Narnia

[Giaour]

CS Lewis quote

One guesses that, with their immense popularity, the Chronicles have proved similarly effective as a Trojan Horse. They have gained entrance, as it were, behind enemy lines. They have brought Christian theology to those who would not normally read it.

[Giaour]

Lewis believed that the knight on a quest is a good metaphor for the Christian life. He writes, "The idea of the knight--the Christian in arms for the defense of a good cause--is one of the great Christian ideas"

[Giaour]

Yet the best eucatastrophe Lewis saved for last. The Last Battle serves not only as eucatastrophe for this but as a final happy ending for all the Chronicles of Narnia. Here a Narnia-gone-bad is itself destroyed while saving all that is good (beast and man) and transporting them to Aslan's land, a country like Narnia in every detail yet infinitely better in every way. Tolkien wrote that a good fairy-story accompanied by a skillfully crafted eucatastrophe "can give to child or man that hears it, when the `turn' comes, a catch of breath, a beat and lifting of the heart, near to (or indeed accompanied by) tears . . ." ("On Fairy-stories" 81). Certainly the conclusion to The Last Battle has done so for literally millions of readers:

Then Aslan turned to them and said:

"You do not yet look so happy as I mean you to be."

Lucy said, "We're so afraid of being sent away, Aslan. And you have sent us back into our own world so often."

"No fear of that," said Aslan. "Have you not guessed?"

Their hearts leaped and a wild hope rose within them.

"There was a real railway accident," said Aslan softly. "Your father and mother and all of you are--as you used to call it in the Shadow-Lands--dead. The term is over: the holidays have begun. The dream is ended: this is the morning." And as He spoke He no longer looked to them like a lion; but the things that began to happen after that were so great and beautiful that I cannot write them. And for us this is the end of all the stories, and we can most truly say that they all lived happily ever after. But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story, which no one on earth has read: which goes on for ever: in which every chapter is better than the one before. (183-84)

[shepherdsgrace]

I personally thoroughly enjoy and respect the Chronicles...reading them once a year and I an older person! So it was with pleasure that I checked out this forum.

How distressing to find attitudes toward each other being expressed. Doesn't matter nearly so much what we think about Narnia as how we express our love toward each other.

Surely we can see each other's points and then just move on.....my opinion only.

I do understand how the fantasy world can invade a person's mind. And people need to be warned of such. Likewise that truth does not negate the fineness of the work of C.S. Lewis. Somewhere we need to appreciate what each other are trying to express.

ok....I'll stop now!

[nebula]

No need to "stop" shepherdsgrace -

That was beautifully spoken!

[Giaour]

WSB,

Are you willing to at least read ONE of the books for yourself?

[waygate]

Narnia, LOTR, WOT, etc, etc, etc, are all of the devil, including video games.

I know everyone thinks Tolkien and Lewis were all the rage because they were "Christians", but the fact remains there isn't any christian message in LotR, The Hobbit, or Chronicles of Narnia, etc. It JUST-ISN'T-THERE. LOTR was one of my favorite books for years, and I would maintain back then that it was a "Christian" book, but it isn't. I was decieved, adn continued decieving myself and others until one day God got it through to me. NOw i still struggle with this mess, but I assure you there is nothing edifying to a christian in these fantasy books, games, and movies.

That is a rediculous thing to say. They are not of the devil, you don't need to worship them as false idols or anything. What's wrong with enjoying a good story? You read the bible right?

[nebula]

Can you find one scripture where Jesus or a prophet, or an apostle told a parable or story that used a fantastic fable or pagan religion as a teaching source?

Didn't you read what was posted earlier? Someone showed Paul quoting from a pagan philosopher.

[Giaour]

It really doesn't matter what I say, because nobody is going to be convinced, and nobody is going to be convicted.

Yup, its a sin to be a wizard, or worship false gods, but you can read about "good" wizards and read about "good" false gods, which is what Aslan is based on what I've seen, all day long.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Narnia teaches it is a sin to be a witch, wizard and worship false gods. Narnia does not teach that there are "good" false gods. Aslan is not based on any of what you said.

Why are you being so closed minded. Why are you being so blind?

You make assumptions and judgements that you have no knowledge of.

Narnia books are nothing of what you think.

Did you not read anything I have posted from the books?

[apothanein kerdos]

Narnia, LOTR, WOT, etc, etc, etc, are all of the devil, including video games.

I know everyone thinks Tolkien and Lewis were all the rage because they were "Christians", but the fact remains there isn't any christian message in LotR, The Hobbit, or Chronicles of Narnia, etc. It JUST-ISN'T-THERE. LOTR was one of my favorite books for years, and I would maintain back then that it was a "Christian" book, but it isn't. I was decieved, adn continued decieving myself and others until one day God got it through to me. NOw i still struggle with this mess, but I assure you there is nothing edifying to a christian in these fantasy books, games, and movies.

That is a rediculous thing to say. They are not of the devil, you don't need to worship them as false idols or anything. What's wrong with enjoying a good story? You read the bible right?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

sure i do. Lets take another look at what the Bible says.

1 Timothy 1:4 - Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.

1 Timothy 4:7 - But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.

2 Timothy 4:4 - And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

Titus 1:14 - Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.

Acts 19:19 - Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.

Can you find one scripture where Jesus or a prophet, or an apostle told a parable or story that used a fantastic fable or pagan religion as a teaching source?

The short answer is "No".

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I already proved that Paul did:

Let's see how this works:

One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons." Titus 1:12

Now, this is from Paul. Paul is quoting a Cretan poet/philosophy/prophet Epimenides...and he's quoting what Epimenides said as truth. In fact, Paul was so in love with Epimenides writings that he appealed to them again in Acts 17:28. The thing is, Epimenides was steeped in mythology, much like Narni, Lord of the Rings, and other writings are. Yet even in all this mythology the truth of God could be found. Paul saw this and appealed to it.

If it is okay for Paul to do with someone who was obviously Pagan, why can we not appeal to writings that are written by Christian thinkers?