Christian Fiction: Let's Address It
[I'm going to say the word "Christian" a whole heckin' lot in this post. I'm aware that my synonym game is not on-point today.]
Many of us have been poking fun at Christian historical romance for quite some time. Everyone knows about the stereotypical problems that (often) run wild in those books. But lately, I've become more concerned by a newer wave of Christian literature: the Christian YA, the Christian contemporary, and the Christian fantasy.
Christian romance, at the very least, is more or less self-aware, and it has a very specific goal and a reasonably specific demographic. I get the feeling that neither the genre itself nor its devotees tend to take it all that seriously. Not so, I find, these newer offerings.
So let's talk about that.
[Note: I could also address some of the issues with the Hot Mess that is the world of Christian film, but I don't want to make this post tediously long, so that will have to wait for another day. But, for the record, when I say "Christian fiction," Christian movies are most certainly included.]
I recently started a YA Christian fantasy (double whammy) which I did not finish for a number of reasons. What bothered me most were the warning signs I saw within the first few pages, symptoms of a disease that Christian novels seem to contract in disturbing numbers: the "I'm Not Like Other Girls" Syndrome.
[You thought this was restricted to secular YA, did you not? You fools. You fell victim to one of the classic blunders. (The most famous is 'Never get involved in a land war in Asia' . . . )]
In all seriousness, have you noticed Christian writers' preoccupation with creating protagonists that are Startlingly Different™? Have you noticed how, when these characters encounter an unbeliever, the unbeliever almost instantly observes "something unique" about them? Typically, it has to do with the Christian character "not being afraid of death" (gasp), or "being committed to chastity" (gasp the 2nd), or, above all, "Not Being Interested in That Beer Because It Leads to Drunkenness & Disorderliness, Thank You Very Much" (world without end, amen).
And, look, I get that we are called in the Bible to be "set apart" from the world, and to live our lives in such a way that unbelievers do see us and start to wonder what force dwells within us, changing us so completely. We are supposed to be unique, to draw others toward the irresistible, undeniable grace and love that they observe in us.
I appreciate that. What I don't appreciate is Christian authors' failure to recognize the fact that, as a general rule, we don't do that. I'm bothered by the inauthenticity of the way Christian characters model the Christian lifestyle in Christian fiction.
Christians are not ⎼ systemically speaking ⎼ nicer, braver, or humbler than non-Christians. Know why? It's because Christians are not yet ⎼ systemically speaking ⎼ spiritually mature. We have an amazing Lord; the only true one, and he is deserving of all praise and glory. But we ourselves are still, in general, petty and hypocritical little hellions.
That's okay. Hellions can be lovable. We don't need to be threatened by acknowledging the truth about ourselves. We certainly don't need to fear that doing so will jeopardize the legitimacy of our gospel, as if the God of the universe could be shaken by the failure of his followers. What we do need to do is own up to it.
Again I will say, Christians are not ⎼ systemically speaking ⎼ nicer, braver, or humbler than non-Christians. So kindly stop pretending that they are in the novels you write about them.
Rather than having your Beneficent Mentor Guy shock & astound the Secular Youth with whom he has connected with the news that he is not, in fact, afraid of dying, create an older Christian who is absolutely bat-crazy terrified of death.
Rather than having your Angelic Wunderkins Heroine confine all her anger to infinitesimal flickerings of resentment deep in her deepest Heart of Hearts, give her tantrums and insecurities that would make Jo March die of shame.
Rather than having your Stolid (But Sincere) Farm-Boy Hero be the one who will never stand by when the disadvantaged are being bullied, let him be positively schooled in compassion & courage by a Muslim or LGBT character.
These things happen. These things are happening now. Please recognize that.
"But Olivia," you say, "older Christians shouldn't be afraid of death, etc. and so forth. Aren't we supposed to challenge and inspire each other? 'Spurring one another on,' and all that? Shouldn't we be creating role models?"
