Can Christian Fiction Have Profanity Discussion

[Dee]

Today I received a question from a reader of Christian Fiction blog. The question: So if Tyler Perry's marriage counselor show is being advertised on Christian Fiction, can I assume there is no bad language in this show?

I answered the question there. but I thought I should extend this discussion to the CFB Mybloglog Crew, Christian Fiction Network, my MySpace Friends and readers here at CFB as our Weekend Chat.

Do you think a play, movie or book can be be Christian and contain profanity? You can respond anonymously, if you wish.

[Tifany Jones]

i think so and this is why...to me when someone says they are christian they are just stating that they believe in the son, the father, and the holy ghost and have accepted jesus as lord and savior over their life. once you get saved you still walk out there with the same bad habits you walked in with. its the relationship with god that changes a person. i'm leaving my name because i am not ashamed, but note this is what i think. everyone has an opinion. tifany jones

[Dee]

tiffany thanks.

i agree. when i think of living christ like i don't envision him expecting us to write stories where our characters are hard to relate to. not that i condone cursing, but some times expletives help us see the character and grounds the story.

[Tifany Jones]

exactly. this is all i am saying. life is real and so is sin. i would expect a christian novel to show the reality of the situation. i dont condone it either, but i see where it has its place in a story.

[Dee]

what gets me is that someone sends me an email--like they're judging me--about Tyler Perry's movies, implying that the play can't be Christian because of the cursing. I don't understand how that edifies the body of Christ or helps build the Kingdom. Glad we agree.

[Tifany Jones]

that is the type of trial we would have to bear when we say we are christian. instead of walking in love, people are so quick to pull aprt what your are doing in order to label is christian or not. that is nothing but religion and why so many people refuse to accept jesus into their life. since they arent perfect and dont know neither are these "christains" they just stay where they are~lost. it really bothers me because most of the ones dealing with legalism are they main culprits themselves. the only different is their sin is done in the dark.

god said we are transformed by the renewing of our mind. whereever the mind goes the body will follow. if we stop beating people over the head with this rule and that maybe they would develop a better relationship with the father, transform their life, and walk holy and acceptable unto god. its called PROCESS. a baby doesnt come out the womb eating meat and walking.

[Maurice Gray]

If you asked me this a few years back, I would have answered with a resounding "NO!" and sternly rebuked anyone who even remotely considered using the word "Hell" in their story just to describe where you go if you're not saved when you die :-).

I believe that the creator of any Christian work should try their hardest not to go there. I've encountered too many books and plays that fall back on "God knows my heart" to excuse using the foulest of language. I even teach a workshop entitled, "Keeping It Real While Keeping It Holy" that addresses this issue, along with the issue of graphic sex scenes in Christian works as well.

But, having seen Tyler Perry's movies and having read some Christian fiction wherein there were a few of what folks call "minor curse words," I'd have to say that it's not just profanity or the lack of profanity that establishes a work in or outside of the Christian genre. Does the work in some way overt or subtle draw the reader/watcher towards Christ? To me, if a Christian writer/playwright/movie producer does include profanity, that's between them and God. I do think it's possible that a work can be Christian and contain profanity- I just won't use any in mine.

I take it as a challenge to my writing skills to depict characters who do curse without using the actual words. But just because I don't do it doesn't make me the judge and jury over all things Christian. Whew, talk about a loaded question! :-)

[Dee]

well said everyone

[Kim Brooks]

The self-published version of my first novel, "He's Fine...But is he Saved?" initially had some "watered down" curse words spoken by an unsaved character, however, my editor at the time suggested I not use the actual words but to have them implied by the reader. I believe we were able to successfully accomplish this; I'm glad I did and I continue to simply "imply" without using the actual words because #1 there are plenty of books out there with curse words in them and I also like to consider my younger audiences, #2 a lot of the Christian bookstore chains would not allow cursing in their books, and I, myself, cannot see myself asking a Christian bookstore to carry my book, knowing that page 29 had a curse word on it. Some people insist that even the Bible used curse words when Peter denied Jesus as He was about to die on the cross, however, the actual words were not used in the Bible, but were, again, implied. I pretty much leave it up to my readers to figure out what my unsaved characters are saying during heated moments. By the way, by our words we will be justified or by our words we will be condemned, and according to James 3:10 blessings and cursings should not come out of the same mouth (i.e., the same mouth that shouts, "Hallelujah, Praise the Lord!" on Sunday, shouldn't be cursing out someone else, calling them everything but a child of God on Monday). Personally, as a Christian, I don't curse. Or shall I say I choose not to curse - you ever notice how some people claim "they can't help themselves" when it comes to cursing, but given the proper setting, not a single curse word comes out of their mouths? As far as using curse words as an art form, it kinda reminds me of Christian comedians who choose not to curse but can still get their points across and still be hilariously funny. To me, a story can still flow and get its point across without all the curse words. Then again, we all have our own personal convictions when it comes to this subject. Great topic, Dee!

[Dee]

Hi, Kim.

Thanks for chiming in. Your perspective is shared by many. However, I only see this attitude applied to African-American gospel lit. Is their a double standard?

[ddjohnson]

My personal preference is not to use it if it's not necessary. However, I can understand it's use especially for a character that is not considered to be God-fearing. I think that profanity is a relatable speech (especially these days) and it is also reality. Perhaps, your target audience can relate to the characters that are using profane language to express themselves and they see the characters that don't as weak. This is not to say that people who don't cuss are weak, in fact, I think it takes a whole lot more strength to hold your tounge than it does to react in a carnal nature. I slip up sometimes myself. I said all that to say that I feel profanity in Christian fiction is okay if it is used responsibly. It shouldn't overshadow the messsage you're sending to your reader/audience. And that is my two cents.

[Dee]

thanks, DD. I think our faith has so many interpretations based on sound doctrine we will remain divided on the topic. For safety sake most publishers follow the no-cursing rule to alleviate the same dilemma we're having.

[Gabe]

I'm struggling with this question right now, though it may be of a slightly different stripe than some of you.

First, I have to say that I'm not sure the book I'm having the trouble with would qualify as Christian fiction per se. Certainly, I'm a Christian writer, and I will be exploring decidedly Christian themes in the book, but I'm not sure what the criteria are for being Christian Fiction. That said, while trying to be true to both my faith and my craft, I'm wondering about how to approach language in my book. It's a military sci-fi novel, meaning that the realistic portrayal of a future military culture is a must. And as you know, their language can get pretty rough.

So would it send a bad message to use that kind of language, even only when the non-Christian characters are speaking?