well maybe I am missing something, but my guess is if you're a writer and you're jonesing to break into the Christian romance market, specifically wanting to identify your work as Christian and seeking to have it sold in Christian bookstores, then that is not a surprise.

As a Christian, I don't go to Christian bookstores when wanting to by books on faith. I go to mainstream bookstores, because I know they carry religious books, and I am guessing that the general tone of the books will be more mainstream and less fundamentalist. I just assume that the exclusively Christian bookstores are more rigid in what the consider Christian.

Would a character identified as Christian be against guidelines in the larger romance realm?

---

Also, I am so relieved to see some other people expressing the "Would she just die already" sentiment (although way more tectfully than I just did) regarding the Schiavo debacle. I was starting to wonder if I was the only cold-hearted Bitch around here.

I still disagree with the decisions made (although I think the judge was within his bounds--just wrong), but I can't imagine her coming back from this, without a miracle. If she isn't going to get that miracle, if she (or anyone) is going to die, quick death is better than slow for everyone involved, and the rest of us who aren't but are confronted with it, all the time.

I dunno if you could write Chick Lit about them and have it conform to those rules.

You couldn't write my very mild biography, and have it conform to those rules.

My guess is, the rules aren't just about not causing offense (although they probably largely are, because they want to appeal to the widest market). There's a big thing in the Bible about not putting a stumbling block in front of someone else. Even if something isn't specifically sinful, if it feels wrong to you, or if your doing it causes other people to feel like they're doing something wrong, you don't do it.

As an example, although more Christians than not, drink, it's always a little bit of a pleasant surprise to me, when if we're doing something with a group of people from our church, the pastor's wife asks if anyone wants to bring some wine. It's an unspoken thing in a lot of circles, where people recognize it's okay to do these things, but also recognize that those same things are "stumbling blocks" for others. It's sort of like how (religion aside) most considerate smokers will go outside to smoke, if they're visiting a non-smokers house.

---

In news of me, haircut has been accomplished: [link] Now with more nape! [link]

---

As an example, although more Christians than not, drink, it's always a little bit of a pleasant surprise to me, when if we're doing something with a group of people from our church, the pastor's wife asks if anyone wants to bring some wine.

Huh. I think we polished off four bottles of Fat Bastard at the minister's house on Easter Sunday. YMinisterMV, I guess. Presbyterians in general, IME, aren't too concerned with things like drinking and dancing.

---

I just assume that the exclusively Christian bookstores are more rigid in what the consider Christian.

Right. But, as you say, they call themselves "Christian" when actually it's "Evangelical Christian".

Would a character identified as Christian be against guidelines in the larger romance realm?

Of course not. I can't think of counterexamples, but that's because I tend to seek out books with snark and sex.

---

Presbyterians in general, IME, aren't too concerned with things like drinking and dancing.

I'm ashamed to admit that when my parents turned Methodist, my first question was "Can you still drink?"

The answer was "yes", but they're Episcopal now and likely to stay that way; my father's studying for the diaconate.

---

I am sure the Evangelical Christians are miffed that folks like me call ourselves Christians instead of Whorish Christians, or Morally Depraved Christians, or Drunkard Christians....

---

Yup. We've got a whole bunch of reasons for despising one another.

---

My final brush with any branch of the Christian faith involved St. Gregory of Nyssa's Episcopal Church in San Francisco (I was long-distance dating a gent who ended up an ordained deacon there).

WONDERFUL place. Singing, dancing, LOTS of food. Drinking's okay, just not irresponsible behavior.

Then the gent went crazy, decided not to pursue his vocation (he was in discernment for the priesthood), moved to South Carolina and became Orthodox - as far as denying his own sexuality and preaching the most reactionary nonsense I've ever heard - and I'm from Oregon, Land of Small Town Thinking.

---

Huh. I think we polished off four bottles of Fat Bastard at the minister's house on Easter Sunday. YMinisterMV, I guess. Presbyterians in general, IME, aren't too concerned with things like drinking and dancing.

Well that was my point. Most Christians do drink, as do my minister and his wife. Enough of them take issue with it, that it's considered a stumbling block for some.

Right. But, as you say, they call themselves "Christian" when actually it's "Evangelical Christian".

I am sure the Evangelical Christians are miffed that folks like me call ourselves Christians instead of Whorish Christians, or Morally Depraved Christians, or Drunkard Christians....

There needs to be a new adjective I think, because it's even more than Evangelical. I smoke and drink and yet am Evangelical. I'm pretty sure Teppy's FCA was Evangelical, and if I'm remembering right, she said they all drank and most smoked. It's a sub-group within evangelicalism, and that publishing line is catering to the most conservative sub-group, because that's who their booksellers cater to.

---