and school is a lot more likely to lead to alcoholism and drug use. More of these ‘perfect jock kids’ that I knew in school used drugs and alcohol than any of my gaming friends. I used those jocks as an example NOT to follow, because greed, being full of ones self and thinking they’re better than everyone else in the school is SO christ like.
You people are seriously fucked up in the minds. Pressuring your kids to be chiseled into what YOU want them to be is really going to work, your brainwashing is pathetic.
FAIL MORE PLEASE!
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1:16 am
NOT TRUE! Homosexuality started at THE SAME TIME as video games. TRY TO PROVE ME WRONG! Homo inhibitor!
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1:24 am
Get off your high horse. Go look up some history.
How about Saddam and Gamorrah?
Or the Romans? Check out some of those emperors.
Homosexuality has been around for a LONG time.
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5:47 am
Hey, hey, how do you know his horse is high? you must be one of those internet stalkers PEDO!!! And also his reply was a fact written by the mighty Linken DONT ARGUE WITH THE FACTS OR YOU ARE ARE A FAGGOT, and i need someone to go up and down with me in the elevator. i’m also a slow learner
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6:54 am
…what?
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1:39 am
K, I’ll prove you wrong. ^^
“Pong (marketed as PONG) is one of the earliest arcade video games, and is a tennis sports game featuring simple two-dimensional graphics. The aim is to defeat an opponent—either computer-controlled or a second player—by earning a higher score. The game was originally manufactured by Atari Incorporated (Atari), who released it in 1972.”
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pong
“The first known appearance of homosexual in print is found in an 1869 German pamphlet by the Austrian-born novelist Karl-Maria Kertbeny, published anonymously,[12] arguing against a Prussian anti-sodomy law.[13][14] In 1879, Gustav Jager used Kertbeny’s terms in his book, Discovery of the Soul (1880).”
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homosexuality
FAIL MORE PLEASE!
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2:07 am
MOAR!
“Hitler popularized the ideology that Germans were the master race of Earth and that everyone else was inferior. Hitler used the Jews as a scapegoat for Germany’s problems, and believed that they and any deemed as a life unworthy of living was no use beyond working in a labor camp. He basically targeted anyone who wasn’t German, many of which did not have blonde hair and blue eyes. Some groups besides Jews that he targeted were the homosexuals, the blacks, socialists/communists, anyone who opposed the Nazi ideology, etc.”
So, according to you, Hitlers nazi’s must have busted down the door of homosexual jews playing Super Smash Brothers back in the 1940′s and 1950′s?
And here’s some more Christian hate in history, sounds a bit like our little Hitler, don’t it?
“In the year 342, the Christian emperors Constantius II and Constans declared the death penalty for a male who aped the role of a bride.[7] In the year 390, the Christian emperors Valentinian II, Theodosius I and Arcadius denounced males “acting the part of a woman”, condemning those who were guilty of such acts to be publicly burned. [8] The Christian emperor Justinian (527-565) made those who would now be called “homosexuals” a scape goat for problems such as “famines, earthquakes, and pestilences.”
Year 342 AD! Wow! I wonder what kind of video games they had then!
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3:13 am
Why should i defend myself against inaccurate and inane quotes you’ve picked up from wikipedia? I have made no such claims in support of Nazism and in fact I find the suggestion is highly offensive to me. I am a journalist with many, many years under my belt. Why don’t you leave the intelligent studies to me? You’re clearly not capable of handling anything more complex than 10th grade algebra.
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4:10 am
How is this an intelligent study? Sounds like a close minded rant screaming “I’M RIGHT YOU’RE WRONG.”
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7:02 am
Wait what? What does algebra have to do with anything, you ancient retard?
Wikipedia is actually surprisingly accurate, since anything on there that is stated as fact must have its source cited so people can confirm it themselves if they wish.
More than I can say about your articles, though.
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9:51 am
I know there are a lot of young people reading this article and I know you’re not about to give up your game consoles, so may I suggest some really wonderful video games that will keep your moral values intact:
Guitar Praise
Noah’s Ark
Bible Adventures
Left Behind Eternal Forces
There’s also the Christian Centered Gamer website which I highly recommend: http://www.ccgr.org/
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10:00 am
it would be nice if these kids tried other games once in a while. thanks for the links i sure they will try them.
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12:27 am
give it up OP. In cae you cant do tech no lo gy here is what OP means. You know when you wrote that piece of shit and hit post that means you are the OP. Your teh motherfucking poster you piece of shit, give it up.
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9:01 am
I didn’t write that bit about Nazism, so I’m not sure what you’re accusing me of. Please see my previous responses in regard to Hitler’s fascism and why I find it horribly offensive. There is so much joy and promise in Christianity. I just wish you children could welcome His light into your hearts!
“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.” –Psalm 23
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10:06 am
I believe they were referring to the aspect of the Nazi movement which favored physical perfection above all other traits. Blonde hair, blue eyes, large, well formed muscles. A jock culture.
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10:35 am
kevin that just dumb just because some boys are better looking and hav nice hair you cant say were nazis. you liberals always throw that nazi term around but you have no idea what it means.
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10:55 am
I found this article very helpful. Thank you.
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11:04 am
New studies from the University of Indiana Medical School show that violent video games like World of Warcraft and Grand Theft Auto disrupt the functions of the frontal lobe, desensitizing the brain and making habitual players less able to understand the effects of actual violence. The brain changes are most apparent among heavy users.
We also know that under George Bush the military used computer simulations to desensitize soldiers and make them able to kill, overriding their natural human aversion to extreme violence. This same technology is now our fastest growing form of children’s entertainment.
This is not a First Amendment issue! It is child abuse, pure and simple. The marketers of these games, and the parents who buy them, should be held accountable.
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11:26 am
I dont have any evidence but i think its possible that children get violent from games.
I don’t believe children should play violent games but there are self proclaimed experts whos unprofessional careers are devoted to banning video games with any violence, and somethimes i think all videogames. Adults I believe should be able to make the choice whether they want to play them or not.
Its just that when i hear thinks like this i ask do they have an agenda?
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11:45 am
I have no secret “agenda” with this article, except to promote the solid, moral values on which this country was founded. I realize it has upset a lot of you younger folks, but ultimately I think it’s for your parents to decide. They are my targeted audience for this, I want to inform them about the perils of video gaming and give them guidance on how to draw their children away from it.
Many parents just don’t have a clue what their children are up to. Technology is often out of their realm and few have the patience to witness or explore all the levels of a video game that their boy or girl is addicted to. But it is important to understand the broader effects here.
Many people of my generation grew up around a sports culture. Parents today are shocked to see that it’s fading. And it’s fading precisely because of things like the internet and video games. Kids, and I realize this is an old cliche, but kids are just spending too much time indoors.
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12:07 pm
“Many people of my generation grew up around a sports culture.”
NEWS FLASH: Not everybody likes sports.
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1:51 pm
I don’t see how someone posting they are successful and play Warcraft means they are lying. You have no way of knowing or proving them wrong or correct. Just like I have no way of proving or not proving that you are a giant boy toucher(”young firm men filling out new crisp football uniforms, a pair of bulging muscles below soccer shorts”). That has to be on one of the most homoerotic things I have ever read. Just saying “sports makes kids fit” would have done just fine. The internet has no accountability, I can say and do what I want with no consequences. But why do you use something you dispise as a outlet for your writings? In the time it took you to write this article and respond to the comments its more time then I spend playing Warcraft. So now who is the one that spends too much time infront of the computer?
Sports are fun and a great hobby. Warcraft is fun and a great hobby as well. Homosexuality and video games are linked together as much as the sky being blue and cannibalism are link. You prove no facts at all. Alexander the Great who conquered most of the known world at the time “kept the company of men” if you get what I’m saying. Alexander was gay, and he has done more in his time then then you will ever do with yours.
You completely warped Columbine. The jocks picked on the two kids so much that there hate and rage blinded them into committing one of worst acts in recent history. I don’t blame video games I blame the jocks for picking on them, the teachers for not stopping it, and the availability of guns. No where do video games come into it.
Janice, I weep for your children. You honestly have no idea what is going on. Please just stop now. “Boys will be boys” and it “toughens them up”, are you honestly serious with that kind of thinking? I have three older brothers and quite often got picked. At no point do I feel tougher or more thick skinned. You fail at parenting completely. Please stop thinking like its 1930, no one watches Leave it to Beaver any more. “you liberals always throw that nazi term around but you have no idea what it means.” I don’t think you know what a Nazi is. Nazi was a term for the German Workers Party. The Nazi, German Workers Party, were a political party set up by Hitler. However, when most people use the term Nazi, they are thinking of a Totalitarian person who forces there ideals on other people. So please don’t blame the “liberals” for something you dont’ understand yourself.
The only thing I will agree on Billings, that there is a connection between playing too much video games and being overweight. However, that is why people need to view it as a hobby and not a way of life. As for “why don’t World of Warcraft Players have Girlfriends” article I find your pie chart most amusing. Because I have an 80 paladin and a girlfriend. So where do I fit in on your chart?
As for your tips. Locking your childern outside? That in 50 out of 50 states is called Child Abuse. Having talks with your kids friends and throwing out “slang”. That is the dumbest thing I have heard. You will be laughed at, and your child will be made fun of to no end for having a creepy parent.
This all being said, I feel like the rest, and this is just one giant troll. I normally don’t like to feel trolls, but here is a nice tasty morsel for you.
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3:12 pm
Well pea brain you really are a piece of work saying those things. You dont know anything about me or my life? I happen to have raised three wonderful and great CHRISTIAN boys. Thank you. ANd I am happy they like the sports they do because it has made them strong and show them to compete. Life isnt all fantasy and internet chats. Sometimes you got to deal the real things and people like you are just living with your head in a well. My children are happy and well adjusted and I have been a very good mother to them. You dont know anything. What did your mothe teach you?
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4:14 pm
“Remind them that jocks can tan themselves shirtless anytime!”
Stephenson what the hell does that mean? You want to see more naked jocks? Is that the real reason you wrote this garbage?
You old perv, I would call the police if you ever came to one of my soccer games!
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5:25 pm
Lets all go back to why alot of people, well majority of people trashed this article with disgusting and very harsh remarks. A decent un-biased well written article doesn’t deserve these kind of responses. Unfortunately, Mr. Billings’ article is far from anything described above. If he’s ignorant enough to wrote things like:
“Adults who were video gamers in high school are far less likely to become investment bankers, real estate salesmen, doctors, lawyers and sports coaches. They do not become our pastors or politicians.”
“This sports world teaches our children to decide between right and wrong in realistic situations. They treat their bodies as temples by exploring and mastering their physical powers. They learn to be part of a social group where the glory of the whole is based on the sacrifices of the individual. It is, in essence, incredible training for the Christianity inherent in our beautiful American boys and girls.”
“These poor souls may never have the courage to ask a girl on a date. Homosexuality is often an easy answer for their awkwardness.”
“Professionally, the video gamer may grow up to be your Radio Shack employee, your bug exterminator, your cable repairman or maybe if you’re lucky, your half pleasant IT guy.”
Just STOP, and think about these very offensive, demeaning, biased, non-credible, anti-homosexual, faith based arguments he put in his article. You can only expect these kind of arguments come from self-righteous, religious nut, delusional, hater, old cranky bastard type of individual. Now, immediately, people will jumped on these instead of looking and try to understand author’s good respectable intentions he try to delivers. There is no use defending this article, there are few of you that try to defend this article while there are so many others that got offended by it, and it really shows! You got flamed NOT necessarily because you deserved it, but because there are reasons behind it. Expect more to come, you just offended millions of gamers around the world which many don’t fit your ugly descriptions of “gamers”.
Janice, your personal experience alone can’t be used to justified what he wrote in this article just as others on the other side of the fence that experience quite different can be used against yours. People, just because you can testify by your personal experience, it doesn’t always hold any truth for everyone else.
Reasons, not faith.
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6:31 pm
Atheist, I am a certified Investigative Journalist. I am sorry you don’t like the “angle” of my story, but this is clearly a CHRISTIAN website. We practice conservative traditional morality here. Is that concept so inexplicable to you? What sort of world do you come from that you describe yourself as an atheist? You have absolutely no room in your heart for the light of spirituality? That’s genuinely sad. Jesus is YOUR salvation! People called Jesus “delusional” too, and look at what He accomplished!
And I don’t know why you’re bring up flaming– are you suggesting homosexuality or the fiery depths of hell? Are you acquainted with both? Frankly, I find your comments here condescending and poorly written. You sound like a blogger.
Sure, I’ll admit my writing style has some colorful flair to it. That is essential in getting your point across, particularly when the point is so important, like it is here. I am not biased or inhumane, I just happen to live by my FAITH and love of GOD.
“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” –John 15:13
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7:47 pm
“People called Jesus “delusional” too, and look at what He accomplished!”
I find it interesting that you make snide remarks about people’s anecdotes in these comments and that they can not possibly be true (because they would disprove your point), yet you make this statement which is based on your belief of another anecdote.
Were you alive circa the year 0? No, the story of Jesus was told to you as an anecdote, yet you believe that. Faith is a strange beast indeed!
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8:31 pm
Honestly, I find all this ganging up on me terribly unfair. You people should be ashamed of your actions. You have no sense of what is right and wrong. You are bullying me. And that is something you all claim to abhor. Well, I am very upset. I just don’t think you’re the sort of people I want around me. The truth is, your posts here clearly prove my point that gaming corrupts the brain of the young. Please forward this article to your parents. They clearly are not raising you right.
Calling me fat, elderly, homosexual, pedophiliac, stupid, hateful, etc. is just plain childish. I happen to be an established Christian journalist! And I am professionally certified.
Since you people seem to be insanely curious, YES! I did play football in high school. So what? You seem angry that I myself was a jock once. It was a glorious time of my life and it still means a great deal to me. I remember those hard practices and the camaraderie of the locker room.
So, is this your revenge? Teaming up to harass the old jock? You should be ashamed of your selves.
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9:35 pm
Look Stephenson, I’m sorry for teasing you. I was wrong for calling you fat, old, homosexual, a pedophile, and stupid; I feel genuinely bad about it. The only person on Christwire who I could bully without ever feeling remorse is Adam Nelson.
Every single person who posts on this website is a hypocrite, myself included. We all demonize people who we don’t agree with and accuse them of being hateful, only to turn around and call JaniceFun a bitch. For example, I’ll yell at you guys for being intolerant, but then I’ll turn right around and degrade you for reading the bible. Even you, Stephenson, will tell people to stop hating on jocks, but the only reason we’re openly hating on jocks is because you just wrote an article demonizing non-jocks. We’re ALL hypocrites, and the hate train just goes round and round, round and round.
And as for your time as a high school jock, I’m glad that you enjoyed that period of your life. But just because you enjoyed it, doesn’t mean that all teenagers like sports, and doesn’t mean that you can try to force us into sports. Just like the stereotypes that you see in movies, high schools are made up of SO many different groups of kids – the jocks, the artsy kids, the goths, the nerds, the shy kids, the druggies, the ESL kids, the special kids, the rappers, and then the kids who are just sort of…there. In your article, you made it seem like if you’re not a jock, then you’re automatically a lazy game addict who spends every waking moment of his/her life in the basement with the XBox, which simply isn’t true, considering all the groups that I just mentioned.
So you see, tolerance is needed on both sides of the argument. I was wrong for making fun of your weight; making fun of physical appearance is a childish tactic that I have not grown out of yet. I was also wrong for calling you a pedophile, but the truth is, in today’s day and age, grown men have to be careful with the things that they say, especially on the internet.
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12:29 am
It’s great to see you finally have some understanding into your wicked ways, my friend. But it’s sad that you have such malice toward me. I’m just a guy who enjoys reading news every day and this site is one of my favorite stops. I know at times everyone gets a little tense, but I still keep everyone in my heart and thoughts in a good way . I have nothing but Christian love for you, Claire. Can we be friends?
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3:14 am
I just want to let everyone know that I’ve already copyrighted the idea for “Godless Gamers vs. Aging Christian Closet Cases: The Epic Trolldown.” It should be hitting stores in time for the Christmas season!
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8:52 am
I’d play that game to death.
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9:32 am
Everyone is mad because you fail to see any other point of the argument beyond your own. ALL Jocks=Good wholesome Christian boys and ALL gamers= fat lonely failures at life that have to lie on the internet just to make themselves feel better is just false. You make all these statements with nothing to back them up. If you can prove me ONE single piece of evidence showing clear link between Homosexuality and Gaming I will be impressed with your “certified Investigative Journalist” abilities for proving something Biologist can’t figure out.
You bash all people that bring a counter-argument, and then hide behind your Christianity. I am a catholic born and raised. I was taught that Jesus loves one and all. And that during his time on earth, he hung out with the undesirables. He is a champion of the poor, the sick, the people that everyone else shuns. So why is it that all of a sudden Homosexuality is wrong. If you try to prove homosexuality is wrong with the bible please don’t. The bible is not fact, because if it was, then its cool if I own slaves, beat my wife because she wasn’t subservient to me.
You direct attack gamers, and expect them not to respond with anger? What if I say that ALL White people are Ben Afflick and have massive hands. Some guy says “Hey I’m white, but not Ben Afflick”, I have no way of proving or disproving his argument so I just say “Nope, sorry I did research you must be ashamed of your Ben Afflickness and massive hands.” You completely write off what disproves your argument.
I was Captain of my crew Crew team in highool, went to Duquesne Univeristy and graduated. I am currently working on getting my Masters in Education. I’m not just showing off my epeen (thats gamer slang). Now I am on my 3rd year of coaching crew. I did this all while playing video games.
However you will just write me off as a lonely loser who is lying, just because I am living prove that your entire argument is complete and utter crap.
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1:40 pm
“Can we be friends?”
No, we cannot. As I’ve said before, I do not make friends with people who view me as inferior because of my gender. I do not make friends with people who believe that every single cat on earth should be exterminated (step into a vet. clinic and say something like that, and you’ll come out in a body bag, I kid you not). I do not make friends with people who refer to Native Americans as “savages”. I do not make friends with people who demonize and torment homosexuals. I do not make friends with people who accuse me of plagiarism, simply because I’m a female, even though they cannot provide a single piece of evidence to support their claim. Need I go on?
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10:34 am
Good for you. I like people who stand up for what they believe in, who stand up for their morals in a way that does not infringe upon the rights of others.
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11:00 am
Dear Peed, you have your own liberal view of history from the liberal media and I have my own memories of what happen. I was alive and watching tv for the first gulf war and i remember very clearly when the iran hostages and Reagan. Saddam was a very evil guy and all that stuff about CIA giving him money is just progander. He was in power long before we noticed. And so stop trying your conspiracy theory on me, ok? I know your crazy and probably believe that 911 was a inside job, that Hoover shot Kennedy and the moon was fake. Your just stupid.
And deviant you are a little dumb to! the comments when they more than a hundred post upwards and if you want to be at the bottom you got to hit the “reply” button to the very last one to be at the bottom.
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12:24 pm
Liberal Media? Liberal Propaganda? Since when fact considered Liberal Propaganda? Fake moon landing, 911 an inside job, hoover shooting Kennedy? I was alive during the Gulf War too, but does it mean I’m the end all be all expert on it? The United States is the biggest arms supplier. We sold weapons to Osama Bin Laden to fight the Russians in Afghanistan, we even trained them too. we did this because we didn’t want the spread of communism. We sold weapons to Sadam during the Iran-Iraq war. We did this because we didn’t want the spread of the Iran Islamic Revolution. Because then there would be no way for us to get out oil. These aren’t liberal rantings, propaganda, or conspiracy. Im not even a Liberal, I’ve been a Republican since I was 18.
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6:35 am
Will you crazy nerds stop pestering me about the sources for my story here? Don’t you think I have better things to do? Are you too limp-wristed to click on a link? Because they’re all up there in the story itself you whiney gamers. Ok, to put this all to rest once and for all, here are the very legitimate sources for my journalism:
Video Games and Obesity, Best Evidence Yet
http://www.healthcentral.com/drdean/408/60891.html
World Of Warcraft More Addictive Than Crack Cocaine
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1157362/World-Of-Warcraft-addictive-crack-cocaine-teenager-suffers-convulsions-24-hour-long-game.html
World of Warcraft and Cosplay With Destroy Your Child
http://christwire.org/2009/03/parent-alert-world-of-warcraft-and-cosplay-will-destroy-your-child/
Gay Characters All Over Video Games
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_characters_in_video_games
Violent Video Games Produce Violent Behavior
http://mentalhealth.about.com/cs/familyresources/a/vidgameviolence.htm
Satan and World of Warcraft Cataclysm Release
http://christwire.org/2009/08/world-of-warcraft-cataclysm-release/
Brain Damage Caused by Gaming
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article786445.ece
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Caused by Gaming
http://www.time-scout.com/register/index.php?act=tv_adhd
Computer and Video Game Addiction
http://www.mediafamily.org/facts/facts_gameaddiction.shtml
World of Warcraft Boy Goes Insane
http://christwire.org/2009/06/world-of-warcraft-is-evil-boy-goes-insane-after-parents-cancel-account/
Why WOW Players Don’t Have Girfriends
http://christwire.org/2009/09/why-dont-world-of-warcraft-players-have-girlfriends/
Epilepsy Caused by Gaming
http://jnnp.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/57/8/925
Obseity Caused by Gaming
http://children.webmd.com/news/20040702/video-games-tv-double-childhood-obesity-risk
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8:09 pm
I like how several of the sources for this article was christwire its self. Because a horribly biased website is for more accurate than any other source available on the internet.
