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Chronicles of Narnia Trailer

Ant writes "After United States' broadcast debut of the "Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe" trailer on Saturday, May 7th during ABC's network premiere of "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets", Ain't It Cool News posted AOL's link to the QuickTime movie (direct link to download the 56 MB high quality trailer file)." Fix yourself some turkish delight and enjoy.

619 comments

  1. First book? by vraT · · Score: 0, Insightful

    I think the Chronicles of Narnia was the first book(s) that I ever read on my own. I don't think a movie could ever capture the spirit of the words I read years ago.

    1. Re:First book? by vraT · · Score: 0

      Bugger, I didn't mean to submit so soon. As I meant to say, I still think there is massive potential to be great shows.

    2. Re:First book? by tricops · · Score: 1

      They're the first book(s) that I have any memory of reading on my own at least. I'm sure my dad read them with me originally. I actually reread some of them a year or two and was amazed at how short they actually are. They seemed huge back then... It wasn't quite the same as reading them as a kid, I guess my imagination has shrunk some...

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    3. Re:First book? by Trillan · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I actually feel cheated by this. I really looked forward to reading the Chronicles to my own children one day. I guess I'll still be able to, but they'll probably see the movie somewhere first and the magic will be gone from the words.

    4. Re:First book? by mlheur · · Score: 1

      The entire Narnia collection were my first reads.
      Before I could read those books I used to attend summer pre-school. While there we would watch the animated "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" which had introduction and narration by C.S. Lewis.

      That did more than justice to adding imagery to the books that I am still fond of today. I still pick up the series and read it from time to time.

    5. Re:First book? by teslar · · Score: 3, Informative
      I really looked forward to reading the Chronicles to my own children one day. I guess I'll still be able to, but they'll probably see the movie somewhere first and the magic will be gone from the words.
      If it's any consolation, they would have had a chance to see the film since 1988.
    6. Re:First book? by Trillan · · Score: 1

      Oh, I'd forgotten that! But it's probably a bit less likely than them seeing the 2005 big-budget (persumably) blockbuster. This is probably going to be a movie that people will use to babysit kids. :)

    7. Re:First book? by wcb4 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      and in spite of the usual low budge BBS production, those shows, (LW&W, Prince Caspian, Dawn Treader and Silver Chair) were all fantastic. With the exception on the city under the sea n dawn treader, I don't think they took any liberties with C.S. Lewis' books at all.... I am sure that DIsney wil not be as kind. Disney, the Politically correct mass marketting machine, producing what are essentially extended metaphors for Christian beliefs. I can't wait until it comes out to see how they butcher it. I am sure that Peter will not kill the wolf, (a child, kill?) I wonder how they will explain the magic deeper than the deep magic that states that if a willing victim gives his life, death will be defeated. OUtta be interesting.

      --
      I reject your reality ... and substitute my own.
    8. Re:First book? by fireboy1919 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I read it when I was little and then I tried rereading it.

      Bad idea there.

      The prose is horribly dry. It's written for children - not young adults - children. The spirit of the books is laid out plain as day and easy to see, because the audience is children. To get the same feeling into a movie, all they'd have to do is not change it very much.

      Of course, it won't actually be the same as the spirit of the words in your memory or in mine. It'll be what was actually there, which, unfortunately, is much less grand.

      --
      Mod me down and I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine!
    9. Re:First book? by westlake · · Score: 2, Interesting
      Disney, the Politically correct mass marketting machine, producing what are essentially extended metaphors for Christian beliefs. I can't wait until it comes out to see how they butcher it. I am sure that Peter will not kill the wolf, (a child, kill?)

      Disney had no problem distributing The Incredibles, which does not play as a Saturday morning cartoon.

    10. Re:First book? by LDoggg_ · · Score: 1

      I heard about the movies from right here on slashdot a while back.
      I decided to get to reading the books to my son right away. We're on The Silver Chair, 4 of 7 (original ordering) right now. He likes them so much he refuses to even watch the old cartoon or the bbc verision until we are done with all seven books.

      --

      "If they have both, tell them we use Linux. And if they have that, tell them the computers are down." -Dave Chapelle
    11. Re:First book? by rishistar · · Score: 1

      The first book I can rememeber reading on my own was Mr Messy.

      I don't think a movie would ever do *that* book justice either.

      --
      Professor Karmadillo Songs of Science
    12. Re:First book? by burdalane · · Score: 1

      I actually read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings before I read the Chronicles of Narnia. My dad didn't know about the Narnia books, so he read Tolkien to me when I was little. I still enjoy Tolkien, but I'm not so sure I would still enjoy the Chronicles of Narnia so much if I revisited them.

    13. Re:First book? by Trillan · · Score: 1

      Which book did you start with? I've been thinking with my kids I'll save The Magician's Nephew for just before The Last Battle. It just seemed to reveal too much.

    14. Re:First book? by LDoggg_ · · Score: 1

      Lion the witch and the wardrobe, Prince Caspian, Voyage of the Dawn Treader, and we're on Silver Chair now.

      I only read the first three when I was a kid so Silver Chair is new to me as well. They seem chronological enough at least in regards to the main characters. I figure we'll just finish off the series in the original publishing order.

      --

      "If they have both, tell them we use Linux. And if they have that, tell them the computers are down." -Dave Chapelle
    15. Re:First book? by drgonzo59 · · Score: 1
      That's great. A child's imagination can be richer than any movie that can be produced. We certainly lose that imagination capacity as we get older. I remember I could play for hours with my toy soldiers and some blocks of wood could be spaceships.

      I can't wait to have children, I'll get to experience it all over.

    16. Re:First book? by Trillan · · Score: 1

      Oops. I guess I should have realized that from "original ordering." Thanks for being patient. :)

    17. Re:First book? by TheoMurpse · · Score: 1

      But there wasn't a single death in The Incredibles. I'm sure that was the grandparent's point.

    18. Re:First book? by TheoMurpse · · Score: 1

      Thank you for mentioning those books! I had nearly forgotten about them. MAN THAT SHIT WAS THE BOMB (that somebody set up us)!

      I remember sitting in the library reading those. Mr Tickle was my favorite one (although I can't remember anything about them anymore).

  2. Interlaced?? by XanC · · Score: 1, Informative
    Is it just me, or is this video interlaced?

    I guess I'll be firing up mplayer's "vf pp=lb" option.

    1. Re:Interlaced?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Is it just me, or is this video interlaced?

      Good call moderator, I've never seen such blatant flamebait.

    2. Re:Interlaced?? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Your a fucking dork... ...its a goddamn trailer, and nobody cares what awesome options you set.

    3. Re:Interlaced?? by kkthompson · · Score: 0, Troll

      It's "you're a fucking dork". And he's right. It kind of sticks out like sore thumb after looking at Apple's trailers which are done with considerable care and attention to detail. Makes it look like it was encoded by a rank amateur.

    4. Re:Interlaced?? by bleckywelcky · · Score: 1

      Well, I don't believe the trailer itself is interlaced. The file (as played) is a progressive source. However, it definitely appears as though they made the trailer from an interlaced source (some other digital medium perhaps). And that leaves me to ask ... wtf? It looks like crap, that's for sure.

    5. Re:Interlaced?? by hravan · · Score: 1

      tried to get the rotten thing to play under windoze xp | quicktime alternative | media player classic

      no go

      bit of a pain considering how long it took to download the damn thing on a dialup connection!

      bit loath to download quicktime because in my experience it's bloated and any extra features arent woth paying for...

      any suggestions? (codecs and such...)

      cheers

      ~HRAVAN

    6. Re:Interlaced?? by XanC · · Score: 1

      Here's what mplayer says as it opens the audio and video. I'm not sure what you need to do to get it running, but these are the codecs:

      Opening audio decoder: [mp3lib] MPEG layer-2, layer-3
      AUDIO: 44100 Hz, 2 ch, 16 bit (0x10), ratio: 32000->176400 (256.0 kbit)
      Selected audio codec: [mp3] afm:mp3lib (mp3lib MPEG layer-2, layer-3)

      Opening video decoder: [ffmpeg] FFmpeg's libavcodec codec family
      Selected video codec: [ffsvq3] vfm:ffmpeg (FFmpeg Sorenson Video v3 (SVQ3))

    7. Re:Interlaced?? by hravan · · Score: 1

      cheers for that :D prolly no more than an update required... at this hour I'm neither tweaked nor caffeinated enough to check properly but shall do in the AM the hell with reverting to qt because the free version looks like shit on our tv - and as I said - who wants to pay for useless bloatware....

  3. Re:Nerd/tech/science? by HTL2001 · · Score: 1

    although I havnt read any of the books, almost everyone I know has (and gives me hell for it) so maybe it is nerd related :P

    --
    By reading this, you have given me brief control of your mind.
  4. Re:Yeah! by Teemu+Alviola · · Score: 0, Troll

    They probably have enough bandwidth to handle the /.-effect I'm afraid..s

  5. Another crappy Disney movie by esconsult1 · · Score: 2
    Here's hoping they don't destroy C.S. Lewis's excellent series of books.

    Here's disney's formula

    • annoying animal sidekick
    • fast paced animation
    • slapstick humor
    • no matter how historical the theme, bring it up to date with some uncalled for topical humor
    Sigh...

    1. Re:Another crappy Disney movie by solios · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Yeah, I read "Disney" and groaned. But I watched the trailer and didn't catch Eddie Murphy or Gilbert Gottfried anywhere and Narnia certainly isn't musical fodder, so... it looks more like they're trying to cash in on the current LotR frenzy. Box office has proven people want Big Epic Fantasy, and despite the overt religious themes, Narnia is exactly that. It's Big, it's Epic, and it's Fantasy. In a lot of cases (at least in my home skool district), it was the first fantasy novel(s) read by many, many children. I was reading Voyage of the Dawn Treader while I was still building Construx forts for my Star Wars action figures. Hopefully Narnia makes a decent transition to the big screen, but from the trailer it looks like they're focusing on everything they think made LotR a huge success (eg battle, battle, battle - gods that shit bores the hell out of me. Has since The Phantom Menace).

      I never got around to reading LotR - I was completely turned off by all the singing and poetry in The Hobbit and figured there'd be more of it in the trilogy... and I found Sci-Fi to be a hell of a lot more interesting (at least until the rack at Barnes and Nobel started to look more like a bad collection of Heavy Metal cover art)...

      If they don't screw it up, they can easily cash in on film adaptations of the rest of the series - there's quite a lot of material to work with.

    2. Re:Another crappy Disney movie by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > and I found Sci-Fi to be a hell of a lot more interesting (at least until the rack at Barnes and Nobel started to look more like a bad collection of Heavy Metal cover art

      So, that was about 1979, then?

    3. Re:Another crappy Disney movie by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Funny, I would say the SciFi/Fantasy rack has always looked like that... : p

    4. Re:Another crappy Disney movie by tricops · · Score: 0, Offtopic

      I had a great deal of trouble reading LotR myself for basically the reasons you've described. That and all the geneology. That said, after getting past about halfway in the first book it picked up somewhat and I found I could skim over that junk and still enjoy the story/get into it more.

      --
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    5. Re:Another crappy Disney movie by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Here's disney's formula

      * annoying animal sidekick
      * fast paced animation
      * slapstick humor
      * no matter how historical the theme, bring it up to date with some uncalled for topical humor


      I thought that was Star Wars?

    6. Re: Another crappy Disney movie by jamrock · · Score: 1
      "I never got around to reading LotR - I was completely turned off by all the singing and poetry in The Hobbit and figured there'd be more of it in the trilogy"

      Give LOTR a chance; you won't regret it. I read "The Hobbit" when I was 15 at the behest of my younger sister, and like you, I thought that the trilogy would be more of the same (i.e. cute but trite in my then wordview). Like you I was, and still am, more interested in Science Fiction, but then I was persuaded to read LOTR, by an English teacher, an Irishwoman who loaned me her personal copy which had been autographed by Professor Tolkien before his death.

      Trust me, it's worlds away from "The Hobbit" in terms of the epic story and the rich tapestry which Tolkien constructed. Then read "The Silmarilion" and be prepared to be totally blown away by Tolkien's prowess with languages, and the gargantuan scope of his invented mythology.

    7. Re:Another crappy Disney movie by yotto · · Score: 2, Insightful

      *I never got around to reading LotR - I was completely turned off by all the singing and poetry in The Hobbit and figured there'd be more of it in the trilogy.*

      Try this: Don't read the poetry/songs. I skipped right over them and never missed 'em.

    8. Re: Another crappy Disney movie by anakin876 · · Score: 1

      I loved LOTR, but the Silmarillion put me to sleep. Yes, huge landscape, huge time, epic history and complex language structure - but it was all presented in a dry form. The first bits were great, the last section was interesting, but a vast majority of the middle was dry beyond imagining. (for me)

    9. Re:Another crappy Disney movie by child_of_mercy · · Score: 1

      It is amazing you think anyone is interested in your feelings about a book that is not the subject of this story.

      --
      'There is a Light that never goes out.'
    10. Re:Another crappy Disney movie by tricops · · Score: 1

      It is amazing you felt the need to be a dick and make an utterly pointless reply to my comment. The OP mentioned the LotR books and I was just pointing out that the entire trilogy wasn't entirely the same and they could still be enjoyable. At least two other posters posted essentially the same response as well - guess you're the odd one out.

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    11. Re:Another crappy Disney movie by Fallen_Knight · · Score: 1

      glad i'm not the only one who did that

    12. Re:Another crappy Disney movie by child_of_mercy · · Score: 1

      Yes me and everyone who did thoroughly enjoy Lord Of The Rings are certainly the odd ones out.

      --
      'There is a Light that never goes out.'
    13. Re:Another crappy Disney movie by Robotron23 · · Score: 0

      Get this, you don't have to go see this film, or even think about it after this topic is yesterdays news, and next time another wonderful piece of fiction is announced for bastardization, you can just not give a fuck about posting a formula or anything cynical.

      Why is that? Well like most other Disney adaptations, this will receive a lukewarm reception and in a few years will be forgotten, destined for an occansional screening on TNT in a decade or two...

      Theres more to life than E rated bollocks my good friend. :) Even if the theme does entail a beautiful series of books that we read and have good memories of. (Btw to all nazi-mods, this isn't a troll, its called advice)

    14. Re:Another crappy Disney movie by tricops · · Score: 1

      Do you have trouble understanding people? I was not suggesting you were an odd one out for enjoying them; I was suggesting you were the odd one out for feeling the need to be an ass by making a reply like that with no point beyond trying to attack me. The OP made a comment, I replied to it. Your post added absolutely nothing but an attack on me.

      In any event, you say that as though I weren't in the group of people who did thoroughly enjoy them. I may not have enjoyed every single little paragraph in them, but they're still excellent books. I would not have bothered to reply to the OP in the first place if that were not so. However, parts of the reading are pretty heavy and boring for people with no interest in long lists of geneology/etc, whether you care to believe or realize that or not.

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    15. Re:Another crappy Disney movie by memfrob · · Score: 1
      Try this: Don't read the poetry/songs. I skipped right over them and never missed 'em.

      It's people like you that are responsible for the downfall of the Poetry/Songs Association of America (PSAA). Don't you think the artists deserve to be compensated for their hard work and tireless efforts to put you to sleep through page after page of mind-numbing verse?

      I bet you use one of those ThiefOs to skip past the commercial infotainment that pays for your expensive television programming! Who do you think pays the hacks that dig through old scripts to rehash entertainment for the next generation?

      --
      The Wizard utters the word 'frobnoid!' and cackles gleefully
    16. Re:Another crappy Disney movie by child_of_mercy · · Score: 1

      "pretty heavy and boring for people with no interest in long lists of geneology/etc"

      Cry-babies with ADD you mean?

      --
      'There is a Light that never goes out.'
    17. Re:Another crappy Disney movie by zifferent · · Score: 1

      HEY! I have ADD and while at an early age I despised the geneology/etc, upon re-reading the books recently, I thoroughly enjoyed the books in their entirety.

      Chalk one up for Tolkien, ADD medicine, and maturity each!

      --
      cat sig > /dev/null
    18. Re:Another crappy Disney movie by sirwnstn · · Score: 2, Informative

      I think we Chronicle's fans can have some hope. Disney only is a co-funder of it. Walden Media is funding and distributing it. Also, Lewis's step-son is supposedly making sure that the movie stays true to the book. Check out this website and the FAQ.

      I can't wait to see this movie!!!

    19. Re:Another crappy Disney movie by tricops · · Score: 1

      Right, because when people have no interest in something you like, they must be a cry baby with ADD.

      --
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    20. Re:Another crappy Disney movie by child_of_mercy · · Score: 1

      When the insist on going on about it once begins to imagine so.

      --
      'There is a Light that never goes out.'
    21. Re:Another crappy Disney movie by tricops · · Score: 1

      Right, and you're doing any less? You've yet to post anything remotely meaningful. You seem to like insulting people though...

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    22. Re:Another crappy Disney movie by child_of_mercy · · Score: 1

      I didn't get this karma by being generally abusive.

      But I have to say I've thoroughly enjoyed it this time.

      I didn't enjoy the more complex parts of LOTR when I was nine either.

      But that was because I wasn't smart enough to appreciate it, and I accept that was a failing of mine at the time (albeit an understandable failing).

      People who are too thick to understand what Tolkien was doing, and then attempt to ascribe the problem to the author, really tick me off.

      IMHO they deserve a great deal of public ridicule and it's been a pleasure to contribute it this time.

      --
      'There is a Light that never goes out.'
    23. Re:Another crappy Disney movie by Catalept · · Score: 1

      Disney hired Adam Adamson who did produce Shrek (for which he won an Oscar). Shrek did have Eddie Murphy et al. But I seriously doubt he'll be producing the same kind of thing this time. People are going to compare "Narnia" movies with LotR given the association of C.S. Lewis and Tolkien with the group of four writers known as the Inklings. Better to focus on the movie director, producer, and cast. Bear in mind Adam Adamson is a Kiwi (New Zealander), like Peter Jackson (the Director of LotR and another Oscar winner). No-one familiar with Peter Jackson's earlier work - things like "Brain Dead" and "Meet the Feebles" would have imagined he had the vision to bring an 'unfilmable' fantasy morality epic to the screen the way he did with LotR. But Jackson seems to have had a notion from earliest reading that Middle Earth as Tolkien's Anglo-Saxon heaven on Earth, a place of clear views, primeval innocence, and beauty, would be best filmed (a) in his homeland and (b) inside a virtual world. By all accounts Adamson believes the same thing. One must judge from the trailer how far he is likely to succeed. So far it looks promising. Anyone considering the storyboard qualities of books by the Inklings must take into account the pervasive Christian background. Especially in the case of Williams, Tolkien, and Lewis, they all deal with Christian fantasy. Never once though do Tolkien or Lewis mention Christ in so many words. Instead they offer universal themes like sin, redemption, hope, love and forgiveness, in a way that makes a Christian interpretation of them as natural as breathing. This is perhaps the most insidious form of propaganda fides, but it makes for boffo Box Office, better even than Shrek. They couldn't be terribly doctrinaire because that literary fashion for propaganda of that broad stripe had long vanished by WWII. Besides, Tolkien was a Catholic and Lewis was an Ulster Protestant, in principle they should have been at each others throats. Certainly there was no room in the Inklings for sectarianism. One last note. The other two Inklings were Charles Williams and Owen Barfield, mostly forgotton now, but Charles Williams especially was a very great writer indeed and in my opinion one of the great literary resources which Hollywood has not yet found. We shall see what transpires. Regards, TC

  6. Re:Nerd/tech/science? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How is this nerd related in the slightest?

    It combines a Disney product with Lewis' Christian messages.

    Flamewar = ad revenues = stuff that matters

  7. Re:Nerd/tech/science? by -kertrats- · · Score: 2, Funny

    It's a SFF book. Nerds like SFF, haven't you heard?

    --
    The Braying and Neighing of Barnyard Animals Follows.
  8. Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Anybody else get a little creeped out by the possibility that alot of what CS Lewis was doing with his fantasy writings was really Christian propaganda? I know this sounds terribly like a troll, but it's honestly not meant that way.

    I originally liked the stories as a kid, but then I read The Screwtape Letters, and while I thought it was a neat exercise in combining Christian morality with fiction (the story is about one devil advising another devil on how to corrupt a soul), I also got the vague feeling that CS Lewis was out to manipulate the readers. Then THAT got me thinking that maybe he might be trying to do that with a lot more than just TSL...

    Anyways, just wondering.

    1. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      And The Lord Of The Rings isn't antimodernist propaganda? A book is going to reflect the author's beliefs in some way unless it's very superficial.

      LOTR is subtle where Narnia is obvious, but both advocate their author's views on life, because that is what literature does.

    2. Re:Christian propaganda...? by AGTiny · · Score: 1

      I agree. I read the books when I was pretty young and didn't realize until later about the religious undertones.

    3. Re:Christian propaganda...? by benjcurry · · Score: 2, Funny

      Yeah, but...who cares? I loved the stories as a child, and I turned out fine, you as;eklh;lkh fwe!2';wetjkokp[12'WTEGkrekl;ioh124j! 'wer['lgjk;;u

    4. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The Narnia books beat you over the head with Christian metaphor. If you only think of the Christian message as a possibility then you need to work on your reading comprehension.

    5. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      agreed. any good book reflects the biases of it's author. would you reject Asimov's works because of it's evolutionary undertones?

      a sterile work would be boring.

      BTW, try reading Mere Christianity some time. :-)

    6. Re:Christian propaganda...? by brokeninside · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The Screwtape Letters was supposed to be a morality tale. If it disturbed you because it was trying to get across a fairly orthodox Christian point, that's because it was. Lewis wrote a few other `fictional' books with the same idea such as The Great Divorce. That said, I don't think it fair to saying that he was trying to manipulate his readers. It isn't his fault that most readers today aren't cognizant of the original context that The Screwtape Letters originally appeared in. His target audience was fully aware of what he was doing.

      But neither The Chronicles of Narnia or his space trilogy was written for that purpose. The Chronicles were originally conceived as bedtime stories for his nieces and nephews that eventually poured themselves out into a series of novels. His space trilogy came out as his attempt to get into that new fangled new literary genre.

    7. Re:Christian propaganda...? by maczealot · · Score: 5, Informative

      EVERYTHING C.S. Lewis wrote was about his Christian beliefs. If you didn't realize that then I'd approach whatever school you went to and ask for my money/time back. Again, do a simple google search and you will find that both Lewis and Tolkien wanted to create stories to teach Christian principles to readers through fun stories. The mark of an educated mind is the ability to hold and idea without accepting it. So do you ALSO complain when you read the Illiad or the Odyssey because Homer was *GASP* really writing propaganda for greek religious beliefs!! SAY IT AIN'T SO! Why is that Christianity is the only religion it is still ok to hate?

    8. Re:Christian propaganda...? by henrywood · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Yeah, but let's face it every book can be looked upon as some sort of propganda. If an author doesn't set out to manipulate you in some way, even if it's just to manipulate your emotions, then his work probably isn't worth reading.

      Are "Animal Farm" or "1984" any less valid because they are anti-communist propaganda (no my US friends, that isn't meant as flame bait!)?

      --
      Something is happening here but you don't know what it is, do you, Mr Jones.
    9. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Trillan · · Score: 4, Insightful

      No, not really. I don't believe in censoring those willing to bear the social and monetary cost of bringing a story to life. (Piggybacking on someone else's infrastructure and budget is another matter entirely.)

      For example, were I offended by the passionately atheist, I might view Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy as atheist propaganda. Although I'm not sure the movie maintains the book's stance, the book was very hard line against religion.

      There's certainly room enough in my philosophy for both stories, and room enough on the video store shelves for both movies.

    10. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Jonathunder · · Score: 4, Informative

      The possibility? He'd call it apologetics, not propaganda, but it's more than a possibility that nearly all of his fiction promotes Christianity; it's no secret at all.

      Some of his most Christian books are so well written, though, that some serious doubters like myself can really enjoy them, particularly Narnia, but also Screwtape. I would really recommend Till We Have Faces, which unfortionately is often overlooked. Lewis thought it was his best novel, and I agree. Interestingly, it is set in a pre-Christian world.

    11. Re:Christian propaganda...? by geeber · · Score: 1

      Why is that Christianity is the only religion it is still ok to hate?

      Christianity is not the only religion it is ok to hate. I find them all equally reprehensible. (Said with tongue only partially in cheek).

    12. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      But neither The Chronicles of Narnia or his space trilogy was written for that purpose.

      Of course they were. By his own account concerning the Narnia books:
      "Why did one find it so hard to feel as one was told one ought to feel about God or about the sufferings of Christ? One was told one ought to. An obligation to feel can freeze feelings. And reverence itself did harm. But supposing that by casting all these things into an imaginary world, stripping them of their stained-glass and Sunday school associations, one could make them for the first time appear in their real potency? Could one not thus steal past those watchful dragons? I thought one could"
    13. Re:Christian propaganda...? by TummyX · · Score: 1


      Anybody else get a little creeped out by the possibility that alot of what CS Lewis was doing with his fantasy writings was really Christian propaganda?


      No. I mean, WTF? It's damned great reading and I never turned into a Christian because of it. It doesn't creep me out at all.


      Then THAT got me thinking that maybe he might be trying to do that with a lot more than just TSL...


      This just in: Writers use writing as a way of conveying ideas and beliefs. Get the full news at 11.

    14. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Jerf · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Along with the other comments you've recieved to date, I'd like to ask you something: I believe that when a person criticizes someone for something, they should have a plausible alternative in mind. Otherwise they are just whining.

      What is the plausible alternative for C. S. Lewis? Authors write things that are true to themselves, be it Christian, Pagan, Materialist, or what not. Any author who tries to be inauthentic to themselves generally turns out garbage; even if you can't put your finger on why, you'll not like it. A lot of young writers make this mistake, by trying to be someone else, instead of themselves.

      Was he supposed to write non-Christian stories? But that's not who he was. And it's hardly like the Chronicles of Narnia are blatent propoganda; instead, it's simply that they are set into a Christian framework. I've read things set into Buddhist frameworks, oodles of things in strict materialist frameworks, things set in a Victorian framework, various philosophies, etc. Do you blame any of those authors for their frameworks?

      Was he supposed to not write stories, because they bother you?

      When it gets down to it, at the level you're talking about, every story "pushes" some worldview at you. Why is it you're only bothered by this one?

      The most likely reason is that you don't realize that you're getting many other ones pushed at you, all the time, and you've only been sensitized to this one. In that case, the problem lies with you, not CS Lewis, and you're probably getting yourself nicely manipulated by other people without even noticing it. Everyone has a worldview that colors everything they do and everything they right. (In fact, Christian writings seem one of the best places to pick that up, regardless of how you feel about the rest of them; see Lewis' non-fiction writing and the works of Francis Schaeffer.)

    15. Re:Christian propaganda...? by SSpade · · Score: 1

      It's not just a possibility, it's a fairly widely accepted fact. Both CS Lewis and Tolkien were Christian and attempted to bring a Christian spirituality into a style of romantic story telling that more traditionally was a nature spirituality (what might today be described, inaccurately, as pagan).

      Propaganda might be a bit of a strong term, but the underlying currents and messages of the books are pretty strongly Christian.

    16. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Henry+V+.009 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      As an atheist, I can't stand talk from people about hating all religions. It shows lack of discernment. Some religions are far worse than others. Christianity, though it has its bad points, is one of the better religions. It is, after all, inseperable from Western life and culture.

    17. Re:Christian propaganda...? by SeanJones · · Score: 1

      He was a Christian apologist so that is scarcely surprising. Philip Pullman uses the same method to opposite effect in the "Dark Materials" books. Lewis did a pretty poor job as I loved the books and never even spotted the Christian parallels (Aslan as Christ etc). I think the books assume a basic familiarity with Christiantiy and increasingly that is lost on kids leaving them to just enjoy the story (and their souls to burn eternally at the end of Screwtape's toasting fork). Pullman assumes less knowledge and is much more explicit in his condemnations of the Church. However, his account of his hatred of the Church being based in part on the repression in children of their sexuality does begin to creep me out. The Screwtape Letters is slightly different to my mind as it is aimed (as I read it) at an explicitly Christian audience.

    18. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Maul · · Score: 2, Informative

      It is well known that Lewis put obvious Christian allegories into the Narnia books. He didn't try to hide the fact.

      I fail to see how this manipulates the reader.

      --

      "You spoony bard!" -Tellah

    19. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      animal farm is not anti-communist propaganda... read it again!

    20. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Neat quote. Where is that from?

    21. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Seumas · · Score: 1, Interesting

      Harry Potter == Evil, Satanic, BURNABLE.

      Chronicals of Narnia == Good Christian Literature, PRAISE THE JESUS!

      You know, there's a reason you read Chronicals of Narnia in first grade... because it's first grade material. It doesn't hold up when you grow up... or learn to tie your own shoes.

    22. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Bobbysmith007 · · Score: 1

      Um I wouldnt call it Christian propaganda so much as allegory. Im pretty sure that allegory to Christain religion is exactly what the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe IS. Maybe its just cause I was raised in a very conservative house, but I thought that the allegory was fairly obvious.

      Here is an entire article from wikipedia about this.
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronicles_of_Narnia/

    23. Re:Christian propaganda...? by killjoe · · Score: 1

      "Why is that Christianity is the only religion it is still ok to hate?"

      Because the christians control the most powerful govt in the world and because the bug red button is under the control of a born again christian fundamentalist.

      --
      evil is as evil does
    24. Re:Christian propaganda...? by .com+b4+.storm · · Score: 1

      Why is that Christianity is the only religion it is still ok to hate?

      Because it's not the underdog here in the West?

      --
      "Wow, you're like some kind of superhero able to ward off happiness and success at every turn."
      -- Ryan Stiles
    25. Re:Christian propaganda...? by MythMoth · · Score: 5, Insightful

      That said, I don't think it fair to saying that he was trying to manipulate his readers

      I think that's an important point. Lewis was writing at a time when being a Christian was the norm. His books were written to put across Christian morality, not Christianity in and of itself.

      I remember being upset when I found out that the Narnia books were about Christianity; I felt tricked. But really the parallels are so blatent that there's no way he was trying to sneak anything past anyone. It was just his inspiration for the stories.

      As for Screwtape, well, it's a story written as letters from a senior to a junior devil - if you can't spot the possibility of a Christian message there, then you can't really blame the author!

      --
      --- These are not words: wierd, genious, rediculous
    26. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Creeped out? Would you feel manipulated by any other author or music artist who presented views you either didn't agree with or didn't think of before? Just asking...one should form his/her own opinions, not just accept what an author believes.

      Perhaps I am less ignorant that there are Christian "undertones" since this was presented in my sunday school class back in the early eighties. I guess they figured kids were too dumb to realize it mirrored ideals of boring ol' Christianity (and other religions for that matter).

    27. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, as an atheist, I wasn't particularly creeped. It's not liek Lewis pretended he was doing otherwise, and if anything, shorn of some of the vampire-worshipping osiritic crap christianity tacks on, the story is a bit less offensive.

      While I disagree with the existence of a god or gods, large parts of the non-god-related parts of christianity ("Do unto others as you would have them do unto you") are just plain common sense. What DOES creep me out is that some people apparently need threats from an imaginary alpha male in the sky to keep them following that Golden Rule. An atheist observing the golden rule is far more trustworthy than a christian as far as I'm concerned, because he doesn't need the stick.

    28. Re:Christian propaganda...? by JanneM · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Why is that Christianity is the only religion it is still ok to hate?

      Huh? Like many agnostics and atheists I dislike all religion. Christianity certainly doesn't have any particular prominence in that respect.

      What does raise my hackles more than other is prozelysation, though. This of ocurse includes some Christian evangelcal sects and writers, but I am just as annoyed by prozelytising Hindu and Islamic sects as well. Hint: if I'm interested I promise to come over to your church/synagogue/temple/kiva/bloodstained sacrificial altar and discuss it, but knocking on my door, pushing leaflets in my hand or harassing me on the town is making me less - not more - likely to have a kind thought about what you believe in.

      Converesly, among religions the one I dislike the least is Buddhism and especially quiet, contemplative variations of it. It tends to be philosophy as much as religion (no father figure in sight), and they never bother you unless you actively want to be bothered.

      So no, Christianity is not special at all when it comes to general dislike. If you are Christian, though, you are of course a lot more attuned to criticism towards it than other religions (and more like ly to see it at all) and so it's of course easy to get the impression that it is singled out in some manner.

      --
      Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend.
    29. Re:Christian propaganda...? by IANAAC · · Score: 2, Informative
      Anybody else get a little creeped out by the possibility that alot of what CS Lewis was doing with his fantasy writings was really Christian propaganda?

      I actually discovered CS Lewis/Narnia through my pastor as a teenager. He made no bones about it being a very christian-based story.

      Regardless of it's intentions, it's a great story. I'm sure I would have eventually discovered it later on, but I always thought it was kind of cool that a pastor would know of a novel that was christian, yet borrowed so heavily from pagan cultures for the basis of their characters.

    30. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 1

      Maybe Disney made the _Hitchhiker's Guide_ movie not funny, because so many of the jokes were at "god's" expense. Now they'll put out Narnia, a Christian parable saga. Every story is told within a belief framework, and the (authentic) Christian one is both valid and popular. It remains to be seen whether Disney's Narnia preaches acceptance, humility, and personalized spirituality, as well as inflexible moral prohibitions against persecution and killing. Or whether it's more allied with Crusader movies, hypocritically training "Christian soldiers" to march to war.

      --

      --
      make install -not war

    31. Re:Christian propaganda...? by syrion · · Score: 1
      If you don't know enough about Christianity to spot the Christian parallels in Narnia, you are ignorant. They are obvious, they are intentional, and Narnia is still one of the best fantasy series ever written.

      Just sayin'.

    32. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Of Other Worlds

      Google for "watchful dragons" and you can probably find more quoted.

    33. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not to start a atheist-Christianity war here, but your logic is flawed.

      "An atheist observing the golden rule is far more trustworthy than a christian as far as I'm concerned, because he doesn't need the stick."

      How is an atheist observing the golden rule more trustworthy than a christian (presumably observing the same golden rule)?

      Or are you trying to say the average atheist is more likely to observe this Golden Rule?

      Please enlighten us?

    34. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Thanks. Might come in handy.

    35. Re:Christian propaganda...? by UpLateDrinkingCoffee · · Score: 5, Informative
      Could it be because C.S. lewis was one of the greatest apologetic Christian writers of modern times? He was also an atheist in his early life and accepted the Christian faith based on logic and reason (with the influence of J.R.R. Tolkien I understand). Yes, for more dissapointment, Tolkien heavily used Christian themes throughout his stories also, although they were more heavily veiled than in the works of Lewis.

      Here are his works catergorized as "Christian" in a faq I found:

      • The Problem of Pain - 1940
      • The Screwtape Letters - 1942
      • Mere Christianity - (Probably his most famous)
      • The Abolition of Man - 1943
      • Miracles - 1947
      • Reflections on the Psalms - 1958
      • The Four Loves - 1960
      • Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer - 1964
      • Devotional letters to an imaginary friend
      • Christian Reunion
      • Christian Reflections
      • Fern Seed and Elephants
      • First and Second Things
      • God in the Dock
      • Of This and Other Worlds
      • Present Concerns
      • Screwtape Proposes a Toast
      • Timeless at Heart

      P.S. "Apologetic" does not mean making an apology for. In this context it means making a formal justification or defense.