Of course we shouldn't be afraid of death if we have the hope of eternal life in us. But a lot of us are. And maybe, instead of seeing that as a sign of our spiritual failure, we should start looking at it as it actually is: a normal reaction to an unknown process, which we need our Savior's help in overcoming.
Of course we should be challenging and inspiring each other. But comparing ourselves to fictitious human angels is not the way to go. For the reader who is struggling in some area, a perfect character will do nothing constructive. And, moreover, a character whose only weakness (or "imperfection") lies in some fabricated goody-two-shoes nonsense will only serve to discourage someone who has an actual spiritual problem.
Fix it. Please. We're begging you, here.
(Oh, and one more thing: If you could also try to work on improving the caliber of your writing itself, in general, from a technical standpoint, that'd be fantastic. Thanks. Snarky McSnarkster out.)
Many of us have been poking fun at Christian historical romance for quite some time. Everyone knows about the stereotypical problems that (often) run wild in those books. But lately, I've become more concerned by a newer wave of Christian literature: the Christian YA, the Christian contemporary, and the Christian fantasy.
Christian romance, at the very least, is more or less self-aware, and it has a very specific goal and a reasonably specific demographic. I get the feeling that neither the genre itself nor its devotees tend to take it all that seriously. Not so, I find, these newer offerings.
So let's talk about that.
The "I'm Not Like Other Girls" Phenomenon of Christian Fiction (Romantic & Otherwise)
I recently started a YA Christian fantasy (double whammy) which I did not finish for a number of reasons. What bothered me most were the warning signs I saw within the first few pages, symptoms of a disease that Christian novels seem to contract in disturbing numbers: the "I'm Not Like Other Girls" Syndrome.
[You thought this was restricted to secular YA, did you not? You fools. You fell victim to one of the classic blunders. (The most famous is 'Never get involved in a land war in Asia' . . . )]
In all seriousness, have you noticed Christian writers' preoccupation with creating protagonists that are Startlingly Different™? Have you noticed how, when these characters encounter an unbeliever, the unbeliever almost instantly observes "something unique" about them? Typically, it has to do with the Christian character "not being afraid of death" (gasp), or "being committed to chastity" (gasp the 2nd), or, above all, "Not Being Interested in That Beer Because It Leads to Drunkenness & Disorderliness, Thank You Very Much" (world without end, amen).
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| ^^ all Christian authors ^^ |
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| ^^ all readers ^^ |
I appreciate that. What I don't appreciate is Christian authors' failure to recognize the fact that, as a general rule, we don't do that. I'm bothered by the inauthenticity of the way Christian characters model the Christian lifestyle in Christian fiction.
Christians are not ⎼ systemically speaking ⎼ nicer, braver, or humbler than non-Christians. Know why? It's because Christians are not yet ⎼ systemically speaking ⎼ spiritually mature. We have an amazing Lord; the only true one, and he is deserving of all praise and glory. But we ourselves are still, in general, petty and hypocritical little hellions.
That's okay. Hellions can be lovable. We don't need to be threatened by acknowledging the truth about ourselves. We certainly don't need to fear that doing so will jeopardize the legitimacy of our gospel, as if the God of the universe could be shaken by the failure of his followers. What we do need to do is own up to it.
Again I will say, Christians are not ⎼ systemically speaking ⎼ nicer, braver, or humbler than non-Christians. So kindly stop pretending that they are in the novels you write about them.
Rather than having your Angelic Wunderkins Heroine confine all her anger to infinitesimal flickerings of resentment deep in her deepest Heart of Hearts, give her tantrums and insecurities that would make Jo March die of shame.
Rather than having your Stolid (But Sincere) Farm-Boy Hero be the one who will never stand by when the disadvantaged are being bullied, let him be positively schooled in compassion & courage by a Muslim or LGBT character.
These things happen. These things are happening now. Please recognize that.
Of course we shouldn't be afraid of death if we have the hope of eternal life in us. But a lot of us are. And maybe, instead of seeing that as a sign of our spiritual failure, we should start looking at it as it actually is: a normal reaction to an unknown process, which we need our Savior's help in overcoming.
