There are some things that irritate me a little when I read. And there are some things that bug me a bit. And there are other things that drive me crazy and might mean I rant to someone about them even if I liked the rest of the book. So this year I’m going to rant a bit, perhaps even sarcastically, to you on the 5th Tuesdays. If you don’t want to read ranting or sarcasm, skip this post. You have been warned.

No “Christian” in Christian

You might have been there. You get a book marked “Christian” only to find things inside that shouldn’t be in a Christian book (swearing, vulgar images, sensual desires, etc.). Or perhaps it is a clean book free from all those things but aside from one or two Bible verses tossed in, maybe a prayer when the characters are in desperate situations, there really is no Christianity in the book.

Those situations irritate me!

If it’s supposed to be “Christian,” then make it clean! This doesn’t mean you can’t have bad guys, high stakes, lots of action, or anything like that, but skip the swearing! (But it’s real! So? So is murder. And adultery. When swearing is included the reader has to read the swearing, skip over it, or if they are listening, they have to hear it! I’d get to wondering if you really loved someone if you trashed their name in your story just because other people might. Shouldn’t our Lord’s Name be of more importance than a family member’s?)
Skip the graphic and dirty scenes (But it doesn’t go that far. Does it almost go there and leave the reader with the images anyway? Compare it with the Bible. That story where the man gives his concubine to the mob of crazy men who rape her and kill her, and the man cuts her body into pieces and sends it to the tribes of Israel tells what happened, but it doesn’t put graphic images in my head. I have to work to get graphic images those from that story.)

And there’s the other side of the coin.

The supposedly good Christian people who never pray about situations. Even life changing ones like getting married! Or changing jobs. Or moving. And they almost never read their Bible or ask for council or advice from people they trust. And if they do get advice (usually unasked for) then they get upset about it.

And there are those books that leave you wondering at the end if there was anything Christian in the story at all. Did they go to church? Oh, I forgot, you don’t have to go to church. Forget that the Bible clearly says not to forsake the assembling of yourselves together. They don’t read their Bible at all even though it is a lamp to their feet and a light to their path. Prayer is mentioned maybe in extreme circumstances or once in a while at a meal because who needs to pray if life is going fine? And if there are little problems, they don’t need help.

Ugh!

I don’t mind reading clean books that are not Christian. I’m not expecting those books to have Christian aspects. But if it’s promoted as Christian, than make it one! It doesn’t have to be preachy. But let the Christianity be a part of the story not an afterthought!

*climbs down off my soapbox*

What is a pet peeve of yours about Christian fiction books? Or do you have any?