CS Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia = Racist Mysogynistic Religious Propaganda out to Corrupt Children

Youre looking into it too much.

I'm not the one making comments about the lack of love in a fantasy book.

 

I don't think children will see a 'Christain' message in the books. I had them read to me at six, and I turned out a diest, so clearly this brainwashing attempt didn't work. (My friends, who read them at the same age, ended up athiests). It wasn't until I was older that I found out they were supposed to be Christain parables. I never saw them as anything but stories about magic. I re-read the books this summer, and, yes, they are very Christain, but I think that it's only because I'm old enough to see these connections. At six, I certainly didn't think Aslan=Jesus.

I have read and enjoyed the Pullman books. I read the Golden Compass when it first came out and it scared the pants off of me (in a good way). They have a very different tone than Narnia ? darker and perhaps disillusioned ? but were quite good until Pullman started getting preachy during the third book. But perhaps I have a more critical view of them because I don't have any sentimental memories to cloud my judgment. All I know is that Pullman is worried about the Narnia books teaching children Christianity, and I don't think they do that.

 

Yeah, it can.

 

*dies*

 

Well...when it comes to spirituality and the self, people tend to see all sorts of things in the media.

Just read The Gospel Reloaded: Exploring Spirituality and Faith in the Matrix

I even saw one called The Simpsons and Philosophy: The D'oh of Homer.

 

You sound as if it's a good thing?

 

I have to agree with that part of your statement.

 

I don't think children will see a 'Christain' message in the books. If you tell them possible. My son read the books and he took the story was a magic tell, but nothing else.

The lion sounds little christian, but I found later until I was older.

 

'...a peevish blend of racist,

So does nearly every fantasy novel. Orc = bad. Troll = bad. Elf = good.

misogynistic

Did this dumbass read The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe? The main character was Lucy.

and reactionary prejudice;

Because we should all sympathize with the Witch. I guess I should sympathize with Palpatine next.

but of love,

Aslan. What a heartless leader.

of Christian charity, [there is] not a trace'.

Christians aren't charitable towards demons.

 

ZOMG U HAEV TOO RESPECT HIS RELIGON LOL

 

Well, there is the question of Susan. Susan simply doesn't believe in Narnia anymore, so when everyone else goes to the true Narnia (re: Heaven), Susan does not. She's interested in the physical world, as Jill puts it, "She's interested in nothing nowadays except nylons and lipstick and invitations."

At best, she?s very much on her own. Her entire family just died in a horrific railway accident. Hey, I wonder who has to identify the bodies? So, while everyone else is in Heaven, having the time of their lives, Susan is at best trying to determine which of the mangled corpses belong to her family. Alternatively, there?s the possibility that she?s dead herself in the accident, and that she ended up somewhere other than Heaven. If I?m not mistaken, C.S. Lewis was a protestant who did not believe in purgatory, which doesn?t leave a whole lot of room for Susan in the afterlife.

Not being charitable towards demons is certainly understandable. But Susan, who had been one of the greatest ever queens of Narnia, is punished for her lack of faith. Instead of opening her eyes (i.e. the charitable thing to do), she?s on her own. Maybe the Christian thing, but not the charitable thing.

 

Lewis was an Anglican (Church of England). While Protestant, they are very similar to Catholics. Not sure what their views on Purgatory are.

 

Susan probably represents a fallen Christian. Someone who believed in Christ, but somewhere in her life she lost her faith in God and Jesus. As such she would not be allowed to enter Heaven. It is a foundation of Christian faith.

As for Christian charity towards them. We are charitable. We do our best to bring them back, but if they don't come back they are doomed.

 

But Aslan didn't do his best to bring Susan back. If he had, she'd be in Narnia. There, she might choose to ignore reality like the dwarfs, yes, but then again, she might not have.

 

There's nothing I love more than when non-Christians try to speak knowledgeably about Christian doctrine and history How many of you know who Tertullian was? Nestorious? Arius? Origen? The Cappadocians? Do you know how the creeds were formed and what is and isn't considered a heresy to orthodox Christianity? Because, unfortunately, a lot of what people identify as 'Christian' is in fact heretical.

Granted, the fault here lies with the Christians who know as little about all of this as the non-Christians do. That is probably the only thing that upsets me more. I really wish a lot of people would stop declaring things in Christ's name that are unorthodox.

[/rant]

I haven't read Pullman's books, but I've heard they're good. I enjoy many books by authors who obviously have different viewpoints than mine, as well as films, plays, etc. Either I will glean some measure of knowledge from them or I'll disagree. If you get offended, you have a right not to read something.

I have read the Narnia books and I really enjoyed them as a child. I knew they were allegories and certainly see them as such, but I also project my view onto everything I see, Star Wars included. Everyone does. These books and the film can certainly be seen in other ways, especially just as pure fantasy. If you get offended, you have a right not to watch it.

But I think making apocraphyl generalizations is wrong on both sides. It's just as ridiculous to say "Narnia will turn your children into loveless, racist zealots!" as it is to say "Harry Potter will turn your children into heathen satanists!"

If you haven't seen Arrested Development, you've made a huge mistake.

 

This happened though

 

not really on the whole "allegory" theme here, but i was just wondering: what's the proper order these books are supposed to be arranged in? in my set it goes /the magician's nephew/the lion the witch and the wardrobe/the horse and his boy/prince caspian/voyage of the dawn treader/the silver chair/the final battle.

now it only makes sense that the final battle is the last one, however disney released the lion the witch and the wardrobe first. a while back a few friends of mine came over and were looking at my narnia books and started boo-hooing about how they were in the wrong order? but after reading the ones i have, the order seems perfectly natural to me? have they been re-arranged since their release or were my friends just full of stuff and nonesense?

 

But Aslan didn't do his best to bring Susan back. If he had, she'd be in Narnia. There, she might choose to ignore reality like the dwarfs, yes, but then again, she might not have.

But like God, Aslan requires faith. Just as God doesn't prove to everyone that he and Heaven exist neither does Aslan.

Allow me to switch around a few words here:

But God doesn't do his best to bring the lost back. If he did, they'd be in Heaven. There, they might choose to ignore reality like the angels, yes, but then again, they might not.

 

The Magician's Nephew was written last but it's a prequel to Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Your books are ordered chronologically instead of in release order. They're ordered PT/OT instead of OT/PT

If you haven't seen Arrested Development, you've made a huge mistake.

 

I believe that TLTWATW was written first, but actually takes place later. Or something like that.

 

okay, thanks guys.

 

Was that aimed at me?

 

The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe was written first, but the Harper Collins ombibus edition it comes second according to CS Lewis's preferred order which is:

1.The Magician's Nephew
2.The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe
3.The Horse and his Boy
4.Prince Caspian
5.The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
6.The Silver Chair
7.The Last Battle

 

No, it was more of a pre-emptive strike because I could tell this could easily head in that direction as such conversations always do. It was aimed at non-Christians who had already started it.

If you haven't seen Arrested Development, you've made a huge mistake.

 

The problem right now seems to come from Disney hiring a Christian group to help market the film as an extension of their faith. They are supposedly going after the "Christian Market" and the group wants to use it as recruitment. I have yet to see any adverts that go int this direction, but then again I have yet to see any adverts.