Of course we should be challenging and inspiring each other. But comparing ourselves to fictitious human angels is not the way to go. For the reader who is struggling in some area, a perfect character will do nothing constructive. And, moreover, a character whose only weakness (or "imperfection") lies in some fabricated goody-two-shoes nonsense will only serve to discourage someone who has an actual spiritual problem.
Fix it. Please. We're begging you, here.
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actual footage of me giving up on the entire
Christian genre forever
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OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH GURL
ReplyDelete*cue the Tom Hanks gif of me typing*
Okay so like--I hadn't consciously noticed this or thought about it in a while, but the "I'm Not Like Other Girls" syndrome IS REAL, FAM. And it can be a real problem in these Christian YA books. Because it's setting up a model of Christian girls as, like, crazy-pure and crazy-devoted and crazy-good-tempered-all-the-time, and comparing them to the non-Christian girls in the story in this really, really pharisaical way [hope I spelled that correctly], one which comes perilously close to slut-shaming and internalized misogyny.
And I DO know exactly which Christian fantasy series you mean--and I think that attitude did sort of bother me when I first started reading??--but I read the series at a time when I'd been experiencing a lot of 'coldness' and doubt in my faith for a long long time, and I was trying to Rekindle it, as it were. So I think I put down my own discomfort with the unrealistically-good heroine to "oh, you unbeliever, you just don't want to be told to be good & devout." *bashes self on the head*
Which is noooooooooooot a healthy attitude. ;-)
I'm with you. We need Christian YA / Christian fantasy that portrays Christian characters realistically [ie, Not Even Close To Perfect], and which "meets them where they are," so to speak. Cuz that's how God interacts with us: He meets us where we are.
ALSO I'm so sick of the lie that Christians are somehow the //only// good, brave, kind, or compassionate people in this world. Like, shut UP.
*deep breaths*
#that was a mini rant
It is real. But, honestly, what bothers me most is not even how females are portrayed in these books: it's how all believers are portrayed in these books. I was more upset by the Beneficent Mentor Guy in That One Christian Fantasy Series than by the heroine (partially because I hadn't seen all that much of her yet). The fakery is honestly kind of exhausting to read, for me. And a lot of that is because, as you point out, a part of me still thinks that my objections are only coming from a place of "rebellion" that doesn't WANT to have good examples put before it. But I think, praise God, that I'm slowly coming out of that. ;)
DeleteAMEN HALLELUJAH. It's about ready to get on my last nerve, as they say--both the inauthentic portrayal of Christians and the inaccurate estimation of non-Christians.
I haven't really noticed it, because truthfully, I haven't read a Christian novel in 20 years. My problem with them was more that none of them really held my interest that much (and that's not specifically a Christian fiction issue, most modern novels don't).
ReplyDeleteBut I agree that books in general need to step away from stereotypical tropes, and that the Good Boy/Girl is overdone.
I wouldn't argue that most believers are no different from non-belivers, though I'd say that Christians struggle a lot more with not being MORE so, in an idealistic sense. I beat myself up over my flaws 120% more often than my secular friends seem to, because they don't have this insanely high spiritual standard hounding them. They don't wake up every day with the pressure to "be more like Jesus" dominating their low points ("I should have done that better." "I should have been kinder, even if that person did scream at me in the parking lot and flip me off." "I should not have been rude...").
Just... I guess, for Christian fiction my wish would be -- don't preach. Be real. But also be MORE.
There are lots of reasons to pass on Christian novels. XD
DeleteI wouldn't argue that believers are NO different from non-believers, either. I just don't think they're universally different in the specific WAYS that Christian fiction implies that they are.
Inability to let go of mistakes is definitely something I struggle with, too, and it certainly complicates it to have the "additional" pressure of impersonating Jesus.
"Don't preach. Be real. But also be MORE." << A big ole "Amen to that".