    36. Re:Christian propaganda...? by SeanJones · · Score: 1

      May I say in my defence that I was only six or seven years old at the time! Sean

    37. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      True, more like anti-revolutionary. Or just plain depressing. The important point in Animal Farm wasn't that the pigs were following a creed thatwas worse than the farmers; it was that they were all the same. Overthrowing their oppressors just gave the animals new oppressors. They didn't get "communism", they got more of the same "capitalism" - if you want to put it in those terms.

    38. Re:Christian propaganda...? by EyelessFade · · Score: 1

      Not to spoil the fun, but CS Lewis was a atheis. He was born into a strong christian family, but abandoned his faith early in his life. That was one of reason why it was so werd that such a strong Catholic (Tolkien) became such good friend with Lewis.

    39. Re:Christian propaganda...? by austinpoet · · Score: 1

      Perhaps because Christianity is the one that has the biggest head about how 'correct/right' their beliefs are and how 'wrong' other religions beliefs are. All the major organized religions have this same problem, but whoa the Christians have a flock of winners.

    40. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      I agree about Till We Have Faces, which is an incredibly great book. I would recommend it to anyone who calls Lewis' work propoganda, or even overtly Christian, for that matter.

    41. Re:Christian propaganda...? by slizz · · Score: 1

      The reason us non-christians complain about christian beliefs being pushed at us is because it happens so damn often. i'm not sayin that its anything other than whining, but christian beliefs being shoved down your throat constantly gets tiring, and whining just feels really good sometimes.

    42. Re:Christian propaganda...? by westlake · · Score: 1
      Anybody else get a little creeped out by the possibility that alot of what CS Lewis was doing with his fantasy writings was really Christian propaganda?

      C.S. Lewis (1898-1965) brought a Christian perspective to all his work, and may be the most accessible and appealing of modern Christian apologists. The Complete C.S. Lewis Signature Classics, C.S Lewis Foundation.

    43. Re:Christian propaganda...? by SeanJones · · Score: 1

      I am surprised that this omits "A Grief Observed". It is true that he is not there writing as an apologist per se but in its minute account of the impact on him and his faith of the death of his beloved wife it is almost unbearably moving. It is most certainly "Christian".

    44. Re:Christian propaganda...? by sacrilicious · · Score: 1
      So do you ALSO complain when you read the Illiad or the Odyssey because Homer was *GASP* really writing propaganda for greek religious beliefs!! SAY IT AIN'T SO! Why is that Christianity is the only religion it is still ok to hate?

      Because our government isn't being hijacked by Greek Orthodoxy.

      --
      - First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then ???, then profit.
    45. Re:Christian propaganda...? by feronti · · Score: 1

      What he's saying is that an athiest following the golden rule is most likely doing so out of its truth (though I wouldn't say there isn't a stick, since a lot of the violations of the golden rule are also illegal, but I digress:) whereas a Christian follows it because if he doesn't he'll get in trouble with God. I'm not entirely sure I agree with his logic (again, the whole legal stick thing), but I can certainly understand where it came from.

      I certainly don't think he'd claim that an athiest would be more likely to follow the golden rule, but that an athiest who does follow it is doing it out of a reasoned examination rather than out of fear of punishment.

    46. Re:Christian propaganda...? by toastgoddess · · Score: 2, Interesting

      What creeps me isn't that it's Christian propaganda. What creeps me is that it's inaccurate Christian propaganda.

      Lewis is quite clear that Aslan the Lion is Christ in another form - at one point Aslan tells the children that they have been allowed to know him in Narnia so that they will know him in their own world.

      But Aslan isn't the Christ of Lewis's church (the Church of England); it's his own creation, meting out punishment on whoever Lewis doesn't like. Look at the way the books pour out contempt on Eustace because he's a pacifist, contrasting him with Reepicheep the swashbuckling mouse, who takes insult at every little thing and, well, "lives by the sword." Somewhat the opposite of what Jesus taught, as I recall. Aslan hasn't come to offer everyone in Narnia hope if they'll accept it. He's come to reward the people Lewis likes and punish the people he doesn't.

      I don't want to get into the NT's views of women, but Lewis is worse - Aslan is killed by a woman; one girl is literally damned - excluded from heaven - because her teenaged interest in "nylons and boys" has somehow caused her to forget her time in Narnia; a classroom of "dumpy, prim little girls with fat legs" is unworthy of Aslan's company.

      From a theological standpoint, perhaps the most egregious scene is the end of Voyage of the Dawn Treader, where Aslan gives the boys swords (and has the girl cut a switch) to beat up their schoolmates. John Goldthwaite wrote of this sequence "I cannot imagine a betrayal of one's faith more complete than this last picture of Christ at the playground, putting weapons into the hands of children."

      (For a more complete treatment of this subject, I recommend Goldthwaite's The Natural History of Make-Believe.)

    47. Re:Christian propaganda...? by ioslipstream · · Score: 1

      He was atheist for a time, but eventually returned to christianity.

    48. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just don't books written by this author, I don't really see the problem.

    49. Re:Christian propaganda...? by coyotl · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Why is that Christianity is the only religion it is still ok to hate?

      Because Christianity is the religion most likely to judge and condemn people? (Well, okay, Islam too.)

      (Speaking as a gay married man, I find it very easy to hate christianity.)

      --
      ron lussier / lenscraft / fine art giclee prints/ sausalito / ca
    50. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Elsewhere in the mid-20th Century, "being a Christian" was not the norm. Being Hindu in most of India, Buddhist in Tibet, Shinto in Japan, Muslim in Arabia was normal. And every one of those religions has its stories of devils plotting to subvert souls. And, like Christianity at Oxford, each of those religions has its writers, whose writing is constructed within their beliefs, whether overtly or otherwise. And readers who think their particular religion is "the" normal one.

      --

      --
      make install -not war

    51. Re:Christian propaganda...? by SeanJones · · Score: 1

      Greek Orthodoxy? Time for you to Google Homer I think (make sure you exclude "Simpson").

    52. Re:Christian propaganda...? by syrion · · Score: 1
      Well, that's okay then. I was thinking you were one of those people who trumpets their ignorance as a sort of mark of pride. "I don't know anything about the religion which shaped and dominated my culture! Now listen to me as I talk with starry eyes about Buddhism," you know what I'm saying?

      Apologies.

    53. Re:Christian propaganda...? by feronti · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Oddly enough, when I first heard of the Narnia's ties to Christianity, I felt foolish for not noticing it before. I also found them even more interesting, because of how well written the allegory was. It wasn't so much that it was subtle (it's not) but that the story works well even if you are ignorant of the allegory! That is what I found most impressive about them.

    54. Re:Christian propaganda...? by tricops · · Score: 1

      Hmm, I don't know that he was an atheist in his later life. I'd always thought he was Christian, but apparently he was closer to Catholic. While looking for information I discovered this rather lengthy response Q&A session about Tolkien and Lewis from a Christian. The first few question/answers don't have much information but the final response is fairly lengthy and goes into a fair bit of detail about their actual beliefs/etc.

      --
      (\(\
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      (")")
      This is the cute vorpal bunny virus, copy to your sig or runaway, runaway in fear!
    55. Re:Christian propaganda...? by 1u3hr · · Score: 1
      you will find that both Lewis and Tolkien wanted to create stories to teach Christian principles to readers through fun stories.

      I'm rather dubious about that. Especially Tolkien, where all I've read indicates he was about amusing himself, and sometimes his children, by creating languages (which was his academic spaciality), then a history and world of beings to use them. He's also said he wanted to create a version of the Norse sagas with roots in British culture. Most of these influences were not Christian, and some were pagan. Gandalf has been often said to be a Christ figure, but I think it's a stretch. There certainly is morality, but not noticeably Christian.

    56. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 1

      Children, the audience for the Narnia stories, *are* ignorant. Is ignorance of Christian myths some kind of crime?

      --

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      make install -not war

    57. Re:Christian propaganda...? by 1u3hr · · Score: 1
      Perhaps because Christianity is the one that has the biggest head about how 'correct/right' their beliefs are and how 'wrong' other religions beliefs are.

      I don't want to name any other religions, but conversion by the sword and terrible punishments for unbelievers is very common throughout history, and people are dying today over this all over the world.

    58. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      LOTR is subtle where Narnia is obvious, but both advocate their author's views on life, because that is what literature does.

      Tolien was very Catholic, and Lewis quite "Christian".

      You may not agree with their views, but that does not mean they wrote a wonderful tale filled with compelling characters. As a reader of the books and stories, you can take as much or as little from the stories as you want.

      (This goes hand-in-hand with the criticisms that were / are levelled against O. S. Card when he posted that Star Trek letter a ltitle while ago.)

    59. Re:Christian propaganda...? by syrion · · Score: 1

      In many ways, yes, in that Christianity is the basis for most of our history and culture, like it or not. "Christian myths" have affected your worldview extensively and consistently, even if you don't realize it. Understanding that and being aware of it requires familiarity with the religion, even if you aren't an adherent yourself.

    60. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Provocateur · · Score: 1

      Why is that Christianity is the only religion it is still ok to hate?

      I dunno...because we can't feed them to the lions anymore?

      Just a joke...

      --
      WARNING: Smartphones have side effects--most of them undocumented.
    61. Re:Christian propaganda...? by mejesster · · Score: 1

      A bit of nitpickery here, but when was the last time a Jew ever came to your door and tried to get you to convert? Judaism is not a proselytizing religion and never has been.

      --
      MacroHard - Boning you in a big way! (TM)
    62. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      > So do you ALSO complain when you read the Illiad or the Odyssey because Homer was *GASP* really writing propaganda for greek religious beliefs!!

      No, because Homer did not hide or obscure anything. He didn't represent Zeus as a lion without revealing it. He didn't cheat. He just told his stories about his gods, that's all.

      Not so here. It's not the problem that Lewis story is about Christ; the problem is that on the surface it's just a fairy tale. Just a little bit deceiving.

    63. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Qzukk · · Score: 1

      They didn't get "communism", they got more of the same "capitalism" - if you want to put it in those terms.

      When you put it that way, you can see where the anti-communism thing comes from... it's showing that communism just doesn't work, someone will rise above and start profiting, and then it all falls apart.

      Interesting that capitalism is the failure-state of communism though.

      --
      If I have been able to see further than others, it is because I bought a pair of binoculars.
    64. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Distinguished+Hero · · Score: 1

      The greek orthodoxy is Christian. Google it.

      --
      Uttering logically derived and empirically supported truths to the disciples of the orthodox establishment.
    65. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Paul+Jakma · · Score: 2, Informative

      Are "Animal Farm" or "1984" any less valid because they are anti-communist propaganda (no my US friends, that isn't meant as flame bait!)?

      Note that Orwell hated fascism as much as he did communism. Indeed, Orwell fought in the spanish Civil war on the side of the socialists and communists against Franco. He was a socialist, but one disillusioned with communism (socialism and communism in the twenties and thirties being seen as close to the same thing). "Animal Farm" obviously being a parody (not propaganda) of how the socialist/communist "utopia" can become as oppresive and dictatorial as the hated Bourgeois and (later) Fascist regimes it sought to replace and/or competed against.

      --
      I use Friend/Foe + mod-point modifiers as a karma/reputation system.
    66. Re:Christian propaganda...? by MythMoth · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Did his novels get a lot of coverage in India, Tibet, Japan, or "Arabia" ? I think not. So for his audience it was the norm.

      --
      --- These are not words: wierd, genious, rediculous
    67. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 1

      The unification of "Christianity" and "Europe" for a thousand years ("Christendom") makes calling European (including American) culture "Christian" as inaccurate (wrong) as calling Christianity "European". There's a tremendous overlap and cross-identification, but through mutual co-evolution, not merely "European culture is based on Christianity", any more that "Christianity is based on European culture". Christianity is also based on Mideastern and Mediterranean (all coasts) culture, and European culture is based on other religions, including Grecoroman, Norse, Celtic and other pantheons. Like it or not, these two partners in American cultural history are a lot more complex.

      Saying that ignorance of Christian myths is a crime is exactly the kind of mistake that people make when "Christianity" overwhelms the rest of the contributions to the culture. In fact, such an impulse is more an artifact of European political history than it is "Christian" per se.

      --

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      make install -not war

    68. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Qzukk · · Score: 1

      Hahah! If Narnia blew your mind, you better hire someone with a squeegee and a big bucket before you read any of the "cosmic trilogy" books (Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength. It never seems to have had a real series name). Someone will have to clean up after all those little bloody bits and pieces go flying everywhere.

      The fact that it's all Christian doesn't make the writing any less brilliant. As someone else noted on Narnia, not being Christian doesn't make you "not get it", the story explains everything fully within the aspects of the story. You don't need to know about or believe in Christianity to undertand Aslan's death and resurrection.

      --
      If I have been able to see further than others, it is because I bought a pair of binoculars.
    69. Re:Christian propaganda...? by WaterBreath · · Score: 1

      story works well even if you are ignorant of the allegory

      By amazing coincidence, that is precisely the definition of well-written allegory. =) It works regardless of the level on which you're reading.

    70. Re:Christian propaganda...? by JanneM · · Score: 1

      I didn't list judaism among them. If you're thinking about the list of places of worship, that was just general hyperbole - I've never had anyone doing blood sacrifices try to convert me either :)

      --
      Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend.
    71. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Wyatt+Earp · · Score: 1

      (Speaking as a gay married man, I find it very easy to hate christianity.)

      Yea? Try that in Saudi Arabia or Iran. I ran into this alot in the election cycle. people equating Bush with Islamic fundamentalists because of his wearing his faith out in the open. The United States Government has some strong Christians in it, but Christianity isn't nearly as fundamentalist and strictly adhering to the Bible at this point in time as say much of Islam sticks to the Koran.

      Also, since some sub-divisions of Christianity support gay marriage, abortion, insert cause here, it's pure ignorance to have chrisianity as a whole. There is no Priest/Reverend/Minister of Christianity saying whatever is bad.

    72. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Wyatt+Earp · · Score: 1

      Lord of the Rings were about the Christian Armies stopping the Ottoman Empire at the battle of Vienna.

      The Rohan force is a fictional version of Jan III Sobieski, King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and his reinforcments that won the day and broke the siege.

    73. Re:Christian propaganda...? by syrion · · Score: 1

      Christianity is the dominant philosophical influence on our culture. Yes, Christianity originated in the Middle East, but it has long been seen as the religion of Europe. Christianity itself has been influenced by other religions--Catholicism, especially--and by preexisting culture, but I honestly would have to argue with you if you think the Norse and Celtic religions have been as significant as Christianity. It's even a strain to claim that for the Greek myths, and those are fairly pervasive.

    74. Re:Christian propaganda...? by EpsCylonB · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Some religions are far worse than others. Christianity, though it has its bad points, is one of the better religions. It is, after all, inseperable from Western life and culture.

      Are you kidding ?, look at the crusades if want evidence of the misery and suffering brought about by christianity.

      I hate all religions, I agree that some are historically "worse" than others but at the end of the day they are all clubs that will always struggle to co-exist. The worst religions IMHO are fundamental islam and catholicism.

      Islam is quite easy to explain but it is not just about violence. Recently during the British election I heard an interview with a muslim who described himself as moderate, he urged all muslims not to vote because all the laws to be obeyed are set down in the Quoran and therefore voting is useless and insulting to Islam.

      Cathlocism is just as bad but in different ways, the historical abuse of young children, most of it psychological and the tacit condoning of peadophilia represent the two biggest problems.

      If religions were harmless then they wouldn't bother me but they are just a form of tribalism and control.

    75. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Seumas · · Score: 2, Informative

      Why is that Christianity is the only religion it is still ok to hate?

      What do you mean? Plenty of Christians hate every other religion. And non-religions for that matter. In fact, they have a lock on that market. People don't hate wiccans (unless you're a christian or something), because they've never seen a wiccan going around trying to prostelitize, hypocritically lecturing them on morality or trying to push around legislation or school agendas to meet their religious points of view.

      "Hating" smaller religions would be silly. The two biggest religions in the world happen to be the two most hypocritical, hateful, spiteful and violent. Christianity is one of those two.

    76. Re:Christian propaganda...? by GuinevereTheWhitePha · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Yes, there is a quite lot of theology and Christian symbolism in the Narnia books. Aslan=Christ, etc. I don't have a problem with that. What I do have a problem with is the attitude toward women in these books. Read them carefully and you will see that the female characters divide into 3 types: physically immature girls who are generally regarded as good, adult women who are all evil witches, and adult women who are either dead or bed-ridden with illness, i.e, powerless. You will not find a single healthy adult women in charge of her own destiny regarded as good. When Susan matured and stop being a girl and became interested, in the words of the book, "stockings and parties", i.e., sex, she stopped believing in Narnia. Therefore, in the mythology of the books, she is denied the kingdom of heaven. That's a pretty big penalty just for getting interested in boys! As I child I enjoyed the books, but now I find them reprehensible in their treatment of women.

    77. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Seumas · · Score: 1

      It remains to be seen whether Disney's Narnia preaches acceptance, humility, and personalized spirituality,

      How would such a tale properly depict the Christian faith? That'd be like putting lipstick on a pig.

    78. Re:Christian propaganda...? by ScentCone · · Score: 1

      but when was the last time a Jew ever came to your door and tried to get you to convert?

      Actually, just the other day I had a Jews For Jesus guy at my door. He was spectacularly crazy.

      --
      Don't disappoint your bird dog. Go to the range.
    79. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Kjella · · Score: 1

      Elsewhere in the mid-20th Century, "being a Christian" was not the norm.

      I don't think he meant that quite as literally. But in the mid-20th century, people had a lot less exposure to other cultures. In all aspects of society like media, travel, immigration and trade really. So he published books about morality for a christian audience, not in terms of christianity vs other religions, but rather good versus bad morality.

      Truth be told, there's quite a bit of good morality in almost all religions. In reality we do not act accordingly. Instead, people focus on religious dogma instead of how we should act towards others. If the book conveys what I consider to be good morality without being explicitly religious, I don't have a problem with using it to raise children secularly.

      Kjella

      --
      Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
    80. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Spoing · · Score: 1
      Like many agnostics and atheists I dislike all religion.

      I don't like or hate religion. That would require some emotional involvement. Instead, I look at the supernatural/superstitious parts the same way an anthropologist would. That it stuns me that others from my own society think that these are real is bizarre to me -- though people have other strange thoughts, so I let those slide.

      Religious teachings and morals are often useful and wise from the context that they were created. In some cases, the religious view is strange since it does not address modern society and issues.

      (Like any good advertisement, highly religious people will promote the 'timelessness' and 'universality' of what they promote, and will scoff at 'relativism'...while practicing it themselves. Promote what isn't true in the hope that it might become reality...while privately wishing that it won't happen -- or won't be so strictly enforced on them.)

      What angers me is when the literalists want to impose the literal beliefs on others without those beliefs. I wouldn't be surprised if 1/2 of the figureheads of those movements didn't actually think the literal words were true but were an expedient way to gain power.

      --
      A firewall can not protect you from yourself. Turn off what you do not need. Do not use the firewall to do your work.
    81. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And "His Darkest Materials" is nothing but thinly veiled athiest propaganda... The fact that you're "a little creeped out" by what you call Christian propaganda says more about you and your beliefs than it does about C.S. Lewis. Your trollish offense is akin to a man walking into a strip club and storming out moments later crying, "Why didn't anyone tell me it was filled with naked women!?!"

      Everyone who has read Lewis' works knows that most of his stories are Christian allegories. In every age of human history, many writers have used their medium to convey their personal ideologies. Our age is no different. Whether you're reading Michael Moore or Ann Coulter, you should be smart enough to realize that both are advocating their particular ideology through their writings. The same can obviously be said for people like Philip Pullman or C.S. Lewis. If you are really offended by what you perceive as prostlytizing, don't bother watching the movies or reading the books, it's that simple.

      And for any of you who are worried that people might try to use Narnia as a tool for brainwashing youth, just remember that for every person like you who is offended by "Christian propaganda," there is at least one other person out there who would likely be just as offended by whatever ideology you espouse. For example, Pat Robertson would have the same right to be furious if a teacher handed his grandkids copies of "His Dark Materials" as Madeline Murry O'Hair would've been to find a teacher handing her son copies of the Chronicles of Narnia.

    82. Re:Christian propaganda...? by The+Only+Druid · · Score: 1

      No. You're wrong. Period. Tolkien was EXTREMELY explicit (in, among other things, his collected letters) that the entireity of the Lord of the Rings story (including the larger Silmarillion-epic) had precisely no allegorical structure. Repeatedly he was asked whether it was a metaphor for one thing or another (be it WW2, nuclear war, religious crusading, etc.) and each time he shot the idea down.

      --
      "Stumble before you crawl"
    83. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Snocone · · Score: 4, Insightful

      look at the crusades if want evidence of the misery and suffering brought about by christianity.

      Hmmm? The Crusades were a defense of territory historically owned by the Roman Empire peacefully for over a thousand years against its invasion and subjugation by Islamic hordes conquering and plundering their way out of Arabia.

      If you think that an empire defending its territory against invasion is "brought about by christianity" ... you need to learn a little more history there, friend.

    84. Re:Christian propaganda...? by minus_273 · · Score: 1, Insightful

      " but I am just as annoyed by prozelytising Hindu"

      You're kidding right? can you show me this. Conversion to hinduism is blasphemy, it is forbidden. The only person who can be a hindu is the child of a hindu mother and father.

      --
      The war with islam is a war on the beast
      The war on terror is a war for peace
    85. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I remember being upset when I found out that the Narnia books were about Christianity; I felt tricked.

      You felt tricked and were upset? How pathetic can you get?

      Yeah, I always get horribly upset and feel "tricked" when I read a book or listen to something contrary to my opinion.

      My, aren't we sensitive.

      My reaction to such things: *shrug*

    86. Re:Christian propaganda...? by GreyWolf3000 · · Score: 1
      Dude, this is America. Here, when we disagree with eachother, we can entertain and debate our ideas peacefully. I bet you have a lot of ideas about the world and others around you that you want to change, and that you actively support changing them. It's healthy. It's a good thing.

      and they never bother you unless you actively want to be bothered.

      I can see how Buddhism is attractive to you--it doesn't ever ask you to change. That feels really good. Unfortunately, many truths don't feel very good. For example, it kind of sucks that many humans die each year to starvation. Yet it's true. The sooner we realize that truth, the sooner we can do something about it. Do you like being bothered by people who want to relieve hunger? That knock on your door asking for donations? Even if you are a bit annoyed by them, you can recognize that millions are starving and that you ought to care.

      Now, here's where I shoot you with that Point of View gun in Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy (didn't read the book, just saw the movie yesterday). Put yourself in the perspective of a Christian, where there's a whole world out there starving for the Gospel. Where the spiritual death people experience is worse than the physical death of starvation.

      I'm not asking you to believe anything, just empathize with those who do.

      I think that the double standard people have to refusing to read or watch a piece of fiction because the author is a Christian is quickly becoming one of the greatest pieces of evidence in favor of the Christian world view.

      --
      Slashdot: Where people pretend to be twice as smart as they really are by behaving like children.
    87. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      the bug red button

      Uh huh, I see... and we're supposed to take your opinion seriously when you can't even use the preview button before you submit.

    88. Re:Christian propaganda...? by FCon4 · · Score: 1

      If you read even a little about C.S. Lewis' life, you probably would have resisted posting your comment. Evangelizing, if 'Christian propaganda' as you call it was indeed a part of his methodology and Biblical allegories abound in several works of his. Have you not heard of "Mere Christianity" by him? Give it a read, and you'll see where he was coming from.

      --
      Paul Revere was a tattle-tale.
    89. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Your incorrect on a few points. There is no condoning of peadopilia. Yes, certain church leaders have tried to cover it up, and thats a disgusting crime, but you have to understand that the church is like a family. What do priests have besides other priests? They have no wives or children...they see each other as brothers. Now, imagine your brother did something awful, would you go running to the police to rat on him? Chances are you would try to help him conceal it, as bad as that is. It's in people's natures to stick by family, in thick and thin. Its also in catholic nature to forgive wrongs. Put that together, and you get massive coverups. Im not condoning these coverups in the least, but you have to put yourself in the same position and ask what you would do. It is/was certainly wrong, but I for one can partially understand the reasoning behind the actions. Its in a strange way similar to the police code of silence...they don't rat out their brothers.

      Secondly, you claim catholicism is bad, based on the actions of a miniscule portion of its members. Catholicism is a religion, priests are merely people who practice this religion. Because there are a few sick individuals who I wouldn't even consider to be priests, but rather imposters, you cannot damn the whole religion. Thats like saying football is bad because a few players are lowlife criminals. You can't judge a group of many many millions by a tiny handful of bad apples.

      BTW, I'm an atheist. I'm just sick of the current popular trend of bashing christianity at ever chance.

    90. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Thank you.

      Christianity is practiced by people. Of course it has a few bad points. What makes Christianity worse is that we have all the answers to why we are such selfish and vain people, and yet we are often still selfish and vain. So when we get into the business of crusades, wars, political strongarming, etc., it makes us look worse because, according to our faith, we should be better than that.

      But no one is feeding more hungry, educating more children, or relieving more suffering than Christians.

    91. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      What empire, Rome had fallen long before. The crusades were about money; you can make an amazing fortune sacking and razing cites. And don't forget the children's crusade, somehow I don't think a large influx of Christian slaves did much to help the long lost Roman empire.

    92. Re:Christian propaganda...? by GreyWolf3000 · · Score: 1

      Have you ever read the prologue to the Lord of the Rings? That's an elaborate theory, but wrong. LoTR is not allegorical, but it is perhaps applicable.

      --
      Slashdot: Where people pretend to be twice as smart as they really are by behaving like children.
    93. Re:Christian propaganda...? by ScentCone · · Score: 1

      ...perhaps the most egregious scene is...

      Isn't it possible that Lewis liked Christianity in many ways, but also wondered why, in his lifetime, he'd seen his sort of "decent Christian people" need to pick up arms to stop the wicked from ruling the world and corrupting millions of more young minds? Atheist that I am, I have to have at least some respect for someone like Lewis that imagines a synthesis of Christianity and a more temporal justice that might improve the daily lot of humanity by taking care of some evil here and now. The bible is full of the faithful killing off bad guys... why would Lewis tell allegorical stories based on the bible, and stop short of some of those vivid tales?

      --
      Don't disappoint your bird dog. Go to the range.
    94. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 1

      Such a tale would depict the Christian faith. The pig you're talking about is the more familiar Christian churches, which ought to be subletting to moneychangers about now.

      --

      --
      make install -not war

    95. Re:Christian propaganda...? by MythMoth · · Score: 1

      You felt tricked and were upset? How pathetic can you get?

      I wasn't pathetic, I was nine.

      Yeah, I always get horribly upset and feel "tricked" when I read a book or listen to something contrary to my opinion.

      At the time I did believe in God, so I wasn't listening to or reading something contrary to my opinion. I was upset specifically because I felt that the author had been duplicitous.

      My, aren't we sensitive.

      Yes, nine-year-olds do tend to be sensitive.

      My reaction to such things: *shrug*

      Gosh, you can imagine how much I care about the reaction of someone with reading difficulties and the intellectual status that comes with "anonymous coward" postings.

      --
      --- These are not words: wierd, genious, rediculous
    96. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think to many people make the mistake of confusing Christian literature and literature written by Christians. While Lewis and Tolkien were both believers, they separated their religious, academic, and fictitious writings. That is NOT to say that their religious views did not carry over to their fiction, it is clear that it did. The point being, both Tolkien and Lewis resisted having their works classified as "Christian." They simply wrote fiction that was naturally influenced by their own worldview. It is simplistic at best to suggest that this makes their work "propaganda." That term is best reserved for work that makes an overt attempt to convert its reader (see Lewis's "Mere Christianity").

    97. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Darby · · Score: 1

      I ran into this alot in the election cycle. people equating Bush with Islamic fundamentalists because of his wearing his faith out in the open.

      No you didn't, because that never happened.

      That has nothing to do with why GW is equated with Islamic fundamentalists. Nobody really cares if the president wears his faith out in the open. Most of them have, in fact. The problem, which is quite obvious to anybody who actually looks honestly at the issue and thinks about it, is that he used his prominence to promote an agenda of hatred which is totally opposed to his stated religious beliefs, to the principles which made this country great, and to the principles that his party claims to support.

      If he actually were a Christian, and actually acted in accordance with those principles, then nobody would have drawn that parallel.
      It's the fact that he promotes a fundamentalist agenda based upon capitalizing on ignorant American's blind hatred of gays to the point of amending our constitution to specifically discriminate against a specific group for the first time in our nation's history that demonstrates absolutely that his principles are much more in line with the Islamic fundamentalists than they are with the principles of freedom that created this nation.

      The United States Government has some strong Christians in it, but Christianity isn't nearly as fundamentalist and strictly adhering to the Bible at this point in time as say much of Islam sticks to the Koran.

      Christianity isn't, that's true. The bastardization of Christianity that is promoted by Bush and a huge percentage of Americans who describe themselves as Christian is every bit as bad. So your point on that is true, but fails to actually address the issue.

      Seriously, if you can't even be bothered to understand that people are drawing these parallels based on the actual facts rather than on some delusional "hatred of Christians" that you just made up for the purposes of your argument, then why bother posting at all?

    98. Re:Christian propaganda...? by wrf3 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Judaism is not a proselytizing religion and never has been.

      That's not true. Judaism used to be a proselytizing religion. By some estimates, up to 10% of the Roman Empire was Jewish and much of that through conversion.

      Judaism stopped being a proselytizing religion after Christianity begin.

    99. Re:Christian propaganda...? by DeadlyDonkey · · Score: 1

      Why is that Christianity is the only religion it is still ok to hate?

      I don't hate any religion. Religion is innocent, and brings hope to many people in moderation. The people that tend to cause all the trouble are the evangelicals and the fundamentals. They are the ones you should watch out for...

    100. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      I'd like to say that Christians don't judge and condemn others, but I know there are quite a few out there with "God hates fags" signs that would disprove that claim.

      However, I think that if you choose to hate Christianity, it would help you to know where in the Bible homosexuality is condemned. The biggest Old Testament example is in the book of Leviticus, which laid out the law that the Levites had to follow (a subset of Jews). In the New Testament, Paul uses homosexuals as an example of people living a life disconnected from God to the Romans. He doesn't bring it up to condemn homosexuality, he actually uses it as an example of people whom Christians would encounter who lived lives that seemed so distant from their own:

      and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.

      Paul brings them up to teach the Romans how to deal with people who lead lives so distant from how God intended them. His belief is that Christians should not condemn them. Rather, the opposite:

      Therefore you have (A)no excuse, (B)everyone of you who passes judgment, for in that which (C)you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.

      He actually uses them to denounce self richeousness and bigotry! I'm pointing this out because you claim to hate Christianity, but you do not understand it. You lack the theology needed to make that claim. You actually just hate Christians because the ones you've seen are hypocrites. I wish that were not so.

      The Bible does not waiver in its view that God dislikes homosexuality; but there isn't a man alive save Jesus who has not committed sexual sin. Many friends of mine struggle with pornography. I don't think a day goes by that I don't lust (I'm not married).

      Paul did not believe that homosexuals were beyond repentance and forgiveness--he had committed much more grievous sins. His prior life as Saul of Tarsus featured the murdering of countless Christians.

      (Speaking as a gay married man, I find it very easy to hate christianity.)

      Even though I know that you have been wronged by homophobic Christians in a unique way that I can only attempt to empathize with, you're not being fair.

    101. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Artifakt · · Score: 1

      Lewis was a devoutly Christian author. That doesn't have to equate to manipulation, even if he sometimes descended from symbolism into allegory. Propaganda lies somewhere along that spectrum, but it's almost at the far end, exceeded only by flat out indoctrination by sheer repetition. Allegory is a caution sign, a warning to the experienced reader that there's a risk of propaganda, but not by any means a guarentee. (And there's plenty of propaganda without allegory - i.e. "Hansi: The Girl Who Loved The Swastika"., plus there are some works with lots of allegory that are anti-propaganda i.e. Spinrad's "The Iron Dream".)
      Instead, what C.S. was doing tends to come from a view that all people's lives, very much including non-Christians, will have aspects where the same underlieing truths are bound to break through. Lewis saw most of the other religions and many non-religious philosophys as gaining their value from those same truths. He chose Christianity as his preferred, best expression out of those, but he was mostly writing about those truths as directly as possible.
      Now, the Narnia books were written mostly for kids. Kids in general are not going to much catch underlieing symbolism or metaphor. That goes for Aslan as a Christ symbol, but it also goes for Huck Finn as a symbol of Freedom, or Ahab as an Obsession symbol, or Atticus Finch as a symbol of Natural Nobility enhanced rather than degraded by social education. Sure the average kid won't get it, but that's not because it's hidden by the author, it's hidden by the child's own lack of experience.
      If you want to see Lewis at his best, try the last two of the Silent Planet Trilogy (The first book was written early, and it suffers from some of the same flaws as the Narnia books, but by about half way through "Perelandra", Lewis was hitting his stride). Better yet, read his best adult novel "Till We Have Faces".

      --
      Who is John Cabal?
    102. Re:Christian propaganda...? by wrf3 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Because Christianity is the religion most likely to judge and condemn people?

      Let's be clear, shall we? Christianity judges all people and says that all are condemned -- gay or straight, rich or poor, or whatever else. Because all are equally condemned, all are offered the free gift of salvation through Jesus.

      It's common for people to hate something that they think singles them out, but that's hating something without first truly understanding it.

    103. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Darby · · Score: 1

      Actually, just the other day I had a Jews For Jesus guy at my door. He was spectacularly crazy.

      Did you find out what they're all about?
      I used to see their fliers up all over campus when I was in college and wondered about that.

      Isn't a "Jew for Jesus" basically just a way of describing a Christian? I mean the Jews follow the old testament and the Christians add on the Jesus bit?

    104. Re:Christian propaganda...? by GreyWolf3000 · · Score: 1

      The United States Government has some strong Christians in it, but Christianity isn't nearly as fundamentalist and strictly adhering to the Bible at this point in time as say much of Islam sticks to the Koran.

      To nitpick, stricter adherence to the Bible would forbid discrimination against gays, since the laws given to the Levites do not apply to gentiles, and the New Testament calls all believers to show unmerited favor to nonbelievers, not discrimination.

      That's not to say that all Christians who refuse to go along with the American right-wing dude-says-it-so-it-must-be-true political machine also believe that homosexuality is a practice condoned or invented by God.

      --
      Slashdot: Where people pretend to be twice as smart as they really are by behaving like children.
    105. Re:Christian propaganda...? by J.+T.+MacLeod · · Score: 1

      How did H2G2 (the book) have a hard line against religion?

      I mean, it's obvious that the story clashes with most religious frameworks, but even at times when it seemed to be making fun of the idea of God, it even more seemed to be making fun at the expense of hardline athiests.

