Leighton's Blog

Aha! Picking up where I left off, can you read material that isn’t biblical as a Christian?

Well… I would be of the opinion that it depends on the author. Say I want to read a bestseller. Even weirder, say I’m on a vacation in Afghanistan. LOL

I decide to take a stroll down the streets to see if I can spot a little bookstore. I ask some guy. I say I want to read a good book. Can he point me to a bookstore? He ensures me he knows just the store.

He directs me down a couple side streets and I come to a little cosy bookstore with Islamic kind of lettering out front. I take a peek inside. Right there is a book with bestseller stickers stamped ALL over it.

Mein Kampf.

It’s popular. It’s there. Should I read it? Who is the author?

Even if my example is a little far fetched and kind of an extreme it goes for every book you want to read.

Ask the question: Who is the author and what conclusions do they want me to make from this book?

Lets take for instance… On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness.

• Who is the author? Andrew Peterson.
• What do you know about the author? He’s a Christian song writer.
• What is the book about? It’s a fantasy book about kids.

Ok, sounds fine.

It is best to check every book you want to read before doing so. You can end up thinking differently (subconsciously) than how God’s word requires us to. Many times, authors write a book for a purpose, to change our culture in some way. Christian authors intend to change for good, but non-christian authors sometimes intend only bad change.

Does Harry Potter fall under this category? Decide for yourself.