Only When I Get Caught

There is a simple lesson that needs to be taught over and over in our society. That lesson is that sin is sin.

The makers of the extremely popular video game series Grand Theft Auto have given us a reminder as to how most Americans look at sin. Nothing is wrong unless you get caught.

When the newest installment of the game series (San Andreas) was released, it was released as a game with an “M” rating (mature). The game sold over 200,000 copies before it was realized that another game was embedded within it. If the player completed certain tasks and entered a specified code, he or she could play the game. That embedded game was nothing but controlling the sexual acts of the people on screen.

Originally, the maker of the game, Take-Two, said that hackers had put the game-within-a-game on the CD-Rom illegally. However, when pressed enough, it was admitted that the company had done it. The rating for the game was changed to “AO” (Adults only). Now the Los Angeles city’s attorney office is taking the company to court for deceptive business practices and making false marketing statements.

While this whole series of games is shameful, this latest development is stunning. Or is it? The company was not going to admit wrongdoing until it was caught. How many of us do the same thing? We live with secret sins that mount up in our lives, but we will not admit them–until we are caught and have no more to “cover” with. We need to learn that sin is sin, no matter if we are caught or not.

May we learn to not sin, but, when we do, may we learn to turn from it immediately. “Getting caught” does not define sin.

NOTE: You may read a press release from the UK about the Grand Theft Auto story by clicking here.