Welcome to Tuesday Book Chat. This is where we encourage book lovers to answer our bookish question of the week.
Today’s question is:
What’s your view on sex or rape scenes In Christian fiction?
We look forward to hearing your thoughts. Please join in the conversation by commenting on this post or on the blog post shared in our Australasian Christian Writers Facebook Group.
Let’s chat!
Personally I don’t like them. I don’t thinks we should have sex scene in christian fiction. Closed door is ok but not open door. If I wanted them I would read general market. On rape scenes again I think you can allude to them but not the actual crime. I know there are some Australian Historicals that do include a couple of rape scenes and I stopped reading the author. They were way too graphic for a Christian fiction and they didn’t make it to the church Library. It could have been much better handled by cutting away for the actual crime and dealing with the aftermath.
If an author insists one including such scenes they need to have a warning. There are people that could be triggered and they should be prewarned so they can then choose not to read the book. Coming across this sort of scene could be very traumatic for them.
Your turn.
I look forward to reading your comments here or at the FB group. Remember all comments go into the monthly drawer for a gift voucher.
It can upset me for days and weeks if not longer. My preference is not ever for either of them. Even illusions or ‘closed doors’ so to speak can be too much as I have an active imagination. I don’t find it helpful to think about another person’s sexual experience.
I so agree. I don’t see the need in Christian fiction, If people want to read it then there is plenty general market. If a Christian author wants to be graphic (although I dont understand why) they can right general market also. With CF I know it should be something I would let my mother/grandmother read.
Explicit sex scenes – no thank you. Neither do I like reading stories that make light of casual sex, but it seems to be the way of the world so it’s difficult to avoid. Personally I wouldn’t write anything that condoned casual sex, though it may be implied in a story for a particular reason.
I don’t know what the percentage of women who have suffered sexual abuse is but I know it is high. As a sexual abuse survivor, I personally think it is an issue that needs to be addressed in Christian writing from a God-honouring perspective. It may need to be present in a story, however, it should be done sensitively. I agree Jenny that a warning is a good idea, so a reader can choose not to read the book.
I think a bit of fun sexual innuendo in the dialogue between a married couple can be nice actually, because it reinforces the healthy aspect of sex within marriage. But I don’t need to know anything about what they get up to … :o)
Julie Lessman is really good with the marriage aspect. She is very good at conveying the joy without any of the action is you know what I mean.
I have also seen some good books that deal with DV that are after someone has left a situation and how hard it is to recover. Again it can be dealt with without specific details. One one DV showed the heroine hiding in a wardrobe and how she was feeling after a instance. It also dealt with her leaving the abuser and then finding help with other survivors. It wasn’t easy and it showed its not an easy fix. Abuse of any sort leave life long scars.
No way!!! Definitely should not be there. I really don’t need that in my head. There are a few authors whose books I no longer buy/read because they were getting to the ‘door ajar’ point. I had to put down ‘Redeeming Love’ before finishing the 1st chapter because I couldn’t keep reading it.
I so agree. Some authors seem to disregard what readers think and will make comments like the couple is married and sex in marriage is beautiful. It maybe but I don’t need to read it. I wonder if the same authors would feel the same if their books were made into a movie with those scenes just as they are written and fully on display for all to see.
I don’t think a Christian fiction should include them at all.