Works of Fiction are not the Enemy

When I had asked a devout Christian Teacher friend of mine some years ago, 

“Do you read fiction?”

Her reply was, “No, because I only read what is true. I only read the Bible.” 

At the time I was depressed by her reply because I thought she knew me well enough to know what I planned to do with my life.  I was essentially sharing about myself which is hard to do.  I also thought she knew I was a Writer, and I felt like shit knowing she would not read anything I wrote.  But this philosophical argument made me think. 

I disagree with her/this reasoning. 

She is implying a great work of fiction is equal to a lie. 

Art and literature are in its own category.  They teach.  They entertain.  They make people think of ideas.  God created some people to create. I create. I am a Christian, but if any one implies to me a dogma that literary fiction, arts and entertainment are an enemy to the Christian faith we are not friends. 

Fiction is a style of writing, Bible Scholars know there are fictional pieces within the Bible, aka parables; psalms are poems, another fictional form of writing.  Jesus spoke in parables.  What are parables? Fictional stories to illustrate an idea.  Maybe some of the parables were based on actual interactions, but I know from listening to them some are fictional.     

This interaction made me think of other things like I was at college to establish myself in a career and joined the on campus Christian organization because it had value...but had I not gone to college I would not have been in this Christian Organization...