Sneaking in Jesus

I picked up a book in the Young Adult section of the library about a girl who attended boarding school. I read the back cover, and having attended a residential high school myself, I though it'd be a good, light read.

Nothing on the cover said "preachy Christian book." Nothing.

So imagine my surprise when the whole entire book evangelized. I'm not saying it was about a girl who happened to be Christian. That would have been fine. It was a book meant to preach a "born again" gosple.

Even then, I don't have a problem with a Christian book. I certainly think the library shouldn't pull a book because it's Christian. I would let my child read this book (as I would most any book). I'm even Christian myself, although I do NOT believe that having Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior is the goal. I believing living a life that considers others, serves others, and is moral and good is the goal, and that Jesus helps us achieve that goal. So the book did not teach what I would teach my kid. But THAT was not my problem with the book.

My problem was that the book was sneaky. It pretended to be a secular novel for young adults...in other words, minor children. The cover had girls in skimpy skirts and high heels. The back cover talked about mild sexual themes. The whole thing was packaged for the bad girl to pick up, read, and get converted. I didn't like that tactic used with children. It is wrong. If you want to evangelize, there are two ways. One is by example. (And, frankly, lots of Christian books do that quite well.) The other is by letting me know I'm in for preaching - invite me to your church, write Christian fiction on your cover, or do something to indicate you are going to preach. But, in particular, DO NOT trick me. Don't invite me to your home for Scrabble, and then try to make me convert. Pray to save my soul, if you must, but don't get pick me up to ride with you to dinner, and then preach when I cannot get out of the car.

And never ever ever try to trick my teenager into listening to your version of what kind of religion is "right." It's just sneaky, underhanded, and rude.

Etcetera.