Hi, I am new, but I was hoping for advice on something I would like to do.

[Phoenix Summer]

I was influenced by Harry Potter when I was a young child, and I was raised by an atheist, I have no interest in it since becoming a Christian. So I don't think that that was a factor. While I do agree that any writing can be dangerous, we were telling stories of all sorts before the printing press, or the written form of language, passed on by people. Stories aren't mere entertainment or always self-serving, they can teach things, and they can allow us to relate to others. I agree what you let live in your imagination can be very powerful in a bad way. I also know we have imaginations though. If we can only describe God's love through the bible several souls will never hear it, because the format that people are receptive to is different based on background, and experiences. I think if a Christian can teach God's love through any format, if it is reaching people, and God told them to do it, I wouldn't assume it to bad. That is not me, I have no grandiose plans for the hypothetical book, it was just a story, but I don't think imagination is evil. I think just like ideas, and thoughts it has the potential to be so. I don't want to be a purist, because the bible said we don't get into heaven by our works, but by God's grace and love, I am not perfect and will never be, I am not looking for perfection. I don't want to go to the extreme, to be safe, and miss the point. I don't want to call things bad, when I don't know what God planned for that person, I know things that are bad God uses for good, and I don't know what is wrong and right beyond my human understanding, only God does. That being said I don't plan on writing it, because I haven't had a word from God on it yet, and it isn't worth the risk, but I personally think writing can help many people, and shouldn't be thrown out in its entirety. I enjoyed C.S. Lewis' books, I thought they were fascinating. I do think some Christian books are quite misleading. Radagast, I know you were saying to make sure how it is talked about is important, I really appreciate all the advice from everyone, I will need more of a reason than fun to write this though, and I don't have that. If I decide to write anything, I will make sure to pray and wait for a firm response before proceeding. I think history can be misleading, people write it in a way that promotes what they want to prioritize, even with clear motives, everyone perceives things differently. That's kind of what I like about writing. I know books that tell stories of horrific events, that people have gone through and it helps others heal, to have a shared story of someone who understands, I don't see that as self serving, and fiction can support that format and many others. Most people don't learn in one format, and especially emotional issues, I feel you might need the same information presented in many ways before you get it, I do think that God reaches people through many outlets and many people. It's a fine line to me between "take this world as it is not as you would have it", and being part of this world, I don't want to miss the good, but I don't want to open my mind to the bad. And I don't want to judge other people who look at things I find unsavory, because it is not my place to judge, and I want to understand what they see in it, but I don't want to be tempted either. If I turn down the chance to help someone because I have resolutely decided what is good and bad, then I have missed the point, I want to be able to hear and know it is God, He showed the apostles that the foods they deemed bad weren't, which was the gentiles, His ways are higher than ours, which is why it is for Him to judge not us. In my search to find good, I don't want to close my mind to what God is telling me because it doesn't fit what i think the rules are. But I worry, I will think something is okay because I want it to be, because I am human.

 

[Radagast]

Pay attention to all that I have said to you, and make no mention of the names of other gods, nor let it be heard on your lips. ~Exodus 23:13

That's telling the Israelites not to worship false gods. But we do find, for example, the prophet Elijah telling a fictional story about the false god Baal:

And at noon Elijah mocked them, saying, “Cry aloud, for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he is relieving himself, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and must be awakened.” (1 Kings 18:27)

It's a mocking story: the lesson of the story is that belief in Baal is foolish.

Therefore, if we write about them and live with them in our lives then we are keeping them around against the wishes of God.

Well, no. We can write about false gods, or witchcraft, or other evil things, in order to warn against them, or to show how God is greater than them, or to teach some other lesson.

For example, there was a great series of children's novels from the 1950s by Paul White, based on real experiences as a missionary in Africa, where witchcraft was a common theme (I think they are still being republished). A key lesson here was how the power of the Gospel defeats witchcraft; but this lesson was illustrated through well-written fictional stories.

 

[Kevin Snow]

It's a fine line to me between "take this world as it is not as you would have it", and being part of this world, I don't want to miss the good, but I don't want to open my mind to the bad.

Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. ~James 4:4

You can't have your cake and eat it too.

No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. ~Matthew 6:24

The sad part about taking up the cross of Christ is that you do miss the good of this world.

Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. ~Luke 17:33

So the choice is yours: live halfway or lose yourself in Jesus Christ.

 

[Radagast]

No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. ~Matthew 6:24

But we can serve and glorify God by writing books, and by singing songs, and by painting paintings, and by building buildings (to name just a few ways).

 

[Phoenix Summer]

and there is a difference in participating in things you know to be wrong, and not judging those who partake in them, and taking them as they are, without doing what they are doing. Meeting people where they are. I don't think knowing people means you are serving the world, Jesus said to feed his sheep, if you house your neighbor, and feed them you are feeding me, and everyone is your neighbor. You don't have to do secular activities that others are doing to unconditionally love them. That's what I mean, I don't need to watch the newest movie to be content, but I think you can learn from every person on this planet. And not everything is so straight forward as don't do or do this. The clear things, don't worship anyone but God, that is straightforward, don't participate in activities that don't glorify God. I know of several churches that say other churches are not on the right path and don't associate with them, they all have the same bible, though their ideas are radically different from theirs, mine is radically different than theirs. I don't know if they have part all or none of it right, and I feel like you have to keep somewhat of an open mind, as long as you don't get swept up. Something that might be wrong for me, might be okay for someone else or only in a certain time, and I don't know what why or when this might be. So I want to not have preconceived rules unless it is spelled out, or God specifically tells me too. (I am not referring to the obvious things, I don't think God asks people to do immoral things).

 

[Kevin Snow]

and there is a difference in participating in things you know to be wrong, and not judging those who partake in them, and taking them as they are, without doing what they are doing. Meeting people where they are. I don't think knowing people means you are serving the world, Jesus said to feed his sheep, if you house your neighbor, and feed them you are feeding me, and everyone is your neighbor. You don't have to do secular activities that others are doing to unconditionally love them. That's what I mean, I don't need to watch the newest movie to be content, but I think you can learn from every person on this planet. And not everything is so straight forward as don't do or do this. The clear things, don't worship anyone but God, that is straightforward, don't participate in activities that don't glorify God. I know of several churches that say other churches are not on the right path and don't associate with them, they all have the same bible, though their ideas are radically different from theirs, mine is radically different than theirs. I don't know if they have part all or none of it right, and I feel like you have to keep somewhat of an open mind, as long as you don't get swept up. Something that might be wrong for me, might be okay for someone else or only in a certain time, and I don't know what why or when this might be. So I want to not have preconceived rules unless it is spelled out, or God specifically tells me too. (I am not referring to the obvious things, I don't think God asks people to do immoral things).

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. ~James 1:27

So what you are talking about is the difference between how unstained one church is from another. But the scripture is clear: unstained. It isn't 90% unstained. It is unstained. And the church of this earth is not necessarily the true church. So those who do this are the true church:

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained. ~Philippians 3:12-16

So we all must work out our salvation with fear and trembling. But know for certain that God has called us to be holy and that is the standard; the expectation God has for us.

but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, ~1 Peter 1:15

The factionalism in churches is where we have been defeated by the enemy. God calls us to unity and to agree, having the same mind.

complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. ~Philippians 2:2

 

[Radagast]

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. ~James 1:27

There is nothing there about not reading or writing fiction.

 

[※※♡Rose○Gold○Macaron♡※※]

If its not against Jesus and his teachings that's fine, I'm creating a Bible Video game.

Sometimes you just got to stop listing to I cant, and start saying I will.

By the way, welcome

What exactly is your game about? I'd like to know.