Emma Jo > Status Update

I agree!

I was just thinking this the other day!

Exactly! I agree!!

I agree! It’s literally crazy at how evil some books can be.

What if I like thriller crime books ? :)

...I'm probably not supposed to be here then....

uhh I think I might be one of those readers😶‍🌫️

YES! I agree

what if i read thrillers😭😭

People can read what they want! Even if you don’t agree with it, it’s ultimately not your decision

Yeah its a little much…

Your convictions are your convictions, and I am not telling you what to do at all! Personally I do not enjoy the weight of unnecessary darkness. I believe this world is corrupt and evil, and the horrible things that thriller and horror book plots are based on are very possible. However, I think the only way to conquer evil is to fill ourselves with pure goodness. I do not appreciate books that do not conquer the darkness of evil with the light of goodness, and therefore put my mind in a state of despair after I read them. There was a period in my life where I sought the heart-racing that violent and perilous scenes could give. Eventually, the more I read of it, the less it hurt to hear of such situations happening to real people. I do not want to be numb to what needs to change in this world. I don’t want to simply accept evil for what it is because it is interesting. I have never found that dwelling on darkness has made my life better. Now if you are able to come out of every book focusing on the hope- even if the book ends absolutely hopelessly, go ahead and get the thrill you crave from books with dark cover and unashamedly evil plots. But I cannot be bettered by it.💔

people should be able to read what they want! for example, I love reading thrillers. Right now im literally reading a book called as good as dead. I find it entertaining and extremely fun to read because its high stakes, I get invested in the story, and it’s fun to try to figure out what’s happening next. Also, I don’t love reading overly light and fluffy books as I’ve had a lot of experiences and such that have taught me that that’s not always realistic, so I tend to gravitate towards authors like holly Jackson, because for example, she always has very realistic endings to her books. Does this mean I’m going to murder someone? No, absolutely not. It’s just what I like to read.

Completely agree with you Em!💖🙌🏻 This world is evil, and what we spend our lives dwelling on and craving is a depiction of where our heart is💔
If we crave evil and find it satisfactory, something is very wrong.

AMEN SISTER

Satan is perverting this world and turning good and evil on their heads, switching everything around. Good is now evil and evil is now good, and you can see it everywhere, especially in the entertainment business. Satan is the prince of this world and he will use things of this world to confuse and brainwash people who do not know Jesus. As one of my fave youtubers said, “You are either walking in the Light, or knowingly or unknowingly being used for the kingdom of darkness. There is no in-between.”

@Emily that’s so well said 🙌🏻

i love being evil lets goooo

The main problem isn’t that you’re saying what ppl can and can’t read, it’s that some people are forcing their religion and beliefs onto other ppl and that’s not right. Horror books/thrillers are not the work of Satan and reading them doesn’t mean you are evil. You simply enjoy reading stuff like that. I for one do. And I know lots of people who do as well. None of them are evil and we should accept that not everyone beliefs in God and Satan and not to press your beliefs on them.

macklayla(conan gray’s version) wrote: "The main problem isn’t that you’re saying what ppl can and can’t read, it’s that some people are forcing their religion and beliefs onto other ppl and that’s not right. Horror books/thrillers are n..."

yess exactly

As a Christian I believe that anything that is written or produced without the intent to glorify God or share light and goodness with the world is indeed not from the Lord. I also believe that the Lord is the only source of absolute truth, therefore anything I read, watch, listen to, or consume in any way that does NOT reflect Him and His goodness in some way, is harmful.

But Christian or not, I will at least say this:

I come out of such media in a state of haziness. The darkness and manipulation and confusion thriller and horror creators- and anyone else who takes death lightly as a means of entertainment- frightens me.

I do not hate people who disagree with me. I make all of these statements out of love. The people I know personally who consume dark media are the same people whose minds are always far away, suffering depression and sometimes even turning suicidal. I believe if we continue to consume so much darkness, it settles into our being and we forget how beautiful the light is. We forget how clear things are. We forget to really focus on what is in front of us- the places we get to be, the days we get to experience, and the people we get to love.

I do not want any of that for you, but I can only persuade. I cannot force you to make changes, nor do I want to. Try reading lighter books for a bit and see what happens. Talk to the people who seem the most joyful in your life- what do they surround themselves with? All I ask is that you consider what I am suggesting.

Maybe you will find that all of your feelings and emotions you’ve been seeking answers for in books and media where the characters are always in such misery and trials, do not need to be understood as much as they need to be overcome.

For Christians here that disagree with me, please look up the following verses and tell me how you view them:

Philippians 4:8

John 3:33

1 Corinthians 10:31

Acts 26:18

John 12:35

And if these are not enough to prove my point to you, then let me know and I will send more.

I am so far from perfect, and I am not trying to be. I just know that consuming darkness does not show me the Light of Christ and all the goodness He means. I live for Him, and I cannot read thrillers and horror, and the like because any pleasure I get from them is for myself only. And it only lasts for a minute compared to the hours afterward that my thoughts are haunted by all the pain and fear in those plots. How is that helping me live for Jesus?

Emma Jo wrote: "As a Christian I believe that anything that is written or produced without the intent to glorify God or share light and goodness with the world is indeed not from the Lord. I also believe that the ..."

the thing is, not everyone is Christian, and to me, light books are so far off of what my life is that they’re honestly sometimes depressing to read, they’re unrealistic. So I usually prefer either heavy and sad books or darker books. Right now, I’ve been reading a lot of depressing dark books, and to be honest, my mental health is in a much better place than it has been for a long time. I know it’s very different for everyone, of course, but that’s how it also is for me. I also think not everything is truly black and white, good and evil, most things and people are in a sort of gray area- absolutely no one is perfect, people are complex. And same with media and books. Reading a book about solving a murder isn’t evil. Reading a book about two people falling in love and being happy isn’t perfect either. Nothing is. Also, these books show how people overcome challenges. And a lot of these challenges are very real, and it can actually give people a sense of hope that they can get through the struggles they’re dealing with

totally agree. as Christians, if we bend at all or compromise even a little, we are letting the devil win over our faith and enter into things where he shouldn't be. I think I need to evaluate what I'm reading as well. thanks for this iron-sharpens-iron moment! I'll re-check what I'm reading for 2026🩵

Emma Jo wrote: "As a Christian I believe that anything that is written or produced without the intent to glorify God or share light and goodness with the world is indeed not from the Lord. I also believe that the ..."

I can see your point of view, and I like the way you phrased it, but all these things are rather subjective. Reading dark books may be depressing or have negative effects on you, but for me and many others it has the opposite effect. It's especially nice to be able to identify with a character that feels the same way as you do.

And personally, reading books revolving around depression, grief, or death helps me remember my own luck as well as understand others' emotions better. I am someone who is constantly thinking of possibilities; reading these books helps me understand what I could say to comfort someone suffering, and that kind of thing. And I also don't perceive death as something dark or frightening. That doesn't mean I outwardly welcome death or feel nothing when others die--but death is a part of life and it doesn't scare me or affect me all that much when fictional characters die.

I am not Christian but I am religious. I can see god in miracles, in art (in books), in nature, in life, and even in the concept of death, no matter how depressing. That's why I find death beautiful, because death is returning to one's roots and my roots are with him.

Anyways, if it has had a negative effect on you, that's great that you've understood that and changed it! And I will clarify that me writing all this isn't me trying to debate or argue, I just figured I'd explain from my perspective after hearing yours :)