Friday, February 12, 2010

Anglican church calls for tighter regulation of violent computer games


From The London Guardian-

Tighter official regulation of violent computer games was called for by members of the Church of England general synod last night.

In a brief debate, members queued up to condemn the availability of ultra-violent games and the relative lack of restrictions on what children can see.

The church itself has been a victim – in 2007 images of the interior of Manchester Cathedral were used without permission in the violent game Resistance: Fall of Man.

The cathedral staff secured an apology - but not the withdrawal of the game from its worldwide market.

The cathedral's dean the Very Rev Govender Rogers Govender told the synod: "Sony's response was: "What is the church worried about? It's just a game.' I had to tell them, 'It may just be a fantasy game to you, but violence is really serious on the streets of Manchester.' We eventually managed to elicit a grudging apology."

Initiating the debate, synod lay member Tom Benyon, a former Tory MP, said: "There is a bubbling sewer of gratuitously violent and sexual pornography and games all around us … I have seen [their] pernicious effect: a family member saw a so-called game and he had nightmares. The images remained with him for months."

More here-

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/feb/12/church-violent-games-pornography

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