tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878914472051909043.post4713977782126219303..comments2024-01-12T12:39:47.241-08:00Comments on The Christian Monist: The Tale of Two Cities, and the Praise of FictionUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878914472051909043.post-73776466094762525422010-05-24T12:16:41.299-07:002010-05-24T12:16:41.299-07:00P.S.
Headless Unicorn Guy (who else?)P.S.<br /><br />Headless Unicorn Guy (who else?)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-878914472051909043.post-58284595535859832942010-05-24T12:15:56.035-07:002010-05-24T12:15:56.035-07:00Over at Slacktivist, there's been an ongoing e...Over at Slacktivist, there's been an ongoing explanation as to how <i>Left Behind</i> became not only a Christian bestseller, but got mistaken by its fans for non-fiction "history written in advance", i.e. "THIS is How It WILL Happen!"<br /><br />If you were raised in the Evangelical Wilderness (such as the Navs and/or the more extreme Baptists in MJ's past), you have very little experience with fiction. (MJ has said he hasn't read much in the way of classics like <i>Tale of Two Cities</i> until now, when he's a fiftysomething empty-nester.)<br /><br />What you were limited to is Officially Approved Christian (TM) fiction, which tends to be very didactic, propagandist, and of low quality. From sheer inexperience, you will have little Discernment, unable to distinguish good writing from bad. And (with the low quality of the Official Christian stuff), your experience has not familiarized you with the sheer power of strong fiction. <br /><br />That is, if you had any tendency towards fiction at all, instead of More Important Things. ("Novels were produced for entertainment purposes. How could I justify spending hours entertaining myself when the whole world was going to hell?" Work! For the Night is Coming!!!) <br /><br />When you DO come across something with power behind it (such as <i>Left Behind</i>, basically a disaster technothriller) which you are actually permitted to read, and are unfamiliar with it, the power of fiction can overwhelm you.<br /><br />And total inexperience like that means you can easily mistake the chaff for the wheat, the dross for the gold, the goats for the sheep. And be as vulnerable to exploitation and deception as any of the Worldly you denigrate, just this deception comes with a coat of Bible paint. "Just like Fill-in-the-blank, Except CHRISTIAN (TM)!"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com