Should a Christian read romance novels?

Character is formed, to a great extent, by what we read and hear and see. The artificial culture of the day destroys depth and force of character. Today's entertainment and light literature are forming a superficial race of men and women. The present is a rare opportunity for individual character to shine and leave its mark. Indiscriminate reading, listening and viewing to while away free time are ruinous to the mind. Thoughts pour in and run out, at best leaving no lasting impression — what a waste of time and of mind!

As to choice of books, there can be no fixed rule to apply. History is always instructive. Science is dangerous when it is the product of unsanctified minds. Novels and other works of fiction which diminish our appetite for reading the Word of God are harmful and should not be read. Never read valueless books. Shun literature that is frivolous in character. Worse still, avoid that which directly or covertly denies the absolute inspiration and supreme authority of the sacred Scriptures.

As a young Christian it was often a snare, as far as I was concerned, the question of reading. I loved to read and very often my natural heart desired to read something that pleased my natural mind. There would be a pull towards my Bible naturally, as I was a Christian, and so the conflict was often waging, 'Will I spend time with my Bible or will I spend my time with this novel or this book that I like so much?' Well, sadly, I have to say, so very often the book that could provide nothing for me spiritually won. Then I was sowing to the flesh, I was providing the flesh with an opportunity to produce fruit that certainly was not pleasing to God. I was gratifying my own natural desire, and time that could have been better spent was being wasted. Of course, if that book was portraying something highly sensational then it created a desire in my heart to be where those sensational events were taking place or to be occupied with them in some way and this is the kind of crop it produces, you become like the thing you are occupied with. It creates desires. Now then, if on the occasions of which I am thankful to say there were, when I turned away from those books and read my Bible then things were different. The reading of this pure and holy book created other desires contrary to those natural desires. As I read the service, for instance, of devoted men of God then this created desires and when I read about the pure life of Christ, when I read about the life of Paul, when I read about incidents in the Bible that were encouraging it stimulated spiritual desire. Here was a good kind of crop.

Perhaps, at the close of this part of our subject, we might say a word as to the great dangers of mental dissipation and the destroying of our spiritual appetites by indulging in mental food which can only work injury. We say nothing against newspaper reading, for instance, or general literature in itself, but only ask, How much of our valuable time can we spare to those things which tend to destroy our appetite for the word of God and rob us of precious hours? We would particularly urge young Christians who are forming their habits for life, to avoid reading of this character. We need not specify. Conscience, and our own experience, will soon enable us to detect that which interferes with our regular work. We are living in days of superficiality. Even in secular things there is a light, trifling habit of mind which has taken possession of all. Many never touch a thoughtful book; have taste only for fiction, often of a most injurious character, and always tending to lead the mind from sober things. The love of amusement, the frivolity which seems to become a part of the very life, how often these little foxes are allowed to spoil the vines! May the Lord then lead us into true, systematic diligence, meditation and sobriety: "Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them that thy profiting may appear unto all."

All this we consider most deplorable. We look upon it as a most alarming indication of a low spiritual condition. Indeed it is difficult to conceive how anyone possessing a single spark of divine life can find pleasure in such defiling rubbish as one sees now-a-days in the hands of many who occupy the high ground of Christian profession. The inspired apostle exhorts all Christians, "As newborn babes, to desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby." How can we grow if we neglect the Word of God and yet devour newspapers and light, worthless books? How is it possible for any Christian to be in a healthy condition of soul who can barely find a few hasty moments to run his eye over a verse or two of Scripture, but can give hours to light and useless reading? We may depend upon it: our reading proves beyond question what we are and where we are. If our reading is light and frivolous, our state is the same. If our Christianity is of a solid and earnest type, it will be distinctly evidenced by our habitual and voluntary reading - the reading to which we turn for our recreation and refreshment.

Some may say, "We cannot be always reading the Bible and good books." We reply plainly that the new nature would never care to read anything else. Now the question is, whether we wish to minister to the old nature or the new? If the latter, we may rest assured that newspapers and light literature are not the means to be used. It is impossible that a truly spiritual, earnest Christian can find enjoyment in such reading. It may be that a Christian engaged in business or in public official life will have occasion, in connection with his business or his official duty, to refer to a newspaper, but this is another thing altogether from finding his actual enjoyment and recreation in such reading. He will not find the hidden manna or the old corn of the land of Canaan in the newspaper. He will not find Christ in the sensational novel.

All this we consider most deplorable. We look upon it as a most alarming indication of a low spiritual condition. Indeed it is difficult to conceive how anyone possessing a single spark of divine life can find pleasure in such defiling rubbish as one sees now-a-days in the hands of many who occupy the high ground of Christian profession. The inspired apostle exhorts all Christians, “As newborn babes, to desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby.” How can we grow if we neglect the Word of God and yet devour newspapers and light, worthless books? How is it possible for any Christian to be in a healthy condition of soul who can barely find a few hasty moments to run his eye over a verse or two of Scripture, but can give hours to light and useless reading? We may depend upon it: our reading proves beyond question what we are and where we are. If our reading is light and frivolous, our state is the same. If our Christianity is of a solid and earnest type, it will be distinctly evidenced by our habitual and voluntary reading — the reading to which we turn for our recreation and refreshment.

Some may say, “We cannot be always reading the Bible and good books.” We reply plainly that the new nature would never care to read anything else. Now the question is, whether we wish to minister to the old nature or the new? If the latter, we may rest assured that newspapers and light literature are not the means to be used. It is impossible that a truly spiritual, earnest Christian can find enjoyment in such reading. It may be that a Christian engaged in business or in public official life will have occasion, in connection with his business or his official duty, to refer to a newspaper, but this is another thing altogether from finding his actual enjoyment and recreation in such reading. He will not find the hidden manna or the old corn of the land of Canaan in the newspaper. He will not find Christ in the sensational novel.

