On what I imagine to be a long and painful look at 2011’s most popular games, my first stop is Skyrim, which is the fifth entry in a series of violent games. At first look, it doesn’t seem to be as bad as the other games on my list, but as I’ve learned, Satan dresses his most lustful whores in the plainest clothing. I searched over the Internet for many videos in my research, often with a cold detachment that I suspect an army general must feel while identifying fallen soldiers. There was one video in particular that chilled my bones, and I knew this must be the first game I warn people about. The video is entitled Domestic Abuse. It’s less than a minute long, opening with a shot of a woman in a bathing suit drinking what looks to be beer from a mug. Right off the back, we’ve got sex and alcohol. After she speaks, a black man wearing a gold ring (this is the player,) raises his arms and begins punching her in the face. This continues for several moments while the woman feebly attempts to fight back. She is overcome when the player grabs her shoulder, pushes her down, and punches her several more times, with each blow sounding of the crush of bones and the wet splatter of torn flesh. This kills the woman, who falls limp to the ground. The atrocities don’t end here. The character drags the corpse across the floor boards and poses it suggestively on the bed. Before the scene ends, the character is shown fully, at which point it is revealed that the he is half-man, half-tiger, and wears nothing but a diaper. While this may sound like a gross exaggeration, if you watch the video, you can see that I did not embellish a single fact. 1 Peter 3:7 Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered. What I don’t understand is to what reward a player feels by accomplishing this. The woman wasn’t portrayed as a threat. Quite the opposite: She was wishing the player long life. Killing in this game has transcended supposedly noble causes and self-preservation. In Skyrim, women are butchered, not to win the game, but for the own amusement of the player. This game is teaching players that hitting women has no consequences. It teaches players that it’s a joke. I’ve counseled a few battered women, and hearing their stories never gets any easier. Their tears come so easily, as the memories they harbor are like floating bags of trash in the sea of their minds. Often, any depiction of violence or confrontation can push them over the edge. What would these women say if they knew there was a game that allows players the excitement of delivering these blows? Did their husbands play the other four Skyrim games? Would you, the reader, admit to one of these victims that you’ve played it? Of course, a family is more than just a husband and wife. Children, even when they’re not abused themselves, often suffer the greatest from domestic violence. When one does not feel safe, where does he turn for comfort? I hope the answer would be God, but many turn to fantasies such as those presented in video games as an escape from horrible realities. What solace, then, can these children hope to find? Worse, still, what about the children who are victims of physical abuse, as well as the psychological trauma? Skyrim boldly depicts this, as well: Ephesians 6:4 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. This video sets the theme for the whole game. Throughout it, the player is viciously and brutally slaying people with swords, axes, and – God help us – hammers. The hacking, beating, and stabbing is so intense that blood splashes across the landscapes and onto screen of the TV. As a stark contrast to Super Mario, it is now the characters in the game, not the player, who are acting in self-defense. The player is the bad guy. Skyrim purports to be nothing more than a sadistic slaughter fest. After watching the harrowing scenes several times, I began to come to even darken conclusions. The violence is that of a sexual nature. The children are all penetrated from the front, from behind, and in the throat, one after another. They are then attacked further, after death has already taken them. To what individual does this fantasy appeal to? In real life, serial killers often keep trophies or make shrines dedicated to their heinous crimes. What, then, does Skyrim allow players to do? Click on the thumbnail to see for yourself. When I say that God Hates Video Games, are these the scenes the He feels so strongly toward? Or did He have a hand personally in the creation of this content? Does God want us lining up to buy this for our family? Or does he want us to boycott the retailers and refuse to deal with the purveyors of blasphemous goods? I don’t know God’s mind, but I like to think that I know one or two of His ideas. I encourage any Christians who own this game to rid themselves of it. Throw it away, or better yet, burn it if you can. And any Godly parents who have kids that play video games should look through their collections. Remember, the game is called Skyrim. If you see it, think about the immoral scenes contained within, and decide for yourself if anyone, let alone your own kin, should find enjoyment in such a thing. The man who does not respect others can never respect himself, and God does not appreciate when man disrespects His creations.