I just finished reading a post about the hypocrisy of Deseret Book for selling "emotional porn." I typed a response, but I thought I should spend a few moments here to talk about my thoughts on the subject.
I grew up reading clean romances. I dreamed of a day when I could read romances by LDS authors - romances that were fun and exciting and had the dream of a temple marriage as a thrilling part of the story. There weren't any stories like that when I was growing up.
Now we have a variety of good LDS romance writers. The books are clean, exciting, and fun to read, and I have no second thoughts at handing them to my daughters to enjoy.
As was mentioned on "Reach Upward," girls aren't visual like boys. They are emotional. Their need for emotional involvement is an important part of a relationship.
The Proclamation on the Family makes it clear that men and women are different. Our differences are eternal. It is important for our daughters to learn that their emotional responses are normal, healthy, and God-given. They don't always listen to what we have to say. If they can get involved in a good story, they can learn some important lessons without our saying a word.
I heartily agree that most contemporary romances are emotional pornography. They don't belong in our homes. If you read books that describe intimate scenes between men and women that should only be performed after you're married, you know you're reading pornography.
As Reach Upward pointed out, that kind of pornography is as addictive for the same reason as visual pornography is to men.
However, LDS romance novels do not cause the same kind of physical responses as the contemporary romances do. They are written in such a way to teach eternal concepts about love, family, the importance of temple marriages, and to value the differences between men and women.
LDS romances are no more pornographic than an image of girls in their Sunday best. There is no comparison.
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