I myself have asked similar questions about the acceptance of speculative fiction in the Christian community. There is no end to the responses responses found: in one's circle of friends, at one's church, or on the internet. The following are excerpted from an online article about Christian fantasy ( from the Biblical Discernment Ministries ) :
These 4 points appear to have merit and certainly leave no room for wishy-washy Christianity. Obviously, the value (or danger) of Christian speculative fiction is fixed firmly in the beliefs of the reader.Most true Christians would recognize fantasy, such as the movie Star Wars, as
being extremely wicked (in this case, sorcery -- "The Force" being equivalent to
black magic and white witchcraft). Yet, apparently, when we call it "Christian,"
this somehow sanctifies what we do with our minds (imaginations), or what we
allow our minds to entertain. For example, one can look in any issue of the
Christian Book Distributors Fiction Catalog and find the most outrageous fantasy
literature, yet it is all dubbed "Christian." The following is taken from the
CBD Fiction Catalog, 9/94 premier edition:
" ... now there's no more compromising for those who love Christian fiction, because you are holding the key to your next escape-from-it-all right in the palm of your hand ... CBD's brand new Fiction Catalog? It's filled with the latest and the best refreshing, thrilling, inspiring, wholesome fiction for you and your family" (p. 2).
Wholesome? The following is a sample of that which CBD considers "wholesome." [Much of this type of writing comes from medieval mysticism, which God hates (cf. Deut. 18: 10-12).]:
(a) Millennium's Dawn, by Ed Stewart
(p. 25):
"June 2001. The future never seemed brighter for Dr. Evan Rider
and his new bride, Shelby, as they prepare to embark on the honeymoon of their
dreams. But the dream quickly becomes a nightmare as a long-buried secret shared
by three college friends erupts, engulfing the couple in a sinister plot of
blackmail, terror, and betrayal."
(b) Till We Have Faces, by C. S. Lewis
(p. 34):
"The unlovely Orual, eldest daughter of the King of Glome,
becomes so consumed by her mingled love and jealousy of her beautiful
half-sister that she makes a complaint to the gods -- and receives an answer she
did not expect. This novel, possibly Lewis' best work and the one he considered
his own favorite, is his compelling rework of the myth of Cupid and Psyche."
[Sound like something you could want your children to read -- about "the gods"?]"Well," someone might say, "I'm not doing anything wicked, I'm just reading about wickedness." But does this align with godliness? There are four things about fantasy which must be considered:
I. It is Anti-Truth.
II. It Slips Into Reality.
III. It Does Not Fit True Godliness.
IV. A Love for God Will Oppose It.
