Biblical Reasons Not to Read Fantasy Fiction

Chad Pettit is a Christian suspense author. He served ten years in the Army and spent two combat tours in Iraq. He is an English teacher and lives with his wife and four sons.

Generally speaking, if you want to play a game or sport at any level, you lot demand to know how the game is played and the rules that govern it. Makes sense, right? Well, non so much when it comes to playing the game of reading or writing Christian stories with fantasy elements in them. No i really knows how the game is played, and no 2 people seem to exist able to consistently agree on the rules.

The reality, though, is that Christian fantasy stories are not games. There is a rule book, still. It'due south the same book that's supposed to govern all aspects of Christian living. You lot might have guessed which book I'm referring to, but in 2020, in western social club, you tin can't leave room for imagination on this one.

I'm talking nearly the Bible.

The Bible is the Basis for Christian Fantasy Stories

I mean, if you lot're going to wage the eternal land of your soul on what the Bible says, it makes no sense to me to base everything else on opinions, feelings, and traditions. When I encounter professing Christians who live their lives this way, I want to throw my hands in the air and scream as loudly as possible:

Accept You lot E'er Even READ THE BIBLE???

Sadly, if I were to actually ask, the answer would probably be a resounding "well, a fiddling chip."

I get information technology. It's a large book. Easier to only read the fun parts and permit TBN and Dove fill in the rest. Or Hollywood. Or your high school scientific discipline instructor. At that point, information technology doesn't actually matter. But all of these people are fully persuaded in their widely varying minds that they're absolutely correct…or that their priest/preacher/parent/friend or some guy they talk to that similar "actually knows a lot of stuff about religion and what not" is absolutely right.

If y'all're staring at your screen with a furrowed brow or wide-eyed confusion, yous're set. You lot're primed to learn exactly what you're upwards against when trying to unravel the unorganized backyard ball we call Christian Fantasy Fiction. I'thousand not going to get into the nuances between general fantasy and Christian fantasy stories, but anyway: Let's become started!

An Of import Note Nearly Reading Fantasy Stories

It is necessary, first of all, to be careful in how the answer to the question of Christians reading and writing fantasy stories is framed. We tend to more often than not frame these types of questions as "should" questions without first addressing them every bit "can" questions. In other words, can a Christian read and write Christian fantasy or other types of fantasy stories?

The short answer is, yes.

The long reply is, yep.

This is the part where I put in the obligatory "I don't hateful to offend anyone" statement, merely that seems similar a waste of fourth dimension. I never set out to offend people, just some people are ALWAYS going to be offended.

Await, the truth is pretty simple. If you don't like elements of fantasy, don't read the Bible. Let'southward check the list, shall we?

Some Common Elements in Fantasy Stories

• Magic
• Mythical creatures or talking animals
• Supernatural acts or events
• Deus ex machina
• The struggle between good and evil
• Intense battles, quests, etc.

Hither is a truth that is hard for many Christians to believe: The Bible is a fantasy novel. I'm not saying it's fabricated upwards. It's not, just information technology does comport all of the elements common to that broad genre. Seriously, if y'all were to remove the title and all references to Jesus and then hand it to a librarian or bookstore employee, it would be be stocked in the fantasy department.

• Magic (Moses went toe-to-toe with magicians in Egypt)
• Mythical creatures or talking animals (Balaam talked to a donkey)
• Supernatural acts or events (parting of the seas, people walking on water, chariots of fire)
• Deus ex machina (departing of the seas, Jesus walking on water, chariots of fire…)
• The struggle between adept and evil (there'due south this guy named Satan and there are these angels…)
• Intense battles, quests, etc. (David's entire life, the mighty men; in that location's this guy named Satan…)

And then can Christians read fantasy stories?

As to whether Christians can write fantasy stories, ask Paul and Luke. Their tales seem pretty fantastical to me. Over again, what they wrote was not made up, only my point is that it'due south non evil to read and write about these things. So tin can you lot? I don't meet why not. Should you? That's a personal determination, i y'all should make through prayer and a thorough report of the scriptures along with unbiased, godly counsel. Merely similar everything in a life lived for God.

There are some common arguments that are brought upwardly, and some of them accept merit, only most of them are hands defeated with simple logic.

Common Arguments Confronting Christians Fantasy Stories

This is not intended to be exhaustive. At play here is a main that should exist applied when someone tells y'all something is wrong or sinful. Apply a simple line of questions and pursue the answers. If you cannot satisfactorily conclude that the affair or behavior in question is indeed wrong or sinful, then it shouldn't be labeled every bit such.

Magic Systems

One objection to Christians reading and writing fantasy stories is the inclusion of magic. This gets treated like a gateway drug, and information technology really is the become-to for many anti-fantasy proponents. Merely why is it wrong? What is the impairment?

You lot'll hear many variations, just the argument is that if Christians read or watch stories with magic, they'll become enamored by it or desensitized. Desensitization is a fizz discussion in a lot of fundamental circles. The idea is that Christians will become desensitized to the evil of magic, which is really (they say) witchcraft and devil worship. This is flawed thinking in many ways and a very fallacious argument, only I'll only address a few aspects of it.