Perhaps not. I can't really speak to it, not having read one in... ah. Well, wait. I did read that novel about Martin Luther a year or two ago that made smoke come out of my ears! ;) I had this really, rage-filled rant I wanted to post on Goodreads, but in the end felt sorry for the poor author and just said it wasn't to my taste. But that book was "typical" Protestant fiction -- any and all Catholics were Evol. Martin Luthor fell in love. The heroine kept having a "burning sensation" in her "stomach" whenever she looked at him. (Because Christian books can't go any lower than that, and as we all know, sexual desire manifests as indigestion. Ahem.)
DeleteYou know, the best Christian novel I ever read wasn't even "Christian." But I suspect it started the trend that you dislike, of the good / culturally different boy / girl. "A Walk to Remember" by Nicholas Sparks. That heroine, to me, was a believable Christian girl, because I was / am that girl. Optimistic. Too much faith in other people's inherent goodness. Things I won't do, because it's against my beliefs. Etc.
Any time anyone tells me Christianity is a crutch for the weak, I want to beat them with it. It's not easy to think back over your day and about how you could have done better, or to hold yourself up to a ridiculously high standard. If I were lazy or weak, I'd much rather not do it. And yet... I do. A lot of people do. And IMO that makes them strong.
I READ THAT MARTIN LUTHER BOOK. Good grief. That was . . . an experience. "As we all know, sexual desire manifests as indigestion." XD XD Ain't that the truth.
DeleteAnd the "sexual tension" between them was so extremely cringey and unbelievable and just . . . nope.
Ah, yes. "A Walk to Remember." I actually do like that story (or, at least, the movie). I think the reason the "not like other girls" schtick didn't bother me in that one was that a) the story wasn't peddling itself as Christian, and b) the girl actually WAS different than most of the girls Landon had met so far. But not in some crazy, unattainable way; she just had beliefs that she stuck to, quietly and firmly.
Good point. Reminds me of C.S. Lewis, something along the lines of, "I never went to Christianity to make me happy. I always knew that a good book or a glass of rum would do that. If you want a religion to make you happy, I certainly don't recommend Christianity."
I grew up in a Christian household but am not a Christian and feel weirdly between worlds judging from the internet world although I'm sure there are others out there. I have to say that I disagree that Christians don't act different, I think it depends on the person, the denomination, etc. I tend to think that most people who profess Christianity are false professors for one thing, its just too much of a cultural thing in America or in one's household, just doing as one is told, going through the motions. For another thing, I really think the people brought up homeschooled, strict, etc. really can have NO idea of the kind of sexual behaviors and substance abuse. I'm almost 30 and tend to OCD, so finding out about a whole lot more now seriously grosses me out; I thought I knew stuff but oh boy I didn't. I just think sometimes we don't realize how sheltered we were.
ReplyDeleteThe mean girl backstabbing, gossipy, easily offended culture on the other hand, seems to be everywhere.
Anyway, I read or rather skimmed Christian fiction ages back. It's the intellectual dearth and feelsy nonsense that bothers me. Throwing God in what is secular nonsense. Except for some exceptionally bad YA, its the dumbest stuff I've ever read. And unfortunately, I think some people do take it seriously.
I don't include children's fiction, some of my favorite middle-grade books were Christian fiction and they were of a infinitesimally much better caliber.
I've started the Tales of Goldstone wood, those are fantasy Christian fiction and also much better quality, but I don't think I noticed any of the things you mentioned.
I think the problem with the Startlingly Different™ or whatever trend for me, is if it's being thrown at me and also ends up not really being so. I don't want average characters, I don't find that inspiring, but I do want real characters, people who are believable, who are shown to us rather that TOLD.
Absolutely. A lot of us are very sheltered from certain cultural norms, even if that may not protect us from other things we'll encounter even in the most sheltered homeschool life.
Delete"Intellectual dearth"--exactly.
I read the first book of Goldstone Wood, and I was completely torn about it because it had a whole host of OTHER "Christian" things that bothered me (I did a whole post about it). But it was also quite well-written and I loved certain other aspects of it. So I have the second book on my shelf waiting to be read. I'm interested to see what I think of it.
YES, EXACTLY--if they're going to be extraordinary characters, that's great. But don't PRETEND that they're shockingly unique if they either a) aren't or b) are in a way that's ridiculously unbelievable.
