Why are we giving in?
Why are we letting the world dictate what we write, how we write, and when we write it?
Why are the social norms of today’s society telling us why we can put our writing into the world?
Everyone today is trying to be so accepting. “We shouldn’t be judgmental.” “God is love.” “Everyone has a different path.” “Why can’t you just accept me the way I am?” “Why do you think you’re better than everyone else?"
These things we hear all the time, everyday. In the news, in articles, and now in our stories.
As I read more and more books recently released, I see the give. I see the lack of spine or standing up for what is right.
I have read several books now where social behaviors as well as immoral stances and actions are being pushed to be accepted, like homosexuality and transgenderism. They are supported, accepted, and even encouraged.
I, for one, am disappointed.
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I
I do not stand for these things, in fact I disagree strongly with them, from a religious standpoint.
They deny how God created us to be and represent a lofty show of arrogance that we get to decide what we get to be and what is best for us, instead of the omniscient and perfectly wise Creator deciding those things. These stances show the opinion that we get to make decisions about our own and others’ lives that should never be made by any human.
As I read these things in the books, they pollute my enjoyment of the story, any beneficial themes running through it, and prejudice me against the good in the tale. I know that many Christian readers, and even unbelievers who do not support these things, feel the same way.
I do not want these things in my reading, and so it removes a lot of options for me for what I get and choose to read. I don’t want to read those things, and so it often results in me and others having to give up on stories, characters, and plots that we love because these sinful stances are invading these otherwise wonderful story-worlds.
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II
But even aside from any moral or religious objections, what are these authors doing?
Are they really standing up for something they believe in? Or are they trying to make their books more popular by putting these things in them?
Could it be both? Maybe. But I am not just disappointed because these things are in the book. I am frustrated because I feel as though these authors are starting/supporting a trend that our writing is not just for stories, the enjoyment and edification of our readers, or high writing quality. It is more about who can get the most views on their social pages because of something in their book. It is more about being accepted and liked by certain circles of people in an industry that seems (at least to me) to be becoming increasingly more anti-Christian and anti-conservative.
Look at those words that I just wrote. Anti-conservative. This is another thing that irritates me, but also makes me sad. Writing is becoming political. This is not just in books, but also in journalism, TV, and magazines. We absolutely should write about what bothers us, what issues there are in the world, and we should try to support causes we care about. That is what I’m doing right now. But instead of lifting up just causes that need to be talked about, the flow of stories and writing into our minds is about issues that are political, and many writers are not actually passionate about them.
These stories are promoting homosexuality, transgenderism, and abortion.
But many of these authors were not talking about any of those issues in their books ten years ago. Specifically homosexuality, which is becoming more and more prevalent in the stories I am viewing. There was recently a series that I was reading. There were nine books in it. It was clean, fun, and enjoyable. But then, out of nowhere, the author decided to put gay characters in it. Why? There was no hint of this before. Why are you bringing these things into our reading? I am disgruntled because I don’t want it there, but also because I feel like you are only putting it there so that you’re “popular” or so that you “fit in.”
It is wrong no matter what. But it is extraordinarily frustrating when these authors are writing these topics into their stories for the sake of views, popularity, and acceptance. They want to be liked and promoted among the “popular” circles of today’s society. It shows the lower level of writing that is resulting as we come further and further away from the classics of the last century and all the centuries before that. We write not for quality as much anymore, as for the things that are “trendy” right now.
Caveat–please heed this–I don’t want to make sweeping generalizations. Some writers might not be writing things that I disagree with just to fit in. Maybe they really believe in whatever it is. That doesn’t make those things right, but I don’t want to dismiss authors who are writing for quality, whose books deserve to be popular, and who write about things that I stand against because they truly think those things are right and important.
As I just said, homosexuality, transgenderism, abortion, and many others erroneous actions and stances are wrong NO MATTER WHAT. But–everyone has a right to their opinion, including the people who support those things, even if those opinions are misguided. Everyone has things that they are passionate about, even if they’re wrong and go against our created purpose. It’s not good all the time. But in this particular section, I am talking about disappointment that these are not things the writers are passionate about. They are things thrown in for no good reason.
These stories were beautiful and well-written. The writing quality might still be high. But it creates this vibe that writers should put things in their book so that people will read them, but not just for a story. For political reasons, or because even the readers want to be popular by reading books that accept these things.
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III
“The first business of a story is to be a good story. When Our Lord made a wheel in the carpenter shop, depend upon it: It was first and foremost a good wheel.”
—C.S. Lewis
This quote was actually Lewis talking about writers who try to force their Christian themes down the throats of their readers, instead of showing God’s love and Christ through the beauty of writing craft and their story itself.
But I think that it applies to what I’m talking about in this third section. Our stories should deal with issues, problems, and make a case for right in the world. However, our stories are first and foremost stories. They are not articles like this one. They are things that people read to escape, to enjoy, and to go on adventures.
There is a time and place to outright discuss and promote religious and political stances. Our stories are not that place. They should have underlying themes of truth and justice, shown through the story itself, but it is not a commentary. That sentence also brings me full circle though. Note that I said “themes of truth and justice.” Homosexuality, extra-marital intimacy, abortion, and transgenderism are not true, just, or right. They are wrong. It needs to stop.
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I am young and do not understand everything. I don’t want to go around insulting people without understanding what I’m saying. But these things are wrong. That I know. And I am severely disappointed when they invade every aspect of our lives, now even this.
But I don’t have a fix. I don’t have an answer for this. All I know is that I want writing to be about writing again. I want our stories to speak truth and goodness and light and give glory to the Creator. I want quality and beauty. And we are losing that so quickly.