Ane, sometimes the "magic" organisation in a fantasy story isn't really magic. Sometimes it's powers granted by God, and information technology'south used much in the same mode Moses defeated the magicians in Pharaoh's courtroom. Does that make God, equally an writer, incorrect for including magic in His story? (and by story I mean the narrative business relationship of historical events)

Two, just considering a person reads a story that glorifies a magic user doesn't mean he or she will want to perform magic. In fact, fantasy done well creates characters that are non meant to be idolized. Raistlin Majere of the DragonLance series was a powerful mage, but I don't know anyone who read those stories that wanted to be like him. He was constantly ill, hated, and miserable!

Three, I'll continue coming with that aforementioned forepart dial that hits the nose every time: The Bible is full of magic!

Dragons

You're non going to go very far down the fantasy island without running into a book with dragons in it. For some reason this seems to be a existent sticking point for extreme fundamentalists and professing Christians who remember everything other than the Bible will potentially destroy our minds and souls. Dragons. Seriously.

I get information technology. Satan. That whole book of Revelation thing. Yes, Satan is referred to equally a dragon. He is evil incarnate. He is bad.

Just while Satan is called a dragon, he's also called a lion. A roaring lion to be more precise. Permit's encounter if we tin can follow this deductive logic. Satan is a dragon in the Bible. Therefore, dragons are evil, and Christians should not read stories with dragons in them. Aristotle would shutter at such a warped abuse of the criteria he laid out for syllogisms.

Apart from the imaginary osmosis that some people seem to recollect takes places that transforms a reader into a devil worshipper past reading a story well-nigh dragons, this argument just doesn't hold up to scrutiny. For one, a lot of fantasy stories pigment dragons in a pretty bad low-cal. Every bit in, the dragons are unremarkably evil in fantasy stories, and the hero (or heroes) defeats them. Non always, but that'south worth mentioning.

But if we tin can't read or write stories most dragons because Satan is the dragon in the Bible, does that mean we can't read stories about lions, too? There are two big issues with that "logic" that demand to be addressed.

• That would mean you can't read the Bible.
• That would also mean that Jesus is evil

What?

Aye. If a panthera leo is evil because Satan is a roaring lion, then we must follow that logic to conclude that Jesus is evil because He is the Lion of Judah. Or. Or. A king of beasts is a lion, and a dragon is a dragon.

How practice yous defeat a lion? Y'all ship in a more powerful king of beasts. Jesus is holy and righteous. He is all-powerful, and He has already defeated Satan.

How practice y'all defeat a dragon? With an archangel wielding a really absurd sword.

Huh? Hey, but maxim. Michael and his angels accept Satan downwards. Do yous call back information technology's a coincidence that the heroes in fantasy stories e'er seem to exist fighting dragons with swords? Information technology'south almost like the Bible has a lot more influence on these "evil" books than fundamentalists give them credit for.

Violence and War

There's zip like a good brainwashing to counter brainwashing. I've heard countless people proverb kids shouldn't play trigger-happy video games because they'll finish up thinking violence is okay. Those aforementioned people purchase their kids Batman costumes for the "Fall Festival" that's totally "not" a celebration of Halloween…on Oct 31st.

Am I the only one looking around confused when the preacher gets angry and starts shouting and slamming his fists down on the pulpit while preaching against acrimony and violence? I feel lone in those moments. Why? Considering unremarkably the men in the audience are shouting their approval and raising their ain fists while the women in the room nod along. Some of them shrink a little bit and sideways glance at their "non-vehement" husbands. Weird.

How is it okay for "good Christian" men to tell their boys there'south cipher wrong with wrestling, hunting, and playing rough in one breath and then say how incorrect books containing wrestling, hunting, and playing rough are?

Brand information technology makes sense!

I'yard non against wrestling. I have four boys. They go far their fair share of impromptu royal rumbles. I sentry and laugh, knowing they're just being kids. I too stop them if they really injure each other or start doing anything with malice.

You cannot possibly look at me with a straight face and tell me that reading a book or watching a movie with violence is going to turn me into a violent person, desensitize me to violence, or warp my mind. You can't. Non unless yous're willing to admit the same things about the Bible.

If you don't believe me, allow me to assume the mantle of preacher so some of y'all might actually mind.

Open your Bibles to the book of Judges, delight.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you a wholesome story with absolutely no acts of violence. Some of the exploits of the characters include:

• stabbing a man in the gut
• setting hundreds of foxes on fire
• driving a nail through a human being's caput
• slaughtering thousands with a jawbone
• raping women
• beating men with thorns
• a man killing his girl in the proper noun of God
• cutting a dead woman into pieces afterward she had been gang-raped and sending her trunk parts effectually the country

The books of the Kings: violent. The Chronicles: trigger-happy. There's violence about from encompass-to-cover of the Bible, and some of the virtually twisted stories ever told reside in those pages. You can try all y'all desire to explain it away, only that doesn't shift reality one inch to the left or to the right.