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10:53 am
Will you crazy kids stop harassing me about the sources for my article here? Don’t you think I have better things to do? Are you too limp-wristed to click on a link? Because they’re all up there in the story itself you whiney gamers. Ok, to put this all to rest once and for all, here are the very legitimate sources for my journalism:
Video Games and Obesity, Best Evidence Yet
http://www.healthcentral.com/drdean/408/60891.html
World Of Warcraft More Addictive Than Crack Cocaine
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1157362/World-Of-Warcraft-addictive-crack-cocaine-teenager-suffers-convulsions-24-hour-long-game.html
World of Warcraft and Cosplay With Destroy Your Child
http://christwire.org/2009/03/parent-alert-world-of-warcraft-and-cosplay-will-destroy-your-child/
Gay Characters All Over Video Games
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_characters_in_video_games
Violent Video Games Produce Violent Behavior
http://mentalhealth.about.com/cs/familyresources/a/vidgameviolence.htm
Satan and World of Warcraft Cataclysm Release
http://christwire.org/2009/08/world-of-warcraft-cataclysm-release/
Brain Damage Caused by Gaming
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article786445.ece
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Caused by Gaming
http://www.time-scout.com/register/index.php?act=tv_adhd
Computer and Video Game Addiction
http://www.mediafamily.org/facts/facts_gameaddiction.shtml
World of Warcraft Boy Goes Insane
http://christwire.org/2009/06/world-of-warcraft-is-evil-boy-goes-insane-after-parents-cancel-account/
Why WOW Players Don’t Have Girfriends
http://christwire.org/2009/09/why-dont-world-of-warcraft-players-have-girlfriends/
Epilepsy Caused by Gaming
http://jnnp.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/57/8/925
Obseity Caused by Gaming
http://children.webmd.com/news/20040702/video-games-tv-double-childhood-obesity-risk
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8:31 pm
Six of those “sources” are irrelevant.
Four of them lead to your own site (the equivalent of just saying “it’s true because I said so”), one leads to Wikipedia (not moderated) and one that leads to the Daily Mail (it’s the goddamned Mail).
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9:03 pm
My sources are far more reliable and intelligent than you will ever be, my young little friend. Please stop trying to compete when the mature people here are discussing important topics.
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7:39 pm
Important topics like your lack of friends on Facebook? Then excuse the fuck out of me…
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9:56 pm
in that case itshould be easy to explain WHY they are reliable right? care to do that?
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11:36 am
I don’t know what has gotten you teens all lathered up today and frankly I don’t even know why you’re all on a Christian Conservative website that is genuinely intended for ADULTS, but let just say this: Your attempts to discredit me are incredibly immature and biased. You feel threatened by me because I am a former high school football player. That’s just unfortunate. I mean you no harm, I just want to help children out of this dangerous lifestyle. There are many great things about high school sports culture. It’s about time someone stands up for them.
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother’ (this is the first commandment with a promise), ‘that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.’” –Ephesians 6:1-4
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12:29 pm
Who the hell cares about your stupid quotes? most of sure isnt, so stop hiding behind them.
Does the church stand above the law? no, and since basic human rights (including minor age) includes freedom of choice then your so called opinion (more like opression i think) is less than nothing.
It should be a direct insult to basic human rights.
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7:10 am
Please reply to my post, a tad above yours. Tell me what gives you the right to judge? And you have been calling people names the entire time while holding tight to the Christian flag. Not very sportsman like in my opinion.
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10:54 am
“I don’t know what has gotten you teens all lathered up today” No where in the English, Spanish, German, Russian, Arabic Language is that a phrase. I honestly don’t see how someone who claims to be a wise elder would ever say that. “panties in a bunch”, “pissed in your cereal” or if you wanted to keep it PG “woke up on the wrong side of the bed” Any of the previous statements, are 100% less homoerotic and acceptable in society.
No one is getting back at you for being a jock in high school. Everyone is mad that your trying to pass off a horrible, offensive, STEREOTYPE off as fact. Yes, there are great lessons learned from sports. Honestly you can get most of the lessons that you learn, anywhere else. Throwing a football, baseball, or kicking a soccer ball isn’t going to get you far in life. Unless you become a pro athlete, those skill sets are useless. No employee cares what you did in high school period.
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11:11 am
“I don’t know what has gotten you teens all lathered up today” No where in the English, Spanish, German, Russian, Arabic Language is that a phrase.”
What the heck are you trying to say? Is English not your first language? How should I respond to the comments from an avowed imbecile?
And I’m sorry you imagine homoerotic imagery in my articles. You’re clearly projecting your own personal issues onto my journalism. I am in no way interested in the gay lifestyle. And you should be a little more circumspect about your private problems.
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1:06 pm
This site isn’t meant for adults, it’s meant for racist stupid twats. Everyone from all ages is converging on this to try and give you a glimpse in reality
When people gang up on your that’s a really really really obvious sign that everyone thinks your wrong, usually for a very good reason.
English not being someone’s first language is not being an avowed imbecile. Racism, Homophobia, hatred and fear of Gamers, hatred and fear of Foreign people, liking Jock’s, those are all very good sign’s of being an avowed imbecile.
I honestly can’t come up with an adjective that aptly describes how stupid you are.
I thought dead zero IQ (-273) might come close but it’s still not quite there.
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3:58 pm
you completely miss what I’m saying. “I don’t know what has gotten you teens all lathered up today”…..that isn’t a phrase that mean someone is angry for no reason. It means that are soapy and wet.
Lather- A foam formed by soap or detergent agitated in water, as in washing or shaving.
“young firm men filling out new crisp football uniforms, a pair of bulging muscles below soccer shorts” “Remind them that jocks can tan themselves shirtless anytime” Most of your references to teen jocks, have them either naked, wet, shirtless, or bulging muscles. Sure we can admire athletes. But do we have to admire the THAT closely.
You talk about sports teaching lessons, and skills. What does being able to throw a football 50 yards with a perfect spiral have anything to do with the following professions :doctor, lawyer, preacher, priest, investment banker, teacher, accountant? I get that sports teach teamwork, motivation, and determination. But honestly most anything can teach those lessons, drama class, school, carpenter or any hobby just to name a few. The horribly offensive STEREOTYPE about gamers that you promote is beyond stupid. More people have died during sports that gaming. More jocks die to do drinking and driving than gamers. Pro Athletes are horrible role models. Ray lewis killed a man, Plexico Buress shot himself, Mike Vick ran a dog fighting ring. Bill Gates the head nerd, gives millions each year to charity. You know nothing about gaming, video gamers, what World of Warcraft is.
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3:43 pm
English is my first language and the phrase you were looking for was “In a lather” not lathered up. I thought you were Certified Journalist? So how did this imbecile figure that out, when you didn’t? How did you get that I am a Homosexual from what I’m saying? You know nothing about me, you ASSUME that I’m projecting. “When you assume, you assume, you make an ASS out of U and Me(get it?)” Meaning when you make blind assumptions you end up looking like an ass.
“Why should i defend myself against inaccurate and inane quotes you’ve picked up from wikipedia?”
You, the amazing journalist you are, used a Wikipedia entry in part of your argument linking homosexuality and video games. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_characters_in_video_games is the article you linked.
Beyond the completely failing in this ignorant article. You also fail as a Christian. Didn’t Jesus say “he who is without sin may cast the first stone”
For someone who hold himself as a christian, your casting a lot of stones here.
“You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” But I say to you, Do not resist one who is evil. But if any one strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also; and if any one would sue you and take your coat, let him have your cloak as well; and if any one forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Matthew 5.38-41
So why insult back, when in the bible it says that if someone insults you, you let it go? See I can throw around bible quotes too. And since my quotes show that you are bad person, and the bible is the word of God. Then you sir, according to God are a bad person.
The holes in your argument are bigger than then ones in Titanic. Please just admit you made blind assumptions, video games are not the Anti-Christ and you have no idea what you are talking about. And I will apologize for calling you a Little Boy Toucher.
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10:18 pm
I find it rather repulsive that you all comment on here what great young bodies you have. Why are you so preoccupied with male beauty? What are you boys trying to prove? And you accuse me of homosexual tendencies! That’s a bit of the pot calling the kettle black, isn’t it?
First off, anyone can say they’re a fantastic athlete on the internet. Clearly, everyone who posts here wishes that was true about themselves. But the fact is, there’s no way to back up your childish claims. Honestly it’s very offputting that you stress how much you weigh and how big your muscles are and what sports you play. Am I really supposed to believe you’re all jocks and gamers and A plus students all in one? Hahahaa. Not so fast. I’m not that easily fooled so crawl back under your rocks and stop trying to overwhelm me with your fake responses. It’s just childish, but not surprising considering how you people over identify yourselves with magical dragon slayers on video screens. You live in rich fantasy lives.
My article made many important points and the fact that it upset so many of you must mean it hit a nerve. I know many parents today are worried about the culture that their children are growing up in. Many of us older people grew and learned and prospered because of the value system we learned playing sports in high school, outdoors with other children and pushed to our limits by our coaches. Frankly, it’s very sad to me personally that you’re all missing out on that.
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9:03 am
“Why are you so preoccupied with male beauty?”
We could ask the same of you, Mr. Billings:
“young firm men filling out new crisp football uniforms, a pair of bulging muscles below soccer shorts”
“There is nothing wrong with celebrating the male physique”
“There’s nothing wrong with celebrating the successful bodies of our fellow Christians!”
“A healthy Christian is handsome to me!”
“Honestly it’s very offputting that you stress how much you weigh and how big your muscles are and what sports you play.”
You do realize that you just wrote an entire ARTICLE about teenagers with big muscles playing sports, right?
“Be concerned about the physical shape of our young people. You don’t even need to be a parent to do this. Watch them run and throw and jump. Encourage them to lift weights. With a handsome firm body, you don’t need an afternoon of sweaty wrestling with a soccer ball as an excuse to celebrate the beauty that our Creator endowed us with. Remind them that jocks can tan themselves shirtless anytime! There is just something so wonderfully wholesome about America’s strong and cocky high school jocks. The pale and pimply loners in black t-shirts too afraid to shower in the locker rooms will never be able to compete with that!”
You are the world’s biggest hypocrite.
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9:29 am
Religion is acceptable in sense of teaching base of what is good and evil..
now having Mr Billings argumentation based on religion makes it subjective..
Subjective is ones point of view which in this case sounds pretty gay to me..
Objective gives change to all without condemning anything..
as objective point of view is required to be taken seriously…
Mr Billings you are a FOOL
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10:28 am
“But the fact is, there’s no way to back up your childish claims.”
You realize that there is no way for you to back up any of these following claims that your name is Billings, you were a former jock, you are a christian, or you are a certified investigative journalist. Well, just about anything you said can’t be backed up. Hell this entire article could have been made up. So you claiming everyone to be a liar, the same can be said about you.
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5:03 pm
The amount of drug abuse claims and sexual confusion in your responses truly saddens me. You people are so awfully young. You have no idea what future awaits you. Sitting around in front of your video screens for hours on end stunts your physical and emotional growth and contributes nothing to society. You will grow up with no moral foundation.
The jocks clearly upset you people because you were never able to make it into that high school group. Society exists with structures and hierarchies. These people have competed and won. You are the losers. Your online bullying does not change that.
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17
7:09 pm
“The jocks clearly upset you people because you were never able to make it into that high school group.”
Not all boys aspire to be jocks in high school, just like how not all girls aspire to be cheerleaders. I have always disliked jocks and cheerleaders alike, the jocks because they’re sweaty, testosterone-saturated hulks who have no respect for women, and who worship a game that teaches that violence is okay in order to get something as insignificant as a ball and that requires an ambulance on-site, and the cheerleaders because they buy into the sexist stereotype that females should be on the sidelines cheering on the males. Jocks and cheerleaders also tend to be rather whorish; the jocks believing that they can get any girl they want simply because they’re “sports heroes”, and the cheerleaders being the type of teenagers who delight in displaying their bodies, whether by wearing skin-tight jeans or skimpy cheerleading outfits, and who smear their faces with makeup.
To summarize: I have no reason to want to be a jock or a cheerleader; I have many reasons to not want to be a jock or cheerleader.
“These people have competed and won. You are the losers. Your online bullying does not change that.”
You can’t be a loser if you weren’t competing to begin with. Jocks have huge egos, and therefore may THINK that everyone wants to be them, but in reality the majority of people don’t give a flying fuck about being a jock. Some people have better things to do, you know, like studying to be nurses, or doctors, or veterinary technicians.
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2
2:05 pm
Whatever
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14
4:24 am
It’s sad to think that most of these video games are bought by PARENTS for their children.
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10:39 pm
So, Steve-o, where does that put you? Winner? Or loser?
I think you may be too old to understand this, Steve, but the world is running out of uses for people with sports scholarships. It is turning out that sports is just a past-time. What employers seek these days are people with brains. They want people who think out of the box. People who can re-invent. Hell, if they can fix the photocopier… It is a different world, now Steve. People like you are outdated. Your way of thinking is archaic. Primitive and superstitious. People don’t like that anymore. Nobody respects fear. Especially your trivial fear. You might win in a game of football or wrestling, but you have failed at the game of life.
And you fail at being American. What you desire is a single religious center in a country. America is not about that. America is about religious freedom whether you are Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Baptist, or even Pastafarian. The country you want to be in is a tyrannical dictatorship, where you are told what to believe [in], where to worship, what to wear, how to act…. this is not America. This is not your country. You do not belong here. If you feel you DO belong here, then it is not your place to judge whether homosexuality is a sin. What people should and shouldn’t do with their lives. It is their decision. Not yours. That is the American way.
And molesting children is not the American way, Steve-o. No matter what your reasons are or what religion they hail from. The supreme court is pretty clear on that, just so you keep that in the back of your mind when you ‘counsel’ children for your little church group.
The 50s are gone, and no one wants them back.
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5:40 pm
I cant believe that sports are seen as wholesome google sexual assaults and sports and you will find lots of articles for every sports season.
As for chrisitianity how many Ted haggard instances have popped up recently as well as churches whos leaders have been found to be child molestors.
If you want to look for rampant sexuallity it is found in the lockerrooms im afraid.
And having been in the Marines i can say that gaming is used to simulate environments for field exercises as well it is a very popular thing for us to do in our downtime so please get in touch with todays military.
There is balance in all things if you focus in only sports you will lack education and self reasoning abilities and if you only play video games there will be health and social problems.
Please stop viewing the world in black and white as many of the fundamentalists do it does not show true christian morals but bigotry and ignorance in spades.
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6:35 pm
dear Mr. Billings please be quiet and let the adults speak because it seems as if your mental maturity is the same of a brainwashed 5 year old and stop saying it’s weird to be talking about male human bodys because you idolised muscle ripped teens and i suggest that if you want to chill a little bit smoke weed because god made it must be good for you peace my fellow homo sapiens
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7:40 am
What the hell?
Okee dokke i’ll start with this.
I am a national level swimmer, i placed 6th in canadian junior nationals in the 50free last year. I have stopped swimming, and am now a swim coach with our local swim team, and i am also a lifeguard at our local pool. i am 18 years old and have already been around dead people, and have to had to bring a few back myself. I would say so far i have been quite successful in my lifetime, and now i have stopped these things to go and travel the world to see what the world has to ofer, to open my mind a little bit to how it all works, and if this is what i am going to find then i might as well go home. Because you wanna hear a real big shocker coming from a national level athlete/coach and lie guard? i played videogames! The fact that you can be so closed-minded about other culture just amazes me! i would love to hear your views on the the rest of the world. Open your eyes man! there is a world out there to see and apperently you are blind because you assume that these “gamers are wrong” i am going to ask you something, how do you know any gamer is wrong? what exactly makes them wrong, why are they wrong to not go and play sports? because i guess apperently you come from, choice is no-no. well darn i was hoping to have the choice to play video games or sports, or have the choice to go to the gym every other day or have the choice to play video games or not. but i guess i don’t get that in your world do i? Oh well, i am glad in the real world i get the choice to be open minded and do what i want, thank god…well not really because i made those choices not him, he really doesn’t have anything to do with it.
Cheers,
Jason
Ps.Time to grow up bud, because life doesn’t really work like that.
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12:54 am
LOL. shame is for the weak. you brought this upon yourself. don’t go baaaaawwwwwwwwing about it. or should i call the waaaaaaabulance?
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10:27 am
You sir, need to shut the fuck up. I know you don’t care, but can you even imagine how mature you really have to be to be able to admit that you were in the wrong? It is extremeely difficult sometimes. I know from experience. On stephensons part, he may think he is helping us. The thing is is that I for one just don’t want his help. I live my own life and have my own opinions. If you can give me that zone of comfort without infringing on it…then I apologize Stephenson. And Janice and Tyson. But not ABE. I hate Abe.
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11:13 am
Yeah, that was meant for the anon….My computer keeps fucking up.
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11:33 am
Janice, please read a history book before you comment “Your comment is plain stupid. America was very happy when Saddam Huseein was caught. He was terror to his own people, dropping them in acid baths and his sons raping girls. You really think it was so wrong to free Iraq from him? Not to mention the ties with terrorists and nuclear bomsb. I just think you people need to grow up and learn the values of responsibiluty when your adult.”…….who put Sadam in to power during the Iran Iraq war? OH WAIT, America did! Why did we do this you might ask…because Iran Revolution happen, and Iran kicked out the Pro-Western Shaw and the Ayatollah Khomeini took power and cut us off from Oil. So we gave Sadam a country and supplied with weapons to fight Iran. And while we are at it, we gave weapons to Osama Bin Laden during the Afghan War to fight the Communist Russians. We are fighting the same terrorists we gave arms to 30years ago.
My Mother raised me to be a good CATHOLIC boy. She also raised me to be respectful, when people are deserving my respect. Your “I’m a mom, so I know everything” kind of thinking is just plain wrong. I’m glad your kids love sports, I loved Rowing in high school. But don’t go bashing video games when you don’t know anything about them.
Billings, I get we should respect elders, but why would I respect or listen to when you honestly contribute nothing. You claim to be a christian, and investigative journalist just like a video gamer claims to have a girlfriend and a nice job. So why is it that they are lying and you aren’t? So like you, I’ll will blindly assume that you are just some man who stumbled into the internet to rant since parents won’t like kids come to your house. “I remember those hard practices and the camaraderie of the locker room.”…..Hard Practice, OK….Camaraderie, Ok….Camaraderie in the locker room????? There are nothing but naked boys in locker rooms. So why talk about it? Camaraderie outside of school, work, and practice is what I liked best
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5:33 am
“Honestly, I find all this ganging up on me terribly unfair. You people should be ashamed of your actions. You have no sense of what is right and wrong. You are bullying me.”
Hmmm, that’s a little hypocrtical don’t you think? Considering that in your article you are pretty much encouraging bullying on teens that aren’t your ideal lover child. And before you start writing your reply about how wrong I am, just take a look at the picture that you posted with your article, of a jock (complete tosser) pushing a decent teenager into a locker. If this still doesn’t do it for you, take note of the name of that picture: ‘Jocks win’.
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12:33 am
Jesus was a bastard child.
And given the location of his birth, his skin was probably brown or black, unlike the fair skinned lumberjack seen in todays art.
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4:58 pm
I am sorry you don’t like the “angle” of my story, but this is clearly a CHRISTIAN website.
Many don’t like your ‘angle’ of your story, and there are good reasons for it. I’ve already explained this in my previous post.
““Professionally, the video gamer may grow up to be your Radio Shack employee, your bug exterminator, your cable repairman or maybe if you’re lucky, your half pleasant IT guy.”
In what kind of ‘angle’ do you truly believe that statement of yours coming from? Christian? I was a Christian, and in no situtation any decent Christian
will spout that kind of hatred and cruel remark for any purpose. Please do explain if you don’t mind. I truly, honestly want to understand.
“You have absolutely no room in your heart for the light of spirituality? That’s genuinely sad. Jesus is YOUR salvation!”
No I don’t have much room in my heart for spirituality. I’ve spent time praying for guidance and praising this Christian God in my time for nothing.
Absolutely nothing. Prayers were answered 50-50, time were spent praising the god that may or may not exist, may or may not care, may or may not
even acknowledge my own very existence. “God have divine/ultimate plan for you/everyone” “God work in mysterious way” If these kind of answers
are good enough for you, that’s genuinely sad. Did you ever wonder why God answer the same prayer to certain someone but not others? What makes you
think that certain people are so special and others not? You don’t, because “God work in mysterious way”? Did you ever wonder why God waited
for so long to save and intervene his so proclaimed ‘His people’ from Nazi’s concentration camps? Did you ever wonder why God decided to answer
the prayers of this girl in Austria who were raped, abused, jailed by her own father in a cave after 20 years?! Should I go on and on with this? If your answer are
the God’s divine plans and the mysterious way of God, then I’m sorry Stephen. You are delusional.
Jesus is YOUR salvation? Keep telling yourself that. This kind of statement is preaching and doesn’t hold any kind of evidence or truth behind it
but the ones that been told by the bronze age scriptures and indoctrinized to you since you were a child.
I find your comments here condescending and poorly written.
With our fundamental difference in what to believe and what not to believe, I think my comments are bound to offend believers.
I’m not very good at writing things. It’s something that I’m trying to improve upon.
“Sure, I’ll admit my writing style has some colorful flair to it. That is essential in getting your point across, particularly when the point is so important, like it is here.
I am not biased or inhumane, I just happen to live by my FAITH and love of GOD.”
What you call some “colorful flair” have outweigh the point in your article. Have you not learn this by now?
“yet you make this statement which is based on your belief of another anecdote.”
If you would like to call this belief of mine, ok, let’s call it a belief for the sake of this argument. My belief of the non-existence of super natural, omnipotent, timeless being
that govern our day to day life is based of the issuffecient evidence that presented to me to this moment. Btw, that sounds weird, because it’s not a belief system of another anecdote
like you claim. Extraordinary claims requires extraordinary evidence. I only see an extraordinary claims here, based on bronze age scriptures that clearly ‘man’ made as the evidence.
Sorry, if that’s enough to proves the ‘god’ existence for you Stephen, that’s just genuinely sad.
“Faith is a strange beast indeed!”
It is strange for people that’s blinded by faith. It is not so strange for people that use “reasons”. You declare your faith in your god based on what you’ve been taught to believe at some point in your life
You declare your faith by your own personal spiritual experience and you label it ‘God’ and therefore you beleive it’s true. If you were born in India
then you will label the similiar spiritual experience with ‘Krishna’ or other gods you would’ve been taught into. How do you even know that out of all
these religions which one, is the true religion that will take you to heaven? They’re all can’t be true?! It’s just a matter of probibility that most people will go to hell for this multiple choice
given by ‘God’. What a God we have here huh?
Thank you for this exchange, Stephen. As it may seem strange to you, how an atheist like myself can still appreciate other things in life,
we’re all just normal people. It’s just a matter of different time and probability in life that we have choosed a different path in life.