    106. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Darby · · Score: 1

      For example, it kind of sucks that many humans die each year to starvation. Yet it's true. The sooner we realize that truth, the sooner we can do something about it. Do you like being bothered by people who want to relieve hunger? That knock on your door asking for donations? Even if you are a bit annoyed by them, you can recognize that millions are starving and that you ought to care.

      But if eliminating starvation and suffering and all of that was really what they were all about, then they would be actively promoting sex education and birth control since those would actually do a lot more to end those things than what they do.
      See, the thing is that I do care. When people claim to, yet promote an agenda that can only keep things the same or make them worse as we know through thousands of years of evidence, then I have to seriously question their actual motives.

      Now, there are lots of people who believe that they actually are doing good, but they can't even be bothered to think it through. I do feel bad for them, but I feel far worse for those who are being kept down in the interest of promoting the power of those in charge of their church.

      That is the reality, regardless of which fantasy you want to subscribe to.

    107. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You seem to have a lot of negativity. You should try going to church.

    108. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Txiasaeia · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Not exactly. Christians believe that Jesus came to free us from the legalism of the Torah; no more sacrifices, no more strict adherence to Levitical dietary laws, etc. Messianic Judaism (which is what you're describing, I believe) is Judaism that believes that Jesus was the Messiah prophesised in the Hebrew Scriptures. Obviously there's still no more sacrifice (as the temple's the only place where it can happen, and the temple hasn't been in Jerusalem for two thousand years), but Messianic Judaism and Christianity are still two different... sects? Religions?

      --
      Condemnant quod non intellegunt.
    109. Re:Christian propaganda...? by cavetroll · · Score: 1
      No religion is
      "hypocritical, hateful, spiteful and violent."
      but some of the people who follow it can be.

      It therefore follows that the two largest religions would have the largest numbers of such people.

      And such people are normally the ones that make the most noise, and so get the most attention.

      There are plenty of "hypocritical, hateful, spiteful and violent" secularists around too, but since they claim no religious affiliation, their actions are not associated with one.

      Consider that Christianity and Islam together account for about 1/2 the world's population, and you will find it surprising how /few/ acts of hatred and violence are attributable to people allied to one or the other.

    110. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The claim then becomes that the guiding morality factor in a Christian's life is whether God would approve or not.

      Is the argument then that Christians don't murder or steal only because they fear God's wrath and that atheist don't do these things because they are simply better people with higher moral standards?

      Whether or not you believe in God or Jesus, any moderate religion teaches respect for others and basic tenets of civility and compassion. This is frequently not a bad thing and I'm glad that most of the world practices some religion that endorse these ideals. I welcome any atheist organization to attempt to reach as wide an audience with the same messages.

    111. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Txiasaeia · · Score: 1

      Uh, yeah, but there's a huge difference between Protestantism and the Orthodox church. Huge. They're on two different ends of the spectrum, and there's no direct link between the two (Orthodox broke off from "Christianity"/Roman Catholicism first, around 1000 CE I believe, and Protestantism broke off from Roman Catholicism what, five hundred years later?)

      --
      Condemnant quod non intellegunt.
    112. Re:Christian propaganda...? by wrf3 · · Score: 1

      and because the bug red button is under the control of a born again christian fundamentalist

      I'm not sure I'd consider Bush a fundamentalist; nevertheless, what is the reason for your concern? Do you think you'd be safer if the "big red button" was under the control of an atheist, Jew, agnostic, or someone else? Why?

    113. Re:Christian propaganda...? by GreyWolf3000 · · Score: 2, Insightful
      When you're around others, how long do you let them go on having fun before you go on and ruin it by slipping into dramatic diatribes and hidden meanings?

      He told the kids to use the flat side of the sword so they didn't hurt anyone. And Lewis hadn't yet experienced the feminist movement to know that whenever you write stories for toastgoddess, you have to give "male" responsibilites like war to a few token female characters. And Lewis wasn't attacking women being interested in fashion and men, he was using it as an example for trading ones spirituality for materialism. You know, this world for the next.

      Sorry to come down so hard, but I think you're being just a little bit uptight.

      --
      Slashdot: Where people pretend to be twice as smart as they really are by behaving like children.
    114. Re:Christian propaganda...? by buckhead_buddy · · Score: 1

      The Aslan Slaughter / Sacrifice seems to be the first bit that I objected to as a reader. It's been a long time so I probably have this either completely messed up in my mind. Nevertheless, possible spoilers below.

      Aslan's resurrection was predicated on an older prophecy than what the white queen was using. He sacrificed himself without hesitation knowing that he wasn't in any long term danger.

      As a reader, this "older prophecy" felt sort of cheating because we didn't know about it until after his slaughter. It's like the hero of a space opera having a special protective shield that's only activiated after receiving a fatal shot from the enemy and not learning about it until after the faux death scene.

      When I asked an adult about what I perceived as "cheating" in the story, she said that it wasn't cheating because it was based on the prophecy and symbology of the Old Testament. Well, that certainly made sense to me based on what I'd learned in Sunday school, but the story at that point actually had a negative influence on my relgious understanding at that point. If Aslan could be sacrificed because he had found an older prophecy, then we humans just need to be better at archeology and other sciences to dig up an older prophecy than what the Old Testament contained. There were probably older Eqyptian ruins that hadn't been found yet, since god's authority was based on who had the oldest belief there wasn't anything special about the Old Testament unless it was the oldest (and nothing in Narnia or my Sunday School said that it was in particular the definitive oldest in scripture.)

      Today, I'm less offended by C.S. Lewis's use of religious allegory in his writing, but it's simplicity sort of undermines the sense of wonder about the story itself. Not that my insight is particularly insightful, but just trying to explain my discomfort / dislike of the story by using the story itself.

    115. Re:Christian propaganda...? by JanneM · · Score: 1

      I think that the double standard people have to refusing to read or watch a piece of fiction because the author is a Christian is quickly becoming one of the greatest pieces of evidence in favor of the Christian world view.

      To begin with a pretty simple misunderstanding/misreading: I don't dislike Carroll's books. I like them. I can read them while ignoring the evangelical subtext just fine. My post had nothing to do with Lewis Carroll, but with the quote I had at the top of the post about why Christianity supposedly is the only religion allowed to be hated. My post was an answer to that, not about Carroll, for or against.

      Once again, I was answering the quote, not writing about Carroll, his books or the movie adaptation.

      Do you like being bothered by people who want to relieve hunger? That knock on your door asking for donations?

      Fighting starvation is a good thing. Fighting poverty is good. Combat disease is good. Combat ignorance is good. Religion is, in my view, not good. It's a lot like like drug use, actually: it can be tolerated as long as it's in moderation and doesn't adversely affect other people. Once it takes over people's lives or starts to affect friends or family, it's not tolerable any more.

      If I had pushers knocking on my door asking me to please take a free hit I'd be pretty pissed off as well. I get even angrier when they target children that don't yet have the maturity and experience to make a sound judgement about it. It doesn't matter to me if they see a whole world of people starving for a high out there.

      --
      Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend.
    116. Re:Christian propaganda...? by tofucubes · · Score: 1

      people should look into things in more depth before making accusations. It certainly isn't fair to deem all religions the same.
      - - -
      There are people handing religious fliers to everyone like spam...but that doesn't mean other people who are believers should suffer for thier actions.

      --
      Some people believe 1-1=3 and for the sake of being politically correct, we should respect their differences
    117. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The crusades was a pope saying "You will get to heaven if you kill arabs", and then 200 years of plunder, ransacking, rape and general mayhem and torment of muslims. Do not try to make it something else, it's very disrespectful

      PS. I am a christian, and I am ashamed of what "we" did. Don't try to glorify it

    118. Re:Christian propaganda...? by DavidBartlett · · Score: 1

      I couldn't disagree more.

      By writing the screwtape letters, C.S. Lewis was trying to explain that a superficial obedience to Christian morality is ideal, so long as it doesn't involve the larger issues of a person's will.

      Screwtape reminds his reader that his master, the devil, trys to keep ideas (such as Christianity) out of our heads more often than he tries to put them in.

      --

      -DB-
      E-mail is like a prison: a prison with no walls... and no toilet. -Strong Bad
    119. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Artifakt · · Score: 1

      There is plenty of Christian symbolism in Tolkien. There's also lots of other stuff that is really historical or literary reference, but the history involved is chiefly that of England, so of course it's got its own share of Christian roots.
      For an example of a historical reference, the Rohirrim are definitely more Saxon-like, and Gondor more like the Normans. Their joining together to fight in the end is a fictional recapitulation of the same synthesis as modern England's.
      For an example of a literary reference, the death of Boromir is essentially one big reference to the Death of Roland, (although there's also some reference to the Death of Robin Hood, and lots of other tid-bits mixed in - Tolkien was a genuine genius, and his work is argueably more complex and densely interwoven with all of western literature than is, say Joyce's "Ulysses").
      However, there's plenty of specifically Christian symbolism: i.e. Aragorn = Christ, with Isildur = Adam, and all the kings since Isildur as the post-Adamic generations. Aragorn resists the temptation to claim the ring, and so redeems the human race, where Isildur fell for the same temptation. Aragorn enjoys the long life of his distant ancestors, whereas, by Isildur's fall, the lives of the Numenorians began to dwindle to the shortness of normal men. "For as by Adam, all came to death, even so in Christ will all be made alive" (modern translation of a 12th century Hymn). Then of course, Aragorn walks the paths of the dead, although I don't recall it specifically taking him three days underground.
      The beauty of Tolkien's symbolism is that no one character always behaves like Christ, or goes through all the same stages, and there's plenty of "other stuff" there too.
      I hope it doesn't spoil Tolkien for anyone if Frodo's carrying the Ring up Mount Doom is like Christ's carrying the Cross up Golgotha, or that Sam, like Adam, was a gardener. There really are lots of Norse and Pagan references in there too if you want them (Bombadil! - which none of you that have just seen the movies will get, sorry!).

      --
      Who is John Cabal?
    120. Re:Christian propaganda...? by intheory · · Score: 1

      Lewis' writings are much less propagantistic than "The Divinci Code," in that they don't attack another group's fundamental belief structure. Neither Screwtape or LW&W (or any other of Lewis' books) claim to be based on fact, as Brown's book does, which serves only to confuse the readers and bolster his attempts to convince his readers that his assumptions have factual basis.

      Sheesh, you certainly did post as a troll. Maybe I'm being sensitive, but reading the responses really has me frustrated with the readership of /.
      I have long been frustrated with the vehement anti-Christian sentiment at /., and comments like this certainly create a pretty crappy environment to share ideas.

      For all the blathering about how Christians are judgemental and narrow minded, I'm amazed at the completely offensive comments secularists make about us. It's like its not okay for us to share our opinions, but it is just dandy for athiests et. al. to tell us how evil, conniving, deceptive, stupid, and worthless we are.

      Ah whats the point. If anyone reads this it'll just get modded down anyway.

    121. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Why is that Christianity is the only religion it is still ok to hate?
      I thought that prize went to Islam.
    122. Re:Christian propaganda...? by LDoggg_ · · Score: 1

      No AC here, but I'll back his sentiments.

      Maybe you're parents, or the school, or the library, or whatever shouldn't have given you the books. CS Lewis was Christian, and his books were biblically inspired. No secrets, lies, or ulterior motives. Aslan = Jesus. Lewis made no claims otherwise.

      If you did enjoy the books, but feel cheated and now your enlightened atheism causes you to post these emotions well.... I can't find a small enough violin to play your sad sad song.

      --

      "If they have both, tell them we use Linux. And if they have that, tell them the computers are down." -Dave Chapelle
    123. Re:Christian propaganda...? by NMerriam · · Score: 1

      I can see how Buddhism is attractive to you--it doesn't ever ask you to change.

      Wow, I'm going to take a wild guess and say that you must be both an American and a Christian, to have such a completely twisted and wholly inaccurate view of Buddhism.

      Take a few trips around Asia and tell us again how Buddhism doesn't require any change. No, it doesn't use morality as a bludgeon as the way some religions do, but belief in Buddhism requires you to live a much more "moral" life than Judeo-Christian religions do.

      There are no last-minute contritions in Buddhism, no deathbed conversions. You either live a good, moral life, or you don't. Saying 12 Hail Marys doesn't mean anything if your actions are no good.

      --
      Recursive: Adj. See Recursive.
    124. Re:Christian propaganda...? by LDoggg_ · · Score: 1

      Shite. you're != your. Hate when I do that.

      --

      "If they have both, tell them we use Linux. And if they have that, tell them the computers are down." -Dave Chapelle
    125. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      story works well even if you are ignorant of the allegory

      By amazing coincidence, that is precisely the definition of well-written allegory. =) It works regardless of the level on which you're reading.

      The More You Know!(tm)

    126. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Jardine · · Score: 1

      Good for you for still being married....your what, one of the .0001% of gay couples still married after that mad dash to massachusetts to get married?

      You may be trolling, but I hope you realize that there are places that aren't in the US where gays can get married. And in some of those places, the divorce laws haven't caught up yet so they can't divorce even if they want to.

    127. Re:Christian propaganda...? by MythMoth · · Score: 1
      No secrets, lies, or ulterior motives. Aslan = Jesus. Lewis made no claims otherwise.

      Yes, I know. That's why I said:

      But really the parallels are so blatent that there's no way he was trying to sneak anything past anyone. It was just his inspiration for the stories.


      If you did enjoy the books, but feel cheated

      What part of the past tense presents you with comprehension difficulties? I read them when I was nine. At the time I felt tricked. The point of my posting was solely to observe that I had no grounds for that - Lewis wasn't trying to hide anything, I just didn't pick up on it immediately, because I was a child.

      Prior to that, and subsequent to that, I enjoyed and enjoy them considerably. And if you don't find my observations and recollections interesting, then that's entirely your problem.

      I can't find a small enough violin to play your sad sad song.

      That's fine, I can't find the words to explain just how worthless I'd find your sympathy. But thanks for your utterly fatuous comments anyway.
      --
      --- These are not words: wierd, genious, rediculous
    128. Re:Christian propaganda...? by NMerriam · · Score: 1

      I ran into this alot in the election cycle. people equating Bush with Islamic fundamentalists because of his wearing his faith out in the open.

      Is that what you tell yourself? Few people care about wearing faith out in the open. What we care about is trying to amend the constitution and alter the very fundamental functioning of our government in order to conform to specific religious beliefs (which are, ironically enough, not even accurate when compared to the Bible, but since when do most Christians actually read the Bible?).

      Believe all you like, just don't remove our separation of powers, separation of church and state, legalize discrimnation, or outlaw the teaching of science. THOSE are behaviors that draw comparisons to other religious fundamentalists.

      --
      Recursive: Adj. See Recursive.
    129. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If so, then Google got it wrong. Tolkien wrote his novels because he wanted to create a context for his made up languages. Read his published correspondence.

      Tolkien and Lewis were keen on the idea of "subcreation", that is, that God's creatures (creations) could themselves create as well through his cooperation. Both of them would have opined at some point that it is possible that Narnia and Middle Earth now are both real through act of God.

    130. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

      No, no, no, the Chronicles are not allegory! Aslan is not a symbol of Christ, he is the "literal" (from Lewis' perspective) Christ fictionally incarnated in an other world! The end of the 7th book of the series makes this perfectly clear. To believe these books are allegory is to be completely ignorant of the yawning gulf between allegory and imaginative fiction. (Lewis wrote one explicit allegory, "The Pilgrim's Regress". Compare it to the chronicles...!) The Narnia books speculate what other worlds might be like, and what the (presupposed) "Christian realities" might look like there. This is often overlooked by those of other faiths--one must remember that to Lewis the Christian realities are taken for granted in the same way that the rest of us take the existence of gravity. I don't hear anyone asking what the gravity of Narnia "symbolizes"! It's just gravity, same as in "our" world. So for all the elements in the Chronicles: e.g., the death and resurrection of Aslan does not symbolize the death and resurrection of Christ, it is the death and resurrection of Christ as it would inevitably appear in "Narnia". It is, from Lewis' perspective, "realistic fantasy fiction", not allegory. For Lewis, the realistic elements include the children, England, Christ, Creation, Incarnation, Resurrection, etc. The fantasy elements include talking animals, magic, dragons, werewolves, dwarfs, etc. There are no author-intended allegorical elements! Lewis believes he has some notion of what this fellow Jesus (whom he believes in explicitly) is like, based on his acceptance of early Christian history and personal "spiritual" experience, and fantasizes his incarnation in a world of talking animals--using as his model Christ's "actual" (from the author's perspective) incarnation in a world of men. When analyzing any piece of writing, determine first the author's intent! Note I say "determine", not "speculate as to". The man wrote dozens of books and scores of essays and articles; his beliefs and intentions (whatever one's own) are no mystery to those who care to do their homework. For Lewis, the Christian elements are just elements of reality, inevitably part of any and all human stories, and no more extraneous to any fictional setting than space and time themselves.

    131. Re:Christian propaganda...? by i_finally_got_an_acc · · Score: 1
      As a Christian, I can tell you that the Chronicles are not discrete. They are blatantly religious.

      You know what? I like the books. And I don't think it should have any bearing on whether or not you like them either. They're entertaining books.

      --
      "I'm not religious, but at the same time I don't get why science always has to have something to prove."
    132. Re:Christian propaganda...? by i_finally_got_an_acc · · Score: 1
      I always have great things to add to my posts after I finish writing them....

      Anyway, a lot of music by J. S. Bach contains religious messages in various levels of directness. But I would argue that anyone can enjoy his work. Same with CS Lewis.

      --
      "I'm not religious, but at the same time I don't get why science always has to have something to prove."
    133. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not propaganda at all! Lewis was quite publicly and unabashadly a convert to Christianity and his fiction (as well as obviously his non-fiction) quite naturally therefore adhere to his worldview.

    134. Re:Christian propaganda...? by realityfighter · · Score: 1

      This just proves to my mind that we have forgotten the true meaning of the word "criticism." Criticism does not mean attacking people. Criticism means reading a text with depth of interest and understanding, and applying your own set of morals to it's meaning to figure out how to relate it to the real world. This is entirely what the O.P. was doing. Somehow, a few dozen posters have turned his lukewarm criticism into an attack.

      In other words, I don't agree with your assertion that the critic should have a different plan for the author set up in his mind. In fact, I feel that that would be something of an insult to the author, who, though he may not ingratiate himself to his audience, is still in charge of his own work.

      I don't think that the O.P., or for that matter any of the other people who have posted before me, truly expect anything different of C.S. Lewis. The only way that you manage to make these /.ers look bad is by pretending that they do, and proving that the things they want are irrational. This is a logical fallacy. They're merely saying that they don't like what he has already written. I fail to see how that is vicious or radical. It's literary criticism and frankly, I'm frightened that anyone would tell them not to do it.

      --
      A strain of paranoid prevention can be worse than the disease, whate'er the intention.
    135. Re:Christian propaganda...? by westlake · · Score: 1
      When Susan matured and stop being a girl and became interested, in the words of the book, "stockings and parties", i.e., sex, she stopped believing in Narnia

      The children aged in Narnia, and the adult Susan was courted by Rabadash. But inside she remained an adolescent obsessed with the trappings of adulthood who had let her childhood slip away and was unprepared for what lay beyond it.

    136. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

      Hmmm? The Crusades were a defense of territory historically owned by the Roman Empire peacefully for over a thousand years against its invasion and subjugation by Islamic hordes conquering and plundering their way out of Arabia.

      Just shut up. While that might be the truth, that "truth" no longer corresponds to the greater need that Islam be recognized as a religion of peace, and Christianity be recognized as an abusive, anti-intellectual philosophy which has done nothing but hold back human civilization.

      Get with the program. Christianity is no longer "cool". You can be an atheist (atheism is "cool" because that's like science and stuff) or you can be a Muslim (Islam is "cool" because they're willing to use force to fight against Western imperialism. No wait, Islam is cool because it is a non-violent religion of Peace. Or something.)

      But Christianity is for losers, and that is why Christians (you know, people like Newton, C.S. Lewis, etc.) haven't done anything to promote real advancement in science, philosophy, or the arts.

    137. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, lions have rights too...

    138. Re:Christian propaganda...? by ht-joshua · · Score: 1

      Hey Ho, I watched the TV the other night. It being UK election season I didn't get too freeped out by the possibility every other commentator had a view one way or the other.

      Then I got to thinking about the ads in between times. It didn't bother me most multinationals want me to buy what I don't need and most folk in the world can't afford. Perhaps it should have done.

      Then I got round to thinking about slashdot comments. The fact that supernatural proposals for people of different religions (and none) to learn to tolerate each other are in short supply didn't bother me too much, either. Perhaps that was a mistake. People are interested in this. There are more books in my town bookshops on spiritual things than Linux -- so that got me thinking.

      Then I read most of the other posts on fundies and evangelicals, and I certainly didn't buy the "controlling the politics of the west" theory of some. Economics and ah, um, ... plain-old-unadulterated-power seem to be far more the name of the game in our respective capitals. I guess it may change -- but sadly no sign real soon now.

      Talking of miracles (if only those hoped for), I was really impressed to read so much about C.S. Lewis and his journey in faith. Like CSL I love Jesus and I know He loves us people on planet earth and I am looking forward to seeing the Narnia stories on the big screen. But I know that Aslan would never force me to follow if I didn't want to.

      That said I regret touchiness and suspicions of manipulation of Christians who evidently are alive to defend themselves. I wouldn't want to judge all people of a particular faith on the actions of a minority -- even an apparently powerful minority. In my experience the evidence for the Christian faith is when you see in the life a new believer more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, and self-control than what they had before. There is no law against these things. Surely we wouldn't want to stop anyone talking about it? Whatever happened to free speach?

      But hey, far be it from me to propose..., would anyone else like to suggest another way forward for normal human relations to resume between people of different faiths, and of no faith...?

      --
      Even rocket science is not 'Rocket Science' any more, but God is faithful in all he says and gracious in all he does.
    139. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Snocone · · Score: 4, Informative

      What empire, Rome had fallen long before.

      The Byzantine Empire was what the part with historical claims to the region was called at the time. The Crusades came into being because the Byzantine Emperor called for help against the Seljuk Turks' depredations, and he had nothing to call with except an appeal to shared Christian heritage against the Muslim invasions.

      Come on dude, this is _trivial_ to look up. If you seriously don't know what the Byzantine Empire is and how the invasion of it is what caused the Crusades, you really should go away and shut up until you have enough basic knowledge to form an opinion that isn't an utter waste of our time.

    140. Re:Christian propaganda...? by tardigrades · · Score: 0

      " I also got the vague feeling that CS Lewis was out to manipulate the readers." maybe you should read the screwtape letters again.

      --
      really bored? My blog
    141. Re:Christian propaganda...? by athanasakis · · Score: 1

      There is point in spirituality. There are many ways with which man tried to give answers to really important questions. With your statement, you underestimate the importance of man's effort to understand the world in a deep way. Humanity always tried to find out how to live, and to understand why we exist and what it means to exist.

      Religions are also needed by man. They give man an advantage in man's struggle for survival. They provide with a frame, with which man secures his place in the world and in front of God.

    142. Re:Christian propaganda...? by cartel · · Score: 1

      The Crusades are not the basis for Christianity. People may have done the things they did in the name of God, but I don't think God really wanted them to do a lot of what they did. So it really was not for God - it was for themselves, and they just made Christianity look bad. I wouldn't base what you think of it on what they did, but the ideas that encompass Christianity (taught by Jesus).

    143. Re:Christian propaganda...? by CRCulver · · Score: 1

      the bug red button is under the control of a born again christian fundamentalist.

      Bush is a Methodist, and the Methodist Chuch is a mainline Protestant denomination that's about as dull and uncontroversial as you can get. He is not a Fundamentalist. "Fundamentalism" covers only a limited range of denominations in the United States, such as the Southern Baptist and Pentacostals.

    144. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      but belief in Buddhism requires you to live a much more "moral" life than Judeo-Christian religions do

      This is bullshit, period. Buddhism doesn't "require" anything, except taking a hands off approach to everything in the hopes that things will turn out just fine. Guess what, people are evil, so things never turn out "just fine". If everyone led a moral life, the world would be a whole lot happier place, no matter what they believed in.

      There are no last-minute contritions in Buddhism, no deathbed conversions. You either live a good, moral life, or you don't. Saying 12 Hail Marys doesn't mean anything if your actions are no good.

      It doesn't mean anything at the end in Christianity either unless you REALLY REALLY mean it. You can't just say "I'm sorry" and have everything forgiven unless you really mean it. As a Catholic, it really pisses me off when people take what is actually taught to Catholics and twist it to mean something else. Yes, you have every chance to change your mind and be truely sorry for everything evil/wrong you've ever done, all the way up to death (and possibly even after). Why do people have a problem with that? Do you really think that someone simply saying "Sorry" at the end, but not meaning it, is going to have the same weight as someone that is truely sorry for everything they've done? Of course, it doesn't really matter what you or I think. Most of the people I've ever known that have said something like that meant it purely as a joke. No one thinks they can walk around doing bad things their whole life and then just say "I'm sorry" at the end and all will be better. All that matters in the end is what God decides. We live our lives the best we can. We screw up from time to time and ask the Lord's forgiveness. We ask people to pray for us so our soul can be cleansed. If that type of thing bothers you, than I feel very sorry for you.

      What it sounds like you're saying is that you can never, not even on your death bed, change your mind. From your point of view, you can't reach "enlightenment" unless you're a perfect individual your whole life. Well, since no one is perfect, I guess you're screwed.

    145. Re:Christian propaganda...? by mejesster · · Score: 1

      Jews for Jesus are not strictly Jews. I debated including this in my original post, because I am aware of their existence and the fact that they DO actively try to convert people, but I felt it was unnecessary. Judaism does NOT acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah, nor is the Messiah the son of god in the Jewish tradition, nor CAN there be a son of god. Period. As far as ancient times go, you may have a valid point. My generalization was a bit too sweeping. Perhaps "never has been" should be replaced with "hasn't been for hundreds of years"

      --
      MacroHard - Boning you in a big way! (TM)
    146. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think I'd be safer if the "big red button" was under the control of a non-fundamentalist. Fundamentalism of all stripes has a nasty habit of short-circuiting logical thought.

    147. Re:Christian propaganda...? by CRCulver · · Score: 1

      The Orthodox believe that Roman Catholicism broke off from "Christianity"/Orthodoxy, and the historical facts back it up. The ancient world had five Christian patriarchs. The patriarch of Rome decided to set off on his own against the desires of the other four. Meanwhile, the other four patriarchates continue to maintain the same Christianty they always have since the day of Pentacost.

    148. Re:Christian propaganda...? by The+Dark+P · · Score: 1

      Newton was a unitarian,
      And he also believed in Alchemy, proper full on, lead into gold alchemy. He was a gifted mathematician and scientist, that doesn't preclude him from believing bollocks.

    149. Re:Christian propaganda...? by dsparil · · Score: 1

      It might not have been directly brought about by Christianity, but the first Crusade was started by Pope Urban VII. He also promised that anyone who went on the crusade would have all their sins forgiven no matter how severe.

    150. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Even though I know that you have been wronged by homophobic Christians in a unique way that I can only attempt to empathize with, you're not being fair.

      You're right that true christians don't judge and condemn others. But if, as you say, your religion says that God dislikes homosexuality then it seems completely fair that he hates christianity.

    151. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Txiasaeia · · Score: 1
      Speaking of propaganda... I have a hard time believing that the Orthodox church operates in exactly the same manner as Peter and the other apostles during the Pentecost. Please explain how the Orthodox church maintains the spirit of the Pentecost, and explain the focus on iconography and High Church tendencies (i.e. ritual over experience). Oh, and incense, how does that fit in? I'm not meaning to be harsh, but your statement is just so blatantly untrue that either you're trolling, or you honestly have no idea about what you're saying. Technically, yes, the Orthodox and Roman Catholic church split (the orthodox didn't really break off from the RC church any more than the RC church broke off from the orthodox church), but I think the spirit of ym original point remains.

      Back off-topic: aside from a few denominations within Protestantism (the Vineyard movement, for one), I can't think of any modern church or church-like group that operates in exactly the same manner as those during Pentecost. The Friends (Quakers) are pretty close, as far as I know, given their predilections for social agitation and equality for all, but they're not quite socialist enough. Mennonites & the like who live on communes have the socialist aspect down, but they don't evangelise, which was *the* fundamental principle of the early church.

      --
      Condemnant quod non intellegunt.
    152. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Tell that to the hick judge who got fired for not removing a harmless religious sculpture from his courthouse foyer.

    153. Re:Christian propaganda...? by TIMxPx · · Score: 0

      I can't disagree, but i feel it necessary to add a comment. Granted, Tolkien despised some manifestations of allegory (and disagreed with Lewis for his frivolous selections of names as well as his adherence to allegorical techniques), but he did introduce multiple implicit and explicit references to Christianity, either intentionally or inadvertently. To say that a work is not allegorical as a whole means that each part of it does not correspond directly to another meaning, story, or event. Tolkien was not concerned with recreating or representing Catholicism, because his beliefs and religious practises were sufficient for him; he was instrumental in C.S. Lewis's conversion to Christianity, and his writing was greatly influenced by Christian writings, theology, and symbolism, as was the writing of previous writers and recorders of mythology (in some cases corrupting the original stories). Interestingly enough, Tolkien's story "Leaf by Niggle" is widely considered to be an allegory. You can read about it in Wikipedia: in Letter 153 he said, "I tried to show allegorically how [subcreation] might come to be taken up into Creation in some plane in my 'purgatorial' story Leaf by Niggle."

      It is true, however, that Tolkien largely disliked the idea of allegory mixed with subcreative mythology, i think mainly because it shows a lack of imagination and originality. He preferred history to allegory. His distaste for allegory may have worked against him during his lifetime, because it is more difficult for the reader to grasp Tolkien's ideas about language and mythology than it is to perceive Lewis's overt references. Although neither author has appealed greatly to critics of the modernist or post-modernist persuasion, Lewis was a more prolific and immediately popular author because he was not so locked in his own imaginary world. It is taking people a much longer time to grasp the depth of LOTR and The Silmarillion.

      --
      There are 10 kinds of people in the world: That averages about 660,000,000 of each kind.
    154. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Txiasaeia · · Score: 1

      To risk showing off my ignorance, I do know a few Messianic Jews and they absolutely consider themselves to be Jewish, except for the fact that they believe that the Messianic prophecies in the Prophets were fulfilled by Christ. From a strictly Jewish viewpoint, I suppose, they would be considered a "cult" (not in the David Caresh manner, but as Mormonism is considered to be a "cult" in regards to mainstream Christianity), and so might not be considered Jewish by everybody. My point still stands: Messianic Jews and Christians might believe the same thing, but their practices differ. Whether mainstream Jews consider Messianic Jews to be Jews is another matter; Mormons, for example, consider themselves Christians, which I would vehemently oppose. Sorry for not making myself clearer in my original post.

      --
      Condemnant quod non intellegunt.
    155. Re:Christian propaganda...? by flyingsquid · · Score: 1
      Anybody else get a little creeped out by the possibility that alot of what CS Lewis was doing with his fantasy writings was really Christian propaganda? I know this sounds terribly like a troll, but it's honestly not meant that way.

      I remember reading the end of "Last Battle" and suddenly realizing, "WHAT? I've been reading Christianity???"

      I don't share Lewis' faith but I think he tells a damn good story none the less, and his faith is a considered, deep, and subtle one, not the shallow, narrow-minded zealotry of the American Jesus freaks. Likewise, I find "Christian Music" to be just skin-crawlingly awful whereas Johnny Cash's music is really kick ass. I heard "The Man Comes Around" on the radio the other night and it's just fucking awesome- killer beat, The Man in Black's vocals, and lines from the Book of Revelations. It's a religious song you want to party to.

      I'm an athiest, but I've learned that what annoys me isn't Christianity itself- I find a lot of Christians to be really good people, and a lot of the teachings of Christianity to be worth living- its those self-righteous, narrow minded Christians who think they know better than anyone else, and want to ram their beliefs down your throat. Of course, plenty of athiests can be just the same.

    156. Re:Christian propaganda...? by CRCulver · · Score: 1

      Please explain how the Orthodox church maintains the spirit of the Pentecost

      Just as the Church believes the Holy Spirit came up the apostles at Pentacost, it believes that the Holy Spirit now remains in the bishops.

      and explain the focus on iconography

      Iconography was defended at the Seventh Ecumenical Council (Second Council of Nicaea) in 787. I would recommend reading a history of the icon controversy. In short, if one follows reason, denying the veneration of icons is denying the Incarnation.

      and High Church tendencies (i.e. ritual over experience). Oh, and incense, how does that fit in?

      The high church tradition was there from the start. Read the Revelation to St John or the collection of the Apostolic Fathers. The apologies of Justin Martyr also show how the earliest communities had a "high church" liturgical tradition.

      I find it odd you think that Orthodox liturgy is somehow dry ritual instead of experience of God. Many have converted to Orthodoxy because of their experience of beauty and profound spirituality in the Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom. Sure, liturgy can be performed lifelessly, but I don't think that's the norm in Orthodoxy.

      I'm not meaning to be harsh but your statement is just so blatantly untrue that either you're trolling

      It is the affirmation of the Orthodox Church that it is the One Holy and Apostolic Church of Christ and have been since Pentacost. This statement is found in many apologetic materials as well as on the websites of many Orthodox parishes. How can I be trolling simply by showing what the Church considers itself to be?

    157. Re:Christian propaganda...? by shellbeach · · Score: 1

      Huh? Like many agnostics and atheists I dislike all religion.

      Erm ... I don't think you know what an agnostic is, then. As an agnostic, I may dislike people's expression of religion (think: fundamentalists of any format), but I don't dislike religion per se - after all, the whole point of being agnostic rather than atheist is that you admit that there's the chance those religions might be right!

      But regardless, I'd say that a lot of religions do a pretty good job of advocating a set of decent moral values - it's just a pity that most people who claim to follow those religions - and many who actually lead them - are completely and utterly immoral ...

    158. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So no, Christianity is not special at all when it comes to general dislike. If you are Christian, though, you are of course a lot more attuned to criticism towards it than other religions (and more like ly to see it at all) and so it's of course easy to get the impression that it is singled out in some manner.

      Let's not forget that Christianity is also a very popular and wide spread religion.

      What about the ACLU? I think they make an excellent example of an organization that's singling Christianity out. As a Christian, I often wonder who's civil liberties they're trying to protect.

    159. Re:Christian propaganda...? by flyingsquid · · Score: 1
      As a reader, this "older prophecy" felt sort of cheating because we didn't know about it until after his slaughter. It's like the hero of a space opera having a special protective shield that's only activiated after receiving a fatal shot from the enemy and not learning about it until after the faux death scene.

      Yeah, I felt cheated the exact same way when Jesus came back from the dead. Totally ruined the book for me. Plus, it's a Deus Ex Machina!

    160. Re:Christian propaganda...? by doublem · · Score: 1

      Did you complain about "The Matrix"?

      OK, you dislike all religion. I can respect that.