I don't know if I missed your Goldstone wood post or if I was avoiding spoilers/affecting my view (sometimes I want to read things after so they don't affect my viewpoint or if I forgot, but I'll have to look it up . . . once I finish them . . . or decide I'm done. They're a bit of a slow slog, but after the most of the junk that is Christian fiction, I thought I should try a bit to like them.
DeleteThat makes sense. Sure, whenever/if ever you're interested. I'll be eager to hear your thoughts if you continue the series. They are better written than a lot of Christian fiction that I've read/heard about, I will say that.
DeleteOkay. Wow! I get where you are coming from, but it's not something I've found to be extremely prevalent in the books I read. If, I feel like the story is too sanitized or false in it's depiction of Christianity I don't read it.
ReplyDeleteI don't read strictly Christian fiction, though I read a lot of it. And I have to say it has drastically improved in the last several years when it comes to being more realistic and also in the writing itself. I want to encourage you not to give up on it altogether and keep looking for Christian authors who authors with a Christian world view who write the type of stories you are looking for. Because they are out there. Authors like Catherine West, Clarissa Harwood, Amy Matayo, Jenny B Jones, Janet W Ferguson among others are helping lead the way.
Hee, I'm not actually giving up on the ENTIRE genre. There are a few Christian books that I actually do love! Like Christy, Love Comes Softly, Hinds Feet on High Places, etc. And I've heard encouraging things about Roseanna M. White. Thanks for the recs!
DeleteYes! I don't usually read Christian fiction, but I absolutely agree with this. I mean, it's good to have role models in books that can lead you forward, but it is 10x more powerful when the character has flaws in the beginning and overcomes them showing is how to. Great post!
ReplyDeleteHere, here! ;)
DeleteYou're definitely on to something. My dear friend wrote her first Christian YA novel and while it did have some simple faith moments, I don't think it had all the marks of "I'm not like other girls." The main girl really had a hard time being nice to an old cranky lady, she got annoyed with her brothers, and her parents struggled.
ReplyDeleteYour post is really interesting and now I will definitely have a heightened awareness of this shortcoming, I think. Thanks for sharing!!
Thank YOU for sharing, Sarah! I think, also, some of these flaws will translate differently to different people. So what I think is a "not like other girls" shtick might not be a "not like other girls" shtick to you.
DeleteTotally agree with this post. I like things like Hinds' Feet on High Places, and Till We Have Faces, that have heroines with actual spiritual problems who actually overcome them with God's help.
ReplyDeleteDitto.
DeleteHaha!! That first gif. XD
ReplyDeleteOkay! So! I have many thoughts...
First of all, I don't actually read much Christian fiction of any sort, to be honest. (I read heaps of Christian non-fiction. ;)) Other than actual biographies or historical fiction books on Christian real-life people (like the trailblazer series). Or Narnia. Or Elsie Dinsmore but DON'T GET ME STARTED.
To be honest, I think the reason why I love reading classics so much is because a lot of them tend to have more "morally sound" ideals in them, as opposed to this day and age. I'm thinking along the lines of Anne of Green Gables (they acknowledged God), Little Women (they were real, flawed characters who were trying to better themselves, there was a strong theme of family, which I also love), Dickens books (where again, there are often Christian values/morals loosely scattered throughout), or Tolkien (themes of light fighting darkness and winning; themes of hope and courage and love and valour); and that's enough for me. I don't tend to read fiction to get much spiritual growth from it, if that makes sense.
I HAVE found the "I'm not like other girls//sssooo unique" stereotype as overused, and am ashamed to admit I'd often target that in my own writing through my youth. ;) I think it's so much more powerful to SHOW that than to say it. If you think your character is unique, don't say so - let your READERS say so.
If I'm going to be 100% honest, I'm a little torn about what you said. You said that Christians really aren't any nicer/kinder/braver than non-Christians. That makes me sad, because I think you have a point. I have met some non-believers who are perfectly LOVELY people, and I love spending time with them and their joyous, kind temperament. And on the flip-side, some of the cruelest people I've come across in life have been professing Christians, and it disgusted me to think that they who are called to love others are really hating and judging them instead.