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12:12 pm
“Atheist, I am a certified Investigative Journalist. I am sorry you don’t like the “angle” of my story, but this is clearly a CHRISTIAN website. We practice conservative traditional morality here. Is that concept so inexplicable to you? What sort of world do you come from that you describe yourself as an atheist? You have absolutely no room in your heart for the light of spirituality? That’s genuinely sad. Jesus is YOUR salvation! People called Jesus “delusional” too, and look at what He accomplished!
And I don’t know why you’re bring up flaming– are you suggesting homosexuality or the fiery depths of hell? Are you acquainted with both? Frankly, I find your comments here condescending and poorly written. You sound like a blogger.
Sure, I’ll admit my writing style has some colorful flair to it. That is essential in getting your point across, particularly when the point is so important, like it is here. I am not biased or inhumane, I just happen to live by my FAITH and love of GOD.
“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” –John 15:13″
A certified investigative journalist? oh my god!!! you are of course then, completely incapable or writing a bad article and I take back anything I said to insult you, you clearly know so much more than me and I am privileged to be talking to someone with such qualification. God Bless you.
(as someone as thick as you might need a hint that was sarcasm)
I have plenty of room in my heart for the light of spirituality, the only thing that’s missing is the light of spiritually. I strongly advise you read my reply to:
http://christwire.org/2009/05/15-questions-that-will-stump-secular-evolution-teachers/
There has yet to be ANY evidence for god, but when you dig some up maybe I will see the light.
As for what you practice here, it’s traditional racist immorality. That is to say how America has operated 50 years ago. I have never written any form of blog, as for my comments being poorly written, I have some evidence and research in every major post, unlike you, who pull false studies, statistics and experiences out of your arse.
“What the heck are you trying to say? Is English not your first language? How should I respond to the comments from an avowed imbecile?”
(I know that is related to someone else but I might as well answer there as well anyway)
English not being your first language is not the sign of an imbecile. Intolerance is a sign of being an imbecile. Intolerance of people who don’t have English as a first language, or are a difference race, or are a gamer or are gay etc. is the sign of being an avowed imbecile.
Jesus achieved as much as Derren Brown, just Derran Brown admits it’s all tricks and hasn’t, so far, got himself nailed to a cross after he went insane… Let us bask in the enormity of Jesus’s achievments…
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11:45 am
So your no way interested in the gay lifestyle but you’ve written a large in-depth article on it and claim that you can’t lose an argument of gay life styles.
It’s hard to believe you beat 1 million other sperm, your father’s cock must be pathetic.
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3:56 pm
Stephenson, I enjoyed your article. I seem to be the only one! Ha ha ha! My own kids are very attached to the XBox and I regret having purchased it for them last Christmas. They can spend the entire day on it and sometimes they’re not interested in their meals. I think it is a phase, though. I’m hoping they’ll grow out of it. One thing I worry about is the content of these games. I don’t know much about them and sometimes I do Google certain titles to find out more (Amazon is a good resource for quick synopsis of games) but sometimes it can be cryptic. I doubt I could get away with taking video gaming out of my family’s life but your suggestion to gently nudge them towards sports is a solid one.
Take care,
Richard
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8:30 pm
FYI is says right on the video game box what age the game is for and what kind of content it has. It’s called an ESRB rating.
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8:27 am
I am not sure why everyone is so worked up over this. Your article was pretty spot on about sports and how kids are just spending too much time on the couch. Also, Guitar Praise is a pretty great Christian vid game for those who are interested. There are some good Christians ones.
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4:16 pm
Wha’?!
America was founded on a jock culture?
History lesson ahoy. With a tad bit of salt and humor just because you’re so horribly wrong I can’t help making fun of you.
America was actually founded on a man’s first correct assumption then incorrect assumption that randomly led to the discovery of a new continent. As soon as he brought the news, hundreds and thousands of people living in utter poverty decided to migrate across the sea because the Christian lords preached about rivers of gold in the area.
Being gullible idiots living in deep poverty, they simply went like $.$ and took a nerve-wrecking, ridiculous and utterly hazardous trip across the Atlantic Sea in boats of wood and then proceeded to wipe out hundreds of civilizations and then almost dissolve themselves again in civil war and chaos.
Thankfully they’ve outgrown that since then and changed – at first into the jock culture and now into a gamer culture. It’s going to change again, I assure you.
Also – jocks are responsible for huge part of the mockery, and they are always portrayed in the media as being big, brainless dudes who like picking on people that are smaller than themselves but with a brain a billion times brighter than their own. Why do you think that is? Why do you think the avarage IQ in America is so low? Because all the stupid jocks made their way in life while mocking the “nerds” so much they lost all self-esteem and never got anywhere. Or worse yet: Killed themselves.
Yes, you guys sure have mighty good reason to be proud of your past. Whoop-de-freakin’-doo.
Also, I’m a gamer and studying in University in Lyngby north of Copenhagen. Absolutely no problems and I raid (that is “mandatory” 12 hours of playing video games a week) plus more if I want to and I do damn fine.
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1:56 pm
Because knocking on my intelligence is really going to make a point here, isn’t it?
“There is so much joy and promise in Christianity.” There is SO much joy in christian radicals that outcast groups of people and focus on the bulging muscles of teenage boys!
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12:36 pm
You left out the fact that Christianity caused at least three crusades in which handfuls of people were massacred… at a time. This means that in each crusade masses of people were killed in the name of Jesus Christ and his “light”.
Also, you (the author) stated that wikipedia isn’t a valid source, yet you used it yourself. Oh, not to mention the other contradictions that I see within your incredibly stupid and outrageous accusations.
Also; posting as another person simply to boast your own cause? Are you really that weak? Can’t you even defend your own argument, or do you (like most religious people before you) use lies and deceit to spread your cause?
People like you are why I left Christianity. Your “values” are so maniacally twisted and naïve that it makes me sick to my stomache.
If being a jock makes me upstanding and moral, then I am proud to be the immoral, furry heathen that I am.
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2:45 am
HAHAHAHA So video games were around the same time as the ancient greeks? WOW! I never knew that!
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12:45 am
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Thank you for this wonderful laugh at the morning. I think you are just plain retarded.
While gamers actually develop their minds playing games and doing well in school, jocks go around, smoke pot and start working at Burger King.
It is a fact, when you play you develop and expand your mind. After jocks went out of high school, what do they have? A year salary which a gamer who took his studying seriously earned in two months as an engineer or something else.
The fact that you are christian isn’t making your argument better. Actually, people like you are the reason that the atheist and agnocist community is growing.
Screw you, I am not even gonna go further into this, because you just broke every boundary of stupidity. Now go fuck yourself.
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8:30 am
I’m getting very fed up with you angry teens posting such deliberate lies here. There are clearly so many wonderful reasons to participate in team sports. You’re just not up to the task, are you?
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10:49 am
“I’m getting very fed up with you angry teens posting such deliberate lies here. There are clearly so many wonderful reasons to participate in team sports. You’re just not up to the task, are you?”
Mr. Asswipe, let me ask you something. Have you ever been picked on by those testosterone driven meat heads to the point of wanting to kill yourself? Have you ever been so lonely that every night you lay your head down you think it would be easier for you to just not wake back up? The reason we are so angry with you is because of the fact that you are so far up on your high horse that you can’t see where the real problem lies.
Read this artticles, and tell me that the problem lies with us angry teens.
I don’t care that it’s wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbine_High_School_massacre#Psychopathy_and_depression
Bullies tend to pick on targets they think are weak. Jocks, for example, will target geeks or nerds who are smaller than they are, along with people who look different because of race, disabilities, or fashion sense. People who appear emotionally weak may also be targeted for bullying. Bullies themselves are often jocks or students that have a superiority complex. Also, teens who have unstable home lives may take out their frustration and aggression on other students. So I really don’t see how that shit you write about is even close to the truth.
Now I will admit, I am not exactly athletic, or fit for that matter. I am a pretty big guy, but any day of the week i can truthfully say that I am able to kick anyones ass. My problem through high school was confidence from people picking on me. But now those same people don’t fuck with me anymore. You know why? Cause I can snap them like a twig. And I won’t hesitate anymore. So Billings, Is that clear enough for you?
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1:13 am
This article is ridiculous, so are a lot of the comments.
I’m a devoted follower of Christ, I’ve had an excellent sporting life which ended early due to knee-damage and asthma(9 premiership trophies in basketball) and I now play World of Warcraft quite competitively (well, as much as you can in an RPG). The guy that wrote this article is a crazy. So I apologise to everyone who is reading it on behalf of Christians who actually love and follow Jesus. Don’t assume that all “Christians” think like him because I can tell you right now that they don’t.
Like anything, video games can be abused, which is the message that I think the author is trying to get across, but fails to do. You can make the same argument about super-competitive ‘Jocks’ that use steroids to excel at their chosen sport, or at writers who spend all night at their desks trying to think of new stories to write so they don’t have to deal with their problematic kids (Stephenson?).
At the end of the day, getting on your high-horse about something as trivial as video games not only shows a lack of understanding about humanity, it’s also a sign of an incredibly narrow mind that refuses to see beyond the object at the end of its pointed finger.
Well Stephenson, I challenge you to turn that finger around and point it at yourself! You’re an aging man in a generation of aging men who have aged thoughts about modern things. You’re trying to grapple with a topic here that you clearly have no understanding of.
Did you ever think that video gaming could be used to PROMOTE christian love? I personally use the game as a means to spend time (even if its not face to face) with some close friends who work away from home for extended periods of time. At our churches youth group we regularly meet up for LAN events, or even SingStar nights where people come dressed as their favorite artist and battle it out vocally for a prize.
Anyway, WAKE UP mate. Video gaming is a fact. It’s wide-spread, it’s common place and its accessible. Use that mind that God gave you to figure out how to make use of it instead of giving yourself heart failure over HOW EVIL VIDEO GAMES ARE!!!!!!!!!!11 Because they’re not evil. People *can* use them for evil purposes, like anything (including your precious “Sports”).
ps. Your style of writing and narrow minded attack reminds me of the type of ‘teaching’ I’d expect to find from someone at Westboro Baptist – are you connected at all?
-Disciple of Christ
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8:34 am
I am very sorry to hear about your injury. It is a terrible thing to have something that gives you such pleasure ripped away from you. While we may disagree, I think you understand where I’m coming from. I may not be as young as all the kids responding here, I do know a thing or two about moral responsibility and teaching children the difference between right and wrong. I guess some of those very same children are exercising a bit of rebellion here.
“The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.” — Psalm 18:1
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11:30 am
Hmmmm… could this be expanded to watching “violent” movies and tv shows as well as other undesirable activities? Probably. I’m sure there are all kinds of university “groups” waiting to politicize this.
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1:18 am
Yes. Because only jock males have ever been successful.
Also, forcing your kids into a stereotype and not letting them be who they are creates a few problems:
1) Low self esteem / Lack of confidence- How are children supposed to learn to be happy and confident with themselves if their parents are pigeon-holing them to be ONE kind of person. Parents should teach children morals, responsibility, and how to socially interact. They shouldn’t tell them what they should like and dislike.
2) Pushing kids too hard can cause rebellion. It’s the classic case where kids get tired of the structure and just want to do whatever they want to prove to you that you don’t have control. Structure is good, but forcing to be someone there not is just a mutiny waiting to happen.
“That way you can monitor you child’s computer use (homework!) at all times without interrupting your television viewing.”
So you are allowed to watch violent programs about investigating murders, bad language, sex, all the things that are on tv, but a child can’t use their brain on a video game in their free time? There are definitely limits to how much ANYONE should spend time doing things that aren’t constructive, but with video games there is less bad language, less sex, and the violence doesn’t even look as real. Best of all, playing video games (most of them at least) requires more thought process and motor skills than TV and is more beneficial in brain development. Online games even have a social component to the game as well as a business component with an economy and buying and trading items with fluxuating prices.
“experts warned of the likelihood of increased amounts of obesity, apathy, suicide, school violence, Satanism, masturbation, homosexuality and unemployment.”
Please link this study and where it was proven true if you want to be credible.
Also, a lot of your statements are just plain false. Some people play games as a stress relief and a way to spend your free time when you’re not working. Playing games is no worse than watching tv. Both can be addicting and equally as bad if a person has little self control. The statement that gamers are at the 12-year old maturity level is blatantly false. I have been playing video games since I was a kid and I am in my 3rd year of college as a junior on scholarship with a fiance. Video games are not evil and are not the downfall of society. Limits do need to be in place and children under certain ages cannot even buy mature games with strong themes. If you let your child watch tv, video games should be just the same.
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8:40 am
“A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.” — Proverbs X, v. 1.
Well, there are many links in my articles. Did you not notice them? Also, gaming is known to cause Epilepsy:
http://jnnp.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/57/8/925
And damage the brain:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article786445.ece
And Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder:
http://www.time-scout.com/register/index.php?act=tv_adhd
And obesity!
http://children.webmd.com/news/20040702/video-games-tv-double-childhood-obesity-risk
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8:56 am
Epilepsy is not caused by videogames. It can be triggered by heavy use and abuse of videogames, but not caused. The causes are an abnormal cerebral activity. It’s a neurological condition that has nothing to do with videogames.
For brain damage, well, if you pick the console or the computer and bang your head with it, yeah, I guess it can cause brain damage. But Football can damage your brain too. Just as all other sports.
Attention Deficits and Hyperactivity Disorders are the same as Epilepsy. Not connected to videogames.
Obesity…well…obesity is caused by a bad diet with too many fried, greasy food and not enough fruit and vegetables. Not by videogames!
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3:36 pm
Wow just wow. Mr. Billings I am a Christian and quite frankly I am ashamed to be clustered into a “group” with you. You are egotistical and quite frankly in need of help. I played sports in high school and I play video games now, and I would say that video games helped me far more towards getting my job than playing sports ever did. The arguements you are putting forward are ridiculous and foolish.
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1:57 pm
mr. billings
“Well, there are many links in my articles. Did you not notice them? Also, gaming is known to cause Epilepsy:”
I think the only people that can say anything about seizures are those who have had them, have you been diagnosed with epilepsy? I have becuase i once had a cluster of seizures and this is what they know about epilepsy; NOTHING! the first thing the doctor will come out and tell you is “we THINK seizures are caused by…” but in all actuality they have no clue. Read all the articles you like on the subject, they have all sorts of THEORIES as to why people have seizures but no real cause. it could be anything from flashing lights that trigger it or the devil’s music who knows. If you ever have such an event in you life, you’ll know what i’m talking about once its you who cant get a real straight answer about your condition from any of the specialists around you.
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1:23 am
Excellent! Someone has placed his finger directly upon the pulse of the festering vein that America’s high schools are becoming! Clearly, the insidious Satanistic terorists have implanted their video gaming culture into our youth, seeking to drain their glistening musculature from these young men and reduce them to sniveling, worthless she-men. Indeed, jocks are the core of all Western culture in the world! After all, it wasn’t a bunch of blurry-eyed, nasal-sounding nerds who founded our glorious country! No, the Founding Fathers were real men! Man’s men! Men brimming with muscles, carefully oiled muscles, sweat dripping off their immaculate bodies.
Yes! That is America! Ten men in a locker room, naked, dripping with sweat, helping each other cool off and get clean in the showers after a long, long, hard, hard game!
But these video games! These satanic tools! They would deprive our youth of their God given right to huddle together tightly in the locker room, oiled abs rubbing against each other, bodies grinding together in a ritual of pure manliness!
They must be stopped! These… nerds… filthy subhuman creatures that they are, cannot be allowed to infiltrate Christian communities! They pollute the minds of our children with their Video Gamings and their Dee Andys, whatever they are! They give the impression that INTELLECT can advance a Christian man’s status rather than the glorious manly beauty of his rock hard body! Intellect is for the weak!
No, we must stand against this threat! We must beat any of our children who dare recite the dark words of Video Gaming in our houses! Offenses against God like this must NOT be tolerated! Our children will have the freedom to become truly masculine men, and truly subservient and obedient women, and NOTHING ELSE!
That is God’s way! For men can only truly find companionship with other men, and women exist simply to bear children! That is the way of the men in the Bible, and that is the way of a Christian! And these homosexuals who would have us treat women as equals and mate with other men must be stopped!
I would say more, but I must return to the gym now, and rub oil on the wonderful bodies of my fellow, taut, muscular Christian men!
God bless you, sir, and good luck fighting this fight!
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1:30 am
To be honest, I cannot tell if this article is meant to be satirical or some other form of parody. However, assuming it is not I just wanted to throw my two cents in the pot.
I am currently a college student attending American University. Here I play rugby, major in journalism, and hold a 3.9gpa. I have been in the honors program since accepted and am only able to attend due to a full ride academic scholarship i received. If you dont believe me feel free to email me and I will be more than happy to provide you with transcripts and other documentation.
Now, all that is well and good. But thats no fun. Here’s the kicker: I have been playing World of Warcraft for almost 4 years. Before that I played Grand Theft Auto and halo religiously. I grew up on video games and they will always hold a special place in my heart.
My question is this: Who are you to make the claim that jocks are better people than gamers? Although I myself was a tri season athlete for 4 years straight, ending my high school career with 12 varsity letters, a beautiful girlfriend (who i will likely marry), and an offer to row at Cornell University (following my older cuisines footsteps as he was captain of their world renowned crew team for close to two years).
However, I also left highschool with something else. Thats right, you guessed it, a level 70 Restoration Druid decked out in full Sunwell Plateau epics.
And although I will be the first to admit that little world of warcraft character of mine will never bring me any material gain it has provided me with several things which I would simply not be who i am today without:
1. An opportunity to be part of a community of over 15 million users. Through WoW (and other online games) i was able to meet and get to know people from all over the world. Something like this would have been beyond impossible in the small town of 30,000 which i grew up.
2. The ability to step outside my comfort zone. By engaging in wow i was inherently dealing with a demographic of people i had not (on such a large scale) previously encountered. Thats right, i made friends with your so dreaded “nerds”.
Through WoW and other video games I was able to further my ability to interact and easily communicate and befriend people from all walks of life. I did not limit myself inside of a close nit circle of friends and essentially don blinders in order to ignore things which made me uncomfortable. By embracing that which i did not fully understand at first and even befriending it I was able to grow as an individual.
As for your argument regarding drug use etc I regret to inform you that is simply not based in any form of fact (at least that i have encountered) After wrestling for 5 years I can comfortably say that far and away the most frequent (and heavy) drug and alcohol users I have seen are straight off the football, wrestling, and lacrosse teams. Perhaps it is the fact they they (unlike me) did not have an easy way to relax after long and exhausting practices. Instead of going home and playing video games and hanging out with friends via Internet based games, they turned to pot and other heavier drugs in order to help them relax.
As for sports helping boys with girls this may or may not be true. Regardless the relevance of this decreases by the second but it brought up another issue with your argument.
Now this may be shocking but the big football high school star very rarely will take his cheerleader girlfriend out to the movies and pizza. In todays day and age a high school date generally consists of under age drinking, drug consumption, and sex (usually unprotected). This is not a theory or guess. This is fact. Believe it or not but i too (as were you) a teenager in high school once and i too was just as stupid and irresponsible as the kids today. Although they may great you during the day with a friendly and respectful smile, wave, etc. You can rest assured the limp you see in the cheerleaders step as she walks around was not caused by a bad cheer.
The vast majority of highschool athletes i have encountered are either extremely high strung do either directly or indirectly to the sport they play. Be it the pressure to perform or simply the nature of the sport rarely (once you get to know the person) do you see the “wholesome and hearty” jocks which are so commonly depicted in American Cinema.
I am not asking you to change your views as that is an unreasonable request. Just as it would be unreasonable for you to ask me to change mine. In stead I only implore you to listen more, open your eyes and realize that gamers are nothing new. They have been around long before video games even existed. Physical sports are wonderful dont get me wrong, however, they are not for everyone. Different sports are great for different types of people and for some no sport makes them the most happy.
I can say this was a relative degree of authority that comes with not my age (as you so accredit your authority) but my EXPERIENCE. Currently i play rugby for one of the strongest teams in the United States. Rugby is a sport which requires something else in a person. It is not a mental toughness or even physical prowess. There is just something in a ruggers soul that few others posses. My point here is this:
I have seen star high school football players not even make it halfway through one of our practices let alone a game. Your so called “wholesome jocks” with their toned muscles and other American cliches, sitting on the ground openly crying because they could not handle the demand of arguably the worlds most difficult contact sport.
This does not mean they are any less men, athletes, or people. It simply means that it is not for them. That is okay, and they should not be talked down to because of it.
This applies to your “nerds” as well. Simply because athletics are not for them for whatever reason does not mean that they are any less of human beings. In fact one may argue that they are actually more comfortable and self aware because they are able to determine what they do and do not enjoy. I hate to tell you this Stephenson but teenagers do not play sports so you can admire their “toned bodies”. They play because they enjoy it.
I have several other major problems with your article and myself being a practicing Christian, church member, and acolyte for almost 15 years I must say it is ignorent, fauls and otherwise offensive writings and statements like yours which put the majoirty of us in a bad light.
I hope you take the time to read my posts and if you do respond I hope we can get into a CONSTRUCTIVE discussion about your article, its intent, and other points pertaining to this piece.
Thanks for your time and I hope to hear back,
Felix
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3:22 am
You hold a fantastic GPA? Well, that’s just fabulous. What is your concentration, lesbian ethics or art history? I really don’t care for your giant essay of nonsense. Obviously my article spoke some deeper truths to you and you felt moved enough to respond. I respect that. You have a pleasant but anecdotal story to tell- that’s all fine– but I really don’t buy it. You’re a master Worlds of Warcraft player and you’re a wonderful athlete? Is that what your mommy told you? I know you types love to exaggerate, make yourselves out to be superheroes in real life, but honestly I know it’s not true. Stop trying to snow job me with your nonsense. I feel sorry for the dishonest person that you are.
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4:05 pm
I’m simply tickled pink that all who contradict your “facts” with their very lives are instantly liars and charlatans.
