The Lion King and Christianity

[stitchy]

http://www.crossroad.to/text/articles/tsbtlk96.html

I found this interesting. Thought I would share

[jeffnevins]

Good points. Though I love the story, characters, animation, and what it did for the artform of animation, it is bad spiritually- from a Christian perspective.

Brother Bear features some ancestor worship as well.

[sweetycakes]

There's more about the Lion King here, as well as a great many other films and TV shows.

[Marnie]

There's more about the Lion King here, as well as a great many other films and TV shows.

At least Gilligan's Island wasn't mentioned.

[mikado5001]

One day, Rafiki looks into his magic gourd and sees Simba's living image. He sets out to find the reluctant heir to the throne, then demonstrates a worldwide pagan traditions: reliance on help from everpresent ancestral spirits.

The inhabitants of the Pride Lands, not PRIDE NATION, are not worshipping Simba. They are, AS WITH THE ROYAL FAMILY OF ENGLAND, bowing in respect. And celebrating the birth.

First of all Rafiki does not look in his 'magic gourd' he drink the juice. He discovers that Simba is alive because the desert winds have carried Simbas scent and fur. He then uses the juice of the gourd to re-annoint Simba's image on the tree wall. And that symbolizes that Simba is alive. There is no reliance on the ancestral spirits when Rafiki discovers that Simba is still alive.

Mufasa's spirit never says "Look inside yourself.' And a part of those who have gone before is in this life who we have known. Be they Mother, Father, Sister, Grandparents, or whomever. They all live in us in some way. I would never have had my love of Theater, Television, and Film if not for my late Daddy(birth father) Daniel.

2. "Simba, everything you see exists together in a delicate balance," explains Mufasa. "As king, you will need to understand that balance and respect all creatures because we are all connected in the great circle of life."

In light of the earlier reference to the "circle of life," we know that this statement moves beyond a biological food chain and natural cycles. Mystical connectedness, the spiritualized circle of life, and respect or tolerance for everything - no matter how evil by God's standards - fit right into contemporary multicultural and environmental teachings. Educators, entertainers and media-leaders promote these pagan concepts as moral ideals needed to save the earth and bring global oneness. In contrast, God's Word tells us that nature-worship and oneness with pagan cultures bring destruction both to land and people. (Deut. 11, 28; Rom. 1:18-32)

How do we know this is true? Mufasa might have spoken litterally. Mufasa is right all things exist in a delicate balance. And it is the Circle of Life.

3. To "look inside" for wisdom and guidance usually implies that anyone - Christian or not - can tap into an inner source of uncorrupted wisdom, because all are one with some sort of pantheistic deity or cosmic intelligence. Liberated from outside authorities, children can freely follow the destructive ways of ancient Israel, where "everyone did what was right in their own eyes"

This is true to a point. But when we abide in Christ and HE in us. This becomes true. We listen to that small still voice don't we?

4. Today's attraction for the gross, bad and cruel can be measured in audience responses to evil or ill-mannered characters. In The Lion King, the devilish Scar, the bloodthirsty hyenas and the flatulent warthog drew the loudest laughter. Like the sordid success of Beavis and Butthead, this phenomenon reminds us that in our culture bad is good, and good is boring.[/wuote]

In the case of the Lion King and Scar. This is not the case. Evil is unambiguous in this movie.

PARALLELS TO PONDER

PARALLELS TO PONDER

THE PRIDE LANDS

One day a new king will rule the land

GOD'S KINGDOM

In that day, all will bow to the true King

THE PRIDE LANDS

The jealous Scar hates the new king

GOD'S KINGDOM

Satan hates Jesus and all who follow Him

THE PRIDE LANDS

Scar lures Simba onto a deadly path

GOD'S KINGDOM

Satan tempts us to choose our own way

THE PRIDE LANDS

"We'll always be together," says Simba

GOD'S KINGDOM

God will never leave or forsake His own

THE PRIDE LANDS

King Mufasa dies to save his son

GOD'S KINGDOM

Jesus gave His life for us

THE PRIDE LANDS

Scar blames Simba for his father's death

GOD'S KINGDOM

Satan accuses Christians

THE PRIDE LANDS

Simba runs away, is saved by "outcasts"

GOD'S KINGDOM

Samaritan "outcast" helps victimized traveler

THE PRIDE LANDS

Simba grows to maturity in exile

GOD'S KINGDOM

Moses trained for leadership in the wilderness

THE PRIDE LANDS

Simba reluctant to return to responsibility

GOD'S KINGDOM

Christians reluctant to obey God

THE PRIDE LANDS

"He lives in you... Look inside yourself..."

GOD'S KINGDOM

Christ, our King, lives in us.

text reformatting is mine

The line "He lives in you... Look inside yourself..." is never said in the movie. Well at least Berit Kjos listed some of the good points here.

[Guest Diana_King]

Walt Disney (the man) was an incredible artist and liked to infiltrate his art with hidden messages, such as in The Lion King in the stampede that kills Simba's dad the word sex can be found somewhere, it was a method to apparantly give hidden messages to other people

[Guest Diana_King]

Walt Disney (the man) was an incredible artist and liked to infiltrate his art with hidden messages, such as in The Lion King in the stampede that kills Simba's dad the word sex can be found somewhere, it was a method to apparantly give hidden messages to other people

[jeffnevins]

Walt Disney (the man) was an incredible artist and liked to infiltrate his art with hidden messages, such as in The Lion King in the stampede that kills Simba's dad the word sex can be found somewhere, it was a method to apparantly give hidden messages to other people

Walt passed away around the time of the Jungle Book. Hidden words appearing in animated films are the product of dopey, bored assistant animators.

[mikado5001]

Walt Disney (the man) was an incredible artist and liked to infiltrate his art with hidden messages, such as in The Lion King in the stampede that kills Simba's dad the word sex can be found somewhere, it was a method to apparantly give hidden messages to other people

The letters that appear as Simba runs across the desert back to Pride Rock are not:

S-E-X

They are:

S-F-X

Which stands for Special Effects.

While I am aware of, and have seen, Jessica Rabbits privates. The male genitalia in the INITIAL poster art for the Little Mermaid is unintentional. And the 6-6-6 in Walt Disney's signature is, I think, reading way to much into things. I doubt that Disney's intent was Satanic by signing his name.

However the scene where Simba collapses on a cliff are indeed SEX. And even I did not know this.

[Guest Biblicist]

It always surprises me that we can find parallels to good and bad in everything. If you look closely enough you can see the good in it, and if you look from another point of view you see the bad. Gee why is that? Is it possible we are just reading too much into it. You could probably find really good and really bad in every single thing you see, hear and read. In fact, it's the reason that people do not believe the Bible, they look at it and Satan covers their eyes to the love, hope, joy, faith and beauty and only shows them the hate, anger, death and destruction.

The link to jesus-is-savior.com is rather dark and disturbing. As if they spend all their time trying to point out the horrors of television. Even Narnia is Satanic! C.S. Lewis was a heretic?! I have read things taken out of the context of the Bible before to further someone's hidden agenda but not quoting a person directly. Sheesh!

Many years before television was invented people were turning to witchcraft, worshiping Satan and idols, engaging in disgusting physical sins, and murdering. It is not television that should be blamed, it's the acceptance to these types of sins in our hearts that should be addressed. Hollywood puts out the things that we accept. The shows and movies that we go watch. That we allow in our homes. If we stop watching the filth, it will at least stem the tide.

Just my opinion.

Bib