Christian website reviews incredibly popular new book "Fifty Shades of Grey." Gee I wonder if they liked it? Update: The Christian review is in fact a parody. Whoops!

 Courtesy of Christwire:

 E.L. James, is the filthy minded pervert behind this book, that has become a world wide hit. She has penned a disgusting hit that takes a beautiful young pure woman and turns her into a leather clad dominatrix S&M Whorelot. The book is about a sickening misogynist love affair that turns the woman into nothing better than a sex slave. 

In the book, the male character, mockingly and insultingly named Christian, finds a young virgin named Ann. He seduces her and makes her fall in love with him. But as they start to date she is told to sign a contract where she agrees to become his sex slave. The language reads like this: 

“The Dominant accepts the submissive as his, to own, to control dominate and discipline, for purpose of discipline [and]…for his own personal enjoyment.” 

As a woman and as a christian, I find this horribly offensive, and I am not alone. Dr. Drew Pinsky, television personality and board-certified specialist, on his HLN TV show had a group of women that endorsed the book as a love story, and yelled at them saying, “It’s a rape fantasy!”

Now I have only heard about this book recently, and am to understand that I am not the identified demographic the book was written for, but I have to say that after this description it has sort of piqued my interest.

I think the part of the "review" that tickles me the most is this woman's irritation that the person sexually dominating this young woman is named "Christian," as if based on the name his parents gave him he is locked into a certain church sanctioned type of behavior. (I cannot help but wonder how this person feels about Hispanic men named "Jesus" engaging in criminal behavior. "His name is Jesus he can't be robbing a liquor store!")

Now the headline for this piece is labeled "Is 'Fifty Shades of Grey' turning your wife into an S&M slut?" Which I think can be answered with a very obvious "No, it's not. Unless, of course, she is secretly predisposed to that type of sexuality that is."

Books do not change people from one type of individual to another, but they DO allow people to access information which may open them up to realities and possibilities that they were previously  unaware existed.

Christians, as a rule,  do not seem to like this free and easy access to information, especially when it digresses from THEIR carefully crafted interpretation of the world, where things are black and white, right or wrong, sinful or without sin.

That is why women exploring their sexuality scares the crap out of them.

But what they fail to understand is that, just like the one thing that horrible TV psychiatrist Drew Pinsky gets right, this is just a "fantasy."

However it is not really a "rape fantasy" because the protagonist, Anastasia Steele, CHOOSES to enter into this relationship with this "Christian" fellow, and rape, by its very nature, is not based on choice. Rape is an act of violence, not an act of sex.

It is interesting that the very thing which seems to terrify this religious book reviewer, seems relatively ho hum to a more worldly book reviewer like the Daily Beast's Katie Roiphe:

Why does this particular, watered-down, skinny-vanilla-latte version of sadomasochism have such cachet right now? Why have masses of women brought the book to the top of the New York Times bestseller list before it even hit the stores? Most likely it’s the happy convergence of the superficial transgression with comfortable archetypes, the blushing virgin and the whips. To a certain, I guess, rather large, population, it has a semipornographic glamour, a dangerous frisson of boundary crossing, but at the same time is delivering reassuringly safe, old-fashioned romantic roles. Reading Fifty Shades of Grey is no more risqué or rebellious or disturbing than, say, shopping for a pair of black boots or an arty asymmetrical dress at Barneys.

In other words, one  uptight, sex fearing, woman's cup of sinful poison, is another woman's somewhat pedestrian trip to go shoe shopping.

I have to say I am always amazed that these fundamentalists are still seemingly unaware that the more they demonize a movie, book, or piece of art, the MORE that people are determined to see it.

Anyhow I am just a man, so I am destined to remain always intrigued, yet confused, by the things which interest or inspire women.  However I have to say that anything which makes women more comfortable with their sexuality should not be seen as a bad thing.

Unless of course YOU are the one who wants to dominate women, or perhaps shudder in fear at the idea of their fully developed sexuality.

I'm just saying.

Update: How do I look with egg on my face?

I had never before heard of Christwire, but as it turns out it is a parody site, and was having a bit of fun with some of the controversy that this book has inspired.

Of course this book HAS attracted quite a lot of backlash from both the Christian community and feminists, so it is still an interesting topic to discuss. However my initial source, as it turns out, is NOT a reliable one for judging the impression that Christians have of this book.

Well I will not remove this post, even though it is proof positive that even I can be taken in by a well written parody once in awhile, because I still think it is an interesting topic and one that I believe will inspire a potentially fascinating debate.

Now if you will excuse me I am going to go back to Chrsitwire and read some of their other well written articles ridiculing the overly religious mindset. Oooh Zombies!