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1:48 pm
Well, Mr.Billings, besides the obvious pedophillic tones in this article that I won’t even begin to go into (I mean, I know that your type has an affinity for those “young firm men filling out new crisp football uniforms”),this article is ridiculous. First of all, I doubt you have done any research at all about these subjects. Do you have any proof that the supposed rise in “obesity, apathy, suicide, school violence, Satanism, masturbation, homosexuality and unemployment” have any link to video games. My, they also happen to coincide with the rise gas prices! And the rise in pollution! These things must also contribute to Satanism and unemployment. The funny thing is, not all the kids who are not jocks “failed miserably” at it. What you are really advocating, Mr.Billings, is young “firm” boys running around in tight fitting uniforms, who come to church on Sunday so that you can ogle them, as far as I can tell. You want boys who are dedicated to tormenting the “nerds.” These high school foot ball boys who are failing out of class because they were never taught the importance of anything else. But I know how “your type” disregard cognitive thought, choosing to believe in fairytales and blind faith. So you can put this in your next article, I am a seventeen year old from a small town with straight A’s, the president of a community service and substance abuse controlling group, Captain of our state championed varsity academic team, and in the top 4% of the nation academically. Meanwhile, our “wholesome” high school football team has a bet as to who can sleep with the most Freshman girls this year.
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6:32 pm
Hi,
), am an artist (94% in Art IB! woot!) and have a boyfriend who i have been dating for a year and a half, and who I have sex with atleast twice a week for a total of atleast 3 hours a week (and i use CONDOMS!! MUAHAHAHAHA! DIE YOU HAPLOID GAMETES! DIEE!!). But, much to your dissapointment, I am not a Satanist… But I do believe in EVOLUTION!!!!
I am in gr 11, have a 95% average, am in the Gifted and Talented Education program, I am in 4 classes above my grade level, and I LOVE learning. I am also a L80 Draenei Hunter in Alleria’s top guild (that is in World of Warcraft). I am hot, dance salsa (with some dirty regaetton
Take that ignorant christian!
Deep down, you know that you were once a monkey, (you actually did have a tail when you were in the womb…)
With love,
Me
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1:33 am
Either this is greatest troll article ever, or 2 of the most misguided minds. I honestly can’t believe anyone could think like this completely trumped up witch hunt. Or this is just one of the ballsy trolls ever? I honestly can’t tell, Thank you Billings and Janice for making my night, you win the internet.
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1:49 am
After looking around this site a bit more I’m more or less 100% convinced this site is straight satire. This is truly a work of art and genius. If im really wrong please tell me but I’d put money I’m not. I’m a bit pissed i just wrote a 4 page response but whatever, i need something to do at 3pm.
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9:14 am
Although I’m more than sure this site is nothing but satire; in the off chance it is not could you be a doll and provide us with some reference to these “studies” and “science you keep quoting. After all every time someone says something that does not jell with you articles you just call them a liar. So could we get a little proof to back up all your statement?
Though I’m willing to guess this will get no response.
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2:10 am
i wrestled for 8 years. and i did very well, went to state multiple times, placed a couple times as well. was i a jock? no. i was actually picked on quite a it because i was short. i knew that at any time i could kick the crap out of them. when i was ranked best wrestler in our city and had my name mentioned on the morning announcements for my contribution to our team winning (by contribution i mean i kicked the shit out of someone form another school) they (the jocks) all started to hang out with me. honestly i was disgusted. they were so fake and insincere. i stuck with hanging out with my friends. the ones you describe here in this article for the most part, along with myself. and now we’ve graduated and are all pursuing degrees in college. ive run across some of the jocks at bars (yes im 21 now) and local party’s. for the most part they’re alcoholics and drug addicts. so much for the wholesome values youth sports teaches.
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3:15 am
You have a fantastic imagination! If only it were true! I’m sorry, but I really doubt your claims of being some “super” athelete. Grow up and stop trying to sell yourself as something more than you really are.
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6:54 am
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9:34 am
I must say that I find it impressive how you can manage to assume that because they have posted a testimonial that contradicts your own view of the world, that they must be lying. A physically fit person who plays video games must be impossible, because in your world, all people who play video games are obese slobs.
Here’s the piece you are missing: video games are like board games, or card games, or word games, or physical games. They are used to stimulate either the body or the mind as a form of entertainment. Competitive nature exists equally in both sports and video games. Video games can generate greater hand eye coordination, increase reaction speeds, and promote logical problem solving thought patterns. These are all things which can lead to better jobs.
Sports and Video games equally promote teamwork, especially in modern times. Most video game players have access to a headset, and must learn how to communicate without body language, or eye contact, and form a cohesive team that successfully completes an objective. One might argue that due to the anonymity involved in video games, a gamer learns to work better with a team regardless of it’s members, where a jock might just work well with his buds.
When problems occur is when there is no balance, when there is no moderation between time spent in front of a screen and outside. And I agree with you that parents must be involved in this matter. However, utterly depraving their children of this common form of entertainment might be just as unhealthy as giving them unlimited access. You get curious about things when they are forbidden to you, and children have an impressive talent for sating their curiosity. If it is forbidden in your household, when they play it at their friends, it becomes an act of defiance towards you, and they won’t stop playing, so defiance towards you will become less intimidating a prospect.
I have played both team sports and video games quite often during my childhood.
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9:40 am
Unfortunately Kevin, you missed the entire point of my article. It really wasn’t intended for children though, it’s for your parents to read. I find it amusing that all of the hate-filled respondents here claim to be incredible jocks and top notch students themselves. Too bad the internet doesn’t allow for factchecking.
“Sports and Video games equally promote teamwork.” – this is such a hopeless falsehood. I don’t even know where to begin on that doozy. Do you really believe connecting with some dirty old men via the internet can compare to the team spirit of constant training, the thrill of a big game, the excitement of victory or the pains of defeat? In a video game you just hit reset and start over. There’s really no comparison.
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9:48 am
In the future, refrain from calling me a child sir.
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10:00 am
I choose a moderate side of this argument, where I admit there are circumstances in which video games can be a problem in this context, but also that you inflate the problem dramatically, and you respond by telling me to go play with my toys?
I thought this was a reasoned forum where voices could be heard and discussions could be made.
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5:48 pm
This must be one of the best troll articles ever?
Theres no way this can be serious… it just can’t.
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2:27 am
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2:59 am
“That way you can monitor you child’s computer use (homework!) at all times without interrupting your television viewing.”
Yeah, that’s a good way to be a parent, keep an eye on your son or daughter for a second and spend the next two hours watching trash on the TV.
That makes perfect sense!
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4:00 am
Judging by your article, it seems you’re fine with jocks bullying others because they’re different. Is that very Christian?
I wasn’t a jock in high school, in fact, I hated them. Why? Sure, they had lots of “friends,” but they were always getting in fights, going out to parties to get drunk, and usually had girlfriends, but most of the time, they would end up breaking up because she found out he cheated on her at a party. Is this what I was supposed to do in high school to be happy? I guess having a few good friends I hung out with at the bowling alley or at movies was a bad idea. Or some nights we’d get together and play video games for awhile, and frequently had girls that never played video games drop by, and they loved it. Sorry I chose not to be a jock asshole.
As far as being failures, most jocks from high school are still stuck back at home because their party lifestyle kept them from succeeding in college. After all, Al Bundy wasn’t created off a stereotype, am I right?
Basically, jocks are some of the least Christian people I know. They label themselves Christian, but have no idea how to follow it. It’s websites like this that make Christianity look terrible.
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8:43 am
Where do I say bullying is appropriate or Christian? You’re just making nonsense up. I wrote this piece as a celebration of something wonderfully American! Where would we be as a nation without the values competitive sports teaches the young? You really don’t get that alone in your basement playing fantasy land.
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2:05 pm
You don’t promote bullying?! That is the biggest load of bullshit you’ve said so far! Am I blind, or do you not have a picture of a jock shoving a less fortunate child into a locker.
You, sir, are a moronic piece of shit.
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4:32 pm
Why would you put up a picture of a jock bullying a smaller kid? This is a Christian website, shouldn’t it promote Christian values? You could have just as easily picked a more appropriate picture, but you chose the one showing the jock picking on a smaller kid, leading me to believe you’re ok with that kind of violence in schools.
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10:03 am
just because one kid is strong there is always going to be some bigger boys in school and i think your making too much out of a little fun that boys have. if they dont learn that how will they toughen up?
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4:45 am
THIS IS A BULLSHIT!
I’m playing wow since 2005 and, just in case you’re interested, i have social life, i do sport, i have a girlfriend and i’ve eccelents mark at school. things are nearly the same for all my friend that plays wow. between it looks like for you the perfect boy is the stereototype of the typical all muscles – no brain boy and the perfect gril is someone like paris hilton when she was going in high school. then why someone that play videogames shoul be attracted by homosexuality? or satanism? usually in a videogames you play the part of the hero.
and for an hint about how you may grow up playing videogames or role playing fantasy: bill gates was an appasionate player of D&D (for the ones that does not know one of the most famous role-playing game), and look what he is now. also another hint: richard garfield, crehator of the card game Magic, was an university math teacher. looks like being a genius of computer tecnologies or an univeristy teacher a failure? don’t think so.
sorry for any kind of grammatical error in my message but english isn’t my language
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8:45 am
“I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.” — Psalm 37:25,26
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4:52 am
Janice and OP are faggots.
/thread
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8:25 am
Oh, but didn’t you know? Janice=OP. They are one in the same. Janice is Mr. Billings’ puppet. I’m not even kidding, Billings has sunk so low that he made another account just so he could agree with himself without seeming foolish.
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4:55 am
By the way, If they are so muscular, why is it taking upto 5 of the faggots to hold up their “Plaque” in the picture.
Dumbass!
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9:58 am
I think they’re all excited to have won their game. They’re not so weak that 5 of them are needed to support a wooden trophy.
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4:56 am
This is so unreasonable, I’m not sure what to say.
You’re about as far from a christian as you can possibly get. This is a clear defacing of God’s word.
You’ve thoroughly written this debacle of a textual abortion with almost exclusively baseless stereotypes. So far are they from the truth, that you’ve pushed more people away from your fake christian views than towards.
Come to think of it, random nameless article-writing nobody, I think I know why you did this. You’re trying to work up a shock value with any certain social group you choose just for the sake of getting more hits. This backwater nowhere of a website cannot draw in readers with your fabricated word of God, so it has to be done with the most extreme hook. Using things like “video-gaming” (which most people do), “threat” (everyone wants to know about THREATS), “America” (a given), and “culture”. Words like these are an opiate to the masses and exploitation is a sin.
You’re going to burn in hell. I hope you’re very aware of this.
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10:46 am
evan thats really not nice of you to post such things. i am a mother and i would be very angry if my child posted such angry and profanity. i hope you parents check your browser history and watch what your doing because you are really just wrong and bad. as a parent myself, i think letting kids run wild online is very bad and parents should keep a better eye on the children.
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12:53 am
Yet getting drunk at parties and cheating on your girlfriend is okay. Dumb bitch.
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4:59 am
That’s odd. You’re registered through GoDaddy.com. That’s a pretty obscene website, super christian.
You’re made of lies.
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5:00 am
pretty obscene website host***
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5:16 am
HI I SAW THAT THE POST WAS FILLED WITH MUSCULAR BOYS
CAN I HAVE SOME GAY SEX NOW?
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5:43 am
Listen asshole I’m not going to sit here while spew pure slander about the video gaming culture…fat nerdy and socially awkward kids have been around since the beginning of time, and your whole theory on video games indefinatly effecting the outcome of a child’s future is beyond laughable and outlandish. So from me the rest of /b/, go fuck yourself.
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8:47 am
I’m sorry you feel that way, Anon, but have you even tried to do any research on the subject? I guess not.
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9:57 am
I agree. There’s no reason to post swears. We can have a civil discussion, can’t we?
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5:45 am
Listen asshole I’m not going to sit here while spew pure slander about the video gaming culture…fat nerdy and socially awkward kids have been around since the beginning of time, and your whole theory on video games indefinatly effecting the outcome of a child’s future is beyond laughable and outlandish. So from me and the rest of /b/, go fuck yourself.
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5:48 am
Well first of Mr. Bilings. According to all the nonsense (sorry, but it’s nonsense to me) you’ve spouted out I want to be one of the first to tell you that your thoughts and beliefs are as far from Christian as Satan is from being God.
Anyway, on to your point that, basically, gamers are losers who are obese and will fail at life, where-as jocks are the best and will, without a doubt, succeed in life. . . .
Please sir, just no. I am a gamer myself, been since I was about 10 varied from Nintendo consoles to Playstation to Computer. I was on the football team for a couple of years, quit due to the mental state of your precious jocks resolve around: Drinking, smoking, fornication outside of marriage (yeah, real hero christin of ‘em) – but that’s not even the worst part of it, the thing that annoyed me the most about them is the way they treat everyone who is not on their football team, or as you would say, a loser who ain’t muscled up enough to be part of the team. Which is horrible treatment, they beat “the nerds”, bully them, make their life so intolerable some (too many) commit suicide or walk down other ill-lit roads.
Almost all of your replies to every person in here have been close to “Shut up, you’re so young and immature, I am old and got years of experience and I am oh so’ intelligent.” – First of, pride, look it up you self-proclaimed Christian man. Secondly, bashing down on people with such disrespect when people state their opinions in as much of a respectful way they can, is itself immature and childish. I could go on, but I won’t, it’s too easy and I feel bad for pointing out your flaws.
Now for me, the “loser gamer”, 25 years old – I took up swimming after I left the jocks, so my body is “muscled” and fit. I got a wide circle of close friends (who also, are gamers) all of which are drug free, got a stable job, college degree or been successful in the military. I am rather wealthy, have a steady and nice income, above the “average” yearly income. As a pilot and an educated aircraft mechanic. I enjoy spending my time with my Fiance, watching movies, playing MMO or other games either on the computer or my xbox. I meet up with my buds regularly and they have more or less the same life style as I do.
Now, if you haven’t been able to comprehend it by now, I am too, a religious man, not a fanatic as a certain someone (whose beliefs fails him in o’ so many ways), I am also rather intelligent and mature.
Now, if you’ve read through my entire wall of text, you should be able to summarize the difference in this generation of jocks compared to _most_ gamers.
Oh and to finish off, as you said to someone else. Shame on you, shame on you, hiding behind God and your ‘profession’ spouting out garbage nonstop – Open your eyes sir, look around, games not only increase language skill(s), they heighten your senses (well, shoot em up games kind of games do), gives you the chance to interact with people from different cultures, oh heck, there’s unlimited amount of knowledge that comes from games.
I have nothing more to say than, if anything, games save lives, not ruin them. If only from the bastard jocks at schoo, or from parents with the mindset and attitude such as yourself, games can offer you a time-out from all of it, whilst being a positive influence on so many aspects of your being. However, I do agree that playing 24/7, literally 24/7 is bad and un-healthy. But with the majority of gamers, that is not the case.
-Michael
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5:58 am
Really well said, I agree with all your points Michael, and it was a very nice read.
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6:01 am
I do apologize for the errors/typos in my first post, was typing haste.
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6:04 am
Sigh, again I made an error ^^ I obviously meant:
I do apologize for the errors/typos in my first post, was typing with haste.
Anyway, seems that Mr Billings is determined to ignore my post, was looking forward to his reply.
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8:52 am
Michael, who will teach us if not our elders? Don’t people of faith have a responsibility to share their wisdom with the children struggling with faithlessness and addiction? Oh, and you claim World of Warcraft will teach you French? That’s rich!
And yes, I do pay homage to the joys of jock culture because there really is so much that is wonderful there. I don’t want to quote myself but,
“This sports world teaches our children to decide between right and wrong in realistic situations. They treat their bodies as temples by exploring and mastering their physical powers. They learn to be part of a social group where the glory of the whole is based on the sacrifices of the individual. It is, in essence, incredible training for the Christianity inherent in our beautiful American boys and girls.”
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9:43 am
‘who will teach us if not our elders?’
The young people can teach each other when the elders are too far gone into the insanity.
You do NOT promote Chrisitianity, stop with your bible quotes. Ive shown this post to my entire church and a forum of many churches in my area and they all think your a stark raving idiot.
Enough said.
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10:40 am
Stephen, I think you have a lot of wonderful point here and people should apreciate the good American values of hard work and taking care of yourelf. I just dont think people like Michael really understand what your talking about. There is nothing wrong with being a athlete and being good at it. Its a great thing to play football or baseball and have all those friends. So I just think these people are jealous or something. They dont know what its like to be good at a outdoor activity and have popularity with teamates.
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4:11 pm
“65 percent of America’s adults are overweight and 31 percent of adults are obese and at risk for chronic diseases”
Good old hard working americans!
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4:24 pm
I think you want Stephenson. You do. Well Stevy….I guess you can go make her do all the work and the rest of the shit. Go make some babies and whatnot. I on the other hand am going to take my best friend, who is a young woman, and take her out to dinner for her birthday. SO have fun living your sad excuse of a life. I’m gonna go have fun.
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5:50 am
To the author:
I’m not going to waste time arguing with such an arrogant individual which is obviously ridiculously biased.
I’m 15, I play videogames. I’m popular at school, I am also in top classes with top marks.
In summary:
Go fucking die in a hole you idiotic, biased piece of shit.
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9:04 am
It saddens me that you are so young and you use such language. This article is intended for parents and other adults. Clearly, you don’t have the maturity to comprehend it, so please stay away.
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7:32 am
Ohh hai there billings, I don’t believe you’ve been introduced, Pot meet Kettle.
Keep your children away from this man people, or they’ll be walking like John Wayne for the rest of their lives.
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5:52 am
Go fuck yourself with you’re pathetic article, Not my fault if stupid american kids get fat and do nothing of their lives except playing video games; It’s because you all are dumbshits.
You are the only problem.
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5:52 am
It’s funny because most preacher kids or devout christian kids end up being horrible adults and end up resenting their parent…see that’s speculation that’s what you just committed sir.
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5:56 am
Video Games didn’t start an ancient war that is still spilling over into our childrens lifetimes you fucking coward.
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5:57 am
I like it how you claim learning to kick a ball will help you in the ‘real’ world when in fact most jobs these days involve little or no physical activity (apart from manual labour), where in fact technology and computer ability play a much much more important role.
I’m not saying that all ‘Jocks’ will be manual labourers but skills gained while on a computer are so much more valuable these days. How many ‘Jocks’ can type 60 words a min?
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5:57 am
Such a load of crap.
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5:57 am
THE FUCK IS THIS?
YOU BEST BE TROLL’EN.
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6:35 am
he must have been on crack when he wrote this article.
He claims to be Super intelligent and pretty much the man half of this is BS.
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6:49 am
Who says people who do sports don’t play video games? There’s no better way to unwind after a hard days work, because you all know this planet is fucked up, turn on the news and its nothing but wars, crime and occasionally the odd joyful happening (that the reporters HAVE to actually LOOK for, just to keep us all from being depressed, because if we actually cared about all those things we’d kill ourselves in despair). SO playing a game is like reading a book, you get to escape into what ever you want, wether you fancy hello kitty or zombie killing. It’s all good!
Be kind unwind!
As a note: Reading that article… wasted a few minutes of my life, which I wish I spent playing a game without retards like the OP.
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8:54 am
I don’t know who the “OP” is but clearly you should be spending more time on your homework than fooling around with fantasy games.
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7:29 am
‘Cause gamers never go outside amirite?
Please get some decent facts and proof before writing a piece of cr*p.
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7:38 am
Im fucking laughing my ass off here.
VIDEO GAMES CAUSED SCHOOL VIOLENCE?
NO. JOCKS DID YOU FUCKING CUNT.
JOCKS ARE THE PEOPLE WHO PUSHED DYLAN KLEBOLD AND ERIC HARRIS AROUND, YOU KNOW WHAT THEY DID IN 1999 BECAUSE OF IT? YEAH THAT’S FUCKING RIGHT YOU MUPPET.
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8:56 am
All of the perpetrators of the horrible acts of school gun-based terrorism in the last decade or more have not been jocks, but poorly adjusted outcasts with terrible social skills. Are you not old enough to remember Virginia Tech or Columbine?
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9:01 am
They also listened to Marilyn Manson, so you american people made a crusade against him. And you didn’t realise that there are far more dangerous bands and singers here in Europe, or even there in the US. Try to listen to Judas Iscariot’s Albums, then you’ll tell me if Marilyn Manson is dangerous.
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9:02 am
Edge, that was an entirely pointless comment from you, as usual. My argument still holds true. Did you not bother to read it?
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9:11 am
Pointless? Don’t tell me you have forgotten the crusade that started out against Marilyn Manson when the massacre at the Columbine High happened! You took the Columbine massacre as an example, and I made another example about the same happening. I play videogames but I’ve never killed anyone, I’m not obese or what and I don’t have any sign of mental illness. Why? Can you tell me why I am perfecly sane? Because there’s no correlantion between violence and videogames! I spent my life playing violent videogames (started with Doom when I was a kid)but I have never killed anyone or act like a maniac.
The only problem here is education. If parents leave their kids in front of their computer totally uncontrolled, almost forgetting about their kids, they will start believing that the game is the real worl. If a parent teaches his kids the difference between reality and videogames, no one will ever kill anyone screaming “In the name of the Holy Light I set you free from the Scourge!”
That’s all.
Oh, by the way, even here we know that what you call “Jocks” are often insicure guys that take steroids or amphetamine to excell in their sports.
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8:31 am
I love this thread, it’s so full of ignorance and stupidity. One of my best friends plays Call of duty 4 (and other similar games) like crazy. He is very fit, has a beautiful girlfriend and is the goalkeeper for my country’s national soccer team (under 20). He probably plays video games like 3-4 hours a day.
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9:37 am
whatta stupid article..grow up man!
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10:47 am
I’m a Christian and a video gamer, and I want to be a lawyer. I’m also in very good shape.
If I could prove that to you, Mr. Billings’, I would. Anyway, I find your article a very interesting read.
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10:49 am
Mr. Billings, you talk a lot about jocks and men in this article but don’t mention much concerning your opinions on females. Do you apply the same logic to females as you do to males? Do you think that females should be jocks too, playing sports and tossing balls around and any girls who stay at home are destined to become fat layabouts too?
While probably the majority of boys do have some interest in sport, competition and athletics, many don’t and you say those boys are doing themselves harm. Okay, lets accept that for a moment, but what about girls? Not every girl is into sports and traditionally that’s fine. Are the girls who stay at home and play with dolls bad people too? Should they be out playing football? If not, why not? What’s the difference?