I think it greatly depends on the people themselves. I WANT to say that Christians are kinder/braver, but I don't know if I can. I think they might be more consciously striving to be, but we are all a flawed mess. But their hearts, I believe, are not the same as they were before they knew Christ, and there is power in that. I know Christians who are very religious and legalistic and judgemental are not the people that come to mind when you say brave/kind/loving, but there are also those who truly SHINE Jesus' light, and they are the greatest display of such virtues that I have ever met, and I don't believe you would ever find that in someone who doesn't know Christ. There are many different "kinds" of Christians, but I believe people who have a deep, dependent, grace-based relationship with God will always be more loving/kind/braver than those who do not.
But that's just my experience/thoughts. :)
I DO love your ideas, though! I DEFINITELY applaud anyone who will write a character that is real and struggles and is relatable, because no one needs a goody-two-shoes. I believe the best characters are those that are obviously, relatably flawed, but they strive to grow and change, which they do (at least in part), and the story gives you strong hope that you can grow and change, too. That it's OK to be flawed, but it's important to move forward.
Now you've inspired me to go and write characters like that in my novel that I should be working on. ;)
Haha. "Just call me Joe." XD
DeleteI decided to not even touch the Elsie Dinsmore debacle in this post. XD XD
That definitely makes sense! And it is one of the better points of a number of classics. They didn't always get the morality right (I mean, who does?), but they came closer, usually without being disgusting about it. :-P
Oh, for sure -- my early writing is probably absolutely rife with that nonsense. XD
I understand. I do think it's important for us as a church to recognize that we typically aren't that different from unbelievers when it comes to those specific virtues. Not so that we can be discouraged, but so that we can stop pretending to be something that we're not; and especially so we can refrain from believing ourselves "better" than those outside the faith. And yes, at the same time, it's important to never limit (by our skepticism) the power of Christ's presence in our hearts.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
*slow claps from the back because I came in late*
ReplyDeleteThis was fantastic!!!! I don't have too much else to say, because I agree with pretty much everything you said. xD
However, I did want to comment on Gabby's thoughts above. I wasn't sure how to word my feelings on the topic of some Christians not being as nice as some unbelievers , but she did it for me. xD And I just wanted to add a little.
I agree that there are lots of non believers who are and can be nicer than believers. And there are some people who call themselves Christians and DO NOT have Christ in their hearts, or who ARE Christians, but they have a lot to work out in terms of their kindness and love for others.
But I think it's dangerous to put "niceness" over the love of Christ flowing out of our hearts. (And I'm not saying YOU were, I'm just kind of talking "at the topic" so to speak) There could be two people, one a believer who's introverted and not a big people person, but since they have Jesus in their hearts they're going to have God working through them and calling them to certain acts of kindness towards other. The other person, a non believer, could be the nicest person on the planet but it could just be because they're a bubbly, happy person, or someone who loves helping others. But if their kindness doesn't come from Christ, its meaningless at the end of the day.
Again, I'm not saying you were saying that kindness is more important than being a believer and all. I see the point you were making and I totally and 100% agree that Christians are just as flawed and imperfect as nonbelievers and we need that represented in fiction. I just get nervous when I see "nice" nonbelievers held up as role models or believers. We can definitely 100% learn things from anyone, anytime. But at the end of the day, just as we were and would be lost without Christ, they are lost until they have Christ. (Specifically, while a Christian can definitely learn something positive from a Muslim or LGBT person, I don't think they should then hold said person up as a role model or wise mentor or whatever because they're lacking a truthful foundation.)
