'Narnia represents everything that is most hateful about religion'

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Aslan the lion shakes his mighty mane and roars out across Narnia and eternity. Christ is risen! However, not many British children these days will get the message. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe opens this week to take up the mantle left by The Lord of the Rings. CS Lewis’s seven children’s books, The Chronicles of Narnia, will be with us now and for many Christmases to come. … US born-agains are using the movie. … children may puzzle over the lion and ask embarrassing questions. … The sins of this “son of Adam” can only be redeemed by the supreme sacrifice of Aslan… Of all the elements of Christianity, the most repugnant is the notion of the Christ who took our sins upon himself and sacrificed his body in agony to save our souls. Did we ask him to?..

(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk …

People actually read this paper on a regular basis?
 
It’s Polly Toynbee again, who I’ve encountered already over in the ‘Catholic News’ forum today.

You may note that she was disagreeing with the review of the film printed in the film reviews on Friday, which gave the film 5 out of 5. As I’ve already pointed out, she is a columnist, putting across an opinion.

The interesting article on religion in today’s Guardian was the one written by the Reader’s Editor

guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,1657722,00.html
A reader writes: “Yet another religious article today. Please could you tell me why there is now so much religion in the Guardian? What prompted this move to go from being a secular paper to the most religious of all the papers?”
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This took me somewhat by surprise. I am more used to letters that complain that fringe references to religious matters in the Guardian, away from its main coverage, are too often made in a tone of disparagement if not actual contempt.
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There’s more there to read. It’s an interesting read, though it’s only the first part, to be continued next week.

Mike
 
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MikeWM:
You may note that she was disagreeing with the review of the film printed in the film reviews on Friday, which gave the film 5 out of 5. As I’ve already pointed out, she is a columnist, putting across an opinion.
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“Of all the elements of Christianity, the most repugnant is the notion of the Christ who took our sins upon himself and sacrificed his body in agony to save our souls. Did we ask him to?..”

Some opinion!

As to the other article you referenced: If this is what they call religious coverage, they can keep it! I still don’t see why a Catholic would spend any money on this rag. That is just my opinion though.
 
gilliam said:
“Of all the elements of Christianity, the most repugnant is the notion of the Christ who took our sins upon himself and sacrificed his body in agony to save our souls. Did we ask him to?..”

Some opinion!
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Yes - but an opinion that many share.

As someone who was away from the Church for a while, I understand the arguments she puts forward here and elsewhere. Fortunately I ‘saw the light’, so to speak, and have dealt with the issues I had with organised religion.

It seems to me that knowing the problems people have with Catholicism is pretty necessary if we are going to be successful in converting people to the faith.
As to the other article you referenced: It this is what they call religious coverage, they can keep it! I still don’t see why a Catholic would spend any money on this rag. That is just my opinion though.
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Well, I do, 6 days a week 🙂 (they don’t do Sundays). I don’t get it for religious coverage, I read a Catholic newspaper when I can for that.

Interestingly, the Guardian ran a leader last week praising the new document from the Vatican over homosexuality and the priesthood - although possibly not for reasons some here would like 😉

guardian.co.uk/gayrights/story/0,1653885,00.html

Mike
 
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WanderAimlessly:
Sounds like somthing Phil Pullman would say.
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He is mentioned, yes. Reminds me that I need to finish reading His Dark Materials sometime; I’ve been stuck in the middle of book two for months :o

Mike
 
43% of people in Britain in a recent poll couldn’t say what Easter celebrated. Among the young - apart from those in faith schools - that number must be considerably higher. Ask art galleries: they now have to write the story of every religious painting on the label as people no longer know what “agony in the garden”, “deposition”, “transfiguration” or “ascension” mean. This may be regrettable cultural ignorance, but it means Aslan will stay just a lion to most movie-goers.
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She has a point here. But perhaps the movie will be occasion for the adults and teens in the audience to learn a little, and perhaps to think about it too.
Because here in Narnia is the perfect Republican, muscular Christianity for America - that warped, distorted neo-fascist strain that thinks might is proof of right. I once heard the famous preacher Norman Vincent Peel in New York expound a sermon that reassured his wealthy congregation that they were made rich by God because they deserved it
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:rolleyes:
(Although I have met people who believed such things)
He is an emblem for everything an atheist objects to in religion. His divine presence is a way to avoid humans taking responsibility for everything here and now on earth, where no one is watching, no one is guiding, no one is judging and there is no other place yet to come.
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Well, this is what her review comes down to… atheists will not like the film. I guess I am not surprised by that.
 
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gilliam:
Of all the elements of Christianity, the most repugnant is the notion of the Christ who took our sins upon himself and sacrificed his body in agony to save our souls. Did we ask him to?..
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Geesh, talk about gratitude…:rolleyes:

No, we didn’t ask Him to, but I, for one, am so glad He did.
 
My theory that the British are so anti-religous along with other Europeans is that they don’t have separation of church and state. People here who rail about separation of church and state should think about the repercussions. Here in the US we have freedom of religion, no establishment of religion and separation of church and state. This causes less resentment against religion and less cynicism. This article is not just this woman’s opinion but the opinion of a large number of Brits.