Or is it okay for women to not be active sport lovers because their all destined to be in the kitchen cooking dinner for their husbands and cleaning anyway?
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10:58 am
I don’t think many girls are into video games. It’s really a young boy thing. And what’s wrong with female sports? I played soccer and field hockey when I was in school and it was really fun!
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11:25 am
There’s nothing wrong with sports for girls, I did not say there was. However it’s widely accepted that not all girls are into sports.
This article seems to imply that all boys who stay at home and play video games instead of being out playing sports and becoming jocks are bad people. I want to know if this logic applies to girls who don’t like sports too, and if it doesn’t why is it different? Why is it ok for a girl to not play sports but if a boy isn’t interested in sports he’s going to fail at his life?
I’m not here to argue whether girls play games or not, but with the increasing popularity of massive multiplayer games and casual games, girl gamers are getting increasingly common. Systems like the Wii and DS, casual games like Peggle, and games based around social interaction like World of Warcraft all draw an increasingly female crowd. Heck, my grandma even enjoys playing video games on the Wii.
Again, that’s not the point I was trying to make though.
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10:56 am
No. You are all Muslamic Jihadists who cryed their hearts the day Saddam Hussein died. I believe I already proved this and you are doing nothing to deny it. So I guess I was right.
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3:39 pm
Your comment is plain stupid. America was very happy when Saddam Huseein was caught. He was terror to his own people, dropping them in acid baths and his sons raping girls. You really think it was so wrong to free Iraq from him? Not to mention the ties with terrorists and nuclear bomsb. I just think you people need to grow up and learn the values of responsibiluty when your adult.
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3:49 pm
I proved that Stevy and his buddies are all jihadists. When you believe something like everyone who doesn’t in the same religion as you should burn in hell? Yeah, that’s exactly islamic EXTREMISTS believe in. So therefore, you guys are in kahoots.
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6:19 pm
No, The Defiant Soldier was making a point doing exactly what good ol’ Stevy has been doing.
No, that’s nobody’s “responsibulity”.
Do you know what samefag means?
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11:34 am
rof rof
that is all
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11:45 am
Wow, no article has ever made me consider becoming agnostic so badly. You are a shame to Christianity as a society. You think computers are so bad and that by even looking at a video game will cause you to become a failure.
I am born a Christian and have been a believer ever since. When I grew up I was quite shy, withdrawn and quiet. Reading was my favorite pastime and when I was 4 I could read at quite a pace. I also spent a lot of time playing my Game Boy or on the families PC. At the time I was like a sponge when it came to knowledge and by the time I was 8 I had, without being mentored, achieved a basic understanding of English. Now, at age 16 I am on the second year in one of the most prestigious in Northern Europe (I’d guess that at least 75% are gamers) and am doing quite well. In fact, I got a perfect score on my last maths exam. (Note: My school has a reputation for being extremely challenging when it comes to science and maths.)
About my physical prowess, I am lightly built (63 kg and 179cm) so I don’t really have great potential when it comes to weight-lifting or such, but I do have tremendous stamina. E.g. I could run 8 km in 35 minutes COMPLETELY without training. A month later I ran my first 10 km in 45 minutes.
P.S. I use the metric system, deal with it.
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11:47 am
> When video gaming first became popular, experts warned of the likelihood of increased amounts of obesity, apathy, suicide, school violence, Satanism, masturbation, homosexuality and unemployment.
Obesity is about the only argument where you might have a point, one who plays video games (a lot, mind you) is likely to snack a bit and get less exercise. But don’t worry, the Nintendo Wii is certainly out to combat this!
Apathy? I’m fairly sure that gamers find video games interesting. And seeing as there’s no lack of gamers out there (I’m betting that this ‘jock culture’ of yours is the minority), I’m fairly sure that by their very nature, gamers can’t be apathetic. “Hey dude! Check out this new game!” seems to come to mind.
Suicide? Because depression is linked only with video games. No one has ever committed suicide because of fundamentalist and extremist religious views. Let’s not forget the apparent sexual abuse of children from trusted religious officials, suicide bombers and even the occasional exorcism. Next to old age itself, I’m willing to bet that religion in general is responsible for most of the deaths in throughout history (if not, coming a close second to disease). (Please note my comments here aren’t directed at any one religion. I personally believe that all religions are nothing more than an outdated system of control. Disestablishmentarianism, deal with it.)
School Violence? You are aware that you do have a picture of a one of your so called jocks shoving a helpless visually impaired kid into a locker, right? Are you trying to argue that if everyone was one of these jocks, that this kind of thing would never happen? You’re probably right, it’d probably result in a proper fight, none of this targeting the weak crap, which your image also reflects. I guess jocks are needlessly violent or simply just assholes?
Satanism… I’m just going to continue laughing at this statement. Any other fundamentalist religious statements you wish to make? Seriously, I’m all for them, they make my day!
Masturbation? Oh yes, people who play sports don’t masturbate at all, nope… I guess their too busy patting their team mates on the ass after a successful game, before stripping down to have a nice steamy group shower… Hm, looking at that, I can see where the need for masturbation disappears. Which brings me to the next comment.
Homosexuality? “You do have a point though: writing code all day is much more homoerotic than patting your jock buddies on the ass after a sweaty game of catch, then winding down with a nice, steamy, group shower.” – Maddox Fri, 31 Oct 2003 11:20:28. Simply replace the words “writing code” with “playing games” and we have the perfect summing up statement.
Unemployment? This doesn’t work, without a source of income, one can not afford to play games. Sure, piracy is always an option, but true gamers would rather own legitimate copies of games instead of illegal ones. So to be completely honest, you can’t be an unemployed gamer, you need money for your hobby. Much like one needs to purchase sporting equipment.
And for the record, while gamers don’t often become investment bankers, doctors, lawyers and what not, they do quite often get jobs in the information technology industry. I’m willing to bet that more gamers get jobs in information technology than your jocks here.
With that said, those very gamers are the ones who become the software engineers, website programmers et-al. Not only very lucrative businesses, but also very important in today’s heavily technology influenced society. I’d also like to point out that, to be a computer programmer, you need a mentality greater than that of a twelve year old.
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12:27 pm
saving the jock culture?
wow, yeah great idea! its not at all a fact that jocks are almost always drunken duchebags who beat up other people who they believe are “below them”, right?
oh and claire is right, not everyone likes sports, how about that?
if you cant get your children to play videogames within certain times and it gets addicted to it then its THE PARENTS fault! thats right, YOU failed to teach your kids the common sense to play games for an appropriate amount of time!
and those tips… wow, thats ridiculous! look at #4…
a private talk to your kids friends? really? come on! is there a way to fail even harder? thats the most humiliating thing you could do to your child! if people at school start talking about “franks dad who talked with us about his paladin and didnt have any idea what was going on or what he was talking about” your kid is the moron of the school! congratulations…
conservative values? how about lighting up and going with the times?
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3:48 pm
Mat just cause your not a jock doesnt mean you should go all out an attack them with your anger. Boys do drink lilke when they in college and thats bad, but sometimes its experiemtning and boys will kind of be boys. Its no reason to avoid athletics. And almost eveybody likes sports its very healthy! Playing in your cellar all the time with the tv is NOT HEALTHY. So stop trying to make some crazy case that you all superior.
You know what? we agree about the parents stuff. It is the responsibilty of the parents what trouble there kids get into. I think thats THE WHOLE POINT OF THE ARTICLE!!!!
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1:09 am
So, “experimenting” with drugs and alcohol is okay, but playing video games is terrible? What kind of inbred family did you grow up in, dumbass?
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12:46 pm
lol gayest post ever, nice one closet gay christian man.
I live in the UK and from what ive seen Jocks are the sort of scum that bully poor children and turn them into adults who are crippled by fear.
Im not one to go around knocking peoples faiths but you are a fucking moron if you believe god hates gay people or geeks or blacks. Im not a christian but i know for a fact that christianity was meant to spread love not hatred like you do. I think you are the fucking devil Billings.
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1:34 pm
I don’t see how someone posting they are successful and play Warcraft means they are lying. You have no way of knowing or proving them wrong or correct. Just like I have no way of proving or not proving that you are a giant boy toucher(“young firm men filling out new crisp football uniforms, a pair of bulging muscles below soccer shorts”). That has to be on one of the most homoerotic things I have ever read. Just saying “sports makes kids fit” would have done just fine. The internet has no accountability, I can say and do what I want with no consequences. But why do you use something you dispise as a outlet for your writings? In the time it took you to write this article and respond to the comments its more time then I spend playing Warcraft. So now who is the one that spends too much time infront of the computer?
Sports are fun and a great hobby. Warcraft is fun and a great hobby as well. Homosexuality and video games are linked together as much as the sky being blue and cannibalism are link. You prove no facts at all. Alexander the Great who conquered most of the known world at the time “kept the company of men” if you get what I’m saying. Alexander was gay, and he has done more in his time then then you will ever do with yours.
You completely warped Columbine. The jocks picked on the two kids so much that there hate and rage blinded them into committing one of worst acts in recent history. I don’t blame video games I blame the jocks for picking on them, the teachers for not stopping it, and the availability of guns. No where do video games come into it.
Janice, I weep for your children. You honestly have no idea what is going on. Please just stop now. “Boys will be boys” and it “toughens them up”, are you honestly serious with that kind of thinking? I have three older brothers and quite often got picked. At no point do I feel tougher or more thick skinned. You fail at parenting completely. Please stop thinking like its 1930, no one watches Leave it to Beaver any more. “you liberals always throw that nazi term around but you have no idea what it means.” I don’t think you know what a Nazi is. Nazi was a term for the German Workers Party. The Nazi, German Workers Party, were a political party set up by Hitler. However, when most people use the term Nazi, they are thinking of a Totalitarian person who forces there ideals on other people. So please don’t blame the “liberals” for something you dont’ understand yourself.
The only thing I will agree on Billings, that there is a connection between playing too much video games and being overweight. However, that is why people need to view it as a hobby and not a way of life. As for “why don’t World of Warcraft Players have Girlfriends” article I find your pie chart most amusing. Because I have an 80 paladin and a girlfriend. So where do I fit in on your chart?
As for your tips. Locking your childern outside? That in 50 out of 50 states is called Child Abuse. Having talks with your kids friends and throwing out “slang”. That is the dumbest thing I have heard. You will be laughed at, and your child will be made fun of to no end for having a creepy parent.
This all being said, I feel like the rest, and this is just one giant troll. I normally don’t like to feel trolls, but here is a nice tasty morsel for you.
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2:11 pm
Billings, this article just doesnt make sense.
Playing a game an entire night doesn’t make sense as well as practicing sports 20×7.
It’s a matter of education. If you know when to stop, if you know your own limits (mental and body) you’re not gonna be that ridiculous.
Sure we have people addicted to games, but the problem is not the game itself, but the ease to addict whatever the thing is.
- If you care about your kids, dont lie to them. What makes you think that they wont lie to you as soon as they grow up?
- If you care about your kids, give them liberty to do what they want. With the liberty comes the responsability. And if they fail or made a mistake, they need to face and understand the consequences to not repeat the mistake again.
- If you care about your kids, stop trying to manage their lives and time. As a parent, you need to educate them (not control)
I could say many more here, but I’m not sure if you re a guy with a “360º view”.
So I just hope ppl reading this can understand that you’re probably mad abt something and chose a random subject to blame.
Will pray for you.
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2:20 pm
I masturbate to pictures of Jesus and Thrall.
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2:22 pm
Mr. Billings,
I’ve read you article and I think, to some degree, it holds alot of good lessons for unsuspecting parents on how to anticipate all kinds of negative consequences that could come from videogames. However, you’ve completely failed in terms of constructing a non-biased, credible arguments to support your cause. You’ve clearly putting alot of faith base arguments in your work, almost too much for general audience, and even for other Christian like yourself. It is a very honest article, it doesn’t hold much reasons and credible justifications, but very honest in terms of how you potray yourself as a person of too much faith. Stephen, if you have not notice from all the comments and flaming responses, this is why you have to put credible evidences to support your arguments. Your faith or believe on something is not in any way translate to sufficient evidence for anyone in this matter. This is a problem with people with too much faith, when you feel so right about anything, sometimes you just end up so wrong. Btw, I’m sorry, but I have to ask you this, do you really believe that sports can teach kids sense of right or wrong? If you do, how?! How could you break this down, explain what you mean by this? I’m not saying that video games could, but this kind of argument deserves an immediate and complete dismissal by anyone with reasons. Last thing I recommend for you Stephen, drop that bronze age teaching they called The Bibble. It deludes ppl mind and intellectual creativity. I’m pretty sure you’re a smart guy, why do you believe in an omnipotent imaginary friend that look after certain ppl in this world but not others, Noah’s ark, a virgin birth which have hundreds of accounts in many other older religions, talking bushes, ressurection. They’re not even original… And its clearly man made, just look at how women treated according to the bible, and your imaginery friend many times approved! Slavery? Do you approve slavery or say.. eternal punishment? If you don’t then you’re more moral than your god. Congratulations! If you can pick and choose which one is right and which is wrong out of your bible, then you don’t need it, it helped humanity to be at where we at right now, It’s time for us to move on. Get rid of it. It’s a bad shit and you can’t even make a credible argument or article(*cough*) out of it.
Btw, I have problems with all religions not just Christianity. I’m just using the ‘holy’ bible for the sake this arguments against your faith and your beliefs based article.
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6:17 pm
Atheist, this is a Christian Website!!! Are you too slow to comprehend this? We express Conservative Values here! Morality! Do you have a clue what any of this means? I don’t want a general audience, I don’t want all these creepy gamers suggesting I’m a pervert! I just want to warn parents about video gaming and talk about jocks. So stop your crazy, biased rants! You’re clearly, by your screen name, a disbeliever so what good are any of your values? Jesus wants your faith, not your silly typing.
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2:30 pm
I have been a gamer since childhood, and to balance the arguments against video games from this article (without commenting on them whatsoever), I would just like to share what video games HAVE given me:
1. I had a passion for video games, and wanting to understand “what was going on”, I taught myself English through them. I was one of the weakest students of English in my class, but three years after discovering video games I had already read several classics in English, and was nearly as comfortable with it as I was with my native language.
2. I discovered a newfound passion for writing; and subsequently, reading, through the fantastical and surreal worlds many wonderful video games have introduced me to.
3. I learned computer programming in-order to create computer games myself (which I have). Because of this I had to learn advanced mathematics — which I did, after having my parents hire a tutor for me. I am now studying for a degree in philosophy and mathematics.
4. Finally, I have alleviated countless hours of boredom with games, and these games form a significant part of my life even today.
The only regret I have about video games, is not discovering them earlier!
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3:20 pm
well clearly you people like to write look at all the junk you game kids are writing here. i just dont understand why you all so nasty and anrgy the time. its just sort of wrong you so obsesed with your fantasy life. should you do homewok or make the world a better place instead?
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2:55 pm
HAHAHA this is by far the funniest post i have seen in forever! This guy is either the world’s greatest troll, which would be hillarious, or the world’s greatest retard, in which case it would stil be hillarious! ty for making my day
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2:58 pm
OH OH, I GUESS JEZUS DOESNT APPROVE THIS TRHEAD
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3:08 pm
># When you’re not at home, unplug the power cord to your computer and hide the mouse. You can always put it in one of your sock drawers. This is a great way to make sure no video games are played when you’re not around.
>hide the mouse
You want to create Linux nerds, don’t you?
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3:28 pm
Stephenson, are you able to post a reply to someone’s comment without:
1) …being slanderous.
2) …preaching.
3) …responding in a condescending attitude.
4) …sucking your own cock (e.g.: I’m a great journalist. All of my stories are well researched) 5) …saying you know more because you’re older.
Just curious. All of your articles and responses are very combative. Were you abused as a child?
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5:56 pm
“And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” –Romans 8:28
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10:23 pm
Wow, instead of typing that trite nonsense, you could’ve simply said, “No.”
Everyone has the right to be stupid and given the opportunity, most people will exercise that right to its fullest potential. – Unknown
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9:03 am
G`day all my name is troy and i have Asperger’s syndrome just thought i tell you so you understand why my typeing is so bad but any way there alot for stuff said that was good and bad but want you need to see ok so alot of you think that computer games are evil no there not but to much is not good but the same can be said about sport to much can all so be bad but what i am trying to say is there is good and a bad said to everything like alot kids that love to play computer games go on to become computer repaire men/women some go in to IT jobs and same for jock`s they might go on to have a football for caree some of them after high school don`t see football as a caree. ok that the good side the bad side some of might not like so if you still live in the stone age do not read this part, bad side of being a jock. some of them once they can drink or befor they can drink get hook`d on beer or other drug`s like pot there are other drugs but i think you get the point and stuff up there lives in really bad ways some can happen to nerds but about the computer games making people less like to want to go out and have fun can and dose happen to some people but all i can is that having asperger`s is that i not a big people person and don`t likt to go out and do stuff with friends to much and i do play games like world or warcraft and call of duty 4 and other`s like i was saying i not a people person to meany people around make me angry but now that i said “Make me angry” most of you are going to blame computer games. no no no my angree is link to my Asperger’s syndrome not the games but over the last four maybe five years i see that if i angry gta 4 or cod 4 was a good ways to help calm down, ok one of my mates play`s compter not a alot but he dose play them when he not at work or out with friends he all so plays soccer every sunday, sorry that it`s along post but i hope that is help`s you understand both sides of people view about jock`s and computer games and sorry about all the spelling error`s
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3:35 pm
They know that your sounds like that of a stripper or porn star.
Are you either of those? I don’t really feel like writing much after that other one.
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3:55 pm
[citation needed]
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3:57 pm
you people give good chistians like me a bad name, your seriously retarded
you seriously think that gamers are like this? im addicted to wow and go to church,read the bible
pray every night ext and last time i checked im not “driven by the forces of Satan to do crazy, depraved things, even if it involves becoming a devilwhore.”
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5:54 pm
Wowplayer, you have no clue about the deep and beautiful traditions and values of Christianity. Please don’t insult us with this sort of childishness!
“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” — Isaiah 40:31
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4:07 pm
So children have to play sports to have friends? Your article seems to say this, but if you ever stepped into a high school, you would see this isn’t true. Also, where is all this parenting advice coming from? You’ve said yourself you’ve never had children.
It would be a shame if you had children; by your parenting guidelines, your children wouldn’t have many friends if they picked up your same elitist Christian attitude. They’d be too high and mighty to make friends with normal people.
Please leave the internet, you’d be doing it a big favor. Instead, just stay at home and live in your fantasy world where everyone in the world agrees with you. And please, do not reproduce. Last thing we need is another one of you showing up with your insane rants.
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5:50 pm
Winney, of course some children find friendship through activities other than sports in high school, but teammates share a deeper, more profound sort of friendship, a codependence if you will. Sports brings out great strength’s of character in our young ones!
Why do you think they offer sports scholarships to colleges and not “video gamers” scholarships? It’s because our educational leaders understand the value of sports in our society.
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6:19 pm
“Winney, of course some children find friendship through activities other than sports in high school”
Um, MOST children find friendship without sports, not just some.
And it’s not just athletes who form strong bonds, either. All the girls in my Health Careers class in high school grew very, very close. By age 16, we were training to be CNAs in a nursing home for half of the school day, and we would train in a hospital every other week. We were going into elderly people’s rooms who we didn’t even know and performing very personal care. We were bathing them, changing their soiled diapers, wiping their bottoms, cleaning their dentures, feeding them, getting them dressed, etc. One time, in the hospital, we were caring for a man who was dying of cancer. His family was there, and as we were tending to his hygiene needs and making him comfortable, his family was essentially waiting for the end to come, which was difficult to watch. Several of my classmates even had to perform post-mortem care, which left them very shaken for the rest of the day. Needless to say, the experiences that we shared were very poignant and even though we’re all going to different colleges now, I’ll still always remember them and love them. No, we weren’t big muscular jocks scoring touchdowns, we weren’t surgeons saving people’s lives (although my classmate did recognize a man having a heart attack, and told the attending doctor, who managed to save his life), but we were helping people and learning lifelong skills.
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6:38 pm
Claire, nursing is a blessed career. You know I only hope the best for you. I wish more young people were as excited about issues today and concerned about other people’s welfare like you clearly are. In some ways, you remind me of myself when I was a teen.
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6:56 pm
Well, now I’m going to school to become a Veterinary Technician.
“Claire, nursing is a blessed career.”
So then why aren’t you a nurse?
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7:07 pm
Claire, I’m not a nurse because instead I have chosen to be a Certified Investigative Journalist, an equally helpful and blessed career.
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8:03 pm
Sports build a bigger bond than hanging out with friends? I did play tennis in high school, but never built a very big bond with most people I played with. I had stronger friendships with people outside of tennis. Also, you say colleges give scholarships because they like the values? Right, it couldn’t be the fact that college sports are a source of revenue for schools.
“Claire, I’m not a nurse because instead I have chosen to be a Certified Investigative Journalist, an equally helpful and blessed career.”-Comparing investigative journalists to nursing? Get off your high horse. Based on your articles, you haven’t contributed much to society. I’m surprised you can even claim that job position.
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5:05 pm
You clearly don’t know what you’re talking about, have you ever played a game or taken any interest into one ? You’re just some guy who think Gamers sit around in basements alone playing games 24/7. I’ll have to tell you i’m perfectly happy with playing games in my room, i’m not that fond of the basement
And why is it so hard for you to believe we can learn stuff out of games ?
I’m from Belgium and i could speak and write English before i even learned it at school. you know why ? Games. Also movies and such but mostly games. So, please before you say things like this go actually play a game. Besides Computers are the future, you can try and deny it but it’s not gonna change anything. If it weren’t for people playing games and sitting at their computers, you wouldn’t be writing this stuff here right now, because there would be no such thing as the internet and such. And for someone who thinks we should all go out and play sports you’re spending an awful lot of time on this site. And you still haven’t said anything towards female gamers and sporters…
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5:07 pm
Having just finished this article but having not yet perused the comments, I have taken it upon myself to translate the article into a freeverse poem. I hope you like my (re: Billings’s) work.
Jock Strap Jamboree
by Stephenson Billings
Boys
Teen boys
Taut, tight teen boys.
Locker room laughs,
Locker room love.
Jock straps joy as
Tight muscles bulge
Beneath silken soccer shorts.
