The Inevitable Battle—Standards in Christian Novels

In case you missed it, an interesting discussion has been going on in the CBA lately. Namely, what word and content choices are acceptable in Christian fiction. This debate began when author Ted Dekker published an article at his Web site criticizing Steeple Hill's "terms that cannot be used in a Steeple Hill novel." Later, Christian literary agent Chip MacGregor sounded off, taking Ted to task.

It's an interesting debate and one Christians everywhere need to take seriously, in my opinion. In a society that tends to be constantly drifting toward more unwholesome content in entertainment choices, where are believers supposed to stand? Follow the links, think the issue through, and decide where you stand. What do you think?

While I agree that some of the items on the Steeple Hill list seem a little extreme, I for one believe Christians should be pursuing wholesome speech and seeking to raise the bar on what's acceptable. For that reason, I applaud Steeple Hill for taking the high road in content choices. God gives us clear standards for wholesome speech. Where's the mandate to compromise those for the sake of realism in storytelling?