      My question is, did you complain about the religious overtones of "The Matrix"? It's clearly a movie about Faith, about believing in a higher purpose and being willing to sacrifice yourself for the greater good. It's actively hostile towards the notions of Atheism, and while the sequels were terrible, that idea was pushed even further.

      Do you complain about the Taoist themes in many Kung-Fu action films?

      Did you complain about the blatantly pro-feminist agenda of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"?

      Did the fact that the movie "Hero" was essentially a story about the need for Chinese unity, about a "Together under any circumstances" ideal cause you to complain?

      I'm not claiming Christianity is being singled out, but I've been hearing people complain about "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" for ages, and I'm going to say that this specific book IS being singled out. For some reason a bunch of people are getting into a snit over a Christian subtext. A few weeks ago I was talking with a Jewish friend of mine who had read the book and enjoyed it, but was annoyed that shed enjoyed it because after reading it, she found out that it was considered Christian "propaganda" by some.

      My reply. "Well, CS Lewis was a Christian writing for a predominately Christian audience. The Christian themes probably entered into his mind as naturally as a Jewish theme would for you if you were to write a novel."

      "You know, I hadn't thought of it that way."

      "Besides," I said, "It can't be very effective propaganda if you had to be told about it later. DO you feel a sudden, urgent desire to go to Church?"

      We both laughed.

      "And having grown up among Fundamentalists, I can tell you that there are a LOT of children out there whose only early exposure to Fantasy writing is through CS Lewis. The Christian Subtext lets it slip into homes where Tolkien is banned as being 'Satanic'. Any Christian subtext the books contain does a lot to infiltrate Christian homes and nothing to convert anyone."

      --
      "Live Free or Die." Don't like it? Then keep out of the USA
    161. Re:Christian propaganda...? by TIMxPx · · Score: 0

      Mod Parent Troll. Duh. Okay, i'll actually bite on this one. C.S. Lewis read his stories to the Inklings, a group mainly consisting of Oxford dons. For the most part (Tolkien excluded), they liked his work and found it provocative and entertaining. If you'd like to learn more, i think someone is giving a talk about Lewis, Tolkien, and subcreation at Magdalen College, Oxford, this week sometime. Now i'm assuming you're a smart guy because you have a low UID and knew about /. in its earlier days because you're well-informed. You probably respect the opinions of other well-informed and well-educated individuals, and so i suggest considering the opinions of qualified academics. Also, it's spelled "Chronicles", not "Chronicals". I'd judge that to be a first-grade spelling mistake (okay, maybe second- or third-grade; first-graders would have a difficult time reading and comprehending the series). Your spelling mistake doesn't matter much to me, but you're not doing the best job proving your point. Incidentally, widely available info blurbs list suggested ages like "8 and up", "9-12", "young adult", and "all ages". None of those correspond to first-grade readers.

      --
      There are 10 kinds of people in the world: That averages about 660,000,000 of each kind.
    162. Re:Christian propaganda...? by tumbaumba · · Score: 1

      If you seriously don't know what the Byzantine Empire is and how the invasion of it is what caused the Crusades, you really should go away and shut up until you have enough basic knowledge to form an opinion that isn't an utter waste of our time.

      However, whatever their public motives were, Crusdares manifested them-self through raping and pillaging everything in their way including their Christian "brothers". Search for "The Sack of Constantinople". For example here. This is still a big sore point in relations between Western and Easter (Orthodox) churches. The hypocrisy of these Crusades is unbelievable, for example the infamous forth Crusade was called by Pope Innocent III. How could he claim his innocence with a straight is unknown.

    163. Re:Christian propaganda...? by NMerriam · · Score: 4, Informative

      This is bullshit, period. Buddhism doesn't "require" anything, except taking a hands off approach to everything in the hopes that things will turn out just fine.

      Wow, even more from some Christian speaking on a religion they know nothing about! What a surprise. Do you get all your comparative religion information from the back of cereal boxes?

      Buddhism requires right action, it requires that you live every moment of your life aware that every action you commit, every choice you make, reflects on you and either brings you closer to or further from enlightenment. That is, in many ways, similar to Christianity (in that, if you TRULY believe in God, you would treat others as creations of God, and you would live each day to bring yourself closer to his will through right action).

      The difference being, no matter how contrite he is, no matter how TRULY regretful and sorry he is for the evils he causes, a Buddhist will not reach enlightenment until such time as he has actually balanced out his bad acts.

      I have no doubt that the genuine deathbed conversion of a Christian would be a painful experience -- TRULY understanding and comprehending the magnitude of how you have offended the Lord would be horrific. Accepting His mercy at still forgiving you, even after your offenses, would be an amazing experience, humbling and painful. But it wouldn't do a hell of a lot of good for all the poor souls you have harmed, and the world will still be left with plenty of pain from your acts.

      A Buddhist understands that if he commits an evil against another -- be he man or beast, or even the world itself -- then he will have to atone for it. Not in regret, not in personal suffering, but in action. He will have to MAKE UP FOR the evil he causes, be it in this lifetime or the next.

      What it sounds like you're saying is that you can never, not even on your death bed, change your mind. From your point of view, you can't reach "enlightenment" unless you're a perfect individual your whole life. Well, since no one is perfect, I guess you're screwed.

      No, on your death bed you can't "change your mind". If you hurt people, changing your mind doesn't unhurt them. If you poison the water, changing your mind and being contrite doesn't purify it, no matter how much you mean it.

      Enlightenment doesn't require perfection, it requires recognizing that your actions affect the world and the lives around you, and for the pains you cause you must cause an equal amount of healing. You can be as truly regretful and sorry as you want, but until you get off your ass and do some good in the world, you're going to be stuck.

      --
      Recursive: Adj. See Recursive.
    164. Re:Christian propaganda...? by bw5353 · · Score: 1
      Did his novels get a lot of coverage in India, Tibet, Japan, or "Arabia" ?

      I cannot tell for all those countries, but I stumbled over them the other day in Kyoto - not hidden in a remote shelf but proudly displayed in front of most of the other children books.

      Still, Christian influence wouldn't necessarily disturb the Japanese, as long as the story is good.

    165. Re:Christian propaganda...? by flyingsquid · · Score: 1
      It is well known that Lewis put obvious Christian allegories into the Narnia books. He didn't try to hide the fact. I fail to see how this manipulates the reader.

      I think they're great books, but I think what people are overlooking when they say, "oh it's obvious" is that they're children's books. It's obvious to adults where Lewis is coming from, but it sure as heck wasn't obvious to me until I finished "Last Battle": I was pretty young when I read it, so when I read a story about a lion I just assumed it was about a lion, not God or Jesus or whatever. I don't think it was Lewis' intention, but I still felt a little tricked- like an adult trying to sneak vegetables into my food when I'm not looking.

      Think of it this way- how would you feel if you read a series of half a dozen fantastic kids books and found out at the end of it that the author was trying to instill Jewish or Muslim theology and ideology into you, or trying to get you to become an athiest? It's not the Christianity that people object to, it's being exposed to differing belief systems without knowing ahead of time that this is what's happening. It's the same reason fundamentalist Christians are flipping out about Harry Potter- they're afraid that someone is trying to package Satanism in a fun, attractive package and slip it past them. They're being paranoid, but Lewis really does have an agenda, and it's not necessarily obvious to the intended audience, even if it might have been when he initially wrote them.

    166. Re:Christian propaganda...? by child_of_mercy · · Score: 1

      Just because you were nine doesn't mean your "feeling tricked" wasn't pathetic.

      --
      'There is a Light that never goes out.'
    167. Re:Christian propaganda...? by dorsey · · Score: 1

      Humanity [is] always tried to find out how to live

      Spirituality != Religion.

      Religion isn't about finding out how to live, it's about arbitrarily picking a way to live and making sure everyone else lives that way too, whether they want to or not.

      --
      hinderfreude ('hin-dur-"froi-d&), n. The feeling of joy derived from being in the way.
    168. Re:Christian propaganda...? by LDoggg_ · · Score: 1

      I did pick up on the 9 year old part.
      And pathetic and sensitive from the other guy's posting still fit. Cheated after reading an enjoyable book? You were old enough to read it.

      You ever read any Orson Scott Card? He makes a really good point in the prologue to Ender's Game. There is no age when a light bulb turns on and you suddenly become a different person on a different level of conciousness.
      You've probably toughened up some since then, buy you're still the same person. Being 9 years old doesn't magically excuse someone from accountability for being overly sensitive.

      Anyway, this is getting way off-topic.
      Glad you enjoy the books now.

      --

      "If they have both, tell them we use Linux. And if they have that, tell them the computers are down." -Dave Chapelle
    169. Re:Christian propaganda...? by child_of_mercy · · Score: 1

      Eastern Roman Empire, later known as the Byzantine Empire with it's seat in Constantinople, nee Byzantium, now known as Istanbul.

      Stayed in business until the muslim Ottomans captured Constantinople in 1453.

      Most people who carry on about the crusades are astonishingly ignorant of the history.

      --
      'There is a Light that never goes out.'
    170. Re:Christian propaganda...? by child_of_mercy · · Score: 1

      Meaning they carried on just like any other invading army of that time, or most other times for that matter.

      --
      'There is a Light that never goes out.'
    171. Re:Christian propaganda...? by OddHackGEA · · Score: 1
      The only place where the religious element bothered me was at the end of Dawn Treader (which I believe was originally seen as the end of the series).

      There are other places where it was apparent -- most of The Last Battle I had the feeling he was retelling some other story that I hadn't read -- but it didn't bother me then or now (and I'm not religious and wasn't when I first read them at 10 or so).

      I have mixed feelings about the movie -- my other experiences with Hollywood turning beloved books into movies have not been reassuring. Peter Jackson did a better job than I expected with Tolkien, but I still prefer the books. I expect the same result for Narnia.

    172. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      advocate their author's views on life, because that is what literature does.

      Literature also props open doors nicely, and fixes uneven tables I hear it burns real good too, at 451 degrees F. Oh, and sometimes it entertains. you know, it's not written to 'guide and influence your mind' if it does, then you've either got a very weak mind, or you've simply got a void in your convictions that needs to be filled, and frankly, fiction books are probablly not the best source to seek to fill any voids in your convictions, although they're less likely to say, make you pay a tithe and perform rituals.

    173. Re:Christian propaganda...? by issachar · · Score: 1
      Plenty of Christians hate every other religion

      Sure, but it's not "okay". Hating others is very much not "okay" for Christians. Plenty of Christians cheat on their spouses, but it's not okay either.
      That said, I don't think it's generally considered okay in our society to hate Christians. It may be considered socially acceptable to be rude about Christians, but that's a far cry from hate. It's socially okay to be rude about white males, but I don't think most people think that hating white males is okay.

      But back to your post...
      they have a lock on that market
      Right... Only Christians have that particular flaw...

      --
      . --- If you're looking for free e-mail you won't find it here! http://www.noemailhere.com
    174. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Txiasaeia · · Score: 1

      Just as the Church believes the Holy Spirit came up the apostles at Pentacost, it believes that the Holy Spirit now remains in the bishops.

      Well, I can't really argue against that, but what about the spirit of socialism that is extremely obvious in Acts? How is this reflected in the Orthodox church today? Just curious, not an attack.

      Iconography was defended at the Seventh Ecumenical Council (Second Council of Nicaea) in 787. I would recommend reading a history of the icon controversy. In short, if one follows reason, denying the veneration of icons is denying the Incarnation.

      Sorry, but this makes absolutely no sense to me. There was one Incarnation, not many; when Jesus left, God's physical incarnation on earth left. In my opinion, iconography has nothing to do with God at all. HOWEVER, if it is truly *veneration* and not worship (i.e. not proscribed by "You shall not have any idols before you"), then I don't have a problem with it, except for the fact that iconography seems counter to the spirit of the Pentecost, where people were more important than physical possessions. In my little Protestant mind, I find it difficult to understand why people need to use images in order to focus on worshipping God.

      The high church tradition was there from the start. Read the Revelation to St John or the collection of the Apostolic Fathers. The apologies of Justin Martyr also show how the earliest communities had a "high church" liturgical tradition.

      The Apocalypse/Revelation is the most disputed book in the Bible; one interpretation of it (a vision, no less, that is extremely unclear as to what it is referring to) is not good enough to justify an emphasis on high church worship. As for the Apostolic Fathers and Justin Martyr: you're using non-canonical books (i.e. books that are not accepted as canonical by all denominations of Christianity) to prove your point, which means that I simply cannot accept your premise. If we were both Orthodox I might be able to argue the point further, but as it is these books *to me* mean nothing, whether they support the high church tradition or not.

      I find it odd you think that Orthodox liturgy is somehow dry ritual instead of experience of God. Many have converted to Orthodoxy because of their experience of beauty and profound spirituality in the Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom. Sure, liturgy can be performed lifelessly, but I don't think that's the norm in Orthodoxy.

      This is probably because of my relative inexperience with the Orthodox church. I've attended a few Orthodox services and funerals, but i simply don't know the ritual or the background behind it well enough to be able to "relax" and "enjoy" it (don't know how else to put it). The repetition really bugs me ;) Most of the orthodox churches I've been to have been ukrainian, and since I don't understand the language, it makes it even more difficult. Understand that this is a matter of preference for me, and nothing more. Sorry if I came across badly!

      It is the affirmation of the Orthodox Church that it is the One Holy and Apostolic Church of Christ and have been since Pentacost. This statement is found in many apologetic materials as well as on the websites of many Orthodox parishes. How can I be trolling simply by showing what the Church considers itself to be?

      You misunderstand me. All three (four?) strands of Christianity believe that they're the one true Church. What I meant was that I find nothing in the Orthodox church that resembles the Pentecost as described in Acts. After your thoughtful reply, I don't believe that you were trolling at all, and I'm sorry for the accusation. But look at what happens in Acts 2: people speak in tongues, Peter says that people will have visions and dreams from God, people repented and were baptised, and people sold what t

      --
      Condemnant quod non intellegunt.
    175. Re:Christian propaganda...? by child_of_mercy · · Score: 2, Insightful

      to the cultural atheists of the world anyone who believes in the resurrection is a "fundamentalist"

      beyond that, anyone who modifies their behaviour due to religious teaching is a "fundamentalist"

      --
      'There is a Light that never goes out.'
    176. Re:Christian propaganda...? by issachar · · Score: 1
      your government isn't being hijacked by anyone. it's the same democratic system you've always had. I'll assume that you're a democrat who voted for Gore & Kerry.

      Newsflash: You lost a couple of elections. Get over it. That's what happens with elections. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. There will be another election, you might win that one. You might not. But it is safe to say that the Republicans will eventually lose. Fears about theocracies are just silly.

      Speaking as a non-American, you really need to get over your "the sky is falling" attitude just because you're not winning everything.

      --
      . --- If you're looking for free e-mail you won't find it here! http://www.noemailhere.com
    177. Re:Christian propaganda...? by charvolant · · Score: 1

      1984 isn't anti-communist propaganda. It's anti-totalitarian propaganda, in part derived from his experiences at the BBC during WWII.

      In his writings, such as The Prevention of Literature or Revising History, Orwell is pretty clear about the difficulties freedom of speech and thought go through in an atmosphere of perpetual war, even in societies claiming the banner of liberalism. Sure, Ingsoc is "English Socialism", but that's just a convienience; it could just as well be Ingcap. In the essays above, Orwell points out press barons and film magnates as immediate enemys of truth.

      See http://www.resort.com/~prime8/Orwell/ for a collection of his essays.

      The relevance of all this to the present day, I shall leave as an exercise for the reader ...

    178. Re:Christian propaganda...? by issachar · · Score: 1

      and it was funny. :)

      --
      . --- If you're looking for free e-mail you won't find it here! http://www.noemailhere.com
    179. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      paraphrasing someone else for a moment... If you think Lewis was trying to hide anything, you really need to work on your reading comprehension. The Christian themes of the Narnia stories are obvious. I mean, REALLY obvious.

    180. Re:Christian propaganda...? by EpsCylonB · · Score: 1

      like the british empire ?

    181. Re:Christian propaganda...? by sacrilicious · · Score: 1
      I'll assume that you're a democrat who voted for Gore & Kerry.

      Nope. And it's not a football game so I don't see it in terms of "winning everything". Nuff said.

      --
      - First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then ???, then profit.
    182. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Trillan · · Score: 1

      I think "hard line against" comes across a little more strongly than I meant. My point was only that if you banned every little thing that someone could disagree with, you'd end up with only some sludge from the middle of the political and economic spectrum (that I would disagree with just on the grounds of it being dreck that says nothing).

    183. Re:Christian propaganda...? by issachar · · Score: 1
      what are you smoking dude? Loads of Christians including myself find the Harry Potter books really fun to read. I teach in a Christian K-12 school and we have them in our Library. Stop the stereotyping.

      oh, and we read Narnia when we're young, because it's written for children. Just like Harry Potter. Like Harry Potter, it's well written enough that adults enjoy it as well despite the fact that it wasn't written for them.

      --
      . --- If you're looking for free e-mail you won't find it here! http://www.noemailhere.com
    184. Re:Christian propaganda...? by DoofusOfDeath · · Score: 1
      Not everything. Remember that he was also a literature scholar, even before deciding that Christianity was true.

      Example: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0521477352/ qid=1115599820/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/103-2291834 -5858269 >

    185. Re:Christian propaganda...? by DoofusOfDeath · · Score: 1
      Are you kidding ?, look at the crusades if want evidence of the misery and suffering brought about by christianity.
      What's makes you think the Crusades were initiated by true Christians, and more than you think that the Patriot Act, the DMCA, and the Sony Bono copyright extension act were legisted by true patriots / protectors of the Constitution?

      Holding a certain office (i.e., senator, bishop, etc.) doesn't guarantee that you belong there, or that you truly believe the ideals that justify the existence of that office to the greater population.

    186. Re:Christian propaganda...? by killjoe · · Score: 1

      He talks to god, he is a fundamentalist does it really matter what denomination he belongs to?

      --
      evil is as evil does
    187. Re:Christian propaganda...? by anothy · · Score: 0, Troll
      Why is that Christianity is the only religion it is still ok to hate?
      two answers:
      1. it's not. particularly in the past five years, it's become quite a bit more than "okay" to hate Islam in many circles in America. and of course mainstream America still has the more subtle anti-Jewish sentiment, as well as the anti-things-we-don't-understand sentiment. (yes, i'm making an assumption that you're an american; i've never seen this sort of frustration from anyone else)
      2. second, we deserve it. i'm not even talking about the Crusades or the Inquisition (oy, Ratzinger. bloody friggin' hell). but America is, statistically, a Christian nation (no claim to Christianity being intentionally foundational to the country nor criticism of separation of church and state intended), as is our leadership; what have we done with it? we've got a president who describes his actions in the middle east, responsible for an estimated 100,000 civilian deaths as a "crusade"; we've got ministers preaching hate and condoning violence against homosexuals and doctors who practice abortion; we've got Falwell, Robertson, and, God help us, we've got Fred Phelps. we draw greater criticism because we have greater power and, therefore, responsibility. i believe people would be a lot more accepting of Christianity as understood by CS Lewis, Tolkien, most of America's founding fathers, and St. Francis, for example, if we would more consistently speak up against the perversion of the gospel into a message of hate.
      --

      i speak for myself and those who like what i say.
    188. Re:Christian propaganda...? by amRadioHed · · Score: 1

      I'm fairly sure that Jews for Jesus is different from the Messianic Judaism you describe. I've been to Baptist churches where representatives from Jews for Jesus were guest speaking (that could be argument enough considering Baptists tendancy to not welcome other religions in their services). Jews for Jesus is made up of people of Jewish descent who are Christians. They do not consider Judiasm their religion, though they do typically celebrate Jewish holidays. I think (this is where I'm just guessing) that they view Judiasm as a subset of Christianity.

      The FAQ from their website may be of interest.

      --
      We hope your rules and wisdom choke you / Now we are one in everlasting peace
    189. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Fished · · Score: 1
      What does raise my hackles more than other is prozelysation, though. This of ocurse includes some Christian evangelcal sects and writers, but I am just as annoyed by prozelytising Hindu and Islamic sects as well. Hint: if I'm interested I promise to come over to your church/synagogue/temple/kiva/bloodstained sacrificial altar and discuss it, but knocking on my door, pushing leaflets in my hand or harassing me on the town is making me less - not more - likely to have a kind thought about what you believe in.
      So ... if I want to sell you a bar of soap, I'm allowed to spend a great deal of money, time, and effort to convince you that my brand of soap is the best brand. But if I believe that you are in danger of eternal damnation, I'm supposed to sit around and wait for you to discover it on your own?

      This point of view clearly rises out of a worldview that has already dismissed religion outright.

      You may not like folks trying to make religious appeals to you, but you need to at least give them the purity of their motives. Believe it or not, most religious people are sincerely trying to help you out - which is better than you can say for Proctor and Gamble. This is not to defend overzealous attempts, folks "witnessing" who just won't leave your door, etc. But as a Christian, I have a positive moral obligation to attempt to present my faith to others - i.e. to proselytize. For me to give up that obligation entirely I would have to be either a hypocrite or a moral wretch who didn't give a damn about his fellow man.

      --
      "He who would learn astronomy, and other recondite arts, let him go elsewhere. " -- John Calvin, commenting on Genesis 1
    190. Re:Christian propaganda...? by mazarin5 · · Score: 1

      It seemed to me that the Screwtape Letters were in the first half very clever and well thought out. C.S. Lewis had been publishing them in a magazine I believe, and started to get several scathing letters. Over time, now apparent in the book, the devils devolve into bumbling oafs. The became idiot charicatures, with the seeming lack of motivation and thought of cartoon characters. I thought it was sad that he had to run it into the ground just to appease the Jack Chick minority.

      --
      Fnord.
    191. Re:Christian propaganda...? by llamaluvr · · Score: 1

      Yes, because anytime anybody ever writes something related to his religion he is trying to manipulate you.

      --
      Insightful: 76, Off-Topic: 379, Flamebait: 24, Funny: 152, Interesting: 201, Underrated: 55, Troll: 9, Total: 896
    192. Re:Christian propaganda...? by amRadioHed · · Score: 1

      Speaking as a non-American, you really need to get over your "the sky is falling" attitude just because you're not winning everything.

      Easy for you to say. Try living with Bush and his shills in Congress running your country. Seriously. It's not so easy.

      --
      We hope your rules and wisdom choke you / Now we are one in everlasting peace
    193. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Txiasaeia · · Score: 1

      You might be right... I've only heard of Messianic Jews, not Jews for Christ, so there ya go ;)

      --
      Condemnant quod non intellegunt.
    194. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The Crusades were a defense of territory historically owned by the Roman Empire peacefully for over a thousand years against its invasion and subjugation by Islamic hordes conquering and plundering their way out of Arabia.

      So the Crusades were about defending the Roman Empire? Is that why they sacked Byzantium during the 4th Crusade? While I may agree with your characterization of the ostensible purpose of Crusades, the atrocities that accompanied all stages of the Crusades show that it was plunder and pillage wrapped in Christian candy coating.

    195. Re:Christian propaganda...? by TheoMurpse · · Score: 1

      Every Christian talks to God -- it's called prayer. A fundamentalist talking to God does not make.

    196. Re:Christian propaganda...? by MPR+At+UW · · Score: 1

      It's not "okay" to hate Christianity today but it is alright to question the fact that it is still one of the biggest recruiters out there and that it is wrong to let religious zealots push their content on unsuspecting minds. That being said, the story is so subtle that a young mind would not detect the parallels but there are definitely other reasons to speak out against overactive recruitment like people walking up to you on the street and asking you why you don't accept Jesus into your life as though it is absolutely ignorant to make a choice other than the Christian choice.

    197. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The "atrocities that accompanied all stages of the Crusades" were standard operating procedure at the time. Horrible and wrong? Yes. But don't think it was in any way unique to the crusades, or that the Christians were the only ones taking part.

    198. Re:Christian propaganda...? by kbahey · · Score: 2, Interesting

      The Crusades were a defense of territory historically owned by the Roman Empire peacefully for over a thousand years against its invasion and subjugation by Islamic hordes conquering and plundering their way out of Arabia.

      If you think that an empire defending its territory against invasion is "brought about by christianity" ... you need to learn a little more history there, friend.

      Oh my, oh my! For someone to write such historically inaccurate stuff is one thing, and for it to get +5 Insightful is totally another. I was going to waste a mod point on this at first, but thought that this better gets a proper response.

      You really need to read more history, and not just watch a movie.

      First the Roman Empire as you refer to it had ceased to exist before Islam existed. The successive Barbarian invasions, and many other factors caused the Roman Empire to disintegrate. Nor was the Roman occupation of the lands in The Levant ever peaceful. Go and read about the successive revolts by the Jews against Rome from the time of Jesus, to the siege of Masada, to the destruction of the temple by Titus in 70 C.E. Rome as colonial and as imperialistic as any empire, old or new. So much for the "peacefully" part of your claim.

      Second, the Roman Empire did not "own" the areas there. They encroached on territory that was owned by others successively (Jebusite, Canaanites, Philistines, Hebrews, Seleucids).

      Read Gibbons Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire sometime. It is available for free on the net in several places.

      You could not be talking about Byzantium, because the Crusades originated in the Western half of what used to be the Roman Empire, and not in Byzantium. Even if you are, they were as much hated in the area as the original Romans. The Egyptians hated them so much that they helped the Arab armies against the Byzantines. Jerusalem hand over was done by the Patriarch/Bishop to Omar, the Muslim Caliph, without much of a skirmish.

      Did you ever ask why it took the European Christians four centuries before they remembered to take Jerusalem back?

      Did you read about Pope Urban II Council of Clairmont in 1095, and how his fiery sermons played among the nobles and lay people alike? Did you know that he asked the Christians of the time to turn the swords against Muslims, instead of their infighting? Did you know he mentioned "land flowing with milk and honey"? Did you know that a common sentiment at the time was that the recapture of Jerusalem (1099) was necessary for Christ's second coming? (Sounds familiar today with Left Behind series, and other Christian Zionist movements?). Initially, his sermon was about helping fellow Christians (Constantinople) against the Turks. Over the years, his message was morphed by chronicles, after hindsight, to recapturing Jerusalem as a religious duty.

      There is no doubt that the Crusades were fuelled by Christian sentiment to a large extent, and that they were spearheaded by the church authorities at the time.

      There is also no doubt that the Crusaders . Read how Christian chronicles glorified the massacre of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and relished the bloodshed, even after people took sanctuaries in synagogues and mosques. Read about it on Halsall's collection of Medieval sources at Fordham.

      I don't know if your view is colored by the Kingdom of Heaven movie by Ridley Scott or what. I haven't seen the movie yet, and I have an upcoming article on the Crusades in the works. Perhaps I will see the movie sooner now.

    199. Re:Christian propaganda...? by kbahey · · Score: 2, Insightful

      You shouldn't be ashamed of it.

      It was not you who did it. You did not participate in it, nor were you supporting it in anyway.

      It was another generation, another time. The motives were not solely religious, although religion played a big role, at least to motivate the masses to act.

    200. Re:Christian propaganda...? by anagama · · Score: 1


      "I can see how Buddhism is attractive to you--it doesn't ever ask you to change."

      That idea come from any source readings? I doubt it. I'm not a buhdist, but I've read a bit. How "feel good" is a notion such as this?: "desire is the source of misery." In other words, eliminate desire from your being and you will live a better life. That doesn't sound easy at all!

      --
      What changed under Obama? Nothing Good
    201. Re:Christian propaganda...? by GreyWolf3000 · · Score: 1
      Umm..it seems like you've completely avoided my point and inserted your own grudge. But yes, sex education and birth control might help control starvation. Many cultures in Africa simply won't allow themselves to use them, so I don't know how effective this would be everywhere.

      But what does this have to do with anything? It was an analogy...

      --
      Slashdot: Where people pretend to be twice as smart as they really are by behaving like children.
    202. Re:Christian propaganda...? by GreyWolf3000 · · Score: 1

      Not to sound mean, but can you please re-read my post? I understand your views on the matter; I even once held them myself. We can argue till the sun goes down about whether or not a given religion is a ridiculous lie or the One True Way, but that would still not convey my point. To do so, you need to understand the perspective of a Christian. You know, put yourself in their shoes.

      --
      Slashdot: Where people pretend to be twice as smart as they really are by behaving like children.
    203. Re:Christian propaganda...? by GreyWolf3000 · · Score: 1

      I mean American Buddhism--Buddhism as it is actually practiced is an entirely different matter. There's a lot more to it than meditation and drinking Sobe tea at local coffee shops. There's karmic law, the eightfold path, and much much more. But we Americans don't like challenges, so we've taken Buddhism and made it completely complacent and lifeless. All beliefs we hold about the relevant religions aside.

      but belief in Buddhism requires you to live a much more "moral" life than Judeo-Christian religions do.

      You're correct, but you've also demonstrated a complete lack of understanding of Christianity.

      There are no last-minute contritions in Buddhism, no deathbed conversions. You either live a good, moral life, or you don't.

      The question for Buddhism is "do you want to eliminate suffering?" The question for Christianity is "do you want to endure it for the sake of others?" It's easy to acheive salvation, harder to practice than anything else I can think of.

      --
      Slashdot: Where people pretend to be twice as smart as they really are by behaving like children.
    204. Re:Christian propaganda...? by GreyWolf3000 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I'm going to pick up your response, though I found the anonymous post to be rather harsh.

      A Buddhist understands that if he commits an evil against another -- be he man or beast, or even the world itself -- then he will have to atone for it. Not in regret, not in personal suffering, but in action. He will have to MAKE UP FOR the evil he causes, be it in this lifetime or the next.

      This is where Buddhism and Christianity are in exact opposition: Christians don't get what they deserve, because Jesus got what heh didn't deserve. Mankind cannot "balance" the good out with the bad because we are so much more bad than good. That sounds crazy to non-believers but it's just a perspective problem. If you only look at man all your life, the average man seems like a decent enough chap. If you look at God for once, and his act for love shown on the cross, you see a different story.

      If karmic law were true, I'd "deserve" to be burning in very hot fire right now, because, like all other men, I was made for something better than my pitiful selfishness. I was made to show compassion.

      Enlightenment doesn't require perfection, it requires recognizing that your actions affect the world and the lives around you, and for the pains you cause you must cause an equal amount of healing.

      I think the notion of enlightenment itself is a reasonable goal for this life, but for a Christian it should be understood that, in the next life, we shall acheive something better.

      It is important to always remember that it is because of God, not us, that we can get the strength to show this kind of love. I mean the kind of love that is hard to show. Not just dropping a few nickels in the hobo's bucket. Like, giving a year of your life to feeding the hungry in a desperate part of the world. Like forgiving your spouse for infidelity.

      You can be as truly regretful and sorry as you want, but until you get off your ass and do some good in the world, you're going to be stuck.

      Faith without works is dead. We're just not saved by our works.

      --
      Slashdot: Where people pretend to be twice as smart as they really are by behaving like children.
    205. Re:Christian propaganda...? by GreyWolf3000 · · Score: 1

      Again, I forgot to specify that I was talking about the American "feel-good" variety of Buddhism.

      --
      Slashdot: Where people pretend to be twice as smart as they really are by behaving like children.
    206. Re:Christian propaganda...? by JanneM · · Score: 1

      I understand Christians think they are doing a good thing when trying to convince me (or anybody else). That doesn't mean it is. "Putting youself in someone elses shoes" means understanding their internal rationale. That doesnät change the deleterious effects as seen from my point of view, though.

      I certainly understand their motivation. I still dislike their intended result. I have little sympathy for that reason.

      --
      Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend.
    207. Re:Christian propaganda...? by JanneM · · Score: 1

      A bar of soap is not damaging. Religion (in my view) is.

      As I wrote in a different reply, if someone is knocking on my door trying to sell me cocain, I'd be pissed off about it.

      Come to think about it, if some salesman actually approaches me out on the town, or knocks on my door early weekend mornings I don't care if they sell soap, cocain or religion - I'd be angry about it. In the case of the overly pushy salesman I can call his company and complain. With a drug pusher I cal call the police. Where do I complain about religious people?

      I've found that undressing will make them leave pretty quickly.

      --
      Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend.
    208. Re:Christian propaganda...? by killjoe · · Score: 1

      I pray occationally. Bush claims God told him to run for president and that god made sure he won.

      So maybe I talk to god but I have never had god talk to me and tell me to do something. Nor do I think god ever intervened on my behalf so I could win a contest.

      I think there is a difference between talking to god and having god talk to you. If you hear god talking to you then you are fundamentalist or schizo or insane.

      --
      evil is as evil does
    209. Re:Christian propaganda...? by anagama · · Score: 1

      OK -- now I get it. Too true. ;-)

      --
      What changed under Obama? Nothing Good
    210. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Snocone · · Score: 1

      You could not be talking about Byzantium, because the Crusades originated in the Western half of what used to be the Roman Empire, and not in Byzantium.

      On the contrary, that's exactly what I'm talking about. As I had already pointed out before this silly post of yours, but I'll expand on this particular point for your edification.

      The cause of the Crusades was the Islamic Seljuk empire. Specifically, Togrul Beg's successors Alp Arslan and Malik Shah, who brought Syria and Palestine under Seljuk control. The individual event we can assign most direct consequentiality to is the battle of Manzikert, where Arslan quite thoroughly kicked Byzantine ass, leading to Byzantium's loss of control in Asia Minor. Byzantium was essentially in chaos as a result of this until Emperor Alexius I ascended. In 1095, he was ready to attack, but needed soldiers. Being unable to draft them or buy them, he sent envoys to Urban's Council at Piacenza, asking them to come fight for the Christian faith, since he had no better reason. And Urban ran with it.

      So, friend, not only is Byzantium exactly what I'm talking about, when you say "originated in the Western half", you are in fact utterly wrong, as they originated with Alexius I of Byzantium as the Byzantine response to the depradations of the Islamic Seljuk Empire.

      I can't really be bothered wasting the time to deal with any other substantive points that may be hiding behind your incoherent prose, but I trust demonstrating the complete falsity of this particular point is sufficient for anyone reading this who actually cares to make a sound judgement of the merit of our relative positions.

    211. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Moofie · · Score: 1

      Why would that creep you out? Whose beliefs should an author be using to motivate his stories? Yours?

      Is it SO astonishing that this person could be BOTH a Christian AND a good storyteller?

      --
      Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
    212. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Moofie · · Score: 1

      Right, and that's why Lewis' novels were so much more successful when they were translated from the original Arabic, right?

      You can hardly fault the author for espousing his own belief structure. He didn't come to your house with a gun, did he? There weren't exactly a lot of "Hey kids! It's fun to oppress darkies and wogs!" in the books, were there?

      What exactly is your objection?

      --
      Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
    213. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Moofie · · Score: 1

      Why would you dislike my flavor of Christianity, whose pursuit is MINE and has nothing whatsoever to do with you, and I really don't care if you ever adopt it or not?

      Why do you feel the need to dislike something that other people do, when it has zero impact on your existence?

      --
      Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
    214. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Moofie · · Score: 1

      My church offered an excellent and comprehensive sex education class. I learned a lot in that class, and no, they didn't beat the "abstinence" drum mercilessly. They did beat a "responsibility" drum, which I thought was quite appropriate.

