See Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, and Part 7. Secondary Considerations: How Can We Know Whether Certain Words Are Vulgar or Profane? When I began this series, I mentioned participating in an online discussion about whether certain . . . ahem . . . words were ever okay to use in Christian fiction. One problem that hijacked the debate was the inability (or unwillingness) on the part of some to agree on the vulgarity of certain words. “Well, that word doesn’t seem vulgar to me,” they said. First, those in the discussion were all from the United States. Unless some of us grew up Amish, that we couldn’t reach some level of agreement doesn’t seem credible. Second, refusing to agree seems like a clever way to shift the debate. If the debate becomes about the vulgarity of certain words instead of about what God has said, then one need…
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My friends, today I’m talking about my next novel, The Tenth Plague, which is due for release on January 15, 2013. This is part of the Next Big Thing “blog hop”—where authors present their latest work-in-progress, with the hope it will spark your interest and cause you to “hop” from blog to blog to learn more. I was invited to this blog hop by Dave Fessenden — check out his Next Big Thing at his blog: fromconcepttocontract.com. So, without further ado, here is my self-interview about my novel (a disclaimer: I did not choose these questions!): What is the working title of your book? The Tenth Plague Where did the idea come from for the book? “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the…
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See Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, and Part 8. Secondary Considerations: What about the Weaker Brother? My allegory in Part 6 illustrates the current debate among some Christian authors. Some, like the “edgy chef” in my story, feel they have the Christian liberty to use a crass word or a profanity or two in a Christian novel. But others reject the premise that this is even a Christian liberty issue. They believe, based on biblical absolutes, that using unclean speech is unacceptable for any author who calls herself or himself Christian. In Part 3, we looked at the main verses that support their position. A Christian Liberty Issue? For the sake of the debate, let’s pretend the debate is a Christian liberty issue. What does the Bible teach about Christian liberty? If I use this rationale, can I use whatever words I want in my novel, regardless of what my…
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See Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, and Part 8. An Allegory: The Edgy Chef Few communication mediums are more powerful than stories. So this week I offer an allegory to my continuing discussion. *** Imagine that a large restaurant association, founded back in the eighties, is well known for its kosher cuisine. The association board has always prided itself in its sensitivity to the religious convictions of its Jewish customers. It has agreed never, ever to allow its restaurants to serve ham, bacon, or sausage. But as times change and restaurants struggle to stay open due to tough economic times, standards change too, especially since some Jewish customers have become more enlightened in their eating choices. In fact, chefs at some of the association’s biggest restaurants have begun offering daring entrees with just the smallest bit of bacon or ham sprinkled in. “Hey, it’s not like we’re serving ham…
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