Chests heaving,
Muscles pulsing
Sun-kissed bodies entwined
As the dying light
Of the setting sun
Comes to rest and reflect
On oiled loins.
I wanted to add a line about taking off their uniforms and hanging them up – you know, so they don’t get wrinkled – but then I thought… there’s probably not any room in the closet for them to hang them up.
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5:45 pm
Jason, you have quite a familiarity with homosexual tendencies and imagery. That’s quite offensive and uncalled for. There is nothing wrong with celebrating the male physique and the successes of our wonderful high school athletes, but you’re going too far by accusing me of anything but a professional and Christian interest in their mind and bodies. A healthy Christian is handsome to me!
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5:51 pm
Billings, I’m pretty sure that the mothers and fathers of high school athletes would not want you salivating over their sons’ bodies, and I doubt the athletes themselves would, either.
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6:11 pm
CLAIRE I AM ABSOLUTELY 100% NOT GAY! STOP LABELING ME WITH YOUR LIBEL!
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6:23 pm
Hey, if you don’t want to be labeled as gay, don’t write about how much you like the bodies of young athletes.
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6:50 pm
“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body,” — 1 Cor. 6:19-20
There’s nothing wrong with celebrating the successful bodies of our fellow Christians!
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5:13 pm
i play sports and video games and it hasnt affected me negatively at all.
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5:17 pm
You clearly don’t know what you’re talking about, have you ever played a game or taken any interest into one ? You’re just some guy who think Gamers sit around in basements alone playing games 24/7. I’ll have to tell you i’m perfectly happy with playing games in my room, i’m not that fond of the basement
And why is it so hard for you to believe we can learn stuff out of games ?
I’m from Belgium and i could speak and write English before i even learned it at school. you know why ? Games. Also movies and such but mostly games. So, please before you say things like this go actually play a game. Besides Computers are the future, you can try and deny it but it’s not gonna change anything. If it weren’t for people playing games and sitting at their computers, you wouldn’t be writing this stuff here right now, because there would be no such thing as the internet and such. And for someone who thinks we should all go out and play sports you’re spending an awful lot of time on this site. And you still haven’t said anything towards female gamers and sporters…
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5:42 pm
Tr4nn3, I happen to be a Certified Investigative Journalist and I have done my homework on this issue. There are many, many scientific studies that prove my points, you will find the links in my article. Or try Google. There is barely nothing on Google about video gaming being healthy for you, by the way.
And while I have had only limited experience around video games, I have counseled youths about various addictions and can clearly see the warning signs here. I was also somewhat of a fan of Ms Pac Man in my earlier years, very briefly, but it showed me how absorbing these games can be.
It’s great that you learned English from a video game, but you would have learned it much quicker by actually doing your homework and staying in school.
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5:46 pm
“There is barely nothing on Google about video gaming being healthy for you, by the way.”
Nice double negative there, Billings.
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10:24 am
what are you talking about ? i didn’t say gaming is healthy and i said i knew English even BEFORE i learned it at school. that means i couldn’t do any homework because i didn’t have the class at that time. and i’m still in school thank you very much. i never said i wasn’t anymore…
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5:38 pm
Well, I’m ashamed of everyone one on this site. Its shameful to see this. I’m embaressed to be human.
I laughed (very hard mind you) at this article. I laughed all the way to the comments. Then I realized that this was serious.
First off, if these are your views and opinions then I will respect you for how honest you are, BUT I don’t see the logic that you “say” you used. Personally it appears that you were a “jock” when you were in high school and you are so close-minded that you can’t help but shove your thoughts and opinions down other peoples throat. Good to see you are adamant about what you believe in, but that doesn’t justify this at all. You say that jocks are kind-hearted, intelligent, and strong people. Well I’m 15 and I can honestly say that most of the jocks at my school are nothing like the ones you describe. My best friend is on the football team and we have known each other since 2nd grade. We talk inbetween classes and what not and overall he is a nice guy. He isn’t a very smart guy and he isn’t very big and he has shown some rather “homosexual” characteristics before but he is kind hearted. I’m a gamer if you will, I don’t play all the time but I play everynow and then. Now through my friend I have gotten to know some of the other people on the football team. Infact, i have several of them in my CAD class (thats computer aided drafting in case you were about to make a quick trip to google), and in that class i have learned that they are NOT NEARLY AS CHRISTIAN AS YOU THINK THEY ARE. I swear to you that every other word in that class is penis, or cock, or some other word for a male reproductive organ. I learned that pretty much the entire football team has a 360 or a Ps3 or a wii. I learned that even though CAD is one of the easiest classes in our school some of them still barely scrape by with a low C. I learned that many of them drink alcohol, smoke weed or cigarettes, or dip (Yea i live in the south, so dip is pretty common. and incase you live in the north its chewing tobacco.).
They aren’t bad people. I talk and joke with them regulary in CAD. I’m a bit of a nerd or geek, but I’m not that geeky or nerdy. I’m slightly below average in weight, I’m about 140 ,which I think is below average for my age, so I’m not obese. I work out after school although with little impact. I’m not the most religious person on earth but I have very strong morals or so I think. I play guitar, play video games, enjoy most forms of media (movies are going down hill in my opinion.) and I used to play sports but I quit around 6th grade due several things. I never had fun, my coach injured me twice on the same day (one of those injurys left some internal scaring, not much but enough that it hurts when its cold out, and yes it is in my pelvic region), people took sports way too seriously which bothered me horribly. If I lost a game my dad would yell at me so much, even if it was by a point or two.
I could counter your argument in so many ways but to do so beyond this point would be disrespectful to you and god.
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5:47 pm
*sigh*
I can’t help but comment on this post. I make 6 figures a year….I didn’t do many sports, except for fencing and basketball, in my free time. I went to columbia on 6 scholarships, because I worked my ass off in Middle and Highschool. I graduated with a 4.5 GPA. YES A 4.5!!!!!! Because i got Straight As and a 1600 on my S.A.T. I only come to this website, to laugh at you immature racist dumbshits. It is people like you, that make me feel ashamed to actually be a republican. After Columbia, i went to Harvard MED, i didn’tdo a single sport. I only got Straight As, so fuck off. I played alot of video games.
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6:08 pm
What kind of doctor are you that posts such profanity on a Christian web site? You don’t sound very mature or moral. Are you a Christian or just some angry gamer who has wiggled his way through the most radical liberal institutions in the country so that he could walk away with a few lousy pieces of paper so he could perform liposuctions on morally debauched types who try to be 20 years younger than they really are?
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10:37 pm
I am a neuro surgeon, I operate on nerves. first of all, i am not a christian, I have nothing against people who beleive in a religion, but i don’t beleive in god, i beleive that the beleif is god is stuid and and pretty much a total sham. On my death bed, its not god who will save me from Cardiac Arrest, Cancer. If he is real he will not do Jack Shit. Technology will, doctors will cure you, in my line of work, I see people who pray to god, to make sure they go safely under the knife, I don’t bad mouth them because of it, because frankly I don’t care. As long as they are safe and i walk home with my paycheck, I am happy. I was and still am a gamer, I play world of warcraft, and i am a star wars geek. Guess what, I work for my self because of it, I have my own office. I came across with your website, when I heard my 13 year old cousin laughing his ass off, over the utter douche baggery and idiotic beleifs you people follow. I got laid when i was 14, I have studied at Abortion clinics, and I find it interesting, and needed in some cases (unwed 16 year old mothers who beleive they can not handle it). I beleive gay people should get married, so their goes, “Are you moral?” question, i am not in your beleif. I am a republican, I beleive obama is doing a shitty job in office, considering we have 9 billion dollar debt, and you know what me and my cousin have noticed reading your site, you focus on propaganda, and opinions, you never talk about the views in which fox makes statements about, you idiots won’t even mention how we have a 9 billion dollar debt, instead you waste your time bad mouthing liberals, because they made something of them selves, and your frankly sitting on a tractor, smoking pot, while your mother works the corners every night. So I am a gamer, I am not a jock, in my experience, Jocks are idiots, who think they are better then everyone, because they are strong, good at sports, can dunk, can run a touch down, frankly I don’t give a shit, I was picked on, i got beat up every day, my childhood was pretty much flat out bad in school, but you know what I had friends, I had ambitions, and look where I am now, or shall I say where i am not now. i am not sitting on a tractor, I am not mowing lawns, and by the way, unlike you I have heard of tooth paste and dental floss, Instead I chose to work my ass off, go to a respected college like my mother and fathers (whom are also republican), and guess what I make 6 figures a year, incase you failed math, that is six zeroes, so I appreciate your ideal of utter idiocy, because you just proved my point, Jocks are not successful, some jocks are who work their ass off everyday like Dwyane Wade to become professionals, and then their is you, you score a couple of high school touch downs, had a leather jacket, and think your all that, well your not…. Thank you for my long and boring rant, this is Richerthanu, logging out.
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10:51 pm
oh and one more thing, for all you high schools who read this idiots rant, and feel bad by it, heres a quote that should help you.
“Things might look rough now, but trust me. Out there, we OWN shit.”
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1:24 am
a reference close to many peoples hearts. but that brings up a big point PENNY arcade, a gamer webcomic has a charity dedicated to supplying toys to childrens hospitals
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12:35 am
AMEN
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8:50 pm
You know, i feel as if i owe you an apology stephenson. I made rude and fale implications when i attacked you, and for that i feel bad. I should have read your comments alittle further, to understand everything. You are a Journalist, thats a good thing, I should not have called you the stereotypical Jesus is everything beleiver. Out of all these article writers, you don’t make implications, that god hates all exceptfor the people he likes. You are not like Abe, whom i’ve grown to loathe, so for that i apologise. Im guessing the main thing that made me bad about this article though, was the fact that you had no hard facts, no sources, you were just basing it all on opinions, just as I had with the whole farmer and drugs. So yes as I have said i am sorry….Just alittle word of advice, write your source.
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5:51 pm
Hahaha im fucking laughting my sexy ass off. Really, this just shows how retarded Americans, and especially Christians are, fucking hell im glad I live in Europe. This Stephen dude is just a fat troll that needs to get fed. Thise articles are just based on bullshit. Have you ever played this game? guess not, woop wopp fucking ownd! Now GTFO and give up this shit. Christianety is acutally one of the the stuff that have lead to mass murders. And Jockeys are just faggs running around school acting cool with they’re so called “Friends”.
kkthxbai
PS: This is just a troll site, dont belive a shit what is stated here.
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6:01 pm
This is classic! – an overtly homosexual religious nut commenting on a topic he clearly has no comprehension of. ‘An investigative Journalist’ and ‘Motivational Children’s Party Entertainer’? this just gets better! Thanks for giving me a laugh this morning and keep up the good work, your comedic ability is something to be admired.
P.S you even look like a pedophile in your picture! well done sir.
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6:20 pm
Old Nick, you are disgusting and it’s people like you that should not be allowed near children to express your radical and frankly appalling views. I am not a homosexual. Frankly the idea of all that sodomy is so offensive to me I want to vomit.
And I happen to look fine for a man of my age, thank you very much. Fat jokes are low.
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6:33 pm
“And I happen to look fine for a man of my age, thank you very much. Fat jokes are low.”
You know what else is low? Degrading people who choose not to play sports. So on with the fat jokes!
Hey Billings, you’re so fat, your cereal bowl came with a life guard.
You’re so fat, when you take a shower, your feet don’t get wet.
You’re so fat, you show up on radar.
You’re so fat, you can only get on the elevator if it’s going down.
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6:45 pm
THAT IS NOT FUNNY! And honestly, I am not really fat. I have a masculine girth appropriate for someone my age.
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6:58 pm
Here you go with the excuses, just like Cartman: “I’m not fat, I’m big-boned!” “I’m not fat, I’m festively plump.”
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6:01 pm
Richard D., thank you for your words of support. I am glad this article is getting across to the kinds of parents who care about their children.
Edward, the studies you reference are VERY important! Thank you! It’s frightening to realize the very genuine PHYSICAL dangers of gaming! And I agree with your statement, “It is child abuse, pure and simple.” Absolutely!
Ishayu: America was founded on a glorious mix of Christian Faith and Capitalistic Entrepreneuralism and Individualism. Much like apple pie and baseball, America’s athletic culture developed later but it is now truly in the blood of every red-blooded American!
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6:10 pm
I love how you make it seem sports were invented in America. Guess what, the only American thing in America, is burgers. So stop with the nonsense.
You’re just some old bag who’s mad at the technological world that is starting to come. Do us all a favor, and just leave.
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6:10 pm
How much do you charge for Motivational Children’s Party Entertainment? you seem like a trustworthy person to have round my infant son and his friends.
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6:14 pm
I’m in the Army currently in iraq I play WoW and got a level 80 druid! w00t bitches! I work out everyday and have a beautiful girl friend at home, and am not one of the nerds in the commo room, i’m a combat engineer running convoys from base to base the most dangerous job in the military right now. I would say at least 75% of the people here play video games on our free time, a lot of the play wow. it’s something to take our mind off what goes on outside the wire. So don’t try and tell people that you highly doubt that military people don’t play wow until you’ve joined and know what goes on.
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6:18 pm
Troll troll is troll.
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6:34 pm
ENTIRE ARTICLE IS TROLLS TROLLING TROLLS
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7:04 pm
“There’s nothing wrong with celebrating the successful bodies of our fellow Christians!”
That quote from the bible said nothing about worshipping other people’s bodies. There’s nothing wrong with complementing someone on how they look, but saying things such as “young firm men filling out new crisp football uniforms, a pair of bulging muscles below soccer shorts” is crossing the line into creepy, especially when you’re a 60 year old guy who looks like John Wayne Gacey saying those things about high school boys, or hitting on 18 year old girls over the internet.
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7:11 pm
“you’re a 60 year old guy who looks like John Wayne Gacey saying those things about high school boys, or hitting on 18 year old girls over the internet.”
Claire, you have a VIVID imagination!
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7:27 pm
A vivid imagination? Well, 60 years old was an educated guess at your age, and while it is simply my opinion that you look like John Wayne Gacey, it is pure fact that you were hitting on an 18 year old girl over the internet. You were telling me about your body, and that I would like it (I can’t remember the exact word you used) if I were to see you in person. Now, you have said yourself that you view anyone under 20 as being children, so you’re a pedophile by hitting on an 18 year old.
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7:33 pm
It’s retarded people like the author here that make me ashamed that my family is christian.
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7:42 pm
Stephenson Billings, I’ll be frank with you:
Morals are exchangeable. You can drop them whenever you feel like it.
Ethics are for life. What’s ethical is more important than what’s moral because ethics are derived from reality.
Above all, reality, the understanding and the improvement of reality comes before burying your head in the sand and telling yourself that you’re a special snow-flake to cover your insecurities.
You believe because you fear there would be nothing after death if you didn’t and I can empathize with that but if you make the world a better place with us instead of being just another statistic, the world and therefor the creation of your god is a better place.
Don’t just sit there on your hands and feel forgiven. DO SOMETHING PRODUCTIVE.
>>I find your comments here condescending and poorly written.
You’re a religious person. Those of us in the real world find it hard to take you seriously – behavior of the highly religious and the clinically insane barely differ.
>>You sound like a blogger.
Clarify. Also, it doesn’t help that the article is presented as a blog or column and not a formal article. No references. No data. No truth. Just “I think” and “I believe” glossed over neatly in well organized words.
I’m 22 and every jock I’ve ever met is either doing time or flipping burgers.
The ones who made it to college are either near-basket cases or in the goddamn closet.
This article? Horse-shit.
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7:46 pm
It’s hilarious to me that people today still think like this. Regardless of your Christian background, I find it strange that anyone would support a stereotypical “jock” lifestyle, especially in the way in which you portray it, simply a means toward gaining popularity and objectifying women. And do you honestly believe that these jocks you describe are successful in life? In general, they are certainly less prosperous than the gamers you disdain so much. Video games are not a way to divorce young people from success, they are merely a hobby. I myself am a relatively serious gamer (2-3 hours a day). However, I “miraculously” maintain a 4.6 GPA, scored a near perfect SAT, and all the while I am a state level weightlifter and have an amazing girlfriend. I suppose this may be some sort of pent up jealousy toward the “nerds” you met during your high school years, oh so many years ago. Or maybe you wanted to be one of these jocks you idolize. Your profile picture certainly suggests you weren’t the prime example of an attractive male. In any case, enjoy your closet homosexuality and $20,000 annual salary. I will be awaiting my acceptance to an Ivy League university where I will make more in my first couple years out of college than you’ve seen in your lifetime.
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7:53 pm
Quoting scripture doesn’t improve your argument.
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8:19 pm
dont feed the christfag trolls people
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8:26 pm
GUESS WHAT
In genesis it says Noah was perfect (look it up if you dont believe me)
BUT NOONES PERFECT BUT GOD
OWNED NIGGER
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8:31 pm
Personally I find this article misleading, but everyones experiences are different. I went to a Christian high school, and granted I graduated 13 years ago, a lot of what happened back then seem to happen now. I was more of a nerd and yet I don’t play video games, I’m more of your physics/engineering variety. Back in high school, I was a regular “target” for the jocks but there were more cases of violent behaviour, rape and drug use from the athletes (male and female) then any of the other subcultures. I am by far not the most perfect paragon, but I do have a nice job as a nuclear engineer while just a few months ago I had a pizza delivered by one of the guys who used to harass me. That’s not to say that all athletes go nowhere and all nerds excel after high school, but for most the ones around my era, it’s more true than false. I remember hating the jocks back in high school, but once I went to college, that hate disappeared. Now I just find it sad that anyone in school these days resorts to violence to resolve their issues. Like I said earlier, everyones experiences are different and these were mine.
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8:43 pm
Props to you, Mr. Billings. You made my day.
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8:47 pm
How established is a lowgrade website?
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8:51 pm
I have been playing Golf for three days. I get really sweaty under my man boob.
that is all.
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9:33 pm
It warms my heart to see that kids who follow the jock culture can become successful Investigative Journalisst, Motivational Children’s Party Entertainers and Antique Soda Bottle Collectors such as yourself. Children’s party entertainers earn the most money out of every imaginable job combined. Also, lol chirstianity.
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9:42 pm
I find it amusing that this asshat thinks he promotes good values and morals, when his own religion is based on the hatred of people that are different. That is why it makes sense that he bashes on all the people who play video games, and don’t prefer sports, its no different than his religions hatred of homosexuals, and anyone else that dares to be different. jesus fucking christ its like when the mormons didnt let black people into their cult. The time will come when you’ll figure it all out, and honestly any one of you disgusting christians forfeits the right to call yourselves “wise” because of your age, wisdom comes from understanding, which all your nuts have avoided your whole life.
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9:49 pm
Hate to break it to you billings, but the door swings both ways. If you shoehorn your child into a jock mentality/lifestyle without proper support and upbringing, you’ll do just as much (if not more) damage than any video game or culture could ever hope to do. I think the Dead Kennedys said it best…
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9:56 pm
Kids these days only care for their videogames and their Jap cartoons. Just the other day I asked my grandson if he wanted to go play some catch, and he just sat there and ignored me while he played his new Halo game on the Wii we got him from Christmas. I blame his mother for this behavior. His father was always trying to get him into sports but his mother was so overprotective of him that she would not let him join the football team. Now all he does is sit in front of the computer and watch those Narutos and Pokemans. I caught him masturbating one time to pictures of those cat people from the videogame with the blue dog that runs really fast. I was disappoint. How could a 22 year old degrade himself like that? I tried to perform an exorcism on him but his mother would not let me, That whore will burn in hell for eternity.
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10:03 pm
YO MUHFUGGA YOU BEST BE JOKIN NIGGA DAT SHIT AINT COOL
I PLAY DEM VIDEYO GAMES AND YOU TALKIN SHIT BOUT DEM WHAT ABOUT MADDEN DAT SHITS REAL FOOTBALL NOT YO PUSSY ASS FOOTBAL YOU WHITE BITCH
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10:10 pm
Janice=OP
OP=faggot
I’m never looking at this ever again so if you were going to reply, there’s no need to waste your time.
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11:46 pm
Lol… you guys got raided by Anon I see. Its never pleasant when your on the receiving end of that., but truthfully you deserved it so im not sorry for you. Oh and i dare you to try to get back at them, I really truly do. It would be the highlight of my life to see your ass plastered over about 80 gigs of homosexual material and at least 4 memes. as it is right now your not worth their time of day to keep their attention. They’ve hit you and moved on, just dont do anything to get their attention back again. as i said i would delight in nothing more than to see you take a little more abuse from them, but I feel everyone deserves a second chance, even a prejudice piece of crap like you.
as for your article this is all i have to say ( trying to lighten the mood here)
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12:20 am
Poe.
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12:33 am
First of all, I may not be christian, but I can still post on this site because it’s a freedom of mine, which I am exercising very bravely right now.
Second, I don’t like sports except for maybe rifle shooting and paintball.
Third, I love video games. I’ve been playing them ever since I was 6 years old and am now 20 years old and proudly in my 3rd year of college studying computer information systems, working toward a future career in programming.
Fourth, I play dozens of violent video games, such as DOOM3, call of duty 4, dawn of war, halo, gears of war, FEAR 2 (which was actually banned in austria I believe for it’s violence), and team fortress 2. Amazingly enough I am a strong pacifist and have been my entire life. I have never even hit one of my friends when they told me to to make things even.
Fifth, video games don’t make you gay. That’s something your born with. I know that video games didn’t make me bi-sexual, that’s something that’s always been there since I was born.
Sixth, what happened to “judge less ye be judged”? Even though I’m not a christian, I still know that.
Lastly, don’t push your views on anyone. That’s just plain wrong. I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t want my taoist views in your face
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1:05 am
:/ i myself do Crew, one of the most physically & mentally demanding sports, if you and your teammates aren’t in perfect harmony, it could cost you the heat. yet, i am also a gamer, raised on pokemon, zelda, and mario, still play games such as Final Fantasy, Mass effect, Earthbound. you generalize to much, not all games are like GTA, ever heard of spore? its a game of imagination, and creativity, you don’t destroy, you build. the game Okami is about restoring life and beauty to a land, LittleBigplanet is about creating as well. not everything is destruction. bioshock brought up moral questions, pushed what was morally right. i suggest you read this article: http://kotaku.com/5333593/gaming-before-chemo-a-childs-escape
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3:11 am
If the admin is interested in keeping haters off of their website, why didn’t they just turn on comment moderation? Can’t wordpress do comment moderation? (This is why I believe this site is satire. Nobody in their right minds would write crap like this unless they wanted to start something.)
