Fantasy...Good or Bad?
Alright, I'm not going to lie. I love fantasy...especially medieval fantasy. But is such fantasy Biblical? I do want to follow the Bible, but I don't want to become too legalistic.
I took the issue to the Bible and found that in Revelation chapter 12, symbolic language it used to describe an event that never took place. But the message was meant to point us to Christ. So if fantasy points it's readers/players to Christ, is it justified.
Also, is it prideful to place our Creator in a world that we have created?
Are representations of Christ, such as Aslan, wrong in the light of the second commandment?
Where does 'magic' fit in to all this? Should it be used at all in such books/games?
These are all questions that I have been dealing with lately, and would like your opinion on. I have not cut fantasy out entirely, as I believe that creativity of that nature is a gift from the Lord. In fact, I am still working on my fantasy trilogy, which has a Christ-driven story line.
So what do you think?
I took the issue to the Bible and found that in Revelation chapter 12, symbolic language it used to describe an event that never took place. But the message was meant to point us to Christ. So if fantasy points it's readers/players to Christ, is it justified.
Also, is it prideful to place our Creator in a world that we have created?
Are representations of Christ, such as Aslan, wrong in the light of the second commandment?
Where does 'magic' fit in to all this? Should it be used at all in such books/games?
These are all questions that I have been dealing with lately, and would like your opinion on. I have not cut fantasy out entirely, as I believe that creativity of that nature is a gift from the Lord. In fact, I am still working on my fantasy trilogy, which has a Christ-driven story line.
So what do you think?
posted by Big Daddy | 10:02 AM
2 Comments:
The book of Revelation is part of scripture, and obviously should point us to Christ. However, I would say that literature should do so as well, however, I would not go so far as to say that it is wrong to read anything not written by a christian, or that dosn't directly acknowledge God. In fact, I would greatly prefer reading a strictly non-religious book written by an unbeliever to a "christian" book with bad doctrine.
As for magic... it all depends on what is meant by that word. The term, as it is used in the bible is speaking strictly of satanism, which is wrong in any circumstance (even fiction.) But this isn't the whole extent of the word's meaning (This is the reason many bible translations don't use this word, substituting words that have a more clearly satanic meaning.) There are many "forms" of magic common in contemporary literature wich have nothing to do with satan. Shooting fireballs from your hands, telekenesis, and teleportation are merely impossible, not inherently wrong.
However, much of such literature draws heavily on pagan traditions and myths. There are many pagan works of literature with powerfull imagery that have influenced our culture. Is it wrong for a Christian to draw on this imagery, as it is compatible with Christianity? I don't think it is, but that last clause is crucial "as it is compatible...". It is obviously wrong for a Christian author to have his characters glorify God through human sacrifice.
As G.K. Chesterton said, "For it is only Christian men who keep even pagan things." (Thats a rough quote from memory; its probably a little different to fit the meter.)
Oh, I didn't mean to suggest that I was going to stop 'reading' all fantasy. Far from it! I am still reading Forgotten Realms, Lord of the Rings, and a couple of other books on top of writing my own fantasy trilogy. That is, in fact, why I began questioning this topic. I was writing and my concious started bugging me about some of the things I was writing about, so I started asking questions.
But I do think Role Playing Games are a little different however. In a Role Play, the whole point is that you are controling a character. The same holds true with writing. The character may be a character but the player still controls the character...don't let your chracter 'play' you.
The mind of the player ultimately controls what the character does and thinks. So if your 'hero' is not conforming to God's laws, isn't that in a way a reflection of your own motivations?
There is of course, the issue of villains. I do not think it is wrong to control a villainous character if his end ultimately brings glory to Christ in the RPG. But I again, I might be being too strict on myself about this idea. Please keep digging for me, and share what you find and what the Lord lays on your own heart. I'm just glad my blog has a real debate on it finaly. lol
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