Discussion of Carnal Knowledge Redux

 
In response to a comment on my previous post:

I never suggested Christian authors give a Kama-Sutra-esque account of a couple's sexual encounters. Never. But to say that sexuality should be the exculsive topic of non-fiction, instructional, or even scholarly works is, in my opinion (which is worth what you pay for it, by the way :-), puritanical.

"Your two breasts are like two fawns, like twin fawns of a gazelle that browse among the lilies." (Song of Solomon 4:5)

Is this scripture opening the door to Satan by putting in the reader's mind a pair of breasts? I don't think God would have allowed such a thing to be included in the Old Testament canon if that was the case. "But that's God. He can do what He wants because He has better discernment than we do," you can say--and I would whole-heartedly agree. But why would He give humans an intensely creative bent, a spirit of sharing our experiences through stories, and a free will if He didn't want us to use them? Of course no one can claim to fully live up to the expectations God has for us. In fact, I'm a sinner "worse" than some of you dear readers and would never be so arrogant as to assume that I could always meet His expectations and be "always right." But to not even try? What if that still, small voice prompting someone to approach sexuality in their writing actually isn't simply "heretical" sexual drive? Fear of being imperfect or making a mistake is Satan's most effective tool in getting Christians to stay put and keep their big mouths shut.

I will probably have have to keep repeating the following disclaimer, no matter how long and detailed an explanation I give concerning my previous post: I am not, in any way, shape, or form, suggesting that a Christian author go so far as to describe, in titillating detail, a couple's sexual escapades (having pointed this out several times, further criticizing my arguemnt on the premise that I think we should work kinky sex scenes into our novels is a wast of everyone's time and will probably be ignored--just a warning.) I'm actually advocating--assuming it's appropriate in the context of the story--that a Christian author who enjoys the benefits of an intense and healthy sexual relationship with their spouse give hope to those who don't.

And to say that we have to be a psychologist or certified marriage counselor (an exaggeration of the previous commenter's concept. . .I know, I know) before we attempt to convey our own joy at having a healthy sexual relationship with our spouse is to disregard the inarguable fact that "unqualified" authors frequently infuse their own scriptural interpretation and theological analysis in their work (Left Behind being an excellent example.) I sincerely beleive it is illogical and unfair to apply a different standard of "expertise" to authors when it comes to sexuality than that applied to nearly every other topic. I think God made sex powerful and wonderful because He intended for us to have babies and heal/intensify the spousal relationship. Why should we not discuss that?

Arguing whether sexuality belongs in fiction written by an author admitting his Christian relationship or not doesn't change the fact that we should not be (but have been) silent on this issue. Especially since the secular world is unabashedly using sexuality very effectively to further their own, destructive and ungodly goals.