And I am a Christian.
...Ya done?
A couple of disclaimers:
First, I strongly encourage people to be discriminating about what they're putting into their heads.
There are certainly some things I've read or seen that I wish I could un-know.
Second, I want to be very careful that folks don't think I'm suggesting they read these books, 'cause I'm certainly not.
That said...
Descriptions like "mommy porn" and "trap of Satan" come to mind.
The world is watching to see how Christians engage with real, uncomfortable, and messy issues.
If we are shocked by a little erotica for the ladies and trying to make the readers feel ashamed and judged, how are we to be trusted by someone who is in a BDSM relationship?
Way to alienate folks even more.
I've also seen clever blog titles about how God is "black and white" so they're denouncing "Grey".
And that's where my problem lies.
God is righteous and just and perfect and His law is absolutely "black and white."
... Which is why Christ had to die.
When Christ came, he showed us how wrong we really are.
That our hearts are completely filled with darkness.
Even the good stuff we do that we brag about is like showing off a nasty used tampon to God saying, "Look what I did!"
Our situation is way more hopeless than we even know.
Humans tried for generations to live by God's black and white laws and found it to be impossible, which is why Christ had to come and save our rears by living the life we could not live and by taking the punishment that we deserve.
Because of this, because of Christ's sacrifice in taking our punishment for us, because of mercy, because of grace, there is no black and white with Christ. All of life is just one great big grey area now, causing us to rely on the Spirit constantly.
While God's Truth is constant, He doesn't reveal all of it, to all of us, all at once. And what He speaks to one will not necessarily be true for another.
So how can I judge what's right or wrong for another person, especially on some of these "iffy" subjects, if the Lord hasn't convicted them of it?
OR... maybe He hasn't revealed something to me that they've already grasped. Which is why we need to ask Him for wisdom.
My husband and I found nothing wrong with me having the freedom to read whatever poorly written, slightly disturbing literature I chose.
But I don't fault other women for choosing for themselves to steer clear of such graphic writing. In fact, I applaud them.
However...
Try not to put your personal convictions on others.
What is okay for some is not okay for others.
What is bad for some is not bad for others.
What is good for some is not good for others.
Christians should of course hear what the Lord is convicting them of and obey... but they should NOT expect that conviction to be true for all Christians, let alone all people.
Have patience and compassion for each other.
What is now a black and white issue with you may eventually change, based on what God reveals to you in the future, and then you'll have some apologizing to do to the people you judged for not being on the same page as you.
I'm totally speaking from experience, and I want to save you the embarrassment.
An insightful blog post by Jonalyn Grace Fincher