We do not see how you could sit in the presence of God and write fiction. “Speak every man truth with his neighbor” (Eph. 4:25). Fiction is not truth, and hence we judge that a Christian should neither speak it nor write it. True, you might be able to earn money by writing works of fiction and spend that money for the Lord, but does the Lord want money earned by writing what is not true? Are we to do evil that good may come?

There are a few books in which great epochs in the Church's history have been described in the form of a narrative, in which there are fictitious individuals. Some of these books may be profitable for the young in giving them a clear view of historical events. Some of them we would hesitate to condemn absolutely. We cannot say without qualification that fiction of every kind is evil, without including such books as these; but we do say most distinctly that fiction as a whole is evil and demoralizing, for the reasons just given above.

But enough of this distasteful subject. We must leave it with every one's conscience,asking them only, if given to reading of this character, to glance back over a year and recall all such books and literature they have read, to estimate how many pages it would make, how many hours it has taken, and then do the same with their Bible and helpful Christian literature, and compare the two. For those who might object that we had given too long a list of notes and comments on the Bible, it might be a surprise to learn that many a young man and woman reads thirty-five novels and more in the course of a year.

It is a mistake of course to suppose that the renewed mind must never occupy itself with any other book than the Bible. Ignorance is not a virtue nor does scripture call it “bliss.” The renewed mind will not be content with idleness, and even reading for instruction will take on a new interest as we look at all subjects against the background of our knowledge of God's word and will. As for reading for recreation, one would only say, “Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.” (Rom. 14:5) But whatever we read, or indeed listen to or look at, let us not forget that the great enemy is on the watch to find an opportunity to break down our loyalty to Christ. Satan will try to educate us along a path that leads to doubt and unbelief; and will turn a means of recreation into one of desecration if he can. “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.” (John 5:21)

If all our power comes from a risen Lord, so does also our food. It is not a question of natural food, of course, but spiritual. Hence the inquiry, What shall we read? and very often the storm of the discussion rages around the religious novel. The question would be simply answered if we asked ourselves, Does this food come from our risen, glorious Joseph? Will it make me more heavenly? For our mental pabulum, in its assimilating process, brings with it results like to itself. We know what the cow has been feeding on when the butter is yellow. What comes out of a man is what has gone into him, “Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” We are characterized by what we feed on. It is not what we mentally acquire, but what we spiritually assimilate, that can be called food. For the latter the Spirit of God must be our Teacher, so that it is not merely the letter of the Word that engages our attention, but the life-giving spirit of the Word becomes food to our souls. Oh! what an abundance of rich food the Christian has. What heavenly pastures in the Scriptures! We can say with the shepherd-psalmist, “He makes me to lie down in green pastures.” We know many often long to be more Christ-like. Let such remember character-building is a slow but sure process. We cannot expect to be like Him unless we are occupied with Him. If we are taken up with business, or frivolity, or light general reading, we shall become like to that we are occupied with. God’s laws are inexorable.

Paul was not an ascetic. He was a sane, healthy, well-rounded man, intensely devoted to the One who had saved him. He loved books, he enjoyed congenial company, and he recognized the profit to be derived from temperate recreation. He has, by the Spirit’s inspiration, left on record enough on all these lines to serve as a guide to believers who may be somewhat perplexed at times as to where the line should be drawn between what would glorify God and be a means of blessing to their own souls, and what would dishonor Him and hinder spiritual growth. The writings and addresses of Paul show that he was a widely-read and well-informed man. He loved books; when he was in prison the second time, in a Roman dungeon, he longed for books. He wrote to Timothy, “Bring ... the books, but especially the parchments” (2 Timothy 4:13). What these books were we have now no means of knowing; but, we may be sure, they were of a profitable character. The believer needs books also; but let him make it a rule that he gives his time only to what will edify.

“Be a man of one book!” wrote Wesley. But he was himself a voluminous reader. What he meant was that the Bible should have the central place, and all other books should be read as subservient to it. If the Scriptures are not neglected, but thoughtfully read and meditated upon, one’s spiritual judgment will soon become sufficiently clarified to enable him to discern what other books can be read with edification. The godly soul will instinctively shrink from trashy novels, light, frivolous literature, and anything unclean and unholy. But Paul shows himself familiar with the history, science, and poetry of his day. He refers on occasion to historical events; he illustrates by the use of scientific facts; he quotes, when in keeping with his theme, what “certain of your own poets” have said, and in this we need not fear to follow him, if there be in us but the heart for Christ there was in him. It is to be feared that many Christians have been hindered by a hard, legal spirit on this very line. All reading has been tabooed that was not exactly spiritual. This is a grave mistake, and leads to extreme narrowness of mind and even positively hinders mental development, thus restricting one’s ability to enjoy what God Himself has given us in His Word. “Reading makes a full man,” is an old saying that is worthy of remembrance; only be careful to “take forth the precious from the vile.” And now, a word as to companionships. Paul enjoyed association with others. He loved fellowship. He appreciated friends, but his friends were among the people of God. To an Aquila or a Priscilla he could pour out his heart, and could enjoy to the full their tender affection. But, you may be sure, he never was found lounging about with an Elymas or even Gallio! And right here is where many a saint is not faithful. There is no clean break with the world. Old companionships are still sought and enjoyed. No wonder there is little or no growth. No wonder there are so many stunted Christians. “Come out from among them, and be ye separate” (2 Corinthians 6:17) is the Word of the Lord to all who are dilly-dallying with the world after confessing Christ. “The friendship of the world is enmity with God” (James 4:4). Find your friends among the friends of Christ! Let your companions be those who love His name, and then be careful not to let good fellowship degenerate into careless levity.