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4:25 am
Wow, video games aside – what is wrong with homosexuality?
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4:27 am
Hey! Video games aside, what’s wrong with homosexuality?
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7:30 am
Oh my, if this isn’t the most hideously misguided article I have ever read. I could go as far as to provide numbers that contradict yours and therefore disprove the groundings for your argument entirely, but, given the extensive research that I’m sure you’ve done into the matter, you will know that the statistics for this subject are wholly unreliable.
What I will take direct issue with is your ignorance, naivity, and lack of respect for your fellow man. In case you’ve yet to realise, video gaming is very popular, and I’m certain many of your readers (one of which I am not, and never will be) have taken offence to this article. I thought societies and groups such as these were supposed to SUPPORT each other and help them through problems, not tell them how pathetic they are.
Let’s talk about just how ‘wholesome’ these jocks are. These are the people that STEAL money, VANDALIZE property, DRINK underage and PHYSICALLY and MENTALLY abuse their fellow students. And for what reason? Their own satisfaction and furthering of their social status. It’s the epitome of a WEAK character, that they must exercise their physicality over weaker people with minimal regard or compassion for the well being of others. Do you value such traits in your view of an ideal society? If we had a jock in the West Wing, America would probably have invaded Great Britain by now just to rub it in.
Your article promotes NOTHING of kind heartedness, a caring personality, consideration for others or good will towards a neighbour. You seem to feel that America would be better off if it were run by handsome people with social skills. Are you completely unaware of the divide between those who play sports and academics? Do you honestly think that one’s time is always better spent on the pitch than in a library studying? You need to realign your perceptions of what constitutes a wholesome human being before your opinion on those who play video games is to become even remotely credible.
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9:30 am
Everyone is mad because you fail to see any other point of the argument beyond your own. ALL Jocks=Good wholesome Christian boys and ALL gamers= fat lonely failures at life that have to lie on the internet just to make themselves feel better is just false. You make all these statements with nothing to back them up. If you can prove me ONE single piece of evidence showing clear link between Homosexuality and Gaming I will be impressed with your “certified Investigative Journalist” abilities for proving something Biologist can’t figure out.
You bash all people that bring a counter-argument, and then hide behind your Christianity. I am a catholic born and raised. I was taught that Jesus loves one and all. And that during his time on earth, he hung out with the undesirables. He is a champion of the poor, the sick, the people that everyone else shuns. So why is it that all of a sudden Homosexuality is wrong. If you try to prove homosexuality is wrong with the bible please don’t. The bible is not fact, because if it was, then its cool if I own slaves, beat my wife because she wasn’t subservient to me.
You direct attack gamers, and expect them not to respond with anger? What if I say that ALL White people are Ben Afflick and have massive hands. Some guy says “Hey I’m white, but not Ben Afflick”, I have no way of proving or disproving his argument so I just say “Nope, sorry I did research you must be ashamed of your Ben Afflickness and massive hands.” You completely write off what disproves your argument.
I was Captain of my crew Crew team in highool, went to Duquesne Univeristy and graduated. I am currently working on getting my Masters in Education. I’m not just showing off my epeen (thats gamer slang). Now I am on my 3rd year of coaching crew. I did this all while playing video games.
However you will just write me off as a lonely loser who is lying, just because I am living prove that your entire argument is complete and utter crap.
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10:28 am
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11:59 am
Alright I’m not trying to be overly insulting, but I would like to inform you how out-of-touch and outdated the ideas here idea.
First off, I want to say a little bit about myself. I’m 20 years old, from a heartland state, social, attractive, and am a pre-law student carrying a 3.8 GPA at one of the best colleges in my state. I was a three-sport varsity letterman in high school (track, basketball, and cross country) and am-Gasp!-a gamer! A fairly avid one too, somewhere between 10 and 15 hours of playing time a week. My parents never discouraged this either. When I was 5 I got the chicken pox, and my dad, who also caught it, spent the entire week with me on the couch playing Super Mario World on SNES. I would consider myself both a jock and a gamer, bound to be successful in this life, and I’m not just an outlier.
When I was in high school, a large group of my friends (16 or so) would meet about once a month at a friend’s house and hook up multiple Xbox 360s and play Halo via system links (and btw, I hope you understand what I’m talking about here, or else you lose all journalistic integrity). The group of 16 friends included the starting quarterback, fullback, middle linebacker, strong safety, tight end, #2 wide receiver, 2 lineman, the starting point guard (myself), the leading basketball scorer, a starting forward, a starting outfielder, and 2 track record holders. So out of 16 gamers, 14 were jocks, many of them rather devoted. So it isn’t impossible to be both a gamer and a jock.
Now to your points: you say that the jocks are the most popular/most successful with girls, but our group of hybrids were much more popular than the traditional, pure “jocks,” most of whom were ugly, dirty, and rude. Most of the cheerleaders were dating people in my group. You say that jocks are more successful in life; all of my group of 16 gamers are enrolled in major universities, a large majority of the pure “jocks” are either in community college or didn’t enroll at all, and they are well on their way to illustrious careers changing oil, fixing pipes, or laying sod. I’m also going to venture that video games are just as socially constructive as sports; they teach creative problem solving, resourcefulness, competitiveness, and reflexes. They are much more productive than sitting watching TV, which seems to be your ideal way to spend down time. You need to stop living in the 1950s, Mr. Billings. Times have changed, and video games are not a scourge.
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1:51 pm
You know what? I think everyone here needs to watch a video of my adorable little Charlie!
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2:08 pm
Don’t feed the troll!
(a.k.a. Mr. America-Journalist-AttentionWhore-whatever this niemand calls himself)
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2:24 pm
Don’t feed the gaylord-troll folks, it doesn’t worth the damn time.
You are failing at Attention-whoring sir anyway.
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5:38 pm
How unbelievably ignorant. Completely embarrassing. My thought is the writer IS the pimply faced, pale geek…HE is the one that is transferring his own inadequacies in the article. This whole thing was loaded with homoerotic suggestions. Talking about sweaty young men’s bodies, bulging muscles inside soccer shorts???? C’mon, are you joking!?????? This article is something that should be viewed as HUMOR! I certainly cannot even look at this seriously. My son is an A student, very skilled with computers, and not really interested in athletics in the slightest. I am very proud of him. (Not that this has any relevance, but he is also straight…seems as if your author, the one that fantasizes about sweaty boys in soccer shorts, thinks homosexuality is bad…) Funny thing is, I have this notion that he will grow up successful, likely make more money than any jock that I know, and get married and be happy. Here is another cool thing…he is a CHRISTIAN that goes to CHURCH….(However it be NOT a crazy evangelical sort…It’s a Lutheran church, do those count as churches in your freaky culture??) My point is, websites and articles like this promote your ridiculous propaganda, your ignorant thinking process, your homophobic barf bag philosophies. Anyway, I am going to leave it at that, and you can write back and argue what you will. Anyone that thinks this article has ANY merit whatsoever, is a waste of my time.
Wake UP sheeple! The evangelical right has you hypnotized to keep you under their control! You are a joke.
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6:11 pm
I really can’t tell if this guy is being serious or if he is honestly so delusional. Someone please enlighten me, he seems like that modern Jesus look-a-like on Youtube; just mocking Christianity.
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7:32 pm
LOL
The OP, or original poster, is the most retarded headcase I’ve seen in 14 years of living.
Or he’s the world’s best troll. In that case, he deserves a million dollars.
OR
he’s just trying to manipulate us to hate jocks!
(In case you don’t know, a troll is more or less someone who posts on forums just for the sake of annoying the shit out of everyone and getting a laugh out of it. Not some weird fairy monster.)
Mmkay, now to the serious part.
When I blindly stumbled onto this site yesterday, I was laughing my ass off so hard. This guy’s a fucking idoit. SO WHAT if you’re old? I don’t give a shit who you are, you’ve gotta give something of value to be listened to, not the crap you’ve been writing. You can’t just sit on your ass after you’re done playing high school football and expect to be respected after doing nothing for the rest of your life. I’ve bet you’ve not once actually THOUGHT about your religious beliefs for yourself. You just assume that what you’ve been taught by your parents/teacher/pastor(who may have molested you for all I know). Same goes for you JaniceFun. “I dun well and taught my kids good. I a gud momma. Ah rasied Them to be gud little Billings wannabees.” WTF, man you have to let kids figure things out on their own, or you’ll screw them up. I now hate playing soccer because my parents forced me into it when I was around 8, and I hated basketball for a long time, too. I’ve loved to read ever since I was young, and that’s partly why I love playing video games now. I’ve done well in school because I learned to think, read, and speak better because of video games. I’ve become much less of a Christian in the way most people put it because I’ve read and learned things on my own. You guys just want us all to be little zombies all preaching like you. Well I say go fuck yourselves.
And on a side note, I DESPISE World of Warcraft and other MMORPGs (you’ll know what these are if you actually did research)
And, don’t, and I mean don’t “Young people shouldn’t use this language, it’s a sin” me.
Facepalmed by a 14 yr old black kid
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7:40 pm
hi black guy- that was pretty awesome!
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7:47 pm
LOL
The OP, or original poster, is the most retarded headcase I’ve seen in 14 years of living.
Or he’s the world’s best troll. In that case, he deserves a million dollars.
OR
he’s just trying to manipulate us to hate jocks!
(In case you don’t know, a troll is more or less someone who posts on forums just for the sake of annoying the shit out of everyone and getting a laugh out of it. Not some weird fairy monster.)
Mmkay, now to the serious part.
When I blindly stumbled onto this site yesterday, I was laughing my ass off so hard. This guy’s a fucking idoit. SO WHAT if you’re old? I don’t give a shit who you are, you’ve gotta give something of value to be listened to, not the crap you’ve been writing. You can’t just sit on your ass after you’re done playing high school football and expect to be respected after doing nothing for the rest of your life. I’ve bet you’ve not once actually THOUGHT about your religious beliefs for yourself. You just assume that what you’ve been taught by your parents/teacher/pastor(who may have molested you for all I know). Same goes for you JaniceFun. “I dun well and taught my kids good. I a gud momma. Ah rasied Them to be gud little Billings wannabees.” WTF, man you have to let kids figure things out on their own, or you’ll screw them up. I now hate playing soccer because my parents forced me into it when I was around 8, and I hated basketball for a long time, too. I’ve loved to read ever since I was young, and that’s partly why I love playing video games now. I’ve done well in school because I learned to think, read, and speak better because of video games. I’ve become much less of a Christian in the way most people put it because I’ve read and learned things on my own. You guys just want us all to be little zombies all preaching like you. Well I say go fuck yourselves.
And on a side note, I DESPISE World of Warcraft and other MMORPGs (you’ll know what these are if you actually did research)
And, don’t, and I mean don’t “Young people shouldn’t use this language, it’s a sin” me.
Facepalmed by a 14 yr old kid
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8:21 pm
Wow, I have not read so much rubbish since…I don’t know when. I’m not sure what scares me more, the fact that you have a venue to publish such BS or the fact that there might be others like you out there.
You Sir are very naive if you believe that the jock culture represents everything good and wholesome. It’s the jocks that are out at the after parties getting drunk while the gamers at safe at home.
For the record, I am in my 30′s and all the jocks I went to school with are over weight beer swilling couch potatoes.
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12:48 am
As your reply to my statement was, well, nothing short of sadness. You totally ignored everything I said, and even threw some crap about me saying people learn french from WoW, never even had the word french in my post.
Secondly, not only from my own, but from the past of friends, they’ve all seen jocks being nothing short of immoral, sinful, disgusting being, sure there are the occasional good jock, one who actually deserves some respect from doing well academic in all ways, but you sir, you blatantly say you support all kinds of jocks. Even the immoral and sinful ones, as described by so many here, you defend their actions saying it’s a beautiful act and yet you dare call yourself Christian? Saying that alone is blasphemy.
Last thing, this is not an insult, merely an observation, if that truly is you in your picture, you’re far off from good looking/handsome – So to my point, I don’t see how you on earth could’ve ever gone through school with your beloved jocks without countless years of physical and mental bullying. Unless your daddy’s money (or something equivalent) paid them off.
Anyway, I do hope you can wake up one day, and see that your beliefs are so far off the brink of “pure and beautiful” and this is the age of technology, and games, well, as stated, games help more people than ruin their lives – And as a gamer myself, I am incredibly successful in life. So say what you want, but you have countless proof right here that you are wrong, and nothing to indicate that you are, rather the opposite.
-Michael
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10:39 am
And that was meant for claire. Fucking POS Computer…..
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10:40 am
WHAT THE FUCK? Where is my previous comment? Well it said,
This maessage was for Claire. Fucking P.O.S. Computer
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10:44 am
Why are my comments up here? What the FUCK??
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4:08 am
Okay sorry, i’ll tell you right now… I’m gay with Stephenson Billings. It was meant to be a secret but we’re both pedophiles and invite children to our house(s) for candy.
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7:02 am
How would you, or would you even, define video games from chess? If I play chess habitually, it will teach me how to wage violence against a large group of people. In addition, it will cause me, were I to make it a hobby, to become much more sedentary. However, it is hailed as one of the greatest pastimes in history as it is both mentally stimulating and challenging. Many video games work to the same end. What about classic children’s games, or did your parents forbid you such games as monopoly (you win not by coming out ahead but by crushing your opponent into the ground) and operation (medical malpractice anyone?). If the content of a game teaches us values, why would you say that these games destroyed generations of children? Also, in my experience, the jocks are not only the cruelest, as I know has already been mentioned, but also the least intelligent of the students on a campus, in league with the junkies and the drop-outs, although it could be said that they are willing to put in more effort. They are, again in my experience, the most sexually active in high school, which is premarital which I believe is very much non-Christian, no? And keep in mind that plenty of modern jocks play a lot of video games. It’s never been so popular to shoot aliens, zombies, and terrorists. And what about band members? Like team captains, drum majors and section leaders are put in a position of leadership in charge of much, much larger groups of people, and the band keeps many kids lean without bulking them up and without the temptation of steroids, but there were few, if any, of us (band members) who didn’t play video games at least every now and then. So does that make band automatically bad? Or was it even good before video games, seeing as we weren’t jocks? If you tell me the band is bad I’m afraid I can’t take you seriously any more because at that point you are quite obviously simply promoting a childhood you’ve romanticized
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7:12 pm
Stephenson, I’m 41 now working a dead end mechanic job. I used to play high school football and I wasn’t bad in the least. Where’s this success you talk about?
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7:38 pm
Stephenson, I’m 41 and stuck at a dead end job. Where’s all that success you talk about here?
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3:04 am
OH HAI GUIZE I JUST SAUW U CHRISTIANDUDS SUPPORT BUYIN WORLD OF WARCRAFT GOLD IN UR ADVERT!
THNX 4 TIP GUIZE U ROXXORD MY ACCUNT!
Plz nvr stop sukkin te fiktion off Bibble in ass ef it wus reel deel guiz.
OH N PLZ STOP BEING BALD N UGLY U SCAERED MY CAT
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10:44 am
Holycow,
If Worlds of Warcraft Golden wants to advertise with this site and send us money in support of our message, than I say Hooray! Maybe they realize that a responsible corporation must alert parents about their adults-only and dangerous products.
Amen!
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3:06 am
Oh and Billings – One of our best players is a soldier.
Go hump yourself.
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7:00 am
Yes, I can see that this article is unbiased, despite having friends who play sports AND are computer nerds. Billings, you seem like a patriot, why the hatin’ on guns? That is a VERY American thing to do. Next time you’re out playing with balls (not the ones little boys have) just remember who designed them, same with the clothes that ‘boost’ your performence, and also just about everything the army use. That’s right, nerds make them. You guys have have taken one too many hard ones to the head and don’t know enough about aerodynamics, streamlining and slipstreaming. Then there is the elderly, who makes things to give them an easier life? Let’s not forget those who wouldn’t be alive, and those who are on life support. Without nerds they would all be dead or in agonising pain. I could honestly go on all day about how awful your life would be without nerds, but I have much better things to do.
“Choosing to be a jock insures a boy popularity, a fantastic group of friends, the love of parents and eventually success with the female persuasion.”
It’s called don’t be a dickhead or immature. I have lots of friends (not taking into account the ones I know on the internet.) I am a fairly popular guy, and guess what, I don’t do any sports! I have better things to do than get all hot and sweaty with other guys over a ball. Like getting a future and friends.
“Adults who were video gamers in high school are far less likely to become investment bankers, real estate salesmen, doctors, lawyers and sports coaches. They do not become our pastors or politicians.”
All of those are shit professions. All but 4 are solely nerd’s jobs. Doctors need a strong stomach, and be able to handle immense stress, you fail and someone dies, you also have long shifts and not enough sleep. Sports Coach is a truly awful job, chances are you’ll be training little kids who will not listen to you and can’t even play. Pastor is for religious people, which explains why they are (thankfully) becoming harder to find. Why on fucking earth would you want to be a politician? Guy Fawkes is the ONLY person to ever go into parliament with honest intentions.
“maybe if you’re lucky, your half pleasant IT guy.”
XD
The reason we aren’t happy is most of the time “Try turning it on” or “Have you tried plugging it in yet?” works. Trust me, I know this is the case. Dumb fucks like this should just go back to their balls which we designed for them (once again, not the kind you’re into Billings.) I’ll just be happy with my 6 digit yearly earnings. May even get 7+ digits in it.
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9:44 am
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/2943280.stm
http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/families/article2678519.ece
Stephenson, you are a father who forces his ideals and blind, ignorant faith onto children and are an “investigative journalist” and very successful. What a creative imagination you have! A bit like the guy who wrote the Bible! Playing sports to be successful is an ideology that’s firmly stuck in the 1930′s, just like your bigoted, homophobic ideals. See the articles above you? I’d trust them as a more credible source for journalism than an arrogant, bitter old Christian like yourself.
http://blog.theavclub.tv/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/queen_band.jpg
You may recognise this band. These guys didn’t play sports. Their singer didn’t and was also *GASP* a homosexual! “ZOMG DIS ISZ MUSIC OF TEH DEVIL!!!!!” you will say, in a more condescending and arrogant manner. Well I feel sorry for yo- wait no I don’t. I feel sorry for your kids, who’ve had their lifestyle forced on them by their Nazi of a father. Don’t bother replying, because any argument anyone bothers throwing at you will probably be refuted by “I’m right you’re wrong!” That’s an attitude Hitler had. Oh and while you’re at it go ahead and make wild assumptions about my life. Chances are you’ll be far from the truth, but we all know what a horrible person you are judging by your comments. People like you are stuck in the past and frankly are just bitter because you can’t adapt to modern society.
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11:24 am
facepencil, well I’m not actually a father but I did play high school football and now I counsel kids about sexuality issues, among other things. I don’t know where your unhinged rant is coming from. I can barely understand your odd sentences. You sound a bit delirious. But that’s no surprise, you’re probably still up from last night hooked on some Grand Theft session. Did you shoot some bad guys yet? It’s sad to think you’re probably only an early teen.
Of course it’s no surprise that a music group with the name “QUEEN” would be composed of homosexuals. Thanks for the newsflash. I wasn’t born yesterday. In fact, I just penned a study on that very subject: http://christwire.org/2009/09/homosexuality-the-enemy-within/
And your Hitler nonsense is plainly hurtful and absurd. Any Jew can tell you that throwing around that label is a great offense to the millions who dies in WWII.
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9:50 am
Every kid enjoys a new baseball mitt or a football! (I’d avoid skateboards, however, there is too much drug use and anti-social behavior connected with it.) And when they’re 16, it’s time to consider the appropriate “muscle car” for your boy.
Muscle cars? Im sorry, but I’m sick of these well to do middle class republican types who don’t know what its like to be poor.
The new christian right fails to look at verses in the bible such as “Do not judge”, and cherry picks ones that throw around dominance.
Same goes to music.
I have a very in depth knowledge of music genres myself, and I can tell you, there is NO “satanic” music in the mainstream. You’d have to look very hard to find satanic black metal bands (though anti religious ones arn’t uncommon). Backwards messages have been proven to have NO effect on the human brain, yet fundamentalists still bash this, and pick on subjects with an extremely minor knowledge of the subject, or deem a band “satanic” due to one phrase in their whole discography.
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10:41 am
Dear James, video gaming is known to have a negative effect on attention spans. That is clear from your wild response to me about rock music. Where does my article discuss music and why must you go off on some crazy response like you did? I seriously believe that people like you are the root of the problem, the way you promote gaming as “cool” among your teen friends. It’s just not “cool” to come down with epilepsy or brain damage, and to ruin your future in my book! And yes, I do believe there is a lot of Satanism in music- what do you think ACDC and Judas Priest were all about?
As a Republican and a Christian, I do believe those who work hard and love their Lord are rewarder justly. Just because you don’t have the means right now doesn’t mean you can’t work hard to achieve your goals. Sure, some parents can’t afford a muscle car for their kids, but I do think certain special varsity athletes are deserving of these rewards for their hard work and successes. Would you really want the quarterbacks of this world riding around on bicycles?
And this “Do not judge,” nonsense is plain silly. Who is to lead the children if not the elders?
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10:33 am
What right do you have in saying how we were raised? I was raised very well, with 2 wonderful parents. Im now a nuclear med radiology practicing in 5 hospitals in my area. I make enough for me and my fiance to live very comfortably, and guess what? My entire childhood life I was a gamer. So what?
Being a good person has NOTHING and i mean NOTHING to do with your choice between sports or gaming, nor can your self be evaluated by your beliefs. Just because someone does not believe the way you do does NOT make them terrible.
I must say for a professional, you are VERY judgmental and very full of yourself. It saddens me really.
And just so you know. Pretty much my entire high school football team is now washing windows, flipping burgers, and cleaning MY car when I pull my Mercedes into the wash..
Good day to you.
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10:46 am
And I quote, “Out of terrible shame, video gamers will lie to your face and describe themselves as successful, goodlooking heterosexuals with gorgeous girlfriends and a rich social life. But we know this is not true. It’s a desperate attempt to cover up utter failure.”