      So I think you're tarring with a rather large brush there, friend.

      --
      Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
    215. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Moofie · · Score: 1

      "If you look at God for once, and his act for love shown on the cross, you see a different story."

      I totally disagree.

      How many times do you hear about people risking themselves, sacrificing themselves, for other people? Happens ALL. THE. TIME. I don't believe for a moment that Christ wanted us to hate ourselves because we were created imperfect.

      If you think the Passion and Resurrection are what is significant about Christ, I think you're a poor student of His teachings.

      --
      Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
    216. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Moofie · · Score: 1

      "But if I believe that you are in danger of eternal damnation, I'm supposed to sit around and wait for you to discover it on your own?"

      My "salvation" is my own affair. I'll thank you to keep your nose out of it.

      I am a Christian. I believe in the teachings of Jesus. I strongly dislike evangelical, charismatic "interpretations" of those teachings.

      "You may not like folks trying to make religious appeals to you, but you need to at least give them the purity of their motives."

      No. I resent their implication that I need them to get "saved". I do not. I walk with God, and I do not need or welcome your Intervention.

      --
      Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
    217. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Moofie · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      I'm a Methodist too, and Bush is a fucking loony.

      His religion has very, very little to do with mine.

      --
      Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
    218. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Vintermann · · Score: 1

      There are just two types of belief systems really (and no, I don't mean christianity and the rest so read on): Those that seek to turn believers of other belief systems into believers of their system, and those who seek to make other belief systems more like their own. Creeds (whether theistic or not) that don't have a "strategy" for promoting themselves won't last more than a generation.

      I prefer overt prozelysation (christianity, islam, atheism) to the more insidious efforts of hinduism, buddhism and what we for lack of a better word can call western secularism. People's choices in this matter should be conscious.

      I disagree with your assertion that christianity isn't singled out for criticism, I've seen some examples of criticisms people just wouldn't make about minority religions. But I think the cause is that christianity is the dominant systematic belief in the west, not any particular animosity to christian beliefs.

      --
      xkcd is not in the sudoers file. This incident will be reported.
    219. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Moofie · · Score: 1

      OK, I'm going out on a limb here.

      Call me crazy, but I'd guess that the public stance of some fundamentalists does not reflect the beliefs of the body of "Christianity", which (you might note) comprises a rather large number of people.

      And, while we're on the subject of having a big head about how correct/right one's beliefs are, I refer you to the proliferation of fundamentalist Muslim elementary and secondary schools. They're not exactly the bastion of open minded liberal thinking.

      Fundamentalists who think they know better than I do are a) dangerous and b) wrong. They're also harmless, unless they get a hold of an AK-47, an airliner, or a major Western democracy.

      --
      Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
    220. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Moofie · · Score: 1

      I don't hate homosexuals, even though one was mean to me once. Why would you hate "Christianity"? Seems pretty bigoted to me.

      But what the hell do I know? I'm just some white guy. I obviously don't get to talk about bigotry. How dare I?

      --
      Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
    221. Re:Christian propaganda...? by JanneM · · Score: 1

      Why do you feel the need to dislike something that other people do, when it has zero impact on your existence?

      Because it doesn't have zero impact on my existence. If it did I could just ignore it altogether.

      --
      Trust the Computer. The Computer is your friend.
    222. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Moofie · · Score: 1

      "Slashdot: Where people pretend to be twice as smart as they really are by behaving like children."

      And you, of course, are Above All That. Thank you for gracing us unwashed with your presence, O enlightened one!

      Jesus. If you don't like the discussion, please don't feel obligated to continue it.

      I've had knock-down drag out FIGHTS with people on these boards, but I also learn. If you don't, why do you come back here? To feel superior?

      --
      Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
    223. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Moofie · · Score: 1

      "and of course mainstream America still has the more subtle anti-Jewish sentiment,"

      Must be real subtle, because I haven't the vaguest clue what you're talking about. Isn't it mainstream America's weaponry and support that keeps Israel from being a parking lot?

      --
      Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
    224. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Vintermann · · Score: 1

      Unfortunately, there are homes where Lewis is considered satanic, too. Actually, I'm suprised he's not more hated by the fundamentalists: He rejected creationism, he loved pre-christian myths and legends (in his view they were reflections of man's desire for the real thing, Christ), and his explanations of sin and salvation may not come down too well among fundamentalists.

      Mere christianity is an explanation of orthodox (in the meaning conventional) christianity as seen by Lewis. The great divorce is also important, as it illustrates his view that hell isn't an active punishment by God, a view that is rejected by many fundamentalists.

      --
      xkcd is not in the sudoers file. This incident will be reported.
    225. Re:Christian propaganda...? by drgonzo59 · · Score: 1

      Actually what ended up happening in one of the Crusades the "glorious knights" decided to stab their fellow Christians from East in the back. They sacked and burned Constantinopol. After that it never recovered fully and thus, it could not resist the Muslim invadors for long. To this day, Roman Catholics are not too welcome in Greece or other Eastern Orthodox countries. Granted, the late Pope John Paul II did go to Greece and appologized, which was very nice, and perhaps a small step towards unification.

    226. Re:Christian propaganda...? by NMerriam · · Score: 1

      Just wanted to respond solely to say, I understand and agree with everything you say.

      I don't intend to slight sincere Christians (only those CS Lewis referred to as believing in "Christianity and water", who believe that showing up in church and saying Amen on a weekly basis gives them salvation free of any deeper commitment).

      My initial comment about Buddhists being more "moral" in day-to-day life has to do precisely with the dichotomy between the two beliefs' nature of man -- are we inherently unable to atone for the gravity of our sins and dependent on the Mercy of God, or had we better start atoning now, because we've got a long way to go and are condemned to however many lifetimes it takes?

      --
      Recursive: Adj. See Recursive.
    227. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Trillan · · Score: 1

      Major spoilers for all of the Chronicles below...

      Skip this if you haven't read all the books yet. I mean it.

      I think that you are coming down a little hard on CS Lewis over Susan. If the idea, after all, was to exclude one of the characters, which would make more sense? Pick only from the first four, since they'll have the biggest emotional impact. Lucy, who was the first one in? Edmund, who already fell and was redeemed? I think the only character that would make any sense is Peter, and he was also the oldest and most level-headed. It happened, he remembers it, and he isn't in self-denial.

      It's also not accurate to say she was excluded. Rather, she was not included yet. Keep in mind: Everyone else in The Last Battle is dead. Susan is still alive.

      Why is Susan not dead? Because she didn't come to Narnia's aid because she has convinced itself it doesn't exist. Susan's exclusion is based on her vanity and a mistaken belief that she has to put aside real events in the name of maturity, rather than her sexuality. Had it been Susan who had needed redemption in LWW, Edmund would have been the best choice to not be included. But then, no doubt, people would attribute Susan's failings in LWW and sexist.

      I won't comment on the other posts. Not because I agree, but because this was the one I thought the most intresting to argue. :)

    228. Re:Christian propaganda...? by 10Ghz · · Score: 1
      Many cultures in Africa simply won't allow themselves to use them, so I don't know how effective this would be everywhere.


      And having Catholic missionaries preaching against birth-control doesn't really help either.
      --
      Lesbian Nazi Hookers Abducted by UFOs and Forced Into Weight Loss Programs - -all next week on Town Talk.
    229. Re:Christian propaganda...? by 10Ghz · · Score: 1
      The cause of the Crusades was the Islamic Seljuk empire.


      The cause of the Crusades was the large number of people in Europe who had nothing to do but to fight each other. So, instead of having them fight each other, why not make them figth the Muslims instead?
      --
      Lesbian Nazi Hookers Abducted by UFOs and Forced Into Weight Loss Programs - -all next week on Town Talk.
    230. Re:Christian propaganda...? by drgonzo59 · · Score: 1
      As an Orthodox Christian I would like to repsond to some of your comments. This is certainly not a common Slashdot article, and I am sorry for breaking into the discussion and for making my comment a little too long.

      Your write: ...what about the spirit of socialism that is extremely obvious in Acts? How is this reflected in the Orthodox church today?

      Well,there was no "socialism" back then. See "socialsm" here If you mean sharing and helping one another and the whole community, then that is true of Orthodox Christians, as it is true of any main Christian denomination. Or perhaps you mean living in poverty and having a common "pot", well there are large monastic comunities that do exaclty that. But what you missed is that the original poster meant that the core doctrine or the core beliefs are what have remained unchainged while some secondary practices have evolved. Just because some people today want to wash some poor hobo's feet in front of everyone or want to all live in a common house and have just one bank account it doesn't mean they have the "spirit" of the original church, they are just selctively copying some of the actions they read about in the Bible.

      On the topic of icons,you write: HOWEVER, if it is truly *veneration* and not worship. and also There was one Incarnation, not many; when Jesus left, God's physical incarnation on earth left.

      I'll say first that you are right about the worship vs. veneration. We do not worship the "holy paint" or "holy wood.", we worship only God, not even the saints or Mary, the Mother of Christ. The link with the incarnation that the original poster made, was that if Christ became incarnate, and showed Himself to us, then we can surely have his image painted (if there were photos back then we would have had a photo). Now imagine that you have images of your wife and children in your wallet, and of course you love them dearly and miss them when they are not with you, wouldn't you not want to kiss them? I'd kiss my wife's picture and talk to her if I couldn't see her in person, I'd put it on my desk at work and I would look at it often. Well, now imagine that the dear person that you love is God. We don't have an exact image, and that is why the icons don't look like photographs they are symbolic images that point to God or other persons or events from the life of the Church. Also, before many could read, they served a great educational purpose too. Also note, that there have been found images, symbols and engravings of Christ and saints in the Catacombs where the early (apostolic era) Christians met and celebrated "the Breaking of the Bread".

      On the same topic you write In my little Protestant mind, I find it difficult to understand why people need to use images in order to focus on worshipping God.

      Actually you don't seem to have a little mind at all, you inquire and are interested that is why I wanted to share some what I know. But to get back to you comment - we certainly don't need images to focus on worshipping God. If I am driving or I don't have any icons around, I surely can pray and worship God. But I also find it much easier probably to pray and focus on Christ if I have his icon in front of me instead of a bare white wall. You can look at this another way. If you are a Christian (I assume you are) you know that the human person consists of a body and a soul. So when the person is worshipping it only makes sense to fully engage a person's body and soul. The icons engage the visual senses, the incense engages the sense of smell, the hymns (songs) the auditory senses, the venerating of the icons - the tactile. Thus when I walk into an Orthodox Church I can easier focus on worship, as my whole body is worshipping not just my soul and mind. I will say again though that it is certainly possible to pray without having an icon.

      As for the Apostolic Fathers and Justin Martyr: you're using non-canonic

    231. Re:Christian propaganda...? by 10Ghz · · Score: 1
      Why is that Christianity is the only religion it is still ok to hate?


      Because that is the religion we run in to in our everyday lives. I don't have any people trying to convert me to Islam (for example), but I do see people trying to convert others to Christianity all the time. No, I don't "hate" Christianity as such, I dislike the people who feel compelled to turn me in to Christian. I don't have similar feelings towards people converting others to Islam, since I never see those in here.
      --
      Lesbian Nazi Hookers Abducted by UFOs and Forced Into Weight Loss Programs - -all next week on Town Talk.
    232. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why so surprised? Lewis was arguably one of the greatest theologians of the last century. Although his "Chronicles of Narnia" and his space trilogy are perhaps best known popularly, he has written many theological works, as well.

    233. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      but I don't dislike religion per se - after all, the whole point of being agnostic rather than atheist is that you admit that there's the chance those religions might be right!

      Whether they're right has little, if anything, to do with whether you like them. Not that I think that most agnostics do dislike religions, but your response was a non-sequitur.

    234. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Fished · · Score: 1
      A bar of soap is not damaging. Religion (in my view) is. As I wrote in a different reply, if someone is knocking on my door trying to sell me cocain, I'd be pissed off about it.
      The difference, in this case, is that no reasonable cocaine pusher could think that cocaine benefitted you. However, the majority reasonable people have some sort of religious belief, and believe that they derive some sort of benefit from it. I can't be held responsible for not knowing your foolish prejudices.
      Come to think about it, if some salesman actually approaches me out on the town, or knocks on my door early weekend mornings I don't care if they sell soap, cocain or religion - I'd be angry about it. In the case of the overly pushy salesman I can call his company and complain. With a drug pusher I cal call the police. Where do I complain about religious people?
      It's called "prayer."
      I've found that undressing will make them leave pretty quickly.
      What's your address? I'll bring a camera. :)
      --
      "He who would learn astronomy, and other recondite arts, let him go elsewhere. " -- John Calvin, commenting on Genesis 1
    235. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Fished · · Score: 1
      I am a Christian. I believe in the teachings of Jesus. I strongly dislike evangelical, charismatic "interpretations" of those teachings.
      Hmmm... So I guess the great commission was just a momentary lapse?
      When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
      This kind of makes me wonder which teachings of Jesus you follow, if you can reject evangelistic interpretations of the Christian faith.
      --
      "He who would learn astronomy, and other recondite arts, let him go elsewhere. " -- John Calvin, commenting on Genesis 1
    236. Re:Christian propaganda...? by anothy · · Score: 0, Flamebait

      well, that might be somewhat overstating things, but yes, the U.S. does give Israel an inordinate amount of military and financial support. it's an odd dichotomy: middle america seems to be okay with Jews in Israel, but not in their town. if you'd like to come out to the town in New Jersey i grew up in, however, i can point you at clubs that won't allow Jews to join "because they control all the money" (they also won't allow Italians to join "because they're in the mob"). if you're not familiar with this (assuming you live in America), you're either very lucky or intentionally missing it.

      --

      i speak for myself and those who like what i say.
    237. Re:Christian propaganda...? by stlhawkeye · · Score: 1
      Anybody else get a little creeped out by the possibility that alot of what CS Lewis was doing with his fantasy writings was really Christian propaganda? I know this sounds terribly like a troll, but it's honestly not meant that way.

      This never bothered me. I was aware of it even as a kid (actually, I only knew it was Christian-oriented material because my fundamentalist aunt got me the books for my birthday, so I knew they had to be Jesus books somehow).

      It's hardly "propaganda", any more than Lord of the Rings is a rant against capitalism and industry. It's a story with themes of Christian mythology (or Christian theology, however you want to say it), and that's not propaganda. I haven't read any of them in at least 15 years but I don't recall any call to action in the books. It's a telling of a story that takes place in a fictional universe, whose history and mythology mirrors our own. I guess it's allegorical but ... eh.

      I also got the vague feeling that CS Lewis was out to manipulate the readers

      He'd be the first author of any written work, politically/religiously motivated or not, to do so!<sarcasm>

      --
      "I have never won a debate with an ignorant person." -Ali ibn Abi Talib
    238. Re:Christian propaganda...? by GreyWolf3000 · · Score: 1

      I don't believe for a moment that Christ wanted us to hate ourselves because we were created imperfect.

      I never said that. Genuine new creations bent upon demonstrating the teachings of Christ through action are not going to hate themselves because of who they were. Granted, the old man we left behind still comes back up now and then and it can be quite frustrating.

      Happens ALL. THE. TIME

      I guess with all the murder, slander and gossip, backstabbing, manipulation, theft, adultery, greed, ambition, and perversion it gets drowned out. All of us commit both wonderful acts of love and damnable acts of selfishness. The point is, God wants perfection, not inconsistency. Since perfection is impossible for us, the the acknowledgement of the death of His son and the implications thereof are sufficient to "get us back on track." Which is why that one decision reaps the ultimate eternal reward.

      If you think the Passion and Resurrection are what is significant about Christ, I think you're a poor student of His teachings.

      The Passion and Ressurection establish salvation. Where we go from there is following his teachings. But the love of God is shown through the cross (in addition to following the teachings), which is what my point was.

      --
      Slashdot: Where people pretend to be twice as smart as they really are by behaving like children.
    239. Re:Christian propaganda...? by GreyWolf3000 · · Score: 1
      I regret the fact that posts can be taken the wrong way, but the tone I intended was not combative. I think the damning element was italicizing "wrong." I wanted to be somewhat blunt, but not in an unfriendly way.

      I think you've overreacted.

      --
      Slashdot: Where people pretend to be twice as smart as they really are by behaving like children.
    240. Re:Christian propaganda...? by GreyWolf3000 · · Score: 1

      ... because we've got a long way to go and are condemned to however many lifetimes it takes?

      A big thing about Christianity even Christians often fail to realize is that the nature of God's relationship to man is one of ongoing reconciliation. When all we (specifically Christians) speak of is the atonement of sin, we forget that God also has had a hand in the reconciliation; a much larger one, actually. If the cross is his effort to reach out to us, then faith is ours. No amount of good works could atone for our sin because doing so would be simply ignoring his good faith offering. It would be like trying to mend your relationship with a separated spouse by buying them gifts and ignoring their acts of love.

      This is why the law failed for the Jews, they didn't see the law itself as an act of love, but a means by which they could get to God without loving him in return.

      I agree with the rest you said; I wish American churches weren't so "me centered," but the simple fact is that America is "me centered."

      --
      Slashdot: Where people pretend to be twice as smart as they really are by behaving like children.
    241. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 1

      "What exactly is your objection?"

      I'm glad you asked.

      The original poster wrote

      "Lewis was writing at a time when being a Christian was the norm."

      Which isn't true (or even valid). So I wrote

      " Elsewhere in the mid-20th Century, "being a Christian" was not the norm."

      And gave examples.

      Maybe you can explain where you pulled your crazy response from? Why you're so unnecessarily defensive, and what's got you so sensitive about the particular points you invented, from your own mind, to defend?

      --

      --
      make install -not war

    242. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Txiasaeia · · Score: 1
      "But to get back to you comment - we certainly don't need images to focus on worshipping God. If I am driving or I don't have any icons around, I surely can pray and worship God. But I also find it much easier probably to pray and focus on Christ if I have his icon in front of me instead of a bare white wall. You can look at this another way. If you are a Christian (I assume you are) you know that the human person consists of a body and a soul. So when the person is worshipping it only makes sense to fully engage a person's body and soul. The icons engage the visual senses, the incense engages the sense of smell, the hymns (songs) the auditory senses, the venerating of the icons - the tactile. Thus when I walk into an Orthodox Church I can easier focus on worship, as my whole body is worshipping not just my soul and mind. I will say again though that it is certainly possible to pray without having an icon."

      I can go along with this. Many Catholic and Protestant churches use an "icon" of the cross or crucifix, and you're right: at times it *would* be easier to pray with a visual representation sitting in front of me. About a year ago I got a tattoo of the burning bush (a visual incarnation, if you will, of God on earth, with the tattoo being an "icon" depicting this) on my left wrist precisely for this reason.

      "What the original poster wanted to say, I believe, is that the core doctrine and key practices (such as communion) has stayed unchanged since Pentacost, such as the meeting and the breaking of the bread, the common prayer, along with a certain Tradition that has been passed over the generations. The Church as the Orthodox see it is a living organism, it grows and evolves through the ages while keeping its main doctrinal beliefs. Some practices such as meeting in private homes are not necessary because there is no persecution of Christian in US and everyone can worship together at a Church if they wish, the washing of the feet is not performed today because it was just a local tradition in the East and it is not part of today's culture. At the same time such beliefs that "God is Trinity" has not changed and remained the same. Well, I hope this helps and it is not too much information all at once."

      See, this makes sense to me. I must have been confused, as I thought he was claiming that the Orthodox church is exactly the same as the early church in Acts 2. Anyway, thanks for taking the time to explain all of this to me! It's not very often that I'm able to listen to the perspectives of other Christians, Orthodox no less, on Slashdot! Thanks!

      --
      Condemnant quod non intellegunt.
    243. Re:Christian propaganda...? by stlhawkeye · · Score: 1
      If you think that an empire defending its territory against invasion is "brought about by christianity" ... you need to learn a little more history there, friend.

      No kidding. It's not like there aren't any atrocities in Christian history to cite. There are plenty. Every walk of mankind is dirtied with horrible acts committed against the rest of the species. Christianity is no exception. It's just chic to talk about the Crusades these days due to Christian tensions with Islam.

      --
      "I have never won a debate with an ignorant person." -Ali ibn Abi Talib
    244. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Moofie · · Score: 1

      You do understand that the vast majority of Christians don't have any interest whatsoever in what you do, right?

      There are some noisy ones. They annoy me too. But, again, you're tarring with a broad brush.

      --
      Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
    245. Re:Christian propaganda...? by stlhawkeye · · Score: 1
      Yes, for more dissapointment, Tolkien heavily used Christian themes throughout his stories also

      I don't understand why it's just assumed to be necessarily bad that any author incorporates Christian themes into his stories. Christian mythology is every bit as valid of a source to draw upon as any other mythology. Why is Nordic mythology cool but Christian not? Would you complain if the Babylonian creation myth appeared allegorically in fiction? No? Then why does the Christian myth upset you and seem to be a "disappointing" problem or flaw in the writing?

      And what Christian themes? Social justice? Peace? Forgiveness? Redemption?

      When most people in this crowd say "Christian themes", I always wonder what spefifically you're talking about. "Christian themes" around here seems to be synonymous with intolerance, bigotry, hatred, and brainwashing. Those are disappointing faculties of humanity. Religion is a vehicle in which those themes easily manifest. So are corporations, governments, and any other formalized organization of the flawed creature we call the human being.

      So tell me, what are these unfortunate Christian themes that have insideously wormed they way into our most cherished fiction?

      --
      "I have never won a debate with an ignorant person." -Ali ibn Abi Talib
    246. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Moofie · · Score: 1

      "Which isn't true (or even valid)."

      In his society, in his LANGUAGE, it WAS true and valid. You're having a different conversation.

      You got "crazy", I was going for "funny and irreverant". Whoops.

      --
      Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
    247. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 1

      No, I'm pointing out the problems with hidden premises, like "Europe is the world". Those hidden premises aren't just dead-end "mistakes", or hollow "jokes"; they reveal the biases of their presenters. Saying that "being Christian" is "the norm", without qualifying it by specifying the society, is a telling mistake. It's not a valid statement, in a world where diversity is a constant. Which is exactly the subject of this thread, so its omission is conspicuous. We're having "different conversations" only if the poster isn't reading their own posts, or the others that make up their context. Which is entirely possible, given all the signs of denial coming from the posters in the thread. But it's not me who needs to focus on the actual conversation, instead of hiding from it.

      --

      --
      make install -not war

    248. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      " Anybody else get a little creeped out by the possibility that alot of what CS Lewis was doing with his fantasy writings was really Christian propaganda?"

      Actually I'm more "creeped out" by the fact that the extremists who seem to hold sway in the media and politics these days have turned Christianity into something you need to feel afraid of.

    249. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Moofie · · Score: 1

      I'm NOT familiar with this, nor would I wish to be. I wouldn't have anything to do with a club like that.

      I really don't believe that reflects the majority opinion. I really do believe that institutionalized bigotry is, by and large, dead.

      --
      Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
    250. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Moofie · · Score: 1

      More like "The English-speaking world is the English-speaking world, and within it, Christianity is the norm and not the exception."

      It's silly to have to preface any conversation about literature with an extensive discussion of scope. OF COURSE Lewis wasn't talking to or about aboriginal people from the island of Yap. He was speaking, in English, about his society. He was not excluding anybody, unless you proceed from the assumption that all communication must be exhaustively tailored for any given recipient.

      I enjoy watching Hong Kong movies. I don't expect them to cater to my American sensibilities (as a matter of fact, insofar as there exist "American sensibilities", I don't much like them when they do).

      Hidden premises? What, should he have said in the introduction "Well gosh, I know I'm a Christian, and I respect your rights to believe differently, and (unfortunately) I speak English and not your language, so I apologize profusely for that, and er um I'm so sorry I'm a white guy."?

      Come on. Diversity is great. Homogeneity is boring. Any piece of literature is "exclusive" in the sense that it represents the viewpoints of one (ONE!) human being. You don't need a disclaimer to understand that...just a reasonably good brain.

      --
      Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
    251. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Moofie · · Score: 1

      I'm not reacting to your post, I'm reacting to your sig. You can tell, because that's the part I quoted.

      I'd love for you to explain how your sig could be construed as anything other than unfriendly.

      --
      Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
    252. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 1

      No, the hidden premise is that "at the time" there was only one society, a "normally Christian" one. We are discussing, in this thread, the indoctrinal effects of "Christian propaganda" in literature. Which subject acknowledges a wider context than the merely Christian. I corrected that inaccuracy (without further comment), and met with a backlash, posts making excuses for the original misstatement, inventing implicit assumptions merely tautological for those with an exclusively Christian worldview. Which is contradicted by the most immediately relevant context: this thread, and its explicit discussion of diversity. Disclaimers don't excuse oversimplifications, especially after the fact, and when they disclaim an irrelevant bias factor.

      --

      --
      make install -not war

    253. Re:Christian propaganda...? by LPetrazickis · · Score: 1

      The Crusades came into being because the Byzantine Emperor called for help against the Seljuk Turks' depredations, and he had nothing to call with except an appeal to shared Christian heritage against the Muslim invasions.

      Yes, but the Byzantine Empire had ceded Jerusalem and Damascus four hundred years before the crusades. Four-hundred-year-old claims aren't worth the perfumed courtly paper they are pain-stakingly inscribed on.

      Constantinople yelped for help because the Seljuks (who are quite different from, say, Saladin's Egypt-based Ayyubids) were threatening Anatolia, not Levant. The Crusaders, OTOH, bee-lined for Jerusalem instead. And slaughtered all of its Jewish inhabitants. Jeez.

      --
      Is this a sigs-optional kind of place? 'Cause I am totally down with that if you know what I mean.
    254. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Moofie · · Score: 1

      Actually, since the audience to whom he was speaking was largely Christian, it would be fairly silly to try to get them to believe in Jesus (since they already do).

      Now, if you want to argue that Lewis was trying to provide people with another perspective on the virtue of sacrifice, I think you'd have an excellent case. Trying to dismiss his works as "Christian propaganda" is silly, because there was nobody to propagandize to.

      "inventing implicit assumptions merely tautological for those with an exclusively Christian worldview."

      The set of English-speaking Christians was, by and large, a tautology. Them what spoke English, loved them the Jesus. Yes, there were certainly other English speakers that were not Christians, but why go to the trouble of writing a novel to proselytize to them?

      "Disclaimers don't excuse oversimplifications, especially after the fact, and when they disclaim an irrelevant bias factor."

      I understand what all those words mean, but they don't get me any closer to your point.

      --
      Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
    255. Re:Christian propaganda...? by GreyWolf3000 · · Score: 1

      Most people have reacted to it by laughing. I think the most honest answer I can give is that I'm only half serious--I believe it's true that people (including myself from time to time) often act quite immature and self important. Obviously, since I still post quite frequently, I don't think it's such a big deal that I cannot participate (that, more than anything else, would be hypocritical), I'm just making a friendly jab at the community that I spend so much time on.

      --
      Slashdot: Where people pretend to be twice as smart as they really are by behaving like children.
    256. Re:Christian propaganda...? by anothy · · Score: 0, Troll

      i'm very glad you wouldn't wish to be. i wish i could agree that institutionalized bigotry is dead, but i think it's just a little more hidden, and not very deeply.

      --

      i speak for myself and those who like what i say.
    257. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 1

      And the reasons preachers lecture Christians every Sunday is because the singing needs some comic relief, not because religion requires perpetual indoctrination to remain effective over people's behavior. We just need to hear the Truth once, and we're saved!

      --

      --
      make install -not war

    258. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Moofie · · Score: 1

      I go to church to spend time worshipping (which some people call meditating), singing, taking some quiet time to think about my life and my place in the world, and my relationship with God and my fellow man. I also talk to people, some of whom I agree with, some of whom I do not, but all of whom I can learn from.

      Yeah, that's some real scary indoctrination they've got going on there. Don't know how I muster the mental discipline to not get my brain turned into tapioca.

      --
      Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
    259. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Vintermann · · Score: 1

      Catholicism is a tiny minority in Africa. Btw, if you're poor in a state with no social security you know that many children is your best shot at having someone to take care of you when you get old.
      Of course, our pensions rely on basically the same principle, so it's too early to shake one's head at those hopeless africans.

      --
      xkcd is not in the sudoers file. This incident will be reported.
    260. Re:Christian propaganda...? by 10Ghz · · Score: 1
      Catholicism is a tiny minority in Africa.


      How about Philippines then? And even if Africa, it's quite often the missionaries that provide medical care and the like.
      --
      Lesbian Nazi Hookers Abducted by UFOs and Forced Into Weight Loss Programs - -all next week on Town Talk.
    261. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 1

      Not all indoctrination is scary. Not all is bad. Some people never consider that the "Alphabet Song" is just indoctrination in one arbitrary rhythm of remembering "the" alphabet. You're just making the common mistake of confusing the symbol with the symbolized. All too common in religions, especially these days in Christianity.

      --

      --
      make install -not war

    262. Re:Christian propaganda...? by pudge · · Score: 1

      What does raise my hackles more than other is prozelysation, though. This of ocurse includes some Christian evangelcal sects and writers

      No, all. The so-called Great Commission, the last thing Jesus said before he left the Earth, was to go out and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. A church or sect that does not believe in proselytizing is not Christian.

      Now, there are more intrusive and annoying sorts of proselytizing, perhaps that is what offends you, the manner in which it is done. But OTOH, the far left antiwar crowd is far more annoying and intrusive with their proselytizing than any Christian group in the U.S.

    263. Re:Christian propaganda...? by js7a · · Score: 0, Troll
      the far left antiwar crowd is far more annoying and intrusive with their proselytizing than any Christian group
      Why? Because they tend to expose the abject lies used to justify the deaths of 25 times as many innocent civilians as were killed on 9/11?

      Your attempt to place humanitarian ideals in opposition to your concept of Christianity exposes the true nature of your faith.

    264. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sorry to post anonymously, I never actually spend any time here. However, I thought it worth my time to clarify the intent of Lewis in his writings. If you are every willing to spend the time (and very little is required, perhaps 6-7 hours total) you should read "The Abolition of Man." In it is Lewis' philosophy of education, and some of the outworkings of ideologies into literature. The long and short of it in the Chronicles of Narnia is not as what we would call propaganda but as a story that deserves retelling as a myth (and that it deserved retelling as he did it is I think borne out by its beloved literary status). Hope that clarifies some of Lewis' apparent intent and style.

    265. Re:Christian propaganda...? by Lars+T. · · Score: 1

      Then why the hell did a lot of the killing take place in Europe, with no Muslim in sight?

      --

      Lars T.

      To the guy who modded me down from perfect to terrible Karma - Apple haters still suck

  9. Turkish Delight Isn't All That Good (with recipe) by licamell · · Score: 5, Informative

    I remembered being in grade school and watching the movie and craving to try Turkish Delight. Well we had a "party" one time in class and one of the teachers brought it in. It was disgusting! So much for childhood dreams... As you can see, it's mainly just water, sugar and corn starch (corn flour).

    Anyways, here's a link to the recipe for those that are interested.

    Ingredients:
    1lt (1¾ Pints) Water
    900g (2lb) Sugar
    285g (10oz) Corn Flour
    225g (8oz) Icing Sugar
    1½ tbsp Rosewater
    2 tsp Lemon Juice
    Red Food Colouring (optional)

  10. Re:Nerd/tech/science? by stealth.c · · Score: 4, Insightful

    [some] Nerds like Tolkien. Tolkien and Lewis were part of the same gang of lit nerds in Oxford. Therefore Lewis is [somewhat] similar to Tolkien. Therefore Lewis has [some] nerd interest.

    Anyway, it's a news item about a new fantasy flick. I think that's nerdular enough. I was glad to see the article.

  11. Mac? by Tharkban · · Score: 3, Informative

    We're sorry, this feature is not yet available for Macintosh.

    You'd think they could figure out it's a linux box not a mac. I guess they just assume since it's not windows it must be a mac.

    I'm also sick and tired of browsing through javascript trying to figure out exactly what the link to the actual file is that doesn't plugin correctly. Mplayer deals with the file fine, but the page won't tell me what the URL of the stream is.

    Anyone have a torrent up?

    --
    Tharkban (It is a signature after all)
    1. Re:Mac? by PbF00T · · Score: 1

      You talking about the video trailer? Worked just dandy on my mac.

    2. Re:Mac? by LNN · · Score: 1

      I'm also sick and tired of browsing through javascript trying to figure out exactly what the link to the actual file is that doesn't plugin correctly. Mplayer deals with the file fine, but the page won't tell me what the URL of the stream is.

      I'm suspecting that's why the poster put a direct link to the file in the summary, but I could be wrong..

    3. Re:Mac? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No problems with my Macs either. Even on the older box I've got still running 10.2

      Snag the direct file and you should have no problems.

    4. Re:Mac? by h4rm0ny · · Score: 1


      I was fine downloading it from the direct link - this is what I like to see in my /. summaries.

      But I noticed that the Harry Potter trailer is out and I can't get that one on my linux box. I can download the .mov file but this is just a bootstrap of somesort. Some of them have the actual .mov file in them as a URL and you can get this out with a Hex editor. The Harry Potter one doesn't though. Anyone know how to get the actual trailer, please?

      --

      Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera - Jeanne D'Arc.
    5. Re:Mac? by knothead99 · · Score: 1

      Get mplayerplug-in. It handles embedded movies quite nicely.

      http://mplayerplug-in.sourceforge.net/

    6. Re:Mac? by cyxxon · · Score: 1

      Hevn't tried it with Harry Potter, so just guesswork, but with the Serenity Trailer, I found that the Fullscreen version at Apple's website (that redirects you to a "I have iTunes / I do not have iTunes" page) can somehow be intercepted (don't know exactly, check the sources of the links) to give you an .xml file (not hidden, really ends in .xml). That one clearly contains the link to the real .mov file.

    7. Re:Mac? by Josh+Triplett · · Score: 1
      But I noticed that the Harry Potter trailer is out and I can't get that one on my linux box. I can download the .mov file but this is just a bootstrap of somesort. Some of them have the actual .mov file in them as a URL and you can get this out with a Hex editor. The Harry Potter one doesn't though. Anyone know how to get the actual trailer, please?

      It's a relative reference. You found http://movies.apple.com/movies/wb/harry_potter_gob let/hp_gobletoffire-ref.mov. Download that file. Run "strings hp_gobletoffire-ref.mov" and look at the result:

      [...]
      url
      )hp_gobletoffire_m240.mov
      [...]
      url
      )hp_gobletoffire_m240.mov
      [...]
      url
      )hp_goblet offire_m320.mov
      [...]
      url
      )hp_gobletoffire_m320 .mov
      [...]
      url
      )hp_gobletoffire_m480.mov
      [...]
      url
      )hp_gobletoffire_m480.mov
      [...]

      So grab one of those files from the same URL base: http://movies.apple.com/movies/wb/harry_potter_gob let/hp_gobletoffire_m480.mov

      You could also try mplayerplug-in, which can figure out the reference; personally, I don't like having videos playing embedded in my browser, so I always just dig out the URL and download them.

