Why are some drawn to fiction stories and others repelled by them?

[IloveyouGod.]

1 minute ago, Josheb said:

lol! "Normal powers" is not very accurate to real life.  

I meant like not being able to walk through fire and stuff like that.   

1 minute ago, Josheb said:

Let me just check in with everyone: we're all aware much of what we read/hear in the daily news is fiction, yes? 

Yep and or just really morphed from what it actually is.

[IloveyouGod.]

25 minutes ago, Josheb said:

Every believer believes the stuff common in fiction has actually happened. 

 

Might be part of the answer to this op's inquiry. Just saying. 

True.  But, that is just my personal preference.  

[missmuffet]

6 hours ago, R. Hartono said:

What is that ?

Christian fiction books?

[R. Hartono]

1 hour ago, missmuffet said:

Christian fiction books?

Such as ?

[Henry_iain]

I prefer books to movies. Not that I don't like movies but books is my preferred medium. I also really like stories that are told verbally by a skilled storyteller.

Books have always been part of my life And it runs in the family.  We are bookish people.  We keep telling ourselves we won't buy more books but then it just takes one 2nd hand book sale and we end up with a few more. We have books in every in the house except the bathrooms. We have a storeroom full of books that we can't find space for in the house. 

And if I like a story I find I can read to or listen to it repeatedly. I keep finding little bits of detail I never noticed before. I have read Lord of the Rings many times, same with the Narnia series (I am particularly fond of the silver chair). I would say Lord of the Rings is my favourite. I read poetry too. And I like reading plays sometimes. Shakespeare isn't always good but at times he was really brilliant. 

I think the fact that I grew up surrounded by books, in a family of teachers helped me a lot. It's something I am very thankful for. And I found that this has helped me to understand the Bible better as well. Remember that I am not an English first language speaker. It is because of reading fictional books that I can understand English.  

 

[Unit 11]

My dad used to say, it takes all kinds to make up the world. Some folks like stories, others not so much.

For my part, I grew up watching Twilight Zone, Outer Limits and Star Trek reruns. I drew comic strips as a boy. Then, when I was twelve, our TV broke and I went on a reading binge, discovering three great authors: H.G. Wells, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and Ray Bradbury. Thereafter I loved to read, and write, prose. 

Reading stories, and especially writing them, is a way to slip the surly bonds of earth, get off the ground and fly off to fantastic worlds. My icon up there is an image from the Blackmore's Night album Secret Voyage, sailing up to the moon (and that in turn brings Baron Münchhausen to mind ). It's a source of joy, fulfillment, and occasionally a bit of extra $$$. 

 

 

[Mike Mclees]

17 hours ago, ReneeIW said:

Are you suggesting that entertainment in and of itself, even if appropriate, is sinful because it does not lift up Christ?

I Did say everyone has to make their own choice's. It might no be sin but not prudent or wise. 

Webster's
Synonyms: Adjective

advisable, desirable, judicious, politic, prudent, tactical, wise
Synonyms: Noun

makeshift, stopgap
Antonyms: Adjective

impolitic, imprudent, inadvisable, inexpedient, injudicious, unwise

The parables is about readiness for when Christ returns and they such as wise and the foolish. You count them as worldly fiction. 

Job is also biblical for the church who go through many trials.

I will say As Billy Graham preached. time is short. If one believes they have time are is not wise but foolish. 

Is Holy Wood   cornered about salvation. What i did was for myself and I shared it. I never said God told me to.    
 

Edited December 11, 2020 by Mike Mclees

[Starise]

I think this discussion also takes us heavily into the area of imagination. 

Without imagination we wouldn't have fiction. 

I believe we all have the ability to imagine. Some of the most successful imagination in art usually goes 180 degrees outside of the box. When it comes to imagination there is no box.

Then the question begs, why were we endowed with imagination? How exactly does imagination as a part of our makeup help us? 