We should all work to keep our separation of church and state or we will get more and more people with these opinions here.
 
Reading all this senseless hogwash by anti-catholic journalists such as this one, just want to make me roll over and laugh. Just rediculous anti-religious bigotry that is so predominant in post-christian Europe, let alone Europe jr, in Canada (sometimes also called America jr by some.) Russia may have been consecrated but the damage has been done. The consecration of Russia in 1984 did have an effect, but it was too little too late. Just my opinion.
 
this is what that atheist religion basher, Polly toynbee, had to say about the passion of the christ by mel gibson
For all the enthusiasm of the churches, Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ bombed in Britain and warehouses are stuffed with unsold DVDs of that stomach-churner
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when most people would have to disagree with her
The Passion of the Christ: According to The Hollywood Reporter, The Passion of the Christ sold nearly 9 million combined DVD and VHS units during its first week in release on home video, according to 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment executives, making it the top-selling live-action title of all time.
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The religious film took the top slot at the rental counter during the same frame, generating an estimated $9.45 million in gross rental revenue, or 2.6% of its $370 million domestic boxoffice take, according to Video Store magazine. “Passion” sold more than 4.1 million combined DVD and VHS units in its first day of release, according to Fox, the video’s distributor. That figure establishes “Passion” as the best-selling live-action home video during its first week in release, topping previous record holder New Line Home Entertainment’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
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i dont think she knows the the passion was in the top 3 biggest money making films of the year. 🙂
 
Guar Fan:
She has a point here. But perhaps the movie will be occasion for the adults and teens in the audience to learn a little, and perhaps to think about it too.
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Hopefully, though probably many will miss the point. I know I did first time around. I only ‘got it’ in the last few pages of The Last Battle, and by that point it couldn’t exactly be made any plainer :o
Well, this is what her review comes down to… atheists will not like the film. I guess I am not surprised by that.
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Only in her opinion. As I said above, the ‘proper’ review of the film gave it 5 out of 5, and said the religion allegories were there to be explored if you want, and could be safely ignored if not.

Mike
 
Mom of one:
Geesh, talk about gratitude…:rolleyes:

No, we didn’t ask Him to, but I, for one, am so glad He did.
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Indeed - though I can see that if you don’t believe, it can sound pretty patronising when you’re told that. I know that a friend of mine used to say things like that to me at University and I, pretty close to atheism at the time, internally rolled my eyes at his sincerity. Fortunately I saw that I was wrong and he was right, though it took a few more years.

Mike
 
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gilliam:
‘Did we ask him to?..’

(Excerpt) Read more at guardian.co.uk …
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Sounds familiar…

Hasn’t everyone heard that petulant little phrase from just about every self-centered child? “Did I ask to be born?! Who asked you to sacrifice for me?!”
If Miss Toynbee wishes not to accept Christ’s sacrifice, she is certainly free to make that choice. Something tells me, however, that when she reaches the logical conclusion of her rejection of Christ, she will be sounding that other oft-heard petulant refrain “It’s not FAIR!!”
 
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bones_IV:
Reading all this senseless hogwash by anti-catholic journalists such as this one, just want to make me roll over and laugh. Just rediculous anti-religious bigotry that is so predominant in post-christian Europe, let alone Europe jr, in Canada (sometimes also called America jr by some.) Russia may have been consecrated but the damage has been done. The consecration of Russia in 1984 did have an effect, but it was too little too late. Just my opinion.
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That is exactly why I am glad I live here and not there. So many people there know that they are right. Practically nobody seems to be wrong!
 
I’ve heard a few people make viscious comments about the faith, but I don’t think I’ve ever actually heard of anyone attacking Our Lord in His Person and in particular the Passion as this woman does. She sounds really bitter.
 
I wonder if she had the same fanatical reaction to Harry Potter (which I love)? I mean, if it will “go over” most children’s heads, why is she so freaked out? Are Christians not allowed to write books and make movies? Is she scared people who watch this movie are going to run out and become Christians? I mean the woman seemed positively gleeful that almost half of Brits don’t know why Easter is celebrated!

I consider myself fairly liberal but reading this junk makes me realize how over the top some of these people are.
 
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Ryniev:
I wonder if she had the same fanatical reaction to Harry Potter (which I love)?
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An interesting question, actually. I wonder what the answer would be.
I mean, if it will “go over” most children’s heads, why is she so freaked out? Are Christians not allowed to write books and make movies? Is she scared people who watch this movie are going to run out and become Christians? I mean the woman seemed positively gleeful that almost half of Brits don’t know why Easter is celebrated!
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Hmm - I didn’t detect any glee, she said it was ‘regrettable’.
I consider myself fairly liberal but reading this junk makes me realize how over the top some of these people are.
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Actually I found her comments relatively tame, if rather silly. I think perhaps some people here need to converse with atheists more often. Some of them really are virulently anti-religion.

Mike
 
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