      Unfortunately, the audio codec in all three is Quicktime audio (QDM2) rather than AAC or MP3, so mplayer and other players can't play it without binary-only codecs. The Narnia trailer, on the other hand, uses MP3.

    8. Re:Mac? by sloanster · · Score: 1

      You're running linux and the trailer didn't play for you? I'd be curious to know what distro, what browser etc you are using - FWIW it played fine for me (suse 9.3, mozilla+mplayerplug-in)

    9. Re:Mac? by SkinnyPapa · · Score: 1

      Try this (save as...)
      I used this direct link generator for Apple Quicktime trailers.

    10. Re:Mac? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm also sick and tired of browsing through javascript trying to figure out exactly what the link to the actual file is that doesn't plugin correctly. Mplayer deals with the file fine, but the page won't tell me what the URL of the stream is.

      Download the mplayer plugin and create the file ~/.mplayer/mplayerplug-in.conf. Place these lines in it:

      dload-dir=$HOME/tmp
      keep-download=1
      enable-real=1

      Whenever you play a media file that mplayer understands, it will also save the strem to ~/tmp/. However, be careful, because if you already have a file with that name in the directory, it will append to it. Thus if you click the same link twice, you will get a file twice the size (and all messed up since there will the end of a stream and beginning of another halfway thorugh the file).

    11. Re:Mac? by Tharkban · · Score: 1

      I'm not using mplayerplug-in I don't like embedded movies much. Browser is firefox. Distro is FC3. Additionally, my network was having problems and the first sign of it, was that I couldn't connect to the direct link...I downloaded it just fine, and very quickly to a computer at school. Now I just have to go to school so I can watch it. :P

      But I'm still annoyed that it takes so much work to track down a real URL to an embedded movie. And that was my main point. It shouldn't be so difficult. In a perfect world it would be easy to get my web browser to tell me what the direct link is. Obviously, this isn't always possible since you can have redirects directly in .mov files and so forth. However, it should me much easier than learning javascript by reverse engineering web pages.

      Perhaps I should go put in a feature request at Firefox. Of course, all the die hards will tell me to implement it myself. :) That is after all what F/OSS is all about.

      --
      Tharkban (It is a signature after all)
    12. Re:Mac? by h4rm0ny · · Score: 1


      Doh! I've successfully done what you describe with many other trailers, but only where the reference .mov file was embedded in the actual page. With the Harry Potter one, the embedded file is http://movies.apple.com/movies/qt_posters/qtstart5 a_480x228.mov which is useless. I thought it was some sort of dynamic loader for the movie and didn't notice other links. Teach me not to look in the source code! Mod me down -5 dumb.

      Many thanks to all three of you replying people.

      -H.

      --

      Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera - Jeanne D'Arc.
    13. Re:Mac? by scruffyMark · · Score: 1

      Funny, because it's a Quicktime .mov. Quicktime being an Apple product and all...

      --

      What is the robbing of a bank, compared to the founding of a bank? -- Bertolt Brecht

    14. Re:Mac? by eclectro · · Score: 1

      I'm a linux noob, so I do not know if this is what you are referring to. You can right click the link and use "save link as" to get the actual file.

      --
      Take the cheese to sickbay, the doctor should see it as soon as possible - B'Elanna Torres, "Learning Curve"
  12. Re:Nerd/tech/science? by slo_learner · · Score: 0, Troll

    CS Lewis was a science fiction writer as well. Among other things he foretold the geo-stationary satellite.

    If you can't be bothered to read the books, at least google first.

  13. Re:Nerd/tech/science? by BoneThugND · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    As if you haven't read this book 6 times, nerd.

  14. Re:Nerd/tech/science? by garethw · · Score: 3, Informative

    Mods: How on earth can a question be "informative"?

    --
    garethw
  15. Re:Nerd/tech/science? by A.K.A_Magnet · · Score: 1

    Yeah and the battle scenes of the trailer remind me of LotR movies. It's really inspired...

    Hope they don't make it as bad an adaptation the LotR movies were. Even if I don't particulary enjoy Disney/kids movies, when there is really nothing to watch [and/or when I'm really stoned ;)], it's actually OK.

  16. More reading: by stealth.c · · Score: 4, Informative

    Fans of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia should also look for the work of the other authors that were in the same writing group at Oxford with those two. My favorite is G.K. Chesterton, but there is also Charles Williams and Dorothy Sayers.

    1. Re:More reading: by MythMoth · · Score: 1

      Dorothy Leigh Sayers was not one of the inklings, or in any other way that I'm aware of a part of the "same writing group", except in so far as she was a contemporary of theirs at Oxford. I believe she exchanged letters with Chesterton later in life.

      That said, I think she was also a better writer than any of them (save Charles Williams whose works I've not read). "The Nine Taylors" is sublime.

      Dave.

      --
      --- These are not words: wierd, genious, rediculous
    2. Re:More reading: by Poeir · · Score: 1

      There's a great little book I have called Tales Before Tolkien. Most of it is even public domain, so you can dig it up through Gutenberg.

      --
      Sigs are like bumper stickers.
    3. Re:More reading: by stealth.c · · Score: 1

      Right. I should have been more specific. She came a little later and wasn't necessarily "in," but I figured I ought to mention her because she is sometimes included with those others in that set of authors.

      As for Chuck Williams, I read his War in Heaven book and thought it was OK. He and his work obviously have far less appeal than the Big Three (Chesterton, Lewis and Tolkien).

    4. Re:More reading: by LarsWestergren · · Score: 2, Interesting

      A popular modern fantasy series primarily directed at children but with appeal for adults as well is Philip Pullmans His Dark Materials.

      Surprisingly negative portrayal of organised religion, especially Catholisism, in the third book, and I say this despite being an atheist. Still, a breath of fresh air from the religious stuff in Lewis work.

      --

      Being bitter is drinking poison and hoping someone else will die

  17. Re:Nerd/tech/science? by MythMoth · · Score: 4, Insightful

    No, that was Arthur C. Clarke, you idiot.

    C.S.Lewis did write some "science fiction", but it was horribly inaccurate in all sorts of details, and like most of his writings it was a religious tract dressed up as a story.

    Now that worked brilliantly with the Narnia stories, but in his science fiction (That Hideous Strength) it did not.

    Incidentally, while I'm not even remotely religious, I think that his best writing was The Screwtape Letters. They're entertaining and they show his deep understanding of human nature.

    --
    --- These are not words: wierd, genious, rediculous
  18. Re:Nerd/tech/science? by jskiff · · Score: 2, Informative

    I thought it was Arthur C. Clark who had the idea for geo-stationary satellites...hence the "Clark Belt."

    --
    It's "no one," not "noone." Who the hell is noone anyway?
  19. Re:Turkish Delight Isn't All That Good (with recip by DarkSarin · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Traditionally (AFAIK), Turkish Delight comes with both red and green shapes (frequently just squares). I kinda like it, but it's an older candy froma a time when not everything had corn syrup in it.

    --
    "We don't know what we are doing, but we are doing it very carefully,..." Wherry, R.J. Personnel Psychology (1995)
  20. happy happy.....joy joy..... by WindowLicker916 · · Score: 1

    I can't even describe how happy I am to see these books come to screen. I absolutly loved the cartoon movie version as a kid and loved the books. I had actually just recently given the books to my girlfriends nephew. I'm sure the fact that there is going to be a movie about what he is reading will encourage him to read the books even more. :) :)

    1. Re:happy happy.....joy joy..... by TheGavster · · Score: 1

      Live-action versions of the first few books were made for television in the late 80's. I watched them on video from the local library, and found them pretty decent.

      --
      "Because Science" is one step from "Because old book". Try "Because of my experiment testing my falsifiable assertion".
    2. Re:happy happy.....joy joy..... by WindowLicker916 · · Score: 1

      Yea I watched those also, but was never too impressed by them.

  21. Re:Yeah! by fa2k · · Score: 2, Funny

    They called my browser "insufficient" :(

  22. Re:Turkish Delight Isn't All That Good (with recip by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yes, indeed, Turkish Delight is disgusting to most people.

    I've wondered if Turkish Delight was used in the story in reference to the unChristian and amoral Ottoman Empire?

  23. Re:Turkish Delight Isn't All That Good (with recip by Neophytus · · Score: 1

    What's the difference between proper turkish delight, which is nice but not great, and the rather tasty fry's turkish delight (package)?

  24. Re:Nerd/tech/science? by anakin876 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    true, the trilogy of "science fiction" novel he wrote should really be referred to as fantasy - probably something like "theological fantasy" at that. Just because it involves other planets, does not mean it has to be called SciFi - but people do that anyways.

  25. Taco likes his Turkish Delight rough... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    methinks. Not quite sure if he's aware what turkish delight really entails these days. Here's a hint: nothing is sugar coated.

  26. Re:Nerd/tech/science? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    Mods: How on earth can a question be "informative"?


    Too bad your question can't be modded "funny" without losing its "informative" mod...

  27. Re:Turkish Delight Isn't All That Good (with recip by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Traditional Turkish Delight isn't all that great, but there is a company that makes a modern/Americanized version that has actual fruit it in. Very good stuff, my favorite candy.

    http://www.libertyorchards.com/newfd.asp

  28. You know, it's not like he *hid* that fact... by cfalcon · · Score: 5, Insightful

    That's like complaining that the Fountainhead seems to promote individualism, or 1984 seems down on totalitarianism, or that Mein Kampf seems a touch racist. It's the goal of the author, and it's not hidden.

    He's not out to "manipulate", he's out to convert, and then to improve the behavior of the converted. That might be the same thing as manipulation in the books of many folks, and I can definitely see how you wouldn't want that out of a fantasy series...

    But honestly, CS Lewis pretty much wrote Christian propaganda, books on why he's not an atheist, etc...

    It's just like complaining that when you went walking in the rain you got wet, is all.

    1. Re:You know, it's not like he *hid* that fact... by h4rm0ny · · Score: 1


      Neither Mein Kampf nor 1984 were written for young children.

      That said, I do not feel the Chronicles of Narnia are effective propaganda because the enjoyment of the story does not (IMHO) do anything to encourage you to believe in the source material (Xtianity).

      --

      Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera - Jeanne D'Arc.
    2. Re:You know, it's not like he *hid* that fact... by iabervon · · Score: 4, Insightful

      He's not really trying to convert anyone. The books are written with the assumption that the reader is already Christian of some sort. He is trying almost exclusively to improve the behavior of Christians. For that matter, the last book features fundamentalist Christians destroying the world, and nice pagans going to heaven.

      In fact, someone reading the CoN without a Christian upbringing is unlikely to identify the Christian elements in it without having them pointed out, and is certainly unlikely to find any relationship between the events of the book and modern Christian practice. The message is really that you should have a particular morality, whatever your articles of faith happen to be. The Christian elements serve primarily to make this message more persuasive to Christian readers. It's actually more like complaining that The Fountainhead seems to promote architects than individualism.

    3. Re:You know, it's not like he *hid* that fact... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      A quick note: Lewis was originally an athiest. Who converted him? Tolkien.

    4. Re:You know, it's not like he *hid* that fact... by fordgj · · Score: 1
      I am exactly one of those children. I was not raised in a christian family, or with any other religion. I also read the entire series and enjoyed it very much. I remember having a certain affinity to some of the principles that underly the story and that can be attributed to my upbringing in western, judeo-christian society.

      The way I read it is this: everyone will take from the story the message they want to take, their interpretation will be founded upon their perspective.

      For me this meant these were just characters who displayed characteristics that I identified as right and wrong because that's what my parents and society taught me, not the bible.

    5. Re:You know, it's not like he *hid* that fact... by lysergic.acid · · Score: 1

      While I agree that almost all writing can be considered persuasive to some extent, some do it much more surreptitiously than others. I haven't read The Foutainhead, but Atlas Shrugged in my opinion was very propaganda-like. While Ayn Rand is an excellent storyteller, and seeing as she had escaped from Communist Russia it's understandable that she might be very anti-communist and pro-capitalism, but the way she sets-out to build a universe to demonize socialists and glamorize her enterprising entrepeneurs really makes you question the ethics behind her writing, and indeed behind objectivism itself.

      In regards to The Chronicles of Narnia, the fact that CS Lewis wrote these stories for Children, and then embedded religious symbolism in the magical/fantastic allure of the series makes me question his personal ethics as well. As a Christian, he may have thought that promoting these positive values by any means was justifiable, but that doesn't change the fact that he was essentially baiting kids with his stories, and secretly inculcating their minds with a set of ideological beliefs.

      I'm sure a lot of Christians would disagree with me, but just as they see church revivals, and retreats as harmless worship, I see many characteristics of indoctrination in these practices.

    6. Re:You know, it's not like he *hid* that fact... by burdalane · · Score: 1

      I enjoyed the Chronicles of Narnia, but I didn't make the connection with Christianity, either. I'm a non-religious person raised by a non-religious family. I read the Chronicles of Narnia when I was attending a Catholic school and taking religion classes which were required by the school.

    7. Re:You know, it's not like he *hid* that fact... by Doctor_Jest · · Score: 1

      No, as a Christian, the Chronicles of Narnia can be seen as a beloved allegory of our most cherished Christian tenets. (throughout the series, I mean.) Lest we forget, C.S. Lewis was an atheist for quite a while before coming a Christian. He wrote a story that had a definite good and evil portion, like most stories geared for children. They are fun reads, and are meant to be simple in character and plot development. The universe Lewis builds is like a world you might envision at age 9. Good guys wore white, bad guys wore black and you could always tell the difference. That's not a bad thing for a child. These books no more indoctrinate a person than Alice in Wonderland indoctrinates children to take drugs.

      These books, like Jesus' parables, are to those who do not believe, just stories. Fantasy stories with talking animals and evil monsters, not unlike a simple fairy tale of good vs. evil. They can "see but not understand." if you will. The deeper meaning is lost on them because they are either unwilling, or not ready to understand.

      There's no indoctrination in those stories, just like Jesus' stories contained no indoctrination. They were veiled so that only those who were willing to believe could understand the deeper meaning of the parables. C.S. Lewis is not in charge of "brainwashing" youth any more than any other author who writes for children. Even his books on doctrine do not force anyone to see his point of view. He's an excellent apologist, who reasons quite well. One may not agree with his conclusions, but no one can argue that Lewis didn't think his beliefs through. He didn't become a Christian on a whim.

      You can read the entire series and not come away with one iota of newfound faith in God or belief in Christianity. I mean, say you don't know the story of Christ, and you read The Wardrobe? Are you going to immediately think of Jesus after you're done?

      You might possibly have a better understanding of your own faith in whatever religion you practice, if any at all, after finishing the books. And even an atheist might come away with a better appreciation of forgiveness, truthfulness, and treating his fellow man with dignity. But to say these books are some tool used in cult-like "Christian recruiting" misses both the spirit of the books, and the true nature of Christianity.

      Indoctrination is such a negative word to use when describing the Great Commission. As a Christian, it is not our jobs to brainwash, but to tell the truth of the gospel to everyone. It's not our place to force it on anyone through sleep deprivation, starvation, or whatever. Non-Christians will agree that the true spirit of Christianity is not always manifested in the methods of its followers. Just as the true spirit of Islam is not manifested in the actions of Osama Bin Laden. If we can agree on that, we will all live a lot happier. Forced conversion is a purely man-made notion. Jesus never told any of his disciples to "put to the sword" those who do not believe. The time for the final judgment comes later (if you believe in that sort of thing.)

      If nothing else, you can just take the stories as they are. Fantasy works of fiction with no deeper meaning than a little light reading about magic, wardrobes, fantastic creatures and adventure with a happy ending.

      But I ramble.... The trailer looks like it will follow the books quite well.. And unless someone gets really fancy with editorializing the original text, we are in for a good time at the theater. There's nothing sinister in these books. There's plenty of sinister things in this world, and we should not try to make everything so evil....

      --
      It's the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man.
    8. Re:You know, it's not like he *hid* that fact... by issachar · · Score: 1
      So Children's books should be value free? We should only feed them literary pablum?

      --
      . --- If you're looking for free e-mail you won't find it here! http://www.noemailhere.com
    9. Re:You know, it's not like he *hid* that fact... by t_ban · · Score: 1

      In fact, someone reading the CoN without a
      Christian upbringing is unlikely to identify the
      Christian elements in it without having them
      pointed out


      not true. i am hindu, and it became very clear to me about two books into the series that it was about christianity. you underestimate the extent to which european imperialism made the basics of christianity well known all over the world. many, many more non-christians know the elements of christianity than, say, non-hindus about hinduism or non-muslims about islam. english literature (or at least the language) is taught in all erstwhile british colonies, and one can't avoid reading up on the bible and st.augustine and calvin etc., if one has to make any sense of the material. i'm yet to find out a place where they are equally well up on hindu scriptures.

      --
      First they ignore you. Then they laugh at you. Then they fight you. Then you win. -Gandhi
    10. Re:You know, it's not like he *hid* that fact... by h4rm0ny · · Score: 1


      So Children's books should be value free? We should only feed them literary pablum?

      The parent said that no-one complained about Mein Kampf or 1984 promoting particular values. If Mein Kamph had been a children's fairy tale with thinly disguised allegories of "evil Jews" and the joys of Fascism, then yes, I think you would probably have a stronger objection to people peddling it to your offspring. I don't think you could have a good story that wasn't value laden, but that wasn't the point I was making. The point I was making is that using Mein Kampf as a comparison to The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is dubious.

      Anyhow, the whole argument is fallacious as (a) people do complain about Mein Kampf - it's nasty - and (b) it's a variant on this is bad so something else bad is okay. False logic.

      Anyway, I get pissed off with people who don't read my posts properly. I was highlighting a flaw in the logic, not criticising C. S. Lewis.

      --

      Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera - Jeanne D'Arc.
    11. Re:You know, it's not like he *hid* that fact... by iabervon · · Score: 1

      You realized it at some point after the first book? I thought that only the first book was particularly obvious, and anyone who didn't pick up on the resurrection bit wasn't going to notice later.

      I'd actually claim that native non-christians in british colonies get a christian upbringing; it's not about being christian, but about having a curriculum set by christians. Conversely, in much of the US, people are expected to be taught about christianity outside of school, and school is expected to be secular, so the literature chosen doesn't depend all that much on christian elements. And, of course, the christians often skip bible school, and, as a result, you probably know more about christianity than most american christians.

    12. Re:You know, it's not like he *hid* that fact... by issachar · · Score: 1

      sorry man. I misunderstood you.

      --
      . --- If you're looking for free e-mail you won't find it here! http://www.noemailhere.com
    13. Re:You know, it's not like he *hid* that fact... by h4rm0ny · · Score: 1


      No worries. This is /. after all. ;)

      --

      Aide-toi, le Ciel t'aidera - Jeanne D'Arc.
  29. Re:Nerd/tech/science? by slo_learner · · Score: 1

    You're right. My bad. Always got those two names mixed up for some reason.

    I figured I should take my own advice and found my mistake almost as soon as you could point it out.

    Thanks for pointing out my idiocy, but in my defense it is really closer to haste and hypocrisy.

  30. Re:Turkish Delight Isn't All That Good (with recip by hairykrishna · · Score: 1

    You should eat it with very strong coffee. I love it.

    --
    "Physics is to math as sex is to masturbation." -R. Feynman
  31. Re:Nerd/tech/science? by Bulk+Tape+Eraser · · Score: 1

    You'd be amazed at the amount of anti-science drivel and neo-pagan mystic drivel that sneaks in the back door of the 'science fiction bookstore' these days.

    Or maybe you wouldn't.

  32. G.K. Chesterton by qbzzt · · Score: 2, Informative

    Hi,

    My favorite is G.K. Chesterton,

    I agree. I may disagree with a lot of what he said (he was a staunch Catholic, I'm not even Christian), but he was one sharp writer. For people who don't want to spend money before having a chance to review his work, click here.

    Bye,
    Ori

    --
    -- Support a free market in the field of government
  33. could be good by Karth · · Score: 1

    could be very bad. I hope the trailer is not scenes from the actual movie, because quite honestly, the overly done wardrobe scene turned my stomach.

    1. Re:could be good by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What overly done wardrobe scene?

      I saw a small clip where a small child pulled off a cloth then opened the door.

      What exactly do you want to happen? At som point the cloth has to be removed and the door opened....

    2. Re:could be good by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah, that was the part of the trailer that got me worried about this movie.

      It's been a while, but I remember the wardrobe being described as just another piece of furniture in a room full of furniture. It also looked like an ordinary wardrobe when you opened it.

      The complete lack of subtlety demonstrated in the trailer is more than a little disturbing.

    3. Re:could be good by eluusive · · Score: 2, Informative

      I was noticing that too. The book actually describes lucy as curiously looking into it, and then having to hide in it when she hears the person who is IT coming into the room.

    4. Re:could be good by Karth · · Score: 1

      No, it doesn't. There was no cloth in the book, and they didn't have to turn it into some overly dramatic moment. When she feels the trees on her back from inside the wardrobe, and finds snow at her feet? yes. That could be dramatic. If this is a scene from the movie, I won't watch it. It'll be so much cheese.

    5. Re:could be good by Karth · · Score: 1

      That's exactly what I'm talking about. It isn't a room full of furniture that I recall, but, it's not covered, it's not unusual looking inside, and it's not special in any way.

      You can go in and find the back... and sometimes you can go in and find Narnia. I'm hoping that these are just trailer scenes, not the actual scenes from the movie.

    6. Re:could be good by Sairret · · Score: 1

      You sir, are a whiner.

      Honestly, one minor detail might be slightly different, and you're declaring now that its going to be crap? Bravo, you must be a fanboy. One that can see the future.

    7. Re:could be good by Karth · · Score: 1

      Did you notice that the topic was Could be good? I'm not saying it's going to suck from one trailer. I'm saying that if they overly hype the drama, they're going to take an experience that held it's own drama, and make it suck.

      I'm hoping that the trailer is cinematically different from how the movie will be, so that perhaps the movie will let the story carry itself.

  34. Sigh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This already looks like another movie that is *somewhat related but not nearly a cinima incarnation*. Doesn't it start with the birth of Narnia? Why is the light coming out of the *doorway* looking cofin in there with a freaking narnian apple tree on it? Wasn't the key idea that they walked into that world by fault?

    1. Re:Sigh by aePrime · · Score: 1

      The Lion, the Witch, and the Warddrobe does not start with the birth of Narnia. It already exists at that point. I believe that TLWW was originally the series first book, but then Lewis went back and wrote the Magician's Nephew, in which he describes the birth of Narnia.

    2. Re:Sigh by tricops · · Score: 1

      It's been so long since I've read it, but one of the later books describes how the cabinet/closet came about. It was actually made from the wood of the tree - at least an extension of the tree. Someone? brought back an apple from the tree to save his sick mother, and a tree grew from the seed of said apple, which was made into the cabinet after the tree died, etc.

      --
      (\(\
      (^v^)
      (")")
      This is the cute vorpal bunny virus, copy to your sig or runaway, runaway in fear!
    3. Re:Sigh by DanthemaninVA1 · · Score: 1

      Diggory brought back an apple from Narnia's version of Eden to save his dying mother. He planted the apple's core in his backyard, where it grew into a tree, and was blown over in a storm. Diggory loved the tree so much that he didn't want to just drag it out and throw it away, so he had it made into a wardrobe.

    4. Re:Sigh by Aadomm · · Score: 1

      And Diggory in 'The Magicians Nephew' is of course the same person as the professor in 'The Lion the Witch and the Warddrobe' although seperated by a few decades. Which explains the presence of the warddrobe in his house.

      --
      Mention the Lord of the Rings one more time and I'll more than likely kill you.
    5. Re:Sigh by Aadomm · · Score: 1

      And i can't spell wardrobe.

      --
      Mention the Lord of the Rings one more time and I'll more than likely kill you.
    6. Re:Sigh by overunderunderdone · · Score: 1

      "Doesn't it start with the birth of Narnia? "

      No. You're thinking of "The Magician's Nephew" which was published after "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe" but comes first in the fictional chronology. Recently the publisher has switched the books around to put them in chronological order rather than the order in which they were written.

      I think this is a big mistake. "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe" really is the first book in the series. It introduces Narnia and the central characters for the first time to the reader. 'The Magician's Nephew" is a prequel that explains things that were introduced in TLTWATW... putting it first robs the books of a lot of their magic. A lot of the charm is the little unexplained slightly surreal elements... the wardrobe itself as a portal to another world... an urban streetlamp in the middle of a forest... the elderly Uncle who fully believes the children's stories and seems to know more than he lets on, etc. Explaining all the loose ends and mysterious elements is OK but to START with the explanation? That sucks the magic right out of it.

      Those elements didn't start with the logical explanation. C.S. Lewis has said he started his stories with just the mysterious visual elements

    7. Re:Sigh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "putting it first robs the books of a lot of their magic"

      Amen, brother. I've always thought this was a bonehead move.

  35. Film/Book Order by oboylet · · Score: 3, Insightful
    CS Lewis sort of jumped around in the timeline. Some of the books are prequels to others. Wikipedia has a comparison of the published order versus the story's chronology.

    If Disney ends up filming each of the Chronicles, how do they manage to continuity? The characters are going to grow up and the boys' voices will predicibly change before they can film the prequels. Or are they going to hire different actors, breaking continuity.

    I imagine it was a business decision. Everyone's heard of "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe" but "The Magician's Nephew" might not be as well known.

    Overall, I'd say the trailer shows promise, though.

    1. Re:Film/Book Order by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It books that involve the characters in the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe were all written in chronological order. The Magician's Nephew take place before them, but doesn't include any of the same characters. So this shouldn't be any problem.

    2. Re:Film/Book Order by issachar · · Score: 1

      Well The Magician's Nephew is easy because it features different characters than The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Jardis and the white witch are the same person, but she's an adult.

      --
      . --- If you're looking for free e-mail you won't find it here! http://www.noemailhere.com
    3. Re:Film/Book Order by wcb4 · · Score: 1

      The continuity should not be a problem really. Yes, the boys voices will change, but the only ones that will really be a problem is Eustace and Jill who would likely have grown quite a bit between "Silver Chair" and Final battle. Peter should be older in "Prince Caspian", and then Susan does not return (he is supposed to be older in fnal battle, so it will not be an issue) then Edmund and Lucy will be in Caspian and Dawn treader with Eustace), but they are to old to come back for silver chair, so Eustace and Jill make their appearance. All is well until then. They would just have to gamble that magician's nephew and boy and his horse will do well enough and film final battle then, sacrifice continuity by having Eustace and Jill be a bit older than they should be in the final movie.

      --
      I reject your reality ... and substitute my own.
    4. Re:Film/Book Order by ZaMoose · · Score: 1

      I recall reading somewhere that they had optioned all the books except "A Horse and His Boy", as it doesn't fit in with the whole Pevensies' storyline.

      --
      I wish I had a kryptonite cross, because then you could keep Dracula and Superman away.
    5. Re:Film/Book Order by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I remember that one being incredily dull anyway. It didn't seem to be about Narnia at all.

    6. Re:Film/Book Order by silicon+not+in+the+v · · Score: 1

      The ages of the kids as actors should not be that big an issue to filming because the main characters rotate somewhat through the series as Aslan indicates that certain of them will not be coming back again. Here are the main characters in each of the books:

      Lion Witch Wardrobe
      -Peter, Susan, Edmund, Lucy

      Prince Caspian
      -Peter, Susan, Edmund, Lucy

      Voyage of the Dawn Treader
      -Edmund, Lucy, and Eustace Scrubb(cousin)

      Silver Chair
      -Eustace, Jill Pole

      Last Battle
      -Eustace, Jill

      Those are the stories in the main chronology. There are two flashback books--Magician's nephew and Horse and His Boy. Magician's nephew takes place way before any of the others, so the characters(Digory and Polly) do not have to be represented as children again.

      For Horse and His Boy, it does have Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy in it as minor characters as it takes place in a time period contained within Lion Witch and the Wardrobe. In the IMDB listing for the LWW, they have already indicated that they have separate adult actors playing the four main characters during that time period where they have ruled in Narnia for years and years before returning home through the wardrobe.

      --
      We may experience some slight turbulence and then...explode. -Capt. Mal Reynolds
    7. Re:Film/Book Order by Narcil · · Score: 1

      As far as the actors are concerned, the prequals don't come into play. The only two real prequals in the Narnia series, a "The Magicians Nephew," and "The Horse and His Boy," don't involve any of the human children characters from any of the other books.

  36. Re:Christian propaganda...? DUH!... and DAMN! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There was a whole horde of xtian propagandists out there at the time... the most eloquent was Lewis's personal inspiration George Macdonald. Try his book Lilith... blows ANYTHING Lewis wrote clean outa the water... and Lewis would have agreed. But just as much a xtian morality play.

    But hey, the Lewic christian propoganda clique wrote alot better crap than the Hubbard scientology clique. So... as much as I hate the ilk of Christianity and their creepy followers... they could write a good story.

    the only real problem with that is simply that in writing stories of christian inspiration, the enemies become other religions, and that is a loss because you lose the more advanced morality that was contained in pre-christian religions.

    So, in the end... while it isn't a bad thing.. as it offers a greater imaginal content then groups such as the scientology clique, it is a mediocre thing as it is based within the christian ethos which was a grand sophmorizing and reduction of the complex religious that has not existed since the time of the roman syncretiscism.

    Now damn, I wish I had downloaded this before it was SLASHDOTTED!. Dammit.

  37. Fry's Turkish Delight by Dogtanian · · Score: 1

    Fry's Turkish Delight has a fairly thin layer of chocolate on it, which IMHO improves it quite a lot without being overpowering.

    Fry's are owned by Cadbury's; they also do one under the Cadbury name, but that's more like Turkish Delight-filled chocolate, and not so good IMHO.

    --
    "Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
  38. What the heck ? by loekf · · Score: 4, Informative

    Quicktime 6.5.1 for Windows says: couldn't open the file, because the filename was bad. Well... appearently Apple programmer's just can't handle files as: chroniclesofnarniathelionthewitchandthewardrobethe _trlr_01_high_dl.mov Yikes... bad sense at humor at AOL ! Of course changing the file name to a.mov does not the trick.

    1. Re:What the heck ? by antdude · · Score: 2, Informative

      Same problem in Media Player Classic from QuickTime Alternative when playing a local file. I renamed to a shorter filename with your long filename tip, and now it works. :I

      --
      Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
    2. Re:What the heck ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Workin' fine for me embedded in FireFox. Maybe FireFox mangles the name up or something.

    3. Re:What the heck ? by Admiral+Ackbar+8 · · Score: 1

      This just means the name is too long. Rename it with a shorter filename that still ends ".mov" and it will work fine.

    4. Re:What the heck ? by antdude · · Score: 1

      I used GetRight to download it.

      --
      Ant(Dude) @ Quality Foraged Links (AQFL.net) & The Ant Farm (antfarm.ma.cx / antfarm.home.dhs.org).
    5. Re:What the heck ? by strider44 · · Score: 1

      I must admit I had a little laugh at that since it works fine in Xine for Linux (and I'd assume it'd work fine in Macs as well). It is only 71 characters after all, what is the longest filename length supported in Windows?

  39. Re:Nerd/tech/science? by MythMoth · · Score: 1

    ...the trilogy of "science fiction" novel he wrote should really be referred to as fantasy...

    Since one of the characters of the story was Merlin, I don't think I could plausibly deny you that point.

    But still, it irritates me that as a man of letters at Oxford, Lewis had access to some of the most brilliant physicists of his day, yet clearly didn't bother to consult any of them about the basic science of the non-fantasy aspects of his trilogy.

    --
    --- These are not words: wierd, genious, rediculous
  40. Chesterton wasn't at Oxford by panurge · · Score: 4, Interesting
    and was of a completely different style from Lewis. (He was also embarrassingly anti-semitic as was his friend Hilaire Belloc.)

    Dorothy L Sayers shouldn't be mentioned in the same paragraph. When she was advised that a character in one of her books could be taken as anti-Semitic, she promptly started to write in positive but not over-signalled Jewish characters.

    I mention this because one thing that does stand out about the writings of CSL is that, like Sayers, he was a Christian but not a fundamentalist bigot - he was too well educated, well connected and well read for that. In his adult science fiction he started to play with the idea that Christianity was a partial revelation, and that the battle between good and evil was going on in other civilisations elsewhere in the universe. It's a pity he got over mystical and started to bring in the Arthurian legends, because there is stuff in That Hideous Strength which to my mind spoils the book. But I guess no-one will make a film of it anyway, because it is anti-corporatist, anti-Statist and proposes that a small group of activists can and should employ rather violent means to defeat a technocratic dictatorship. In fact, if the Department of Homeland Security is reading this, you might want to investigate who has been reading That Hideous Strength. They might be potential terrorists.

    --
    Panurge has posted for the last time. Thanks for the positive moderations.
    1. Re:Chesterton wasn't at Oxford by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      "In fact, if the Department of Homeland Security is reading this, you might want to investigate who has been reading That Hideous Strength. They might be potential terrorists."

      phhfft... Homeland Security... junior leaguers

      We, ECHELON, the true Eye of Sauron and his ear, are already on it. We find you not uninteresting too.

    2. Re:Chesterton wasn't at Oxford by GreyWolf3000 · · Score: 5, Informative
      I haven't yet read that series, but I believe your mistaking Lewis' liberal theology with universalism--while his beliefs were, for the most part, mainline Christianity, two beliefs more than any others separated him from todays "fundamentalists."

      He didn't believe in Biblical inerrancy; that is to say, although he believed that the 66 books contained in the Bible are in fact divinely inspired, he didn't believe that all of them were historically accurate. He didn't believe, for example, that Jonah actually got swallowed by the whale, or that the earth is only 8,000 years old. They are scriptures in the sense that they are divine teachings, but they are also myth (according to his line of thinking).

      God works "in cognito" in other societies where the Christian gospel is not heard in order to promote his values. Lewis agreed that no one could make it to heaven without believing in Christ, but he also believed that many who never crossed paths with a Christian were given revelation about God through their own mythology. After death, according to Lewis, those who rejected Jesus during their lifetime would surely bring hell upon themselves because they really wouldn't want to spend eternity with a God they hated.

      I personally wish more men like Lewis would lead the American church today, because in the absence of reason, superstition has become more and more powerful.

      --
      Slashdot: Where people pretend to be twice as smart as they really are by behaving like children.
    3. Re:Chesterton wasn't at Oxford by Princeofcups · · Score: 1

      > But I guess no-one will make a film of it anyway, because it is anti-corporatist, anti-Statist and proposes that a small group of
      > activists can and should employ rather violent means to defeat a technocratic dictatorship.

      Don't count on it. Hollywood has proven time and again that to them an original work is just a title, a couple of character names, and a plot that needs to be completely rewritten for film/television. Earthsea, Puppet Masters, Starship Troopers... The list goes on.

      jfs

      --
      The only thing worse than a Democrat is a Republican.
    4. Re:Chesterton wasn't at Oxford by stealth.c · · Score: 1

      Chesterton was linked with the Inklings writer's group at Oxford, and heavily influenced C.S. Lewis theologically. Sayers was from a slightly later period, but still included by some in that group.

