Double Takes

Continuing on the theme of books that can be labourious to get through, I've been coming across more and more content in Christian fiction that has me scratching my head, though they don't necessarily always affect the rating of the book (unless they're all piled on egregiously or something, but that hasn't happened yet). To be honest, a double take is usually the extent of what I give these mentions, but I do find it interesting that there is a bit of a shift in what can be included in Christian fiction nowadays.

There are just a few of the ones that have stood out to me over the past while, though I'm sure there could be more added to the list as well.

• Luck/chance. I have caught myself in the past wishing someone "good luck" even though I don't believe in it, so I've tried to shift to saying things like, "all the best" or "I'll be thinking of you," even if it's a little longer or more awkward to say. All that to say, an instance or two where it naturally comes up in dialogue is fine, but I have seen more Christian fiction books reference luck, chance, or karma. This completely makes sense if it's in reference to a non-Christian character's worldview, but for a Christian character, it does seem odd.
• Yoga. This is a controversial opinion as I know some Christians like to practice yoga and so this won't be the time or place to debate whether Christians should even engage in it (I personally don't, but I am not placing my convictions on anyone else). However, some Christian books actively promote yoga, which is off-putting to me when it's a spiritual practice in addition to a physical activity. I've met many believers from India who have confirmed that you cannot separate the movements from its belief system, so I do cringe when Christian characters go on and on about it in books.
• God's name in vain or references to it like the abbreviated form. I have been pondering whether this might be a generational thing where certain abbreviations roll off the tongue without thought. I didn't explicitly mention curse words, because I'm aware of some authors who include them in grittier fiction, but using God's name in vain still surprises me quite a bit when it comes from the mouths of Christian characters. 
• One bed. This one is a personal pet peeve, but I don't want to hold it against authors who feel the need to use this trope. It's just that if it's Christian fiction and they're writing about a man who is following the Lord, I do think that the honourable thing to do would be to sleep in a car, or go elsewhere for accommodations—anything but have to resort to one bed together. It feels like there could be other options available that scenes like this can often feel a little contrived. 
• Stolen kisses. This one also gets me because I think consent is so important. A man who feels the need to steal a kiss can come across cad-like. I'm sure there might be cases where women do this in books as well, but it doesn't sit right. There may be scenes where someone will give someone they like a peck on the cheek, but I'm more thinking of full-on lips. I don't know when this has become normalized and even celebrated, but in reality, I think most people might have a different opinion of it if someone takes them for an unexpected lip lock.
• Jabs at the church/ministry leaders. This one makes me a little sad, because I recall reading that one of the first instances of when it became popular to poke fun at the clergy was when Jane Austen introduced Mr. Collins and showed the depths of his ridiculousness. Unfortunately, some people have taken this beyond just Mr. Collins as a character and instead have caricaturized his whole profession as being worthy of ridicule. I'd like to think that this wasn't the intent considering Jane's father's profession (which, if you're on the inside, it does make sense that you may have more liberty to tease or showcase inner knowledge in a silly manner), but I am sad when Christian books introduce little snide remarks about the church or people in ministry. This may be the view of the world, but when Christian characters are sarcastic or hurtful, it doesn't put the book in the best light.

I also referenced connections to the New Age in Christian books in a previous post on Consumption to Stewardship, so it's not new to me that there can be elements of syncretism in Christian fiction, but it's something that I don't think can be justified with ignorance when information is so readily available at our fingertips. I do love Christian fiction and don't believe it should be formulaic where it needs to steer clear of x, y, and z (this falls too much into clean fiction, which I wrote a lengthy tome about), but I am concerned when the story doesn't seem to convey as much of a biblical worldview.

Despite all of these challenges, there are good stories out there. I'm also aware that like with Bible reading, context matters. If it's a non-Christian character engaging in certain things, that's just consistent with what they believe. However, a lot of Christian characters do know better, especially if they're written by Christian authors, so I think it's important to take a step back and see whether things align with the Bible. What we read and consume does affect our thoughts and actions.