My favorite soapbox, and bringing sex along this time......

Anyone who pays attention to my blog knows that I am totally against cursing in a Christian book. There is absoultely no reason for it. Beside the fact that a Christian should not be using those words, they sure shouldn't put them in a Christian book and subject others to it. Anyway, I have had this idea running through my head, and decided to throw it out there. First off, let me start off with a recap of a discussion on facebook by Christia fiction author Eric Wilson. I like his books, his writing style, but was diappointed in his stance on this - for two reasons, actually.

#1 That he, a Christian, feels it is ok to use curse words. He stated there are some types of books he would probably use them in. Why? We as Christians are supposed to be different. But I am not out to slam him in this post. The second reason is actually what has brought about my newest post on this subject......

#2 I cannot remember if he first stated this, or if someone else in the discussion did, and he agreed. Regardless, there was an agreement between he and some others that sometimes, depending on the fictional character, it is more real to have the person curse. And that saying "he cursed" can take away from the realism.

Wow. Have we come so far as Christians that an absence of cursing in a book doesn't seem real to us? Newsflash: compared to the world, what we believe isn't real, so why should we view the absence of cursing as an absence of being real?

I have said all that to get to my point. I know. I tend to ramble. My point is sex. Go into a bookstore and buy a romance book. A general market romance novel. There is a 99.999999% chance that there will be at least one sex scene in the book. A graphic sex scene. (I digress here, but we hear so much about men and pornography, but I believe women have just as much of a problem with their porn - romance novels with sex in them). Also, not as prevalent as romance novels, there are some Westerns, usually series Westerns, that also have graphic sex scenes in them. How do I know this? I have not always been a good little boy......

Anyway - if it doesn't seem real to read a book where the character would curse, and does not - then does that same rule not apply to sex? That if the character is loos morally, and has sex and it isn't described out in detail, then that does not seem real? Or if there is a married couple in the book and they have a passionate moment, and the sex scene is not described, then it also is not real?

Don't roll your eyes. I have a good point. No one needs to curse. No Christian book should have a curse word in it. People have sex. People need to have sex if they are married. No book needs a description of the sex act. But, if we are going to say cursing is necessary in a book for the scene/character to be real, then if sex is implied or a love scene, then the sex act should be described as in a general market novel. A far stretch? Only if you are a supporter of cursing in Christian books and don't like to hear the truth. :-)

I have been working on a book. I have not worked on it for some time due to a couple of reasons, one being a certain friend of mine is supposed to help me, and has not........ :-) - anyway, the book is fiction, a tale of love and redemption. For part of the book, the main character is very immoral, and I show that in non-graphic ways. But...... if we hold the "real" argument up to it as has been held to cursing, then I should describe in graphic detail every sex act.

I really don't think that, but get real people....... we are supposed to be different. Live like Christ. Focus on what is pure, holy, good, etc. We are commanded not to offend our brothers. So what business does a Christian have of putting curse words in a Christian book and offending people? None. Let us leave sex and cursing to the general market books. If people want it, they can go there for it.

OK, getting off of my soap box for now.