      I don't know where you get this stuff about anti-semitism. Among G.K.C.'s works that I've read (Orthodoxy, The Man Who Was Thursday, some of Manalive and What's Wrong With The World), I can't even recall mention of the Hebrew people. Most of what I read of him is either expertly written fictional prose, or essays having to do with the nature of God and the universe and life on earth. Claiming he's racist comes completely out of left field, in my mind.

      Are you sure these claims of anti-semitism aren't frivolous, or the product of deliberately misconstruing their words? Yes, he was a devout Catholic, but anti-semitic? Chesterton is probably one of the greatest theologians and almost certainly the greatest Christian apologist of the 20th century.

    5. Re:Chesterton wasn't at Oxford by wrf3 · · Score: 1

      proposes that a small group of activists can and should employ rather violent means to defeat a technocratic dictatorship

      Did we read the same book? The "small group of activists" basically did nothing but wait for events to unfold. The "technocratic dictatorship" was defeated by the judgement of God working through the individual Merlin.

    6. Re:Chesterton wasn't at Oxford by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I personally wish more men like Lewis would lead the American church today, because in the absence of reason, superstition has become more and more powerful.

      I second that. It's also interesting to note that one source of fundamentalist bigotry painted the writings of CS Lewis as "occultic". The infamous Chick tracts had this one:
      http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/0046/0046_01.a sp

      They don't have the reference in there anymore, but at the part where the minister is encouraging everyone to burn their occult books, the older versions IIRC referenced CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien in a little sidenote.

    7. Re:Chesterton wasn't at Oxford by anothy · · Score: 0, Flamebait
      ...if the Department of Homeland Security is reading this, you might want to investigate who has been reading That Hideous Strength. They might be potential terrorists.
      don't give them any ideas!
      --

      i speak for myself and those who like what i say.
    8. Re:Chesterton wasn't at Oxford by Haertchen · · Score: 1

      The American church? No such beast. The conflicting relgions tend to cover all the bases on social and religious debates.

    9. Re:Chesterton wasn't at Oxford by sirwnstn · · Score: 1

      He didn't believe, for example, that Jonah actually got swallowed by the whale

      Hmmm... interesting... but I thought Jesus believed that Jonah was in the belly of a fish for 3 days and nights... (Matt 12:40), and Lewis obviously believed that Jesus was real.

      They are scriptures in the sense that they are divine teachings, but they are also myth (according to his line of thinking).

      I'm interested in reading about Lewis's take on this. Got any links or pointers to books? I'd appreciate it. Thanks!

    10. Re:Chesterton wasn't at Oxford by overunderunderdone · · Score: 1

      He didn't believe in Biblical inerrancy; that is to say, although he believed that the 66 books contained in the Bible are in fact divinely inspired, he didn't believe that all of them were historically accurate. He didn't believe, for example, that Jonah actually got swallowed by the whale, or that the earth is only 8,000 years old. They are scriptures in the sense that they are divine teachings, but they are also myth (according to his line of thinking).

      I think you are misreading Lewis. He believed that the account of Jonah was *possibly* not literal truth because of the book's structure as a "moral romance" -- he thought it was an extended parable rather than a historical book. BUT.. he did emphatically believe in the historical, literal truth of miracles found in the Gospels (water into wine, walking on water, the resurrection, et al), or the historical books of the old testament (the sun standing still, the red sea parting etc.)

      Much of Lewis' apologetics were spent defending the literal truth of such accounts. In his fiction figures representing scientific materialism or liberal theology that turn what he believed to be literal truths into metaphors are objects of derisive humor. For instance the scientist in "The Magicians Nephew" that can't believe in talking animals so he just can't hear them talking, or the dwarves in "The Last Battle" who since they don't believe in the supernatural become delusional and can only see the jail they were in rather than the paradise around them. The horse Bree in "A Horse and His Boy" stands in for liberal theologians when he denies that Aslan is a real lion, and that the stories depicting him as a lion or just metaphors unaware all the time that a flesh and blood Aslan is creeping up on him.

      Lewis believed that peoples innate understanding of God (an idea found in Romans 2) led them to create myths that reflected the actual truth... but he believed that they were TRUE myths. The story of Jesus' resurrection was an example of the "Corn God" myth that shows up in countless cultures BUT the accounts of the Gospels was different. They are not told as myth but as literal, historical truth with all sorts of historical detail that are alien to mythology. Lewis believe that the historical, literally true account of the gospels was the fundamental truth that the other mythical examples were reflections of.

    11. Re:Chesterton wasn't at Oxford by GreyWolf3000 · · Score: 1

      I totally agree with you. I oversimplified Lewis' position to make a quick example. He was definately not a universalist, nor did he believe that the Bible is not divinely inspired in its entirety.

      --
      Slashdot: Where people pretend to be twice as smart as they really are by behaving like children.
  41. Only four kids? by Jinsaku · · Score: 1, Redundant

    Does my memory decieve me, or weren't there six children (three boys, three girls) in LW&W?

    Any idea which two they cut? All six, I remember, had pretty important roles.

    --
    -- Jinsaku
    1. Re:Only four kids? by Jinsaku · · Score: 1

      You know.. I think I'm totally on crack.. there were only four kids, weren't there? I dunno where my memory got six from.

      --
      -- Jinsaku
    2. Re:Only four kids? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The other girl and boy you are thinking about did not appear until later books. The boys name was Eustace, I've forgotten the girls name.

      I fucking hate Christians. Christianity is for morons.

    3. Re:Only four kids? by wvitXpert · · Score: 5, Informative

      Nope, only four. Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. There are two other characters that join in later books, maybe thats what your thinking of.

    4. Re:Only four kids? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just four kids: Peter, Edmund, Lucy, and Susan.

      We named our daughter "Lucy" after the character in the books, btw.

    5. Re:Only four kids? by MythMoth · · Score: 1

      We named our daughter "Lucy" after the character in the books, btw.

      It's a lovely name. Good thing you weren't an Arthur Ransome fan though :-)

      --
      --- These are not words: wierd, genious, rediculous
    6. Re:Only four kids? by Jeremi · · Score: 2, Informative
      Does my memory decieve me, or weren't there six children (three boys, three girls) in LW&W?


      Peter, Susan, Lucy, and Edmund are in LW&W, IIRC. Some additional children appear in later books in the series, but not in the first one.

      --


      I don't care if it's 90,000 hectares. That lake was not my doing.
    7. Re:Only four kids? by mark-t · · Score: 2, Informative
      No... that was the Brady Bunch.

      In the Narnian Chronicles there was Lucy (the first in the wardrobe), Edmund (the second-youngest, who betrayed them and resulted in the death of Aslan), Susan (the second-oldest, who once she left narnia ultimately turned away from believing in it), and Peter (the oldest).

    8. Re:Only four kids? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Tittie was an unfortunate name choice (especially when the title is 'Swallows and Amazons')

    9. Re:Only four kids? by madaxe42 · · Score: 1

      Haha, indeed... Strangely enough, as I write this, I'm sitting in Ransome's old flat at Hurlingham Court... In the room which was his study. He wrote at least a few books of series from pretty much where I sit now.

    10. Re:Only four kids? by MythMoth · · Score: 1

      The degree of my envy would be hard to underestimate. Have you read the Hugh Brogan bigraphy of Ransome? It's out of print, but it's damn good.

      --
      --- These are not words: wierd, genious, rediculous
    11. Re:Only four kids? by madaxe42 · · Score: 1

      I haven't, although I may well have to - sure I can pick up a copy from the rather charming second hand bookshop just round the corner!

    12. Re:Only four kids? by MythMoth · · Score: 1

      You live in Ransome's old flat and you have a second hand bookshop just around the corner? So, is your flat rented or owned? Either way would it go back on the market if you had an unfortunate "accident"?

      (/me goes off to poison your cornflakes...)

      --
      --- These are not words: wierd, genious, rediculous
    13. Re:Only four kids? by madaxe42 · · Score: 1

      It's presumably owned, however not by me - I'm just a tenant! Did I mention the river view?

    14. Re:Only four kids? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      *sips tea*

    15. Re:Only four kids? by madaxe42 · · Score: 1

      No, sorry, only martinis & g&t's allowed. Oh, and nice, strong espresso.

    16. Re:Only four kids? by Dasher42 · · Score: 1

      I think I can field this list of primary characters, though my memory is stretching back a ways:

      The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe: Peter, Susan, Edmund, Lucy

      Prince Caspian: Same as above

      The Voyage of the Dawn Treader: Edmund, Lucy, Eustace

      The Silver Chair: Eustace, Jill

      The Horse and His Boy: Shasta, and I forget the others. None of them are from the other books that I recall.

      The Magician's Nephew: Digory, Polly

      The Last Battle: Eustace, Jill

      So there. My big question here is how they're going to find that many child actors of developed talent for these films.

  42. Re:Turkish Delight Isn't All That Good (with recip by p_trekkie · · Score: 1

    Isn't turkish delight the same stuff that's on the inside of jelly beans?

  43. Re:Nerd/tech/science? by FidelCatsro · · Score: 1

    By its very nature Sci-fi does not need to be accurate IMHO(and that is just my view) , Though i did dislike his sci-fi but that was more because of the inconsistency.
    I agree that C.S.Lewis based most of his books on reworkings of bible fabels , his best works were definantly those that worked in the situations to more plausable realitys or reversed the intent(such as the Screwtape Letters), Less moralising more retelling (I am also not a christian , but the screwtape letters was great).
    His sci-fi just seemed detached to me . Whilst his descriptions of the worlds and cultures are grand , it all too often has a cold primal quality more akin to fantasy than sci-fi. Out of the Silent Planet for example (the first in his space trillogy) Perhaps i missunderstood it , but it seemed like a retelling of the fabel of jobe perhaps a little mixed with the Jesus fabel , it just didnt ever sit right. He could evoke such great atmosphere , but then ruined it by an all too familiar moral over-tone that brought it back down to earth with a clattering kaboom. Perlandera was just awfull imho , it simply apeard far far too moralising . The strugle against the Devil it was just all too blatent by that point .

    I did enjoy the narnia books (and the BBC version of which) but i much preferd the tales of the brothers grim for my fairly land readings

    --
    The only things certain in war are Propaganda and Death. You can never be sure which is which though
  44. Re:Yeah! by Tuffsnake · · Score: 0

    would you prefer "internet explorer impaired" or maybe something to make you feel better like "while you cannot watch the movie you also are not open to 95% of the viruses, worms, spyware, malware, etc out there :)!"

  45. Re:Nerd/tech/science? by MythMoth · · Score: 1

    I guess. And mostly I like hard science based science fiction.

    On the other hand:

    "Any sufficiently advanced form of technology is indistinguishable from magic" - Clarke.

    Clarke's own work is fairly "hard" science fiction, but sometimes has fantasy elements to it. So I'd be hard put where to draw the line. In the end, the quality of the writing is more important than such niceties. It's all fiction.

    --
    --- These are not words: wierd, genious, rediculous
  46. Re:Nerd/tech/science? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    I think that's nerdular enough.

    Better check with your doctor. It might be a tumourus nerdule that needs to be removed or treated.

  47. Re:Turkish Delight Isn't All That Good (with recip by killjoe · · Score: 2, Informative

    Get the kind with pistachias in it. Yummy.

    --
    evil is as evil does
  48. Re:Turkish Delight Isn't All That Good (with recip by nomadic · · Score: 3, Funny

    That's a valuable lesson, you have to use the British tastiness scale, which is a lot different than normal people's.

    Mmmm, steak and kidney and liver and entrail pie....

  49. Might be partly because by ccharles · · Score: 1

    Might be partly because the costumes and props were mostly done by WETA, the same company that did them for LOTR.

    1. Re:Might be partly because by VoidWraith · · Score: 1

      Not only that, but they filmed (most of?) it in New Zealand too. I was surprised it had a different director! =)

  50. Torrent by H0NGK0NGPH00EY · · Score: 1

    I haven't set up a torrent before, so this may not work, but you can try this.

    Though last I checked the source site was actually holding up astoundingly well. It gave me download speeds exceeding 300Kb/s.

    --
    Do not read this sig.
  51. Re:Turkish Delight Isn't All That Good (with recip by vistic · · Score: 1

    I think I've seen those in the check out line at Fry's Electronics

  52. Commercial propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "What does raise my hackles more than other is prozelysation, though. This of ocurse includes some Christian evangelcal sects and writers, but I am just as annoyed by prozelytising Hindu and Islamic sects as well. Hint: if I'm interested I promise to come over to your church/synagogue/temple/kiva/bloodstained sacrificial altar and discuss it, but knocking on my door, pushing leaflets in my hand or harassing me on the town is making me less - not more - likely to have a kind thought about what you believe in."

    Guess that explains why that new fangled consumer religion is so unpopular.

    1. Re:Commercial propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Consumer goods are tangible, smart guy

  53. mnb Re:Nerd/tech/science? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    While I agree with you on the "feel" of OotSP, I do feel you are missing the original context, and therefore the full power of the stories.

    The most interesting thing I found in the novels is the idea that an orthodox writer was telling an (originally) orthodox audience stories of how the bible might not be a complete picture of God's creation.

    1. Re:mnb Re:Nerd/tech/science? by FidelCatsro · · Score: 1

      I do agree that perhaps that may have slipped me by , I am not a christan (though i am fully versed , and have read the bible) so perhaps some of the subtiltie would have sliped past me .I may infact give it a re-read keeping that in mind , Cheers. It will be intresting to view it from a new perspective

      --
      The only things certain in war are Propaganda and Death. You can never be sure which is which though
  54. Google by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is Google still down?

  55. OT: Waiting for Superfudge? by ggvaidya · · Score: 1

    As in the book by Judy Bloome? That'd be tons of fun :).

    I'm still waiting for "Bridge to Terabithia" meself, though ...

    1. Re:OT: Waiting for Superfudge? by gardyloo · · Score: 1

      As in the book by Judy Bloome?

      Yeah, let's see a tricked-out version of Wifey come to the big screen.

    2. Re:OT: Waiting for Superfudge? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm still waiting for "Bridge to Terabithia" meself, though ...

      It would be interesting to see how gay they make the main character. When I read the book I was too young or naive, and so the numerous hints about his sexual orientation went completely over my head.

  56. Criticism by esconsult1 · · Score: 1
    I believe that when a person criticizes someone for something, they should have a plausible alternative in mind. Otherwise they are just whining.

    So what's wrong with critizing for criticism's sake? There's no need to have a plausable alternative. Criticism helps us decide is something is good or bad.

    It certainly helps you save the 10 bucks to go see a sucky movie. And you can always ignore the critics anyway.

    1. Re:Criticism by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Here! Here! The grandparent has a false view of the function of criticism. Some does serve as grounds for alternative suggestion but that is only a small amount while most as you describe does serve primarily to act as forming ground for decisions on whether to read a book, watch a play, an opera, a musical, or a film, or to listen to a recording or attend a concert.

    2. Re:Criticism by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      Here! Here!
      There! There! Putz.
    3. Re:Criticism by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Explain the applicable intent of the insult, otherwise your post is no more than a troll at best and flamebait at worst.

    4. Re:Criticism by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      An anonymous coward reply to a previous anonymous coward reply. (sarcasm) What are the possible odds that it is a troll or flamebait? (/sarcasm). I use my account for real responses.

      First impressions are important. "Here! Here!" implies carelessness or ignorance. It invalidates the rest of the reply, by clearly marking it as unworthy of the time required to read it. I positively felt that it was my duty to flag it as such with a brief reply.

      But hey, thanks for biting either way. I wasn't really aiming for replies, more making a point about an all-too-common mistake on this forum.

      BTW, you take life waaaay too seriously if you are guy who wrote "Here! Here!".

    5. Re:Criticism by scowling · · Score: 1

      It's actually "Hear Hear", not "Here Here".

      --
      www.kitchengeek.com -- Nosh for
    6. Re:Criticism by Jerf · · Score: 2, Insightful

      You misunderstand.

      When you are criticizing a movie vaguely, you implicitly have an outcome that you would prefer in mind. Specifically, make a better movie. Generally, your specific criticisms point to how you would improve it; if you complain the directing is poor, you have this idea of what better directing would be. You may not be able to do it yourself, but you know you've seen it. Artistic criticism rarely falls under this.

      The topic at hand is one of those rare instances, since the criticism boils down to "CS Lewis shouldn't be true to himself when he writes" (or at least that's what I'm trying to convince you of), and my point is that there is not an acceptable alternative to that. If CS Lewis had tried to write non-Christian books, that contained a worldview he did not share... well, the person I replied to would never have had an opportunity to criticize, because he'd have never heard of CS Lewis.

      (Another artistic example I've seen is when people criticize a movie not for being what it is, but for not being what the author thought it should be; my canonical example of that is this review of Monsters, Inc. in Salon, where the author spends most of it bitching that the movie wasn't "darker". He didn't like Monsters, Inc. not because it was poorly directed, or in fact even a poor movie, but because it wasn't some other completely different movie. Uh, excuse me? This is a little less egregiously wrong since it is at least possible to make the change, unlike a single author which can hardly change his worldview to write one book, but still, it's hardly fair to call that a review of Monsters, Inc... it's more a review of this movie that the reviewer has in their head but none of the rest of us have seen. False labelling, at the least.)

      This comes up much more in the political arena, where I apply it much more aggressively. When somebody shrieks about some opposition plan, you need to have a better one to get my attention. Simple negativity is pointless. Sometimes that better plan may even be "do nothing, what you believe is a problem isn't", but still, that may be a better plan. (The party itself often has a "better plan", but the individuals and random people on the street are often just pointlessly critical.)

      The real thing I'm getting at here isn't the idea that you shouldn't criticize, it's that when you don't even have a feasible alternative, what's the point? You're just being pointlessly negative (except perhaps in certain teaching situations). What's the point of criticizing somebody who already did the least bad thing they could possibly do, if they had no good choices? (Which isn't what I believe the situation is with CS Lewis, but I suspect describes the original poster's point. What's the alternative that works for CS Lewis?)

    7. Re:Criticism by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No. Intent was Here, here! but written Here! Here! to mean to call attention to the post replied to. As shortened form of, by memory: "here all you sirs, here is this man who is speaking a genuine and worthy message" but that is likely off as memory is easily lost.

    8. Re:Criticism by scowling · · Score: 1

      Nope, incorrect. It is correctly written "Hear", not "Here." As per Straight Dope, it's short for "hear, all ye good people, hear what this brilliant and eloquent speaker has to say!"

      --
      www.kitchengeek.com -- Nosh for
  57. A bit defensive, aren't we? by screwthemoderators · · Score: 1

    Good News! There is a still lot of hate for lots of different religions! It may seem more politically correct to bash Christianity because its easier to dismiss Western, liberal anti-Christians as kooks or malcontents. But labelling harmless, if ignorant, criticism as "hate," doesn't help. If you want to defend your religious tradition, don't lash out at skeptics. (That's not the "Christian" thing to do, either, is it?)

  58. Re:Nerd/tech/science? by Jeremi · · Score: 2, Funny
    CS Lewis was a science fiction writer as well. Among other things he foretold the geo-stationary satellite.


    Bwahaha, excellent troll! I salute you sir. Getting modded "+1 Informative" is the icing on the cake.

    --


    I don't care if it's 90,000 hectares. That lake was not my doing.
  59. But you're missing the forest for the trees by brokeninside · · Score: 5, Informative
    Lewis also stated:
    When I started The Lion, Witch and Wardrobe I don't think I foresaw what Aslan was going to do and suffer. I think He just insisted on behaving in His own way. This of course I did understand and the whole series became Christian. But it is not, as some people think, an allegory. That is, I don't say 'Let us represent Christ as Aslan.' I say, 'Supposing there was a world like Narnia, and supposing, like ours, it needed redemption, let us imagine what sort of Incarnation and Passion and Resurrection Christ would have there. From CS Lewis: FAQ
    There are two key points here. The first is that when he started writing, he had no idea where the story was going to go. He just took it where his imagination led him. Consequently, it is fair to say that he didn't intentionally make the series `Christian'. The second is that they are a classic example of `what if?' rather than an intentional project to illustrate a theological truth as are The Great Divorce and The Screwtape Letters. In fact, Lewis later did the same `what if?' project with the Pagan myth of Cupid and Psyche in Til We Have Faces.
    1. Re:But you're missing the forest for the trees by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Consequently, it is fair to say that he didn't intentionally make the series `Christian'.

      Read the passage you quoted again. He clearly did intend to make it "Christian". He says that he didn't intend (or not intend) for Aslan to die to redeem the sins of another, but he did intended to portray the "sort of Incarnation and Passion and Resurrection Christ would have" in the world he made up, and that's exactly what he did.

  60. They got it right by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They're actually starting with the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe like they're supposed to? Every set of the books I see nowadays starts with "The Magician's Nephew" for the stupid reason that it is the first chronologially.

  61. torrent of the 56 MB high quality trailer file by uwtorrents · · Score: 0
  62. Secular propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And the religious folks feel the same way about all this secularism being shoved down our throats.

    1. Re:Secular propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Secularism is "shoved down your throats" because religious doctrine does not tolerate deviance from doctrine-however the "shoving down" is the result of necessity of compromise of that doctrine that necessarily offends the doctrinaires and thus the religious is requisite to offset revolt to kill the religious to reclaim the liberties taken by imposition of doctrine by those who disagree. It is a political motive that compromise is required, do not object to it for the alternative is war for national division or genocide to eliminate the religious for the irreligious would not be foolish enough to remain in place to be killed if by some means the reverse occurred.

    2. Re:Secular propaganda...? by Fruit · · Score: 1

      Wow, my stack hit the ceiling there, trying to parse that. Nice one.

    3. Re:Secular propaganda...? by scowling · · Score: 1

      Right, because it happens so often to you, doesn't it? Please.

      --
      www.kitchengeek.com -- Nosh for
    4. Re:Secular propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Secularism doesn't tolerate deviance from doctrine either (else it wouldn't be "secular" anymore, would it?) That some people believe and behave differently does not necessarily offend the doctrinaires of a belief unless the doctrine proclaims that all must conform to it (as in strict Koranic Islam, or the particular Catholicism of the Crusaders). Christianity makes no such demand, which is of course why America's various christian and Christian forefathers (no, not deists) were able to write the First Amendment to their Constitution. The "forced-secularism" being objected to is the silencing of christian speech in public forums. Read the Christian book of Acts, Chapter 17 for the Christian's preferred, Athenian alternative: various beliefs competing freely for believers in the public square, each claimed to be Truth or not as its adherants see fit. No war or genocide required, silly. Unfortunately, the secularists often respond to free speech like the Ephesians of Acts chapter 19 did.

    5. Re:Secular propaganda...? by swillden · · Score: 1

      Right, because it happens so often to you, doesn't it?

      Absolutely. Daily, constantly.

      Note that I'm not complaining, nor do I expect anything different. But it is a fact that secular ideas are constantly forced down the throats of religious people. If you don't see it, that's simply because you don't notice the propaganda that fits your own mindset.

      I'm sure that I, likewise, don't notice the Christian ideas in entertainment, media and policy nearly as much as I would if I didn't already subscribe to them.

      --
      Note to ACs: I usually delete AC replies without reading them. If you want to talk to me, log in.
    6. Re:Secular propaganda...? by scowling · · Score: 1

      Absolutely. Daily, constantly. [...] But it is a fact that secular ideas are constantly forced down the throats of religious people.

      Never, ever. If you're in the US, you live in an officially secular nation. That means that no secular ideas are being forced upon you -- instead, you choose to live in a nation where secularism is the official national stance on religion.

      Not once has a secular idea ever been forced upon you. Should you not enjoy secular schools, you can make the choice to send your kids to a religious school. Should you not enjoy living in a country with no state religion, you have the choice to move to Sweden.

      Never, ever, ever have secular ideas been forced upon you. You have made the choice to live in a secular nation.

      --
      www.kitchengeek.com -- Nosh for
    7. Re:Secular propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
      I hope you realize that your words pretty much boil down to "secularism is shoved down your throat because secularism is good for society".

      The same logic is used by Muslim theocrats. Islam is good for society, and that's why we want to shove it down your throat.

      And you might want to check your history if you even remotely think that secularism is an antidote for war. Check out Stalin or Pol Pot sometime. They seemed pretty amenable to war despite their secularism.

    8. Re:Secular propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That is your solution to the practical problem? Invented optimal responses from a group that has not even a specific form? Christians did not accept even deviation from Catholicism in Protestantism when it occurred; see the 30 Years' War and the 80 Years' War for starters there.

    9. Re:Secular propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No. It does not. The logic is that the state represents a diverse group, and by necessity that it requires support from all members of that diverse group to remain stable it must adopt a neutral position-that of secular ideology amidst the multitude of religions-in order to at least appear to not favor one group over another. Otherwise is what destroyed the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and indirectly contributed to the destruction of the Ottoman Empire. Though the diversity found in both and the dedication of groups to opposing ideologies makes the US conflicts that of playground confrontations between powerless children calling on their father's strength in insult it is still parallel in situation and thus parallel in solution.

    10. Re:Secular propaganda...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I do not mean that secularism is the "antidote" for war, simply that in a nation the established government over a populace must acknowledge and deal with all segments of that populace for otherwise they ignore some and those ignored as with the Black Hand movement in Austro-Hungary will act to correct the situation with violence and incite war.

    11. Re:Secular propaganda...? by swillden · · Score: 1

      Depends on your definition of "forced". I was using the same definition used by those who were complaining of having Christian propaganda "forced" upon them.

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      Note to ACs: I usually delete AC replies without reading them. If you want to talk to me, log in.
    12. Re:Secular propaganda...? by scowling · · Score: 1

      Christian propaganda *is* forced on people in this secular society. Every Ten Commandments in a public building, every prayer in a legislature, and so forth.

      The default in a courtroom, unless you say beforehead that you wish to not swear on a Bible, is to be asked "so help you God". Shoved down our throats repeatedly.

      --
      www.kitchengeek.com -- Nosh for
    13. Re:Secular propaganda...? by swillden · · Score: 1

      But you chose to live this nation. Why does that argument work one way and not the other. (I think it's a silly argument either way, myself).

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  63. Narnia movies already exist. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What's interesting is my local library happens to have a set of PBS made movies for the entire series. I remember watching them as a kid, so my guess is that they were made in the late 80's, early 90's. They were pretty good adaptations from the books, so it doesn't appear that this is the first time they've been brought to film.

    1. Re:Narnia movies already exist. by Fred+Or+Alive · · Score: 1

      They weren't movies, they were TV series. The BBC made them. I suppose they may have been edited into movies / omnibuses for forign sales. The BBC produced versions of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, Voyage of the Dawn Treader and The Silver Chair. You can definatley get the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe on BBC DVD in the UK, I'm not sure about the later ones.

      As I was a kid at the time they were made, I have fond memories of them as well.

      --
      10 PRINT "LOOK AROUND YOU ";
      20 GOTO 10
  64. Re:Turkish Delight Isn't All That Good (with recip by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I bet you're American. Gotta love the nation that gave us the cheesburger complaining about British food.

    Oh well. The Michelin guide would appear to disagree with you. So would Egon Ronay and Gourmet magazine.

  65. As good as the old movie from the 70s? by Sri+Ramkrishna · · Score: 1

    The "Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe" movie from the 70s was really awesome. As kids, I remember watching it and getting all emotional about Ashland, the lion. It was brilliant for me. I haven't watched it since so I don't know how my adult self would react to it now. But I do have fond memories.

    I've read the books up to Prince of Narnia, but I haven't read past that. Most of his books have been brilliant.

    sri

    1. Re:As good as the old movie from the 70s? by donaggie03 · · Score: 1

      You've read the books, but you still think his hame is "Ashland" ?? Or is it translated into another language that way?

      --
      Three days from now?? Thats tomorrow!! ~Peter Griffin
    2. Re:As good as the old movie from the 70s? by Sri+Ramkrishna · · Score: 1

      As I kid I thought it was "Ashland" when it was "Aslan". I reverted to the name I used as a kid since that was the one I recalled more than 'Aslan'. I haven't read the Narnia Chronicles for well over 15 years.

      sri

  66. CAP Alert Status Red! by Yomlogs · · Score: 1

    I wonder what the Childcare Action Project will make of such a Christian movie, which will feature no unnatural creatures or magic or mythology...

  67. Accuracy by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Executing believers is "hard line". Jokes implying that believers are deluded are not.

    --

    --
    make install -not war

    1. Re:Accuracy by GreyWolf3000 · · Score: 1
      Who executes believers? Usually it's the infidels that get executed...

      At any rate, I have yet to find anywhere where any popular author, either Christian or Atheist, where the writing proscribes the execution of dissidents.

      --
      Slashdot: Where people pretend to be twice as smart as they really are by behaving like children.
    2. Re:Accuracy by cavetroll · · Score: 1
      Who executes believers? Usually it's the infidels that get executed...
      I would make an "In Soviet Russia" Joke here, but it is would be too accurate to be funny
    3. Re:Accuracy by scowling · · Score: 1

      Well, the 'Left Behind' series comes immediately to mind.

      --
      www.kitchengeek.com -- Nosh for
    4. Re:Accuracy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      At any rate, I have yet to find anywhere where any popular author, either Christian or Atheist, where the writing proscribes the execution of dissidents.

      This just means you've never read Sura 9 of the Holy Quran (including such beautiful, poetic passages as "So when the sacred months have passed away, then slay the idolaters wherever you find them, and take them captives and besiege them and lie in wait for them in every ambush").

      The Old Testament of the bible makes similar demands to slay certain people (of course, the targets of such commands were generally tribes that were into things like burning babies alive instead of "dissidents", but it is still a call for what today would be considered "genocide").

      Of course, the authors of these writings were neither "Christian" nor "Atheist", so technically your original statement is valid, if irrelevant.

    5. Re:Accuracy by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 1

      China's atheists execute believers in Falun Gong - that's an example of "hard line". Christians executed believers in "paganism" or "satanism" for centuries: the Inquisition, witch trials, etc. It's always been popular.

      --

      --
      make install -not war

    6. Re:Accuracy by Trillan · · Score: 1

      Are you saying The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe suggests executing disbelievers, or am I reading this wrong? :)

  68. Wow by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They're actually starting with the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe like they're supposed to? Every book version I've seen nowadays starts with The Magician's Nephew for the silly reason that it is the first chronologically.

    1. Re:Wow by eluusive · · Score: 1
      In the omnibus edition I recently purchased, there is a foreword that mentions that this is how Lewis wanted them to be ordered. I quote:
      Although The Magician's Newphew was written several years after C.S. Lewis first began The Chronicles of Narnia, he wanted it to be read as the first book in the series. HarperCollins is happy to present these books in the order in which Professor Lewis preferred.
    2. Re:Wow by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      From what I heard it was based on a single conversation he had with a fan where he said it wasn't wrong to read it that way.

    3. Re:Wow by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not quite true. In a book containing letters to Lewis and his replies, he told one child that he supposed they could be read in chronological order instead of published order, or something like that.

      He never definitively said they should be read that way though.

      IMO, the published order is the best order, and Harper Collins should have left the order alone.

  69. Relationship b/w Tolkien and Lewis by Tanmi-Daiow · · Score: 1

    Lewis was not originally Christian. He was an atheist. But he soon became friends with Tolkien, a devout Catholic. It was Tolkien that converted Lewis to Christianity.

    --
    "Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive." - C.S. Lewis
    1. Re:Relationship b/w Tolkien and Lewis by dick+johnson · · Score: 1

      Odd if that is true. Lewis was a member of the Church of England.

      --
      - dj
    2. Re:Relationship b/w Tolkien and Lewis by dick+johnson · · Score: 1

      Just as I thought. The post about Tolkien was wrong.

      See this link for story about Lewis' conversion:

      CS Lewis and Christianity

      --
      - dj
    3. Re:Relationship b/w Tolkien and Lewis by wrf3 · · Score: 1

      It is true. Tolkein was one of several Christian influences on Lewis. That Lewis ended up in the CofE instead of Catholicism is incidental; both are Christian.

    4. Re:Relationship b/w Tolkien and Lewis by Hedgethorn · · Score: 1
      The grandparent was wrong?

      From the article you linked:
      A year later at age 32 Lewis spent an evening discussing mythology and Christianity with some intellectual friends who were Christians, one of whom was the writer, J.R.R. Tolkien. They challenged him as he had never been challenged before to think critically about Jesus. After the meeting broke up, Lewis could not go to sleep. He continue to wrestle with the concept of Jesus as God in the flesh. By 3:00am he had decided to accept Jesus as his Savior. Twelve days later he wrote these words to Tolkien: "I have passed on from believing in God to definitely believing in Christ -- in Christianity."

    5. Re:Relationship b/w Tolkien and Lewis by Tanmi-Daiow · · Score: 1

      Yes, you need to read your own articles. Especially when they prove you wrong.

      --
      "Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive." - C.S. Lewis
  70. disbelief by Doc+Ruby · · Score: 1

    Lewis' Christianity was central to his life and career, as is well documented. Where are you getting this "atheist" line from?

    --

    --
    make install -not war

    1. Re:disbelief by EyelessFade · · Score: 1
      I have read it several places, also recent documentarys about Tolkien. After a bit googling: http://www.cslewis.org/

      1911 "It was during this time that he abandoned his childhood Christian faith."

      but when I read on, I found something else:

      1931 Lewis became a Christian: One evening in September, Lewis had a long talk on Christianity with J.R.R. Tolkien (a devout Roman Catholic) and Hugo Dyson. (The summary of that discussion is recounted for Arthur Greeves in They Stand Together.) That evening's discussion was important in bringing about the following day's event that Lewis recorded in Surprised by Joy: "When we [Warnie and Jack] set out [by motorcycle to the Whipsnade Zoo] I did not believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, and when we reached the zoo I did."

      So it seems that Professor Tolkien actually turned him around again :P
    2. Re:disbelief by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Lewis' Christianity was central to his life and career, as is well documented. Where are you getting this "atheist" line from?

      The commentary on the Lord of the Rings DVDs. They wouldn't lie about something like that; Hollywood is always dilligent about checking facts, and it if wasn't true it wouldn't have been published.

  71. Re:Nerd/tech/science? by Pop69 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Lewis wrote space sci-fi as well, try reading Out of the Silent Planet and the rest of that trilogy.

    Doesn't that make him a nerdy author ?

  72. Re:the key point in that passage by brokeninside · · Score: 1

    He didn't even know that Aslan was going to suffer and die until he reached that point in the story. Then, the whole thing became ``Christian'' and then the story became `what if a Christ came to redeem another world?'

  73. Re:Turkish Delight Isn't All That Good (with recip by TGK · · Score: 1

    Narnia was pitched towards children. If we were talking about the Great Divorce or one of Lewis' works intended for adults, I'd be inclined to entertain this notion.

    Far more likely, Lewis chose the name because Turkey is exotic and far away sounding to kids. The ancestor post said it best -- his childhood imagination concocted something much tastier than the real thing.

    Edmond could have just as easily have asked for Baclava.

    --
    Killfile(TGK)
    No trees were killed in the creation of this post. However, many electrons were inconvenienced.
  74. Re:the key point in that passage by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Regardless, by the time the book was published it was clearly intended to be full of Christian metaphor.

