Scoping the Neighborhood

Lately I've came across a few weblogs of Christian authors, as well as some "Christian" discussion boards and websites and doing so caused me to question some of my my writing goals. What is my responsibility as a Christian writer? It seems pretty clear cut in the non-fiction realm. It's the fiction that gets me and where there seems to be the most debate. How does one handle sin and other negative elements? Is it right to bare all, down to the nitty gritty ugly details, just because it's the way things are?

Some criticize Christian fiction because it's a little too perfect and neat, but isn't there something to be said for holding up an ideal? I don't want to read about perfect people; I want to read about real people with real problems. And yet, I don't exactly want to be dragged down into the negative depths when I read. I want to see characters learn and grow and change for the better. I don't have all the answers right now, but these are some questions playing havoc in my mind these days.