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Exactly! @Daeus 🙂 We can’t avoid the rules in the Bible (kind of like assuming there is a God in novels, it should also be a given that the morals of the Bible are true), but we don’t have to outline them in our stories.
Yeah, we just need to be careful that we don’t go to far in the other direction though. What we don’t want to do is accidentally give the idea that if the reader can just make their heart a little better, they will have found God’s purpose for them (or anything along those lines). That is a false hope; it is a hope in one’s self, not in God.
Really, we do have to draw some sort of line. If our theme is mercy, we will have to show what that is, or the reader will be left confused. The important thing is to show that example, not lay out that example in propositional form and proceed to defend and define it as if you were having a debate with your reader.
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Exactly @Daeus. Exactly.
@Daeus, Yes! I completely agree. There has to be a happy medium between forcing the Biblical principals and you-can-do-whatever-you-want-because-God-will-love-you-anyway. 🙂
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
~Ephesians 6:12-13
I thought this verse related to what we’ve been talking about, and I wanted to share it with you all. 🙂
Yes! That is one of my absolute favorite verses, @gretald.
Awesome! @kate-flournoy It’s a great verse! 🙂
*pokes topic*
I’ve got something new to say on this. So… *shouts into megaphone* WAKE UP EVERYBODY AND PUT YOUR THINKING CAPS ON!!!!
Thank you. Glad to have secured your attention.
It’s a very simple point, actually, and more on the specific discussion of actual character conversions than Christian fiction in general, but I thought it was pretty important, so here goes: The outcome of the character’s conversion arc should drastically affect the direction of the story.
Otherwise it’s like inserting a character’s struggle about whether or not to dye their hair purple while trying to defeat the world’s most evil emperor— completely unnecessary to the plot. Distracting. We don’t really care about it. Because why should we? It’s not going to actually affect the way the hero beats the villain, after all! I mean, come on, guys! Really?
It’s an unrelated subplot that WE care about because we’re Christians and we know how important it is, but the reader isn’t going to like it. Why should they? We don’t SHOW them it’s important to the story— how else would they know? How else would they care? Why should they care? What difference does it make?So… yeah. My thoughts. *huge grin*
@kate-flournoy
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Agreed. I think I’ve managed to do that in mine. No intentional, but it was almost inevitable in the way the story was constructed. My character has a bit of a problem with authority. She want’s to do things her way, though she is working towards a noble goal. When she finally realized she can’t do it if she remains a rebel, and decides to do the right thing instead, well, it certainly isn’t a side plot. It’s not actually exactly a conversion, more understanding that God will accept her if she comes back to him, that she hasn’t fallen away forever. or maybe it is after-all.
Perfect @anna-brie! Sounds like you did great putting Christianity at the core of your story. 🙂
Thanks, I’m not sure that I’ve actually got it coming across properly yet. It’s a little awkward. The idea came out of an article pointing out the problems in the message of a Disney move that shall remain unnamed. In trying to write a story that shows the opposite, I begin in a similar place, possibly making it seem okay. And every-time I read the article I wonder if this is really a good idea. (So I don’t intend to read it again.)
What do you think about getting a message across starting from the opposite point? Or showing the truth by starting with the lie and slowly (though I’m not sure it is slow) swapping over?
Sounds good to me, @anna-brie! 😀
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