There seem to be two types of imagination. The 1st "imagines" something that could be within the context of our reality i.e. I imagine a porch around my house. As I walk around I see all of the posts and where the arch over the door will be. I can imagine the color and  mentally put myself on it to see how it feels walking it. In this sense I think we can envision something we are planning. In our minds it's a more concrete representation, a part of the planning process. Most probably a part of our survival in the wilderness. I can imagine a cabin built from old trees. I can see where the trees are. I can see the process start to finish in my mind. 

The second type of imagination is in going past the "box". In this world anything goes. The laws of physics need not apply unless we want them to apply. We can make up places, people and situations from a predetermined plan or we can make it up as we go. Most of this kind of fiction doesn't go too far from reality for authors or they will probably loose the reader. The reader needs to be able to have an investment in the story to be effective. I've read some very odd sci fi that I had a tough time relating to. 

I "imagine" if there never had been a fall. If Eve never ate the forbidden fruit. I believe that then, our imagination would have been more useful because we would not have been bound by the same physics we are bound with here on earth in these fallen bodies. Presently our imaginations are hampered by our fallen sinful nature and bodies. 

Just "imagine" what we will be able to do one day Lord willing when we can put into action things we can only imagine now. The kinds of things we were intended to do in the beginning. Our imaginations seem to be capable for great things even though limited here on this earth. Limited doesn't mean powerless. 

One other area that would go too far from the OT is imposed imaginary things from outside of ourselves. This ventures into how our thought processes can be influenced by others in an imaginary way here, but not imaginary in the spiritual realm. That's a whole different topic.

[Henry_iain]

52 minutes ago, Starise said:

Just "imagine" what we will be able to do one day Lord willing when we can put into action things we can only imagine now.

This makes me think of the song "I  can only imagine" by Mercy Me. 

Ephesians 3:20 - 21

20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

[David1701]

2 hours ago, Starise said:

I think this discussion also takes us heavily into the area of imagination. 

Without imagination we wouldn't have fiction. 

I believe we all have the ability to imagine. Some of the most successful imagination in art usually goes 180 degrees outside of the box. When it comes to imagination there is no box.

Then the question begs, why were we endowed with imagination? How exactly does imagination as a part of our makeup help us? 

There seem to be two types of imagination. The 1st "imagines" something that could be within the context of our reality i.e. I imagine a porch around my house. As I walk around I see all of the posts and where the arch over the door will be. I can imagine the color and  mentally put myself on it to see how it feels walking it. In this sense I think we can envision something we are planning. In our minds it's a more concrete representation, a part of the planning process. Most probably a part of our survival in the wilderness. I can imagine a cabin built from old trees. I can see where the trees are. I can see the process start to finish in my mind. 

The second type of imagination is in going past the "box". In this world anything goes. The laws of physics need not apply unless we want them to apply. We can make up places, people and situations from a predetermined plan or we can make it up as we go. Most of this kind of fiction doesn't go too far from reality for authors or they will probably loose the reader. The reader needs to be able to have an investment in the story to be effective. I've read some very odd sci fi that I had a tough time relating to. 

I "imagine" if there never had been a fall. If Eve never ate the forbidden fruit. I believe that then, our imagination would have been more useful because we would not have been bound by the same physics we are bound with here on earth in these fallen bodies. Presently our imaginations are hampered by our fallen sinful nature and bodies. 

Just "imagine" what we will be able to do one day Lord willing when we can put into action things we can only imagine now. The kinds of things we were intended to do in the beginning. Our imaginations seem to be capable for great things even though limited here on this earth. Limited doesn't mean powerless. 

One other area that would go too far from the OT is imposed imaginary things from outside of ourselves. This ventures into how our thought processes can be influenced by others in an imaginary way here, but not imaginary in the spiritual realm. That's a whole different topic.

Our, God-given, imaginations need to be submitted to the Lord.  Our thinking is an area of great warfare, where we must be very vigilant (not only the imagination, of course, but all of our thinking).

2 Cor. 10:3-5 (KJV)

3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:
4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) 
5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;