And again 2.0 (haha), I'm not saying you were saying the opposite to any of this and I'm sure this is off topic from the intent of your post, but once I got thinking I just wanted to throw in my thoughts. xD
Hope that all made sense!!! ♥
Hey, a late entrance is just as good as an early one for this kind of thing. ;D
DeleteOkay, SO. Let's see if I can accurately express my thoughts on this. (This is a Long comment. In fact, I need to splice it into 2 parts. Ye've been warned. XD)
PART ONE
When I talk about "niceness" in this context, I mean generalized pleasantries, for sure, but more so actual, deep kindness as a virtue. So, in that sense, I don't believe that introversion vs. extroversion has any bearing whatsoever on the issue. A person might be very unlikely to ever initiate conversation with a stranger or do any of the other "nice, extroverted" things, as you say, but still have a deep well of genuine kindness within them. (Which is pretty much what you were saying, I think.)
I believe that the actual, moral virtue of kindness can be seen just as genuinely on display in a non-believer as in a believer. Obviously, the IDEAL would be for believers to be farther along in that. But so many times in Christian fiction, almost all the Christians are shown to be clearly kinder (AND "nicer") than the non-Christians, and that's simply inaccurate, in my opinion.
In terms of what you said about people's kindness being meaningless unless it comes from Christ, I think we may just have a theological difference of opinion. I'm not sure if I'm going to articulate this well, so bear with me and I'm sorry if I don't. XD
I personally believe that all real, true virtue (such as bravery, kindness, humility, etc.) springs from the seed of goodness that God plants in every human being's soul from the moment he creates them at conception. NOW, obviously, not everyone follows God as they grow. Not everyone continues in his ways. BUT, in my personal opinion, God is the source of every genuinely virtuous act by any person ever, however sinful they are in other areas, and whether they acknowledge him as Lord and Savior or not. Again, I believe that we all have an inherent piece of God's goodness within us, and it is up to us, as we age, whether we will cultivate it by following after him or strangle it by indulging in sin. But whichever way we choose, I believe that every TRULY good action we ever take is still generated by that piece. And because of that, I don't believe that we should ever invalidate the virtuous actions of those outside the faith, or view those actions as "less virtuous," if that makes sense.
Obviously, it is and always would be better to be a follower of Jesus. The acceptance of Christ is a monumentally important, life-changing, and life-giving thing. It is the most vital thing in existence. But the right actions, traits, etc. of someone who is not a follower of Jesus are not unimportant or invalid or (in a way) "lesser" than someone who is. I don't think. I could be wrong. :-P
As to not holding up unbelievers as role models, I guess I'd say yes and no? Because while I definitely agree that it's important to have our closest mentors/role models be those who are seeking the one true God, I also think we can and should recognize that sometimes, unbelievers get right what we as believers get wrong. They don't get it right because they are outside the faith, and we don't get it wrong because we are inside the faith. But different human beings have different strengths and weaknesses, and while we obviously have the advantage in that we have (theoretically ;-P) submitted all our weaknesses to Christ for him to fix as only he can, I think it's important to acknowledge when someone who is not saved has more accurately approximated God's will for us in a certain area that someone who is. Not so that we can think that faith in Christ doesn't matter -- NOT AT ALL -- but so that we can take that knowledge to God and ask him to help us. And, yes, to learn from and even strive to emulate that person in that specific area.
PART TWO
DeleteWhew. I'm not sure if all that made sense or accurately reflected my thoughts on it, but I gave it a try. XD And, to be clear, I am not advocating relativity or pluralism, here. (I didn't think you thought that I was; I just wanted to state it explicitly "for the record," as it were. ;D) I believe that Jesus is the only Way, Truth, and Life. I believe that it is VITAL to be aligned with him for eternity. But to sum up what I meant by all this, let us turn to Lewis, great sage that he was. ;D ;D
From The Last Battle:
I overcame my fear and questioned the Glorious One and said, Lord, is it then true, as the Ape said, that thou and Tash are one? The Lion growled so that the earth shook (but his wrath was not against me) and said, It is false. Not because he and I are one, but because we are opposites, I take to me the services which thou hast done to him. For he and I are of such different kinds that no service which is vile can be done to me, and none which is not vile can be done to him.
ANYWAY. Thank you SO much for your comment, Natalie!! It's always important to get everyone's thoughts. <3 <3
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