Imagination and Escape from Reality

I'k sorry to eye-curl on this one, but it gets abrasive after a while.

Some people only can't help ripping things out of context, just that can lead to a lot of damage. For instance, telling people that imagination is a bad thing considering the Bible says to bandage down imaginations.

Let'southward endeavour our best to await at what the Bible ACTUALLY says. I call up our individual interpretations throughout history take acquired quite enough issues (I'k talking to you, Crusades). Here is the verse in question:

"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself confronting the cognition of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5).

And at that place y'all go. Case closed. The Bible says to cast downward imaginations, and so fiction is wrong. Non just fantasy. Oh no. ALL fiction is bad. Unless it's A Pilgrim's Progress. That one'southward okay. Or a made up story as a sermon illustration. That's okay, likewise.

It'south almost similar at that place's some hypocrisy…never mind.

That verse lives in a chapter. That chapter lives in a book. That book is actually a letter. A alphabetic character written to a specific group of people for a specific reason. The Corinthians were a very carnally-minded group that needed guidance. Paul was explaining to them that their true battle was spiritual, not concrete. The bespeak of that verse is non to say imagination is evil. The betoken is that, if the thoughts you accept go contrary to what God says is true, they need to be reigned in.

Imagination is not only fine, information technology's a good thing. And now, my smoking gun:

Jesus Christ.

That's correct, folks. The very Son of God, God manifest in the flesh, told stories. I know fundamentalists and literalists will tell you that if Jesus said information technology, it's 100% fact. Well, it might be a fact that He said information technology, merely that doesn't mean what He said literally took place.

Jesus regularly illustrated His points with stories, and I observe it odd that and then many fundamentalists acknowledge this when it'south convenient for their sermon illustration or when they want to win an argument, but the other stories were literal if it supports their doctrine.

How do yous fight that sort of cerebral dissonance and intentional confirmation bias?

Ane Underlying Motive for Anti-Fantasy Rhetoric

Tolkien is blasted by scholars and religious pundits alike for writing "escapism."

C.S. Lewis is blasted by fundamentalists for his allegorical Narnia stories. Somehow, A Pilgrim's Progress is a godly apologue that tells the story of a Christian traveling the Christian life, merely Lewis'due south allegorical telling of redemption through Jesus Christ is evil. Both employ imagination, and then what'southward the problem?

Well, one was told by a Protestant, and the other was told by a Catholic. And we just can't accept Christians following after a Catholic because, doesn't our doctrine hold that the Catholic Church is the new Babylon? Isn't Rome the city on seven hills from Revelation? Isn't the Catholic Church the Great Whore of Revelation?

Hey, fundamentalists. Your bias is showing. Might want to constrict that in.

Yous tin can say what you want, but when someone says one thing is okay but another thing that is exactly the same is bad, you had ameliorate check the motives of the person feeding you lot that line. These are the same people who love to pound the pulpit and tell you all nigh David killing the babies of the enemy merely tin can't seem to think that Jesus told them to plough the other cheek.

What Fantasy Stories Offer

Promise. Fantasy stories, especially Christian fantasy stories, simply about always follow a similar path, a path that leads to the good conquering evil. It's non realistic in the slightest if you put it into human being terms. Why? Because a human being can murder some other human and end up in a place where he gets a comfortable bed, iii meals a day, and a free education in the existent world.

Put, however, into eternal terms, fantasy stories tell the larger truth. I day God will redeem His children and this world. One 24-hour interval all the violence that happened as a result of man's disobedience to God will come to an end. Fantasy reminds the Christian that evil is not stronger than God.

Fantasy stories offer heroes. They offer failures and the downtrodden the opportunity to rise above their lot in life. Fantasy stories inspire people to look across their circumstances and see their true potential.

Fantasy stories instill values where no Bible or godly influence is present. I grew upward reading stories of Drizzt Exercise'Urdern, the rogue dark elf created past R.A. Salvatore who rejected the evil ways of his people and became a ranger. For me, growing up without a Biblical influence, Drizzt became a part of my conscious. I weighed my decisions against his nobility. Simply when I stopped reading his stories, I became seared from my witting and slipped into a series of really poor decisions.

A phone is just an object. Like a figurer, it'south a tool that can exist used for adept or for evil. You can use your oral cavity to sing God'south praises or expletive those around y'all. A story is just a story. If y'all read it looking for evil inspiration, you're sure to find it. If y'all read it looking for good inspiration, yous're sure to find that every bit well. The story might be horrible, but that tin can work for expert.

Similar the volume of Judges, depraved stories can repel united states from the thought of committing acts of violence. They tin drive us closer to God. For some of the people with no noesis of God and His discussion, fantasy stories are the simply moral compass they have. If those stories are taken abroad from them, the arrow spins out of command or points to whatever magnet draws it. History and feel tells me that magnetic strength will rarely be a force for good.

For Christians, reading and writing fantasy stories is an option, but equally it is for anyone else. No one is twisting your arm and forcing you to read or write them. Just neither should you allow anyone twist your mind into thinking God will punish you if yous exercise.

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Source: https://chadpettit.com/christian-fantasy-stories/

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