1. Interesting and thought-provoking. Thank you!

  2. CM Genton says:

    Thank you, Marian, for a well-thought out and much-needed article.
    The imagination is a powerful gift (therefore a target for the enemy of all that is good and true) and is engaged in sexual matters as well as the arts. I too am really concerned about Christians normalizing lust in the arts. Romance elements can fuel addiction for women, offering narratives that portray unrealistic depictions of men, just as men can be addicted to images of unrealistic depictions of women. Our sexuality and the arts need to be subjected to God, for our protection and to fully reflect his goodness.
    Please keep speaking out.

  3. Meagan Sheppard says:

    Thank you for this article. It is true that, as God-made-beings, we do have those thoughts and feelings of sexuality. You can look at a man or woman and be physically attracted to them; but even in our own thoughts, this has to be strictly guarded, as stated in Matthew 5:28 and many other verses in the Bible.
    My pastor recently stated—I’m probably not going to remember this properly—that we were given the Bible and all the grisly stories it contains so that we know what is honoring to God, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim 3:16-17). When I think about certain stories in the Bible (Lot and his daughters, David and Bathsheba, David’s son laying with their sister and etcetera) I’m amazed that the church doesn’t really talk about this.
    Yes, parents should take care to educate their children, but if the church isn’t taking stands—or even explaining the things known in scripture—a lot of people can go on quietly suffering or ashamed because they do not know how to deal with or think about these things properly. Which, I think, is why this topic is such a big issue.

What say you?