Dear Suzanne:

To my knowledge at the moment I am not aware of any Church document that specifically mentions these games. The Church, however, cannot issue documents on every possible subject. In like manner of parents with their children, the parents cannot be present when their children are confronted with every single dilemma and decision. Thus, we as parents must teach our children the faith, how to think with reason, how to make prudent and wise decisions, and how to evaluate the moral issues with any decision. This is what the Church does for us.

By studying and knowing the Bible and Church teachings we learn the principles of what is prudent and what is not prudent. For example, the teaching of St. Paul is that we are to avoid even the "appearance of evil" (1 Thess 5:22). In other Pauline writings he gives lists of the sort of things that are evil, such as in Galatians 5:19-21.This lies is not exhaustive, but it gives us a clue to the types of things that are evil. But, with the principle of "avoid the appearance of evil" and with Pope John Paul II's teaching on the Culture of Life, it is not rocket science, for example, to discern that we should not dress up on Halloween like axe-murders, demons, and other "culture of death" characters and images. Rather we should dress up like one of the saints, a Bible character, or an angel, or in something neutral like a prince or princess. St. Paul did not teach "avoid even the appearance of evil" to hear himself talk. There is a reason. Unfortunately the majority of Catholics choose to ignore this Biblical teaching and principle of our Faith.

We also have a list of evil behaviors in the Ten Commandments. But, the Ten Commandments are merely an outline. Much of the Catechism is an explanation of the fuller meaning of those Ten Commandments. For example, "Thou shall not commit adultery." This commandment includes a lot more than just adultery. Fornication, concubinage, masturbation, and all sexual sins are part of this Commandment in its fuller context.

Another example is the First Commandment, "Thou shall not have any other Gods before me." The Catechism explains that divination, fortune-telling, witchcraft, and the like are all a violation of the First Commandment.

Thus, when we learn Biblical principles and the principles that are further explained by the Church, we should be able to make some correct decision when we are confronted with situations or circumstances that are not specifically mentioned by the Bible or the Church.

To do this, however, means that we need to know what that Bible and the Church teach and to humble ourselves in obedience to those teaching and principles. Thus, we must be diligent to be the dutiful and perpetual student of our Faith.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary