Christian fiction?

[Janette]

I was reading the stories here, and someone posted a question asking if one of the stories was true.

The story *did* turn out to be a true story in that it was a factual accounting of actual events.

But I'm curious, does that matter?

If people are telling stories or fables that reflect the principles of Christianity, is it ok if they are fiction (as long as they *say* "this is fiction")?

Can an actual lesson still be learned from a fictional account?

 

[Chad]

If there is nothing ungodly or un-Scriptural about fictional Christian stories, then perhaps it is safe to assume its ok to read it. I've learned that just because something is a fictional story does not mean it cannot teach a good moral lesson or reflect reality, a lot of times in a more fantasy of reality per se.

I just rented Chronicles of Narnia on DVD by CS Lewis. I'm sure you've all heard of it. I did not watch it yet, but since its animated and a fantasty style movie - I believe the plot and storyline still resembles some sort of reality, if I'm not mistaken based on C.S. Lewis' own life from atheist to devout Christian. I got this from the DVD's label description

 

[Janette]

Narnia and such

If you get a chance, either before or after you watch the DVD, you might want to read the books in the Chronicles that actually come *before* the story told in the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

That one was the most popular, and so it's the one everyone tends to encounter first, but it's actually the third or fourth book in the series.

Narnia isn't an example of the fiction I meant, but I don't think I clearly expressed my thought. Lewis never tried to bill narnia as anything other than pure fiction with a Christian theme. At best it was allegory, but of course no one sane thinks he or anyone else were really transported via a wardrobe to another world/dimension where the plot occurs

---

I was thinking more of the fiction out there that gets billed as testimony.

I'll see a lot of inspirational stories on the Internet, and while most of them are quite beautiful, I rather suspect that some of them are not true (meaning they never really happened). Now if someone *says* they are just telling a story with the idea of the story having a moral at the end, then fine... but if they are writing it as testimony and it's really fiction (never actually happened)...wouldn't that then be a lie?

Even if it's a "nice" lie?

 

[QuietProtest4t]

Yeah

Yes I think they can make a diffrence. I loveee to read so I read alot of christian fiction. Even though the stories are not true. Alot of them touch me deeply. And a few of them have made me examine myself. About different things in life as a christian.

 

[mounty]

I read this amazing book called 'Stranger in a Chat Room' and even though i knew it wasnt a true story it still touched me and showed me how God turns up in the most unlikely places. So yes i belive even made up stories can bring a good lesson with it.