Australian Bishop Speaks Out Against Proposed R18+ Rating

Avalith | February 28, 2008 | News | Misc

Usually we see people in the media speaking against video games. Today, we come across a rather unusual scene. A Catholic Bishop speaks out against Australia's proposed R18+ rating for video games.

However, while doing so he's essentially advocating the banning of video games that are deemed too graphic for an MA15+ rating. It's a double edged sword, but hey, at least he's not saying that video games are the spawn of Satan!

DESENSITISATION to violence or sexual imagery does not promote the dignity of the human person and, as such, is not in our best interests as individuals nor as a society, says Bishop Julian Porteous, auxiliary Bishop of Sydney.

“The causes of violence and crime in society is a very complex problem,” he said.

“We need not add to this problem with games that numb our natural repulsion to violence and, with regard to sexually explicit games, reduce women in particular to mere objects of instant self gratification.”

The most violent video games on the market could soon be sold in Australia after the Federal Government said it was considering updating the classification system for games to include an R18+ rating.

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Play ISDF | February 28, 2008

Well I'm glad he isn't saying straight up that games are bad or anything, but nothing should be banned unless it's hazardous to others or one's self or something like that. I'm pretty sure games fall under the non-hazardous category with the exception to people with no self control whatsoever. Still I wouldn't really have too much concern over having an R18+ rating, you don't really hear about violent incidents with games in Aus (well...I don't).
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black doom | March 01, 2008

Most 'computer games kill' stories seem to be from America...

I wonder why (who am I kidding, I have sound theory why they get so many).