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11:16 am
So to be a real Christian you need to be a racist AND sexist?
That me reminds of someone “some” years ago
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12:23 pm
i hope you all realise that he speaks some truth, being a gamer can harm your health, however, saying some ones life is phatetic because they game is quite wroung. everyone needs boundries, a jock if not educated well can see himself as superior to non jocks which is not correct. however a gamer that is not educated well may become overly fat. (not sure where you got the homosexual part) i think the original poster (OP) has some points but went about it comepletly wroung. his approach is highly ofensive and narrow minded, as is some of the responses made to him. but saying one way of life is correcty is just idiocy. sometimes i wish my childhood was diffrent, sometimes i dont. my Brother is in the Army he likes playing video games, i wouldnt call him a gamer though as its only sometimes,
and as last point, you saying that video games cause violence. have you ever thought what the sport Boxxing does ?? it does provide a violent tendency as you are trained to hit people. everything is about moderation in all things, billings had a few nice points but went about it completly wroung and i personally would like him to apologise for some of the hurtfull things he said which are not completly true
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1:03 pm
Good afternoon, Mr. Billings, (though it is likely a different time wherever it is that you exist)
I was sent a link to this article by a friend, who seems to find it hilarious. I find it saddening, and still more saddening after reading through some of the comments at the end, from people sitting on both sides of this argument. Such articles as this make me lose any faith that I once had in humanity. It shocks me that such a lack of intelligent could exist within any member of my race – though I see examples of this frequently. Perhaps you might use that statement as an argument against evolution, if you’re planning on writing an anti-evolution article next, no doubt based on Christian ‘reasoning’.
Before I comment, i’d like to make the following statements (perhaps they will be helpful to you in understanding my perspective, allowing you to better understand the truth of what it is I have to say):
I am one of these people who you say are ‘tainted’ (though you might use a different word, perhaps) by video games, so I feel I am an appropriate person to counter your flawed article.
I am 17 years of age, and have considered myself an adult for many years. (If we measure adulthood by levels of intellectual maturity, then I believe that you would be counted a child in comparison. Perhaps you will prove my wrong by telling me why my comments are flawed, in a calm, coherent and correct manner?)
My theological standing would be best described as atheist. (I come from a mainly Christian family, however, that religion and all those that use it to backup their arguments seem ridiculous to me. But that argument is for another place than this, perhaps.)
I am a British student currently studying in a school, following the IB (International Baccalaureate), and doing three A-levels on the side to improve my chances of successful application to the university that I wish to go to.
I’d also like to add that I in no way feel threatened by your activities in high-school, since you seem to think that is one of the reasons that so many voices have argued with your point of view, or perhaps the sole reason.
Now:
Firstly, you state that those of our race who decide to spend their time working on physical tasks (such as sports) are superior to those that spend their time gaining their entertainment from more virtual means (such as MMORPGs, and other genres of computer games).
I fail to see how you reach this conclusion, especially since you fail to mention that not everyone is the same, and that there are likely some ‘jocks’ who are superior at mental tasks than those who spend their time playing video games.
I’ve played video games for a large portion of my life sitting at my laptop screen playing various MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role playing games) from World of Warcraft, to Anarchy Online, and back again. (though less so now, now that I am working towards my place at Cambridge university to study physics.)
I am of the opinion that playing video games, such as MMORPGs, has improved my skills in many fields over the years that i’ve played them. For example, communication with others, mathematics, philosophy. I’ve talked with people from all over this planet and shared my views and opinions with them. (Indeed, it was one such person whom I have been in contact with through the internet that linked me this article.)
Your article is heavily bias towards your point of view, and fails to mention that those who are not described as ‘jocks’ are, in fact, more likely to be superior in so many fields than those who would be described as such. Though, since my argument (unlike yours) is balanced, I will add that ‘jocks’ will also be valuable members of society in some instances.
You constantly remind us through your comments that you are a reporter of experience. How is it, then, that you fail to write a report which even resembles a balanced argument? (Though you may be forgiven for this, many of your profession similarly fail to do so. Perhaps it is because you all spent too much time playing football as children, instead of doing something to further your abilities in another field – such as mathematics, which would gain a superior profession for you in later life?).
Anyway, to summarize my first point (in case your attention span is lacking, or you’re a busy man):
Your report is bias, and therefore you failed to note counter-arguments which I feel are important. Especially on a border-line philosophical matter which you have decided to write the above article about.
Furthermore, spending time engaged in physical activity with other children is strongly viewed as a way to build up skills such as teamwork, confidence aswell as personal fitness, and this is likely true. However, you fail to take into account that all of these skills can be improved similarly with video games (especially multiplayer ones), along with a great many others: reading ability in young children, creativity, communication skills – to name just a few. (I fear this will be lengthy enough, so I will endeavor to keep such lists short.)
So – That ends my first point. Hopefully you’ll understand what I said, if my language is too complex or otherwise unclear, then please let me know and I will try to make it easier to understand. But I am sure an ‘adult’ such as yourself will have no problems understanding its meaning with your superior mental abilities.
Secondly, you state that young people being developed physically is something that you find desirable in a younger generation, or indeed, any generation.
Now, ignoring the obviously homosexual implications of this, which i’m sure you did not intend to be there. (I refuse to be as crude as previous posters and focus solely on that as a means of pointing out the ridiculousness of your argument.)
So – Physical ability is more important than everything else, huh?
Well, the main reason that that is untrue is this: physical ability has become less and less important in the thousands upon thousands of years that our race and ancestors have struggled to survive. Higher mental functions are the thing that has allowed us to take control of this planet and become the dominant species, not physical might.
Mental ability will continue to be that which makes our race the dominant species of this planet, and allow us to advance upon whatever path we choose to walk. I am hopeful that this will be one involving space flight, since that is a field that I am interested in.
And how does one improve one’s mental ability? By solving puzzles, studying maths (or math, in your part of the world), and various other types of intellectual activity. In short, most of the things you might gain from playing modern (or many past) video games.
These are not traits gained by wandering around a rectangle of grass with a group of people, kicking a small bag of air at each other. Of this, I am undoubtedly correct.
I feel that my second point was written in a short enough way to not require a summary as my first point did, and to be honest, i’ve other things to do than teach an adult such as yourself about the way things work. Since, by your own statement, you should be able to work these things out for yourself.
At this point, i’d add something about you potentially being tainted by Christianity, and that religion is in fact a far greater danger than obesity to our children. I mean, seriously, teaching them to believe in an imaginary man who lives everywhere, can do everything, and who has great love for us all? With zero proof? Surely that is far more dangerous to a young man or woman’s mind than spending hours training themselves in puzzle-solving, maths and communicating with fellow humans.
However – I don’t believe that that point would have any effect. Since most Christians are so firmly rooted in their beliefs, that they do not listen to logic. I believe you call that faith.
I could write a third point, but I feel i’ve already made my point that what you think is important for younger generations is ridiculous, and that video games are something useful to society, not something that damages it (such as religion).
I will keep an eye on this page, and will happily answer any queries you have about any of my points.
I request that you don’t quote your holy book at me, I’ve studied it for a few years, and I understand what your religion is about. Perhaps if you took the time to read it, you’ll notice the many flaws in it.
Sources that contradict themselves are not a good place to stage an argument from.
Have an enjoyable life,
Andrew Cooper,
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10:38 am
So Andrew, you’re a pissy teen addicted gamer who considers himself mature? Why should I care? You clearly aren’t developed morally. You don’t have a clue about the responsibilities of being an adult. Children these days are coddled into their 30s, so I can’t imagine any 17 year old really being an adult. Oh, you type well. I’ll give you that. But that doesn’t mean your atheist worldview has any credence in a Christian environment.
I will admit to being biased. I am biased in favor of Christianity, that great foundation of modern society, that fountain of morality and knowledge. It has been guiding mankind for thousand of years. What have you contributed?
And yes, Jocks are successful and have impressive strengths. Get used to it.
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12:16 pm
Stephenson Billings, people like you give a terrible reputation to the Christians. Thanks to your commentaries and ideas, people who are not Christian consider us to be mind closed, homophobic and discriminatory. And how can we blame them?
Where’s the respect and the love that Christ preached? “Love each other as I have loved you.” With your article you manage to discriminate very well against the persons who do not follow a sports way, condemning it to a life of failures ” These poor souls may never have the courage to ask to girl on to dates back ” poor souls? How in the name of all that is sake dare you to call someone ” Poor soul “? The one who dares to degrade the soul of another person (and only for the fact of being gamer) only demonstrates the poverty of his own soul. Since the Biblical appointments fascinate you I remind you one: “do not judge or you will be judged “.
It depresses me to see this type of column, that finally the only thing that manages is to generate hatred towards the christianity. You have used your religious principles to divide and not to join, which causes a great repulsion.
To all the people who read this, please, do not think that all the Christians are like this man. This one is an example of how a Christian must not be.
PD: Forgive my English, it is not my native language.
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1:38 pm
Stephenson. I am an English college student, having just received my GCSEs and moving onto my IB (International Baccalaureate). I spend 1-2 Hours a day studying,(bar Wednesdays and Thursdays, when I have study leave and therefore study for 4-5 hours), and I also spend 2-3 hours gaming. On top of this, at weekends I partake in Martial Arts, Badminton and Archery. Finally, I am an Antitheist. (The direct opposition of theism, or the belief in a god/gods).
I found this site whilst researching material for a philosophy essay, and I find your comments on Atheism (And thus, Antitheism), exceptionally rude, stating that we have no spiritual side. I am a strong believer in reincarnation, and also in chi, yet I follow no religion. This shows that I am spiritual, yet not a religious person. I have forwarded this to several friends, who will most likely also be making comments.
Next, you state that gamers such as myself have not developed past the mental maturity of a 12 year old. Please show me a 12 year old that can/will -
a) Reply to posts in a mature and organised manner
b) Formulate answers to a debate in such a way as to prevent insult
c) Stumble onto a Christian site such as this, and bother to read a long article such as the one that you have written, and then reply with meaningful answers.
Next up, I openly admit that I do not have a girlfriend. Is this because I am a gamer? No. This is because I do not tend to socialise with girls, as up until now I have been attending a boys only grammar school. Does this make me Homosexual? No.
Your answer to my comment as thus may be that I am English, and thus the “Jock Culture” does not apply. I would say that this is a fair statement, however we still have people in our schools who are very similar to your “Jocks”, and I will state now, that among the students of my college, they have the greatest physical prowess. They also have the lowest grades, D’s and C’s compared to the comparatively high B’s, A’s and, occasionally A*’s that I achieve.
Next, you say that you wish to celebrate this culture that is found in America, yet it seems that you openly promote bullying, as shown by the picture that has been mentioned in a lot of other posts: The Jock pushing a boy into a locker. Furthermore you wish to celebrate the muscular fitness of these children, yet you fail to realise that to some, this “muscular fitness” is actually extremely off putting. When travelling through the halls, where my college is combined with the lower school (thus becoming a sixth form), it is not uncommon to find younger kids being barged out of the way by brutish “jocks”, as you would name them.
Before you state that I should not be on a website that is aimed at ADULTS, it will be important to note that the age of responsibility in Britain is 16, and thus I have every right to be on this site. Furthermore, before you state that I am simply lying, I would like you to read my above list of reasons that I am not simply a 12 year old posting. You may not believe that I am a college student, and that is solely up to you, however you cannot simply discount my views due to me being too young and inferior in knowledge. Truth be told, if you and I where to take knowledge based exams, I would probably win.
I find your points of view elitist and not anywhere near convincing. You say to tell your children that if they so not excel at sports then they will fail in life. This cannot be true, as I can name MANY people who have not played sports and have yet changed the lives of millions. Some of these you may not recognise, whilst others you should be ashamed if you don’t.
Nelson Mandella
Florence Nightingale
Martin Luther King
Jesus – Please find me a quote in the bible showing that Jesus played Football!
Stephen Hawking – Didn’t so much of change the face of the earth, more the face of physics.
Next up, is your statement that gaming causes Epilepsy and Brain Damage. This I find most laughable. Epilepsy is an inherant problem with the brain, and can merely be triggered by flashing lights. It can also happen for no distinct cause, as I know for a fact, due to my friend having epilepsy.
I would like to say more, however I now have to go out, so I will leave you to read what I have written and comment accordingly.
Ps. I regulate my own game time, my parents do not need to even ask about it.
Please think about your words before you comment, and try not to insult anyone any more.
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10:32 am
Raime, I’m sorry I hurt your delicate feelings but when you have the truth burning inside you sometimes you have to holler. You’re a college student? Well learn to be succinct. Your gigantic essay is annoying and unreadable. It also makes little sense. It makes me wonder how good the European academic system really is. And don’t try to tell me what to do, I am far older and more mature than you and I have seen many things in this world that you could not even imagine. When you’re a bit older and maybe even a parent, you may comprehend this.
And so Florence Nightingale didn’t play football, what does that prove? Neither did Jeffrey Dahmer, Jack the Ripper, Pontius Pilate, Adolph and Mao.
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4:33 am
“Your gigantic essay is annoying and unreadable. It also makes little sense.”
Made sense to me :/. Yes, it’s a bit long, but if you’re willing to dismiss a comment as “annoying and unreadable,” instead of actually, you know, reading it and responding/rebutting, then why write an article in the first place?
“And don’t try to tell me what to do, I am far older and more mature than you and I have seen many things in this world that you could not even imagine.”
Pretty shameless argument from authority (more specifically “I’m older then you, therefore I’m right.”) It might shock you, but the times have changed from when you were a child, and maybe a modern 16 year old would be better able to understand the issues facing teenagers today, then an adult on a perch. Or, alternatively, judge someone’s argument by the content of their argument, not how long it’s been since they have been born. In short, being older then someone isn’t proof of anything.
“And so Florence Nightingale didn’t play football, what does that prove?”
“Be honest with your boys and tell them they’ll grow up as failures if they don’t excel at sports.”
Spot the contradiction.
(Yeah, Nightingale was a woman, but others that Raime listed [Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandella, etc] are male.)
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2:39 pm
Wow, i have been reading through this website and at first I thought i was hilarious, but I soon realize that these people were serious… Jock Culture? what culture is that might I ask? The ideas of the weak being bullied and beaten? Of harassing people who are different and DRIVING THEM TO SHOOT UP SCHOOLS? Mabey if you would do some research, you would have found out that the two shooters were harassed before, after and during school hours, beaten by other students, and numerous other horrible things. Also, the best part is, THE TEACHERS WERE AWARE OF THESE THINGS HAPPENING! I applaud the shooters. I don’t agree with their beliefs but I think it is awesome that they took a fucking stand for human rights and basic human kindness. Its people like the ones who write these articles that cause these shootings to happen. By being close minded bigots who can’t see that there are two sides to every story. I am going to spread the word about this site and hopefully this hate mongering lying piece of shit web page will get shut the fuck down. I believe in freedom of speech but some people just need to STFU and keep their stupidity to themselves. And also, their is no solid evidence that Video games are an addiction and there is also no solid evidence that Video Games cause Violence. If children emulate what they see, mabye the parents are to blame. Basically, quit blaming Other people for your poor parenting skills. If you can’t control what a child of 5 watches, you are a failure as a parent and a human being. If you don’t like whats on TV turn it off. Also, all TV’s come with something called a V-Chip. If you bothered to read the instructions, you would find out that this BUILT IN CHIP can BLOCK CHANNELS FOR YOU!!! Parents, do your fucking jobs and raise your kids properly instead of blaming TV and Video games. I mean really.
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2:42 pm
What a bunch of crap, you have to be joking when writing this article and believing in it makes you an ignorant person. You will be a failure if you do not excel at sports. More likely excelling at sports you end up the high school janitor who never let go of the big game and losers.
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2:46 pm
Sports culture teaches children to be aggressive, competitive, and to PUNISH your opponent in however way possible. Football is a pussified game of rugby with steroid-pumped sexually confused men in armor plating. By the way some of your phrases hint that you are a flaming pedophile.
You are an aging old man with old values from a time in our country that has long passed. Stop trying to fight the rising tide because YOU WILL NOT WIN. It seems to me that the whole of Extremist Chrisitianity is just a guild full of clothie Mages trying to Crowd Control everything.
And in most video games, we are FIGHTING AGAINST THE EVIL, not siding with them. Paladin, yes?
Just give this up. In this coming age, technology is becoming the major factor in deciding the success of this country. Your time is over, old man, this is OUR TIME.
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10:27 am
Level 80:
Welcome to the real world! Yes, it’s tough and aggressive. I’m sorry you just have to get used to it. No, it’s not some peace and love in like your Obama fanatics want to believe. Just look at the everyday violence in Iraq! You should be on your knees thanking GOD that this country hasn’t fallen apart like that. It’s a big, bad world out there. Be prepared!
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1:11 pm
The everyday violence that George Bush is responsible for? The guy you “Conservative-Christian” lot appear to have a homosexual crush on?
Think it through
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2:59 pm
I’m sorry if someone already said this before me but I didn’t read everything:
”Everyone that agrees with me is adult everyone that disagrees is a 12year old kid and I’m hardly responding seriously to them I’m just gonna tell them that they are the lying 12year old kids.”
I can hardly take anyone seriously responding like that and as far I have seen you have responded on most posts like that.
Sorry for my spelling mistakes english isn’t my native language.
Yes I’m a gamer and I’m just 16 years old.
So you gonna give me the ”You shouldn’t read this but your parents should, please go away”? and proof me right with hardly responding seriously?
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3:11 pm
I don’t know what has gotten you teens all lathered up today and frankly I don’t even know why you’re all on a Christian Conservative website that is genuinely intended for ADULTS, but let just say this: Your attempts to discredit me are incredibly immature and biased. You feel threatened by me because I am a former high school football player.
JESUS CHRIST YOU CALL US FUXKING BIASED YOU STUPID TWAT?!? DID YOU EVEN BOTHER TO THINK ABOUT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ARGUMENT? NO! YOU JUST THOUGHT: I KNOW, IM CHRISTIAN SO SINCE GOD SAYS SO I MUST BE FUCKING CORRECT, THEREFORE SINCE I CAN’T ACTUALLY WORK A COMPUTER TO THE EXTENT OF GETTING A GAME WORKING, IT MUST ONLY BE NERDS AND OUTCASTS THAT USE IT.
NEWSFLASH, WANKER, TIMES HAVE MOVED ON. I DON’T GIVE A SHIT THAT YOU WERE A FOOTBALLER, YOU THINK I FEEL THREATENED???? I’D RATHER BE A COMPLETE FUCKING WEED WHO DOES DRUGS THAN BE A JOCK AND TURN OUT TO BE A HYPOCRITICAL NARROW MINDED FUCKER LIKE YOU ARE!
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4:19 pm
I am an ADULT and a christian so why don’t you talk with me Mr. Stephenson Billings. Sorry to bust your bubble Billings, but you must not be in touch with the new “jock”. I will give a few brief points as to my background. I am a christian. I was a top ranked O-lineman in the nation coming out of highschool. I was fortunate by the grace of God to play on a top 25 SEC football team. Also by his grace I graduated with a BS in chemistry, a BBA in finance, and later a DDS for dentistry. I played all of the aforementioned games with the exception of The Sims. The majority of football players that I know play or have played on a regular basis atleast one of these games. I would have to say that the Halo franchise is one of the most popular games that football players enjoy and we even would go so far as to have Halo parties when the games were released.
Now as for the “side effects” of games such as “obesity, apathy, suicide, school violence, Satanism, masturbation, homosexuality and unemployment.” You do not need to ban your kids from games because that will make them go behind your back to play. You need to teach them to play in moderation. This will solve the obesity issue. As for suicide, apathy, and school violence I would have to say that “jocks” bullying kids around and shoving them into lockers has more to do with it then video games ever did. Satanism? I mean really? Please show me a mainstream game that promotes worshipping satan, and if you say Doom, Wolfenstein or any of their ilke I might just facepalm. If anything Doom and Wolfenstein promote anti-naziism and anti-demonism through the simple action of blowing them to little tiny chunks of adipose and bone. The only way to stop a teenage kid from masturbation is premarital sex. I ask you which one is worse using a hand or having a baby? As for homosexuality I mean wow just wow. You obviously have not spent any time playing a MMO or online game of any kind. If anything it is the exact opposite where little kids are running around yelling “faggot” and racial slurs to everyone possible. So I would say that video games would push homosexuality into submission instead of promoting it by peer pressure. As for unemployment I would have to say it would be the other way around. Video games do not promote unemployement but unemployed people may play video games more. These lazy worthless people would still be unemployed whether video games exist or not. They would probably find another way to waste their time such as recreational drugs.
Now that all of the side effects you gave were debunked please do not be stereotypical. Saying that the Guitar Hero franchise is immoral is along the same lines of playing the guitar is immoral. That means that all music which contains a guitar is immoral. Which means that the majority of christian music is immoral. Now do you see how silly this is? I can fully understand that saying a video game such as Grand Theft Auto is immoral since it includes hookers, killing for money, and stealing cars. But that is also why their is an ESRB rating on each video game to help parents decide which game is right and wrong for their children.
Now for all of the other people on this thread that are also sterotyping “jocks.” You are just as bad as Billings is. You are doing the exact same thing he is and only making matters worse instead of showing him your opinions in an intelligent manner. Only stupid people stereotype others since they cannot conduct an intelligent conversation in which to show others their opinions. Could I be considered a muscle bound meathead “jock?” Yes since I am 6’7″, 300lbs, and 15% BF and work out 5 times a week. Could I be considered a gamer? Yes since currently raid with a top 100 US guild on Wow as a holy/ret paladin. Am I intelligent? I consider myself to be not stupid since I was able to become a doctor. Am I athletic? Once again I consider myself to be since I was able to start 3 out of 5 years on a top 25 ranked D1-A football team in college. Am I a christian? I go to church ever sunday, pray almost every night, and believe that jesus was the son of God. Now please go ahead and try to stereotype me.
Now please stop all of this stupidity floating around on both sides. Billings go and educate yourself a little more and actually play a video game or two such as Guitar Hero you might actually enjoy it. Anti-jock folks how about you go outside and play a pick up game of basketball or take a run once in awhile to get the blood flowing. You don’t have to be perfect at it just enjoy yourself. Sorry for the wall of text but