  75. The Magician's Nephew by grendelkhan · · Score: 1

    It's chronologically the first in the set, but it details the Professor as a young boy going to Narnia when it was first formed, encountering the future White Witch, and other nifty things that make you want to go back and reread the first book after you're done. One of my favorites in the series along with The Silver Chair.

    --
    Wu-Tang Name: Half-Cut Skeleton Get your own Wu-Na
  76. How will this movie be popular? by hunterx11 · · Score: 5, Funny
    The League of Concerned Christians will no doubt lambast this movie as Satatnic propaganda, due to its depiction of magic and speaking beasts.

    The League of Concerned Satanists will no doubt lambast this movie as Christian propaganda, due to its thinly veiled allegory.

    --
    English is easier said than done.
    1. Re:How will this movie be popular? by nagora · · Score: 1
      The League of Concerned Satanists will no doubt lambast this movie as Christian propaganda, due to its thinly veiled allegory.

      Well, I read the books in primary school and loved them, so when I found them again during a house move I thought I'd have a trip down memory lane. Bloody hell, they are bad! Really very thinly disguised and poor Christian propaganda. Stomach-turning is the phrase that leaps to mind.

      Keep your childhood memories safe: don't return to Narnia!

      If you want Christian allegory done well, real Tolkien's "Leaf by Niggle", it far surpasses any of Lewis' work in quality and power of its message.

      TWW

      --
      "Encyclopedia" is to "Wikipedia" what "Library" is to "Some people at a bus stop"
    2. Re:How will this movie be popular? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Supposedly, C.S. Lewis was christian.

    3. Re:How will this movie be popular? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And the League of Concerned Pot Smokers will talk about how good all the snacks and food at the concession stand was.

    4. Re:How will this movie be popular? by Christopheles · · Score: 1

      Free advertising.

  77. Disney's Big Move by TheFlyingGoat · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The other day on the radio they were discussing Narnia, and how it appears as though it's Disney's big attempt to revitalize itself in the movie industry. They're putting more money into it than any movie they've ever done, and some of the higher-ups at Disney have said they're expecting it to work for the company similar to how The Little Mermaid did.

    If you compare it to any other Disney live action movie, none of the others come even close in terms of scope, story, budget, costume design, sets, CGI, etc. They're putting a lot on this movie.

    Since both my wife and I are big fans of Lewis (my wife even more so), I hope Disney's gamble pays off. There's word that they're hoping they can do additional stories from the book series, which makes sense if the movie is profitable.

    As for the few people that complain about it being a movie about Christianity, who really cares? Even though I'm considered a "Christian conservative", I still enjoy movies about other religions and cultures. They're not trying to hide what the story is really about, and there's people out there that actually ENJOY movies about Christianity (see the success of Passion of the Christ for an example). Just get off your anti-religious podium for a second and try thinking about it as just a story, similar to how some colleges will read portions of The Bible or Paradise Lost.

    --
    You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life. --Winston Churchill
    1. Re:Disney's Big Move by razjml · · Score: 1

      I'm pretty sure almost all colleges have various classes focused on the bible, from Western Religion Studies to the Bible as Literature and Poetry in the Bible. As for literature: the great majority of English literature up to the Protestant Revolution is an explicit response to the Christian framework of society in some way or another. The Green Knight by the anonymous Pearl Poet is a study of one of the Knights of the Round Table and how he must maintain his heroic Christian virtue. More than half of the storytellers in the Canterbury Tales are people of varying social status connected to the Church, and in ways is actually a criticism of the corruption and decadence of the church. The Faerie Queene by Spencer is a militant, densely allegorical attack on Catholicism. And of course, Paradise Lost is Milton's extremely unorthodox take on Satan, Adam & Eve, and Christianity in general. All of these are still read because they're great literature (although Paradise Lost is pretty boring, IMO), and there's much, much more to them than superficial religious intentions.

  78. Re:Turkish Delight Isn't All That Good (with recip by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So would Egon Ronay and Gourmet magazine.

    WTF do the Ghostbusters have to do with this?

  79. Re:Christian propaganda or support for colonialism by gryphon_church · · Score: 1

    I'm far less nervous about what choices will be made with the x-tian themes than I am about the straight-up colonialist assumptions in the books.

    There is a constant repetition of the "Free White North - Narnia in the North" and endless representations of the "southerners" as evil and dark-skinned (and therefore evil). They are characterised as Muslims but presented as workshipers of a violent god who demands bloodshed (Tash). There's a whole whack of damaging orientalism(s) constructed around the non-whites in the books (vioent, uncaring of human life, savage, full of intrigue) - and no matter how carefully handled in these movies - its bound to raise some tensions.

    I guess I wonder whether the director will pander to the x-tian right sense of superiority or make some effort to negativise the more rascist aspects of the series.

  80. Re:Nerd/tech/science? by AndroidCat · · Score: 3, Funny

    It's only natural to confuse them, since Lewis and Clarke did so much exploring together. :)

    --
    One line blog. I hear that they're called Twitters now.
  81. How it works... by Kjella · · Score: 3, Informative

    Well that's pretty suspicious. Sounds like they stole code.

    ...on the chance that this is not a troll, but code analysis a la Laura DiDio (SCO shrill). MPC is a thin GUI layer calling system-wide codecs to decode video. One of the inputs is presumably the file name, which the .mov decoder doesn't handle correctly. So they fail because they call on the exact same code, code that it is fully legal for MPC to call on.

    Kjella

    --
    Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
  82. Movies about Christianity - always a ruckus. by markdowling · · Score: 1

    The problem with them (and I say this as a baptised Catholic) is that Christians only tolerate them when they show positive aspects of Christianity. Any other interpretation (Last Temptation of Christ) or raking over past Church misdeeds (Magdalene Sisters) and the "Christian" "Right" goes nutty.

    Something that annoys me as a Christian fiscal conservative to be lumped in with the Jerry Falwells, and that someone else's vision could be considered to interfere with mine.

    It's a sign of lack of faith, not faith, when the self appointed censors get suited up on movie censor battles.

  83. Disney color by pdawson · · Score: 1

    Ignoring the discussion on the themes of the book for the moment, does anyone else find the trailer's disneyfied colors somewhat glaring to the eye? Everything seems to be supersaturated primary colors. Take a look at the children's lips in the winter scene's for a good example.

  84. Tolkien and History by Wyatt+Earp · · Score: 1

    He might not have admitted it, but go look at the history, theme and language.

    In Chesterton's Lepanto with the Black Azrael and Ariel and Ammon on the wing to the black riders of the Nazgul.

    You have Southrons and Black Orcs speaking a unfamilar and uncouth lingua franca who come out of an Asia Minor shaped Mordor to besiege Vienna...I mean Minas Tirith, the siege it and because of a treaty, between two nations that don't see eye to eye in all matters (Austria and Poland/Lithuana), Jan Sobieski's Poles/Rohan ride to the rescue, they break the siege and it's over.

    Saruman/Suleiman, also known as Sharku/Sheik.

    Tolkien was a devout Roman Catholic and he undoubtably would have been familiar with the events between Europe and the Ottoman Empire over the centuries.

    1. Re:Tolkien and History by The+Only+Druid · · Score: 1

      More importantly than a Roman Catholic, he was an incredible historian. But you're projecting entirely.

      It's just retarded to insist that an author is WRONG about his own work. If Tolkien said it isn't an allegory, it CANNOT BE an allegory. It may evoke certain historical facts, but allegories must be intentional, just like sarcasm.

      --
      "Stumble before you crawl"
    2. Re:Tolkien and History by Txiasaeia · · Score: 1

      I'm going to have to agree with this. There are a lot of things that authors can do unintentionally, and lit crit can definitely disagree with even what an author herself says about their work, but it can't be an allegory if the author didn't create it as an allegory. If such a work resembles an allegory, it's either a coincidence or the result of some sort of unconscious influence that the author is not aware of.

      --
      Condemnant quod non intellegunt.
    3. Re:Tolkien and History by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If Tolkien said it isn't an allegory, it CANNOT BE an allegory. It may evoke certain historical facts, but allegories must be intentional, just like sarcasm.

      I agree with this post. But. I think that by 'allegory' Tolkien may have meant something more the speed of a medieval-style allegory. e.g., Everyman.

      To base elements in his story on literature, history, etc. he might not have considered straight allegory as such.

  85. Re:Nerd/tech/science? by garethw · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Of course, now that my parent has been modded down to -1, Offtopic, my response should be dealt with similarly.

    But, uhh, please don't.

    I guess the system works - although the system may be insane.

    --
    garethw
  86. Re:Turkish Delight Isn't All That Good (with recip by Little+Pink+Bunny · · Score: 1
    I'll be darned - I always assumed that Turkish Delight was a type of marijuana. I figured that
    Fix yourself some turkish delight and enjoy.

    meant "go smoke out and see the nice cartoon with the pretty colors".

    --
    I am a
  87. Re:Turkish Delight Isn't All That Good (with recip by J.+T.+MacLeod · · Score: 1

    American stereotype: Cheeseburger (essentially, just beef)
    British stereotype: Kidney pie (what it sounds like)

    American stereotype: Steak (essentially, just beef)
    British stereotype: Black pudding (I'm not typing it, I just ate and want to keep my food down.)

    Most of the time I've heard British cousine discussed by British folk, it's in negative terms, but I hear there are lots of great chefs who can cook foreign foods well. Thank God.

  88. Different books by phorm · · Score: 1

    Remember, that this was a series (the Chronicles). Later characters were in fact introduced. Of the earth children there were in Lion Witch & The Wardrobe:

    Four Children: Lucy, Edmund, Peter, Susan.

    In the prequel "The Magician's Nephew" (most people I know have read LWW first, although this is labelled as book one), the two main characters were: Digory and Polly. This book dealt with the creation of Narnia and the origins of the White Witch, etc.

    Later books introduced characters such as Eustace (the original childrens' cousin, a spoiled brat who later redeems himself), and in a subsequent book his friend Jill.

    Of course there are many memorable Narnian characters as well, including marsh wiggles, a talking rat, a human (though Narnian) prince, a young arabic boy, and more...

    1. Re:Different books by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Magician's Nephew was only labeled as the first book in later editions, second guessing Lewis's wishes based on a single letter.

  89. Re:Nerd/tech/science? by Jardine · · Score: 1

    You'd be amazed at the amount of anti-science drivel and neo-pagan mystic drivel that sneaks in the back door of the 'science fiction bookstore' these days.

    Or maybe you wouldn't.


    The back door is the most logical place for science fiction to come into bookstores when you consider that the sci-fi section is almost always stuck in a corner near the back of the store.

  90. Re:Nerd/tech/science? by wrf3 · · Score: 1

    Where are the mod points when I need them? A most excellent response.

  91. Parent has an excellent point. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I had a mainly Christianity-Free upbringing, and I literally had no clue the CoN were Christian until sometime in high school.

  92. Since this is Hollywood, we can do the trailer... by DiamondGeezer · · Score: 3, Funny



    "In a world of peace, four children are sent to a strange house, where they find a portal to another world of perpetual snow and talking animals."

    *Cue gratuitous beaver shot*

    "My word, Sons of Adam and Daughters of Eve! Come in and and have tea!"

    Four children clash hands together and shout "Talking Beavers! Excellent!"

    But then one encounters a mysterious woman:

    "Yes, dear boy. I am an evil witch! You can tell by my impeccable manners and cut-glass English accent!"

    "Uh oh!"

    "Like some Turkish Delight?"

    "Are they like Hershey Bars?"

    "Yes, but not quite as evil and low carb as well"

    To be continued...

    *sigh*

    --
    Tubby or not tubby. Fat is the question
  93. Trivia Question by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Mormons love C.S. Lewis, but he hated them back.

    Trivia question: which character in the Chronicles of Narnia is explicitly a low-blow swipe at Mormons?

  94. Turkish Delight? Mental Note: Turks LIE! by Scrameustache · · Score: 1

    Mmmm, steak and kidney and liver and entrail

    I have a handy compression algorithm to list those ingredients (and many more!) in just two words: Hot dog.

    --

    You can't take the sky from me...

  95. Re:Turkish Delight Isn't All That Good (with recip by slim · · Score: 2, Informative

    British stereotype: Kidney pie (what it sounds like)
    [...]
    British stereotype: Black pudding (I'm not typing it, I just ate and want to keep my food down.)


    Have you eaten either of these things?

    Kidneys are a prefectly eatable part of an animal, and a good Steak & Kidney pie is a great pleasure (although you should probably avoid cheap frozen/chilled supermarket pies on your first attempt).

    A good black pudding is a joy. Try it.

    I think British cooking went into decline after World War II, and people lost pride in the classics -- but there are classics, and if done well, they are delicious.

    If you're actually interested in classic British cooking, look at the books of Gary Rhodes, a well respected chef who champions traditional English dishes.

  96. Let's get the commenting started! by halcyon1234 · · Score: 2, Funny
    We might as well do this in the same manner as every single H2G2-Movie thread in existence. If everyone will kindly file your comments in one of the following catagories:

    1) "That's Not The Way *I* Would Have Done It" comments

    2) "All What Those Hollywood Asshats Want To Do Is Make Money And Have Anal Sex With CS Lewis' Corpse" comments

    3) "This Is The Greatest Movie Every And Everyone Else Should Shut The Fuck Up" comments

    4) Legitimate comments.

    .

  97. Re:Turkish Delight Isn't All That Good (with recip by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Of course, you think that about everything, Mary Jane.

    "That dog looks just like a bong too!"

  98. Re:Turkish Delight Isn't All That Good (with recip by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I'm American, but I love blood sausages like black pudding. The idea may sound gross to thosed unaccustomed, but it's really quite tasty. Besides, how is it any less gross than any other type of sausage which is ground up flesh in a wrapper, or even steak which when cooked right bleeds profusely when eaten.

  99. Re:Nerd/tech/science? by Scrameustache · · Score: 2, Informative

    Mods: How on earth can a question be "informative"?

    Starting Score: 1 point
    Moderation +2
    50% Informative


    Wow! How did you do that? : )

    --

    You can't take the sky from me...

  100. Full Circle: LOTR & Narnia by TsukasaZero · · Score: 2, Informative

    Tolkien and Lewis were good pals to my knowledge.

    Wetta, the shop created by Peter Jackson for Lord Of The Rings, based in New Zealand, is the special effects and costume company Disney employed to do Narnia.

    That's why is looks a lot like LOTR.

    1. Re:Full Circle: LOTR & Narnia by tetujin · · Score: 1

      Rhythm and Hues is the primary vfx house. weta's just doing the practical effects. :)

  101. Reminisce by Gondola · · Score: 1

    Well, I'm looking forward to seeing these just for the special effects and nostalgia factor.

    I remember back in grade school, one of my teachers (really nice guy, Mr. Snow I think) would take time out in the afternoons and read to us from the Narnia books for like an hour. One of the best memories I had from school. I could just relax and live in the story.

    I re-"read" them recently as an audiobook when I was doing a lot of driving. It's good audiobook fodder; something light that won't distract you enough to get you into a car wreck, but something other than mile after mile of concrete, asphalt, and bumpers.

  102. something missing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What, no car chase? And I didn't see a single explosion in that trailer. What's up with THAT!

  103. o_O by John+Pfeiffer · · Score: 1

    Holy hell, you broke AOL.

    On another trailer-related note, the Quicktime trailer site has Serenity and Batman Begins trailers in 1920x1080. (AKA 1080 HDTV...they say 1080 PROGRESSIVE though, never heard of 1080p, only ever seen 1080i) unfortunately, even windows users can't play them for the time being because QT7 is only out for MacOS right now.

    Luckily, I found a 720p copy in xvid on Usenet to keep me occupied until then. Go me! (If anyone's wondering, it's on alt.binaries.multimedia and was posted like half a day ago)

    --

    Friend: "The NIC is misconfigured..." Me: "No prob, I'll just telnet in and fix it." *Silence*
    1. Re:o_O by SoulMaster · · Score: 1

      1080p TVs come out later this month... As far as HD goes, 1080p is the ONLY true HD, everything else is just a wannabe. (While this isn't true technically, once you see one in person, you'll agree whole-heartedly.

      (Here is one)
      http://www.hitachi.us/tv/browse/lcd/lcd_index.shtm l

  104. Re:the key point in that passage by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No. Remember that to a Christian, like Lewis, these are not metaphors. They are realities, like rocks or trees or time. He intended it to be full of things.

  105. Re:Nerd/tech/science? by Quirk · · Score: 1

    The asking of informed questions underlies science. A question presupposes the assumptions made in asking the question and, therefore, dictates the elements of the answer. A question is nothing if not informative.

    --
    "Academicians are more likely to share each other's toothbrush than each other's nomenclature."
    Cohen
  106. Yeah, that blew my mind (+George MacDonald) by Szplug · · Score: 1

    since they were my two favorite authors. One of Lewis' inspirations (he's said that he regarded him as his master) was George MacDonald. I agree. Now, not all of MacDonald's stuff is great, some of it is just hokey Victorian children's stories, but some has a spirit and spirituality that goes beyond Lewis in some direction. To anyone wanting to investigate I'd suggest collections of his short stories, 'The Golden Key' and 'The Wise Woman' being two of my favorites. My favorite passage of all though comes from one of his full books (which one I don't remember right now).

    What Tolkien thought of MacDonald I don't recall, but his 'Smith of Wooten Major' is reminiscent to me, for its sense of something higher and unknown.

    --
    Someday we'll all be negroes
  107. Re:Turkish Delight Isn't All That Good (with recip by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    [Turkish Delight] was disgusting. ... Anyways, here's a link to THE recipe for those that are interested. (emphasis added)

    I think that underscores a common falicy of our day. Saying that there is *one* recipe for a confection that dates back 2000+ years is preposterous, bordering on absurd. There are as many different recipies for Turkish delight as there are grandmas in the Middle East. (Actually, strike that - Mid East grandmas don't need a recipe.) Shucks, even the Joy of Cooking gives at least two.

    Conceptually, T.D. is congealed fruit paste. (Think extra thick jelly.) The thickener can be corn starch, but traditionally it's pectin, and some recipes use gelitain. And while Rose and Lemon is one traditional flavor combination, there isn't any limit to it, you could do others.

    You might have found one recipe disgusting, but that doesn't mean you wouldn't like others. Without more details, it's hard to say what you ate.

    To each his own, but I actually love rose and lemon Turkish delight. Probably the best non-chocolate confection I've had. (The rose flavor is probably an aquired taste - there isn't much precident for it in western cuisine.)

  108. I think you... by Kjella · · Score: 1

    ...made a very good example, where the answer is really implicit in the question. A question may point out flaws and weaknesses for others to see, without directly giving the answer. Still informative. It's all about how you formulate it.

    Your post could be reformulated as "Questions are not informative". This post could be reformulated as "Could it be informative by pointing out flaws and weaknesses?" The answer is implied because if it was the opposite, the post would make no sense.

    Kjella

    --
    Live today, because you never know what tomorrow brings
  109. I like the published order better by Szplug · · Score: 1

    regardless. After a lot of Narnia stories you've gotten familiar with it. It's wonderful to 'step out of' it at that point and start from scratch with new characters, and a world bigger than Narnia. And then that turns into Narnia's beginning. Just in time then, for the series to return to the familiar characters, and finally end. I think "Magician's Nephew"'s published position bookends the series with great effect.

    --
    Someday we'll all be negroes
  110. George MacDonald! by Szplug · · Score: 1

    I've only read any of Charles Williams work (one book) but, it sucked (imo). I haven't read the others. But, Lewis wrote that he considered George MacDonald his master, and MacDonald wrote fantasy with Christian (more, moral) themes, which could be very beautiful and spiritual (not explicitly Christian). If you're interested in Lewis I'd investigate MacDonald before those others.

    --
    Someday we'll all be negroes
  111. another ... by PGC · · Score: 1

    one... some things should just be left alone. Is hollywood running out of ideas ? There hasn't been a good movie for quite some time now , except for those that were translated from books to film and weren't f'd up ( and those are few ). There's nothing worse (when movies are concerned) than seeing a good old childhood memory being raped by a hollywood director.

    --
    The Dutch will inherit the earth. If not, we'll settle for a bit of ocean. Beta delenda est!
    1. Re:another ... by atezun · · Score: 1

      Oh come on! I mean really, if you think there are no good original movies beings released lately then i suggest you look a little harder. Of course over-marketed movies are all similar. They follow proven formulas that are supposed to succeed. They're the cash cow that allow production companies to take a chance on more original films. If you feel Hollywood is running out of ideas then why not look at something from the independant distribution brands like Lion's Gate or Sony Pictures Classics.

  112. Re:Turkish Delight Isn't All That Good (with recip by Phantasmo · · Score: 1

    Try a Big Turk bar.

    --

    The US Army: promoting democracy through unquestioned obedience
  113. What an astute kid! by Szplug · · Score: 1

    I guess it surprises me that a kid could know that the movies wouldn't be the same as the books. You're fortunate, I hope I'm able to get it to my future kids via book the first time, too.

    --
    Someday we'll all be negroes
    1. Re:What an astute kid! by LDoggg_ · · Score: 1

      Thanks. I am very fortunate.
      My son is loving the books so far. I think he just doesn't want to ruin character images he has in his head right now with actors from a movie.

      --

      "If they have both, tell them we use Linux. And if they have that, tell them the computers are down." -Dave Chapelle
  114. Like magic goes the link by l0rdpestilence · · Score: 0

    and just like magic, the link and the move disopate.

  115. Re:Nerd/tech/science? by garethw · · Score: 1

    I think you're playing tricks with language - you made an argument regarding the word "informed", and then made the leap of applying it to the word "informative".

    I agree, one can ask an informed question; I disagree that one can ask an informative question.

    Hint to Mods: I think this one's +((-1)^0.5), Irrational.

    ;)

    --
    garethw
  116. Re:Turkish Delight Isn't All That Good (with recip by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Cheeseburger (essentially, just beef)

    The actual quality of the cuts depends on the burger, ground up, with a substance totally unlike cheese. England has dozens of types of cheese. We know what the stuff is supposed to taste like, and it sure as hell doesn't taste like that. Then sandwiched between 2 halves of a steam baked roll that tastes nothing like decent bread.

    British stereotype: Kidney pie (what it sounds like)

    That's "Steak and kidney pie". Quality of pastry is essential. So is decent gravy. Kidneys may not sound all that appetising, but it's no worse than liver. It's also a 1950's stereotype.

    American stereotype: Steak (essentially, just beef)

    Texan, perhaps. You can get steak in Britain as well.

    British stereotype: Black pudding (I'm not typing it, I just ate and want to keep my food down.)

    Well, apart from the fact that black pudding tastes quite nice, it's not that popular these days.

    You seem to be convinced that because british food was of poor quality shortly after a crippling war with large scale rationing, and severse shortages, it is still poor quality.

    Most of the time I've heard British cousine discussed by British folk, it's in negative terms, but I hear there are lots of great chefs who can cook foreign foods well. Thank God.

    You don't know a lot of brits then. Otherwise you'd notice that most of the time the brits talk about vrits, it's in negative terms. We're a ntion of complainers. It's what we do.

  117. No shit - orcs and battles, I piss by Szplug · · Score: 1

    in its general direction.

    --
    Someday we'll all be negroes
  118. Re:Turkish Delight Isn't All That Good (with recip by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I like how you denounce cheap, fast-food cheeseburgers (many of us like our hamburgers on good toasted bread with good cheese, maybe a blue) but go on to say that "quality of pastry is essential." Give me a fucking break; I'm sure there are plenty of cheap steak and kidney pies.

    In any case, I would think that the cheeseburger of England is the fish and chips, but that might just be a stereotype.

  119. Pretty Disney Perfection by xombo · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'm sorry but it seems as though Narnia doesn't believe in dust. Everything in the trailer appears squeeky clean. One thing I particularly enjoyed about the Lord of the Rings was that pieces were dated well and you could honestly believe that this is something that exists in reality.
    Frankly there's no way an old British woman and four children could keep that house perfectly dusted.
    Furthermore, what's with the horrible choice of colors? I've never seen so many primary and secondary colors used in costume and set design in my life. If Narnia is so primitive, technologically, wouldn't it make sense that they would have to use natural dyes--frankly you can't get colors that perfect from natural dye.
    Disney just isn't selling it.

  120. I'm not so sure about that by brokeninside · · Score: 1

    This is the same author that did for Cupid and Psyche in Till We Have Faces what he did for Christianity in The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe.

  121. Re:Turkish Delight Isn't All That Good (with recip by poofyhairguy82 · · Score: 1
    That's a valuable lesson, you have to use the British tastiness scale, which is a lot different than normal people's.

    No shit. When I went on a tour of Europe a few years ago I remember enjoying the local food in every country except Britian. Its like every menu I saw was like an American Chili's or Bennigens with all of the good stuff taken out. After a week I was glad to eat McDonald's food for the first time in my life. Otherwise the island was great. (the only other problem was the price of things. Stuff like CDs and the like cost as many pounds as they cost in dollars here, despite the fact pounds are worth more. Never understood that....)

    I was just sad that many of the poor Britons haven't tried some really good food like some Tex-Mex.

  122. Bravo for Lewis by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
    Anybody else get a little creeped out by the possibility that alot of what CS Lewis was doing with his fantasy writings was really Christian propaganda?
    I'm delighted by the fact that C.S. Lewis filled his Narnia series with Christian ideas and images. We need more of that and less of the sort of trash we see on TV (including the woopers and howlers of religious TV).

    I grew up in a South where the official logo of the Alabama Democratic Party was a rooster crowing "White Supremacy for the Right." Today's Democratic party, particularly in the 'blue' urbanized areas on the two coasts, has replaced its racial bigotry with religious bigotry. Where they once warned of the alleged horrors of black people voting or holding political office, they now try to scare us (the "creeped out" quoted above) with the alleged dangers of religious people voting or hold political office, particularly in our courts. And to "protect" the courts, they've turned to the same technique they used to block civil rights legislation, the filibuster. They've not changed one bit.

    Note too how most Democrats behave when the topic really is a nasty sort of religion that represses freedom, kills the innocent, and plans world conquest. There many on the left are as AWOL from the struggle for human freedom against an "axis of evil" as they were during the Cold War when the "evil empire" was communism.

    In the words of Lewis, contemporary secularism wants us to live in a grim and repressive world where it is "always winter but never Christmas"--as illustrated by politically correct public schools that have "winter holidays" rather than the delights of Christmas.

    And yes I know it's rather stupid to drop the word Christmas but keep the word "holidays"--meaning "holy days." But then bigots are never very bright, whether they're Klansman, school bureaucrats, or Hollywood lefties.

    So bravo to Disney for telling us the movie will come out "This Christmas."

    --Mike Perry, Seattle, Editor: Dachau Liberated, Author Untangling Tolkien

  123. MOD UP by Bishop · · Score: 1

    The parent has a good explanation of CS Lewis's intentions.

  124. If by `waiting for events to unfold' ... by brokeninside · · Score: 1

    ... you mean prepare a suicide bomber to unleash the ultimate destruction upon the forces of evil, then, yeah, all they did was to wait for events to unfold.

  125. Best look in the mirror... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If you're going to blame religion, be sure to blame the lack thereof.

    Obviously, while they didn't use any religion for an excuse of their behavior, neither did they find any reason in it to prevent them from such things as the Stalinist purges, or all the crimes against humanity in China.

    And both of those examples are under avowedly atheist governments (note that I say governments--I'm aware of superstition which persists among the Chinese populace, but it was the government behind the atrocities).

    Now, you may say that you are not responsible because you believe different things. Believe it or not, many people do NOT condone the violence of the past--e.g. the late Pope John Paul II who went to great lengths to apollogize for history. But you cannot have it both ways. Either you are guilty with them for sharing the designation 'atheist' and therefore share the guilt of more deaths than any religion, or such comparisons are unfair and irrelevant.

    I hate all religions

    If you want to see the root of religious hatred, which is the core of this violence and these problems, I suggest you look in a mirror. Until people can deal with that hatred you know too well, we will continue to have needless death and violence.

  126. Re:Nerd/tech/science? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It informs us that they have a question.

    Or something.

    I guess it could also inform us that they (either the mods or OP) were clueless, but that might well be redundant.

  127. Re:Nerd/tech/science? by Quirk · · Score: 1

    The term inform and, hence informed, suggest the imparting of information. The term information isn't necessary in terms of our exchange and it's tricky. The term informative suggests a definition closer to what you have used in your point that a question can be informed. Informative suggests instruction and I think a question, well formed, is instructive. Therefore I think a question is, in our context, better defined in terms of being informative than informed. A question could be said to have implicit within it's structure an informative nature.

    --
    "Academicians are more likely to share each other's toothbrush than each other's nomenclature."
    Cohen
  128. Why oh Why??? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why do they always start with the second book in the series???

  129. Re:Turkish Delight Isn't All That Good (with recip by Evil+Pete · · Score: 1

    I actually think the stuff is divine. Yumm. Not as sweet as chocolates etc, which I also like, but still nice. Depends on the person I guess.

    --
    Bitter and proud of it.
  130. Re:Turkish Delight Isn't All That Good (with recip by way2trivial · · Score: 1

    until today, I always assumed the kidney portion of that name referred to kidney beans..

    'scuse me whilst I go outside to hurl at my newfound knowledge....

    --
    every day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
  131. Re:Nerd/tech/science? by Yolegoman · · Score: 1

    Mods have a very dry sense of humor, don't they?

  132. Worry not: Disney is not the brains of this film by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I actually don't know which post to reply to- alot of them seem to fear Disney is going to wreck it. Worry not, this is just as disney as any pixar film (I.E., none except for funding and distribution).

    My sister has been following this for about two years now, and Disney wasn't involved at the begining. Walden Media is the player who actually picked up the rights and started making this film with Andrew Adamson. Adamson then hired none other then Douglas Gresham (step son of C.S. Lewis) to maintain literary integrity to the beloved works. As a disney spokesperson recently said at a confrence "We can't sneeze without Douglas Gresham knowing about it."

    I think this is going to be an amazing movie and I think its high time for Clive's work to be done justice on the big screen. Personally, like alot of others I know, seeing it as a good movie will be a dream come true.

    FYI, best resorce online for narnia stuff is Narniaweb.com. If you want more info, check it out.

  133. Tom Baker as the marshwiggle by fizbin · · Score: 1

    In "The Silver Chair" was just an absolutely brilliant bit of casting. The perfect actor for that role.

  134. First book?-miyazaki by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    http://disney.go.com/disneyvideos/animatedfilms/mi yazaki/index2.html

    Aparently they didn't have any problem with "Spirited Away" either.

  135. Re:Turkish Delight Isn't All That Good (with recip by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Kidneys may not sound all that appetising, but it's no worse than liver.

    Er... yes it is! Kidneys are what filter all the gross stuff out of your bloodstream and turn it into urine. In all seriousness, I'd rather eat testicles.

  136. Re:Turkish Delight Isn't All That Good (with recip by 91degrees · · Score: 1

    Steak is a piece of flesh from a murdered animal.

    Talk about double standards.

  137. Re:Turkish Delight Isn't All That Good (with recip by slim · · Score: 1


    until today, I always assumed the kidney portion of that name referred to kidney beans..

    'scuse me whilst I go outside to hurl at my newfound knowledge....


    Are you a vegetarian or something? ;)

    Also, what parts of a cow go into those "100% beef patties" at your favourite fast food chain, do you reckon? .. unless it's Steak'n'Shake /me disappears into Steak'n'Shake based reverie.

  138. Re:Turkish Delight Isn't All That Good (with recip by slackerboy · · Score: 1

    Mmmm, applets & cotlets. Basically, they are apple and apricot turkish delights from WA. Good stuff and they always seemed to show up at holidays when I was growing up.

    --
    Things to do today: See list of things to do yesterday
  139. Re:Turkish Delight Isn't All That Good (with recip by GeckoX · · Score: 1

    In this day and age, eating animal parts that are used to filter crap out of the animals system just doesn't seem like a very good idea.

    Never mind the taste involved.

    --
    No Comment.
  140. Re:Turkish Delight Isn't All That Good (with recip by GeckoX · · Score: 1

    You may wish to inject your morals into that argument, but that does not make the parent's post a double standard.

    The opinion that eating meat is murder has no bearing on whether kidney/liver etc is as healthy as flesh.

    That's the biggest problem with most people that share your point of view on this topic. You tend to be elitist about it and end up alienating everyone that doesn't share your position, leaving you with pretty much absolutely NO recourse to actually share your point of view.

    You do notice how extremely close you came to calling the parent a murderer directly? Not exactly the way to open doors.

    --
    No Comment.
  141. Re:Turkish Delight Isn't All That Good (with recip by 91degrees · · Score: 1

    Personally, I'm quite fond of a nice rump steak.

    Saying that eating kidneys is disgusting is a matter of personal opinion. I merely point out that some people find eating meat disgusting. The other poster claimed that kidneys were disgusting because it sounded unpleasant. I merely point out that a steak can be made to sound unpleasant as well.

  142. Re:Turkish Delight Isn't All That Good (with recip by nomadic · · Score: 1

    Whenever Brits get insulted by their food they tend to try and reverse the charge, and imply that every restaurant in the US is a greasy spoon diner in the middle of the desert. The simple fact is the average American restaurant, serving standard American food, is still far superior to the average British restaurant, serving average British food. And a lot of times it's the same food, only the American places know how to prepare it. Order a hamburger in a British pub, then come over here and order it in an American one. You'd be quite surprised.

  143. Re:Nerd/tech/science? by Profane+MuthaFucka · · Score: 1

    I see you are still bitching about moderation. You post the most insipid comments.

    --
    Fascism trolls keeping me up every night. When I starts a preachin', he HITS ME WITH HIS REICH!
  144. -1 Ignorant by g8oz · · Score: 1

    Crusades were a defense of territory historically owned by the Roman Empire peacefully for over a thousand years against its invasion and subjugation by Islamic hordes conquering and plundering their way out of Arabia.

    Nonsense. By the time the Crusades started, Muslim powers had controlled the Holy Land for 4 centuries. If that is what you call a defense it got a pretty late start.

    No the Crusades were fueled by bigotry, parochialism and (later) greed.

  145. lewis did sci-fi too (perelandra, silent planet) by johnrpenner · · Score: 1


    anyone else read lewis' sci-fi novels ('out of the silent planet',
    perelandra, and 'that hideous strength'?) -- i'd think for a geek,
    it'd be cooler to see those in film.
    j.

    btw - it is highly ironic that c.s. lewis highly disliked disney.

  146. Religion vs. Spirituality by SeanDuggan · · Score: 1
    Religion isn't about finding out how to live, it's about arbitrarily picking a way to live and making sure everyone else lives that way too, whether they want to or not.
    Ideally, religion exists to provide a framework for spirituality, to guide people along a path that will better them. Admittedly, this will always cause complaints when people decide that some part or another of the religion is inconvenient. *wry grin* And at that, due to the way human psychology works, we still have a lot of "tying up the cat" holdovers. People will pick up little superstious habits or will hold on to rituals for the sake of tradition.

    On the off chance the phrase "tying up the cat" doesn't suggest anything to you, I use it relating to the old joke about the [generic religious leader] and his pet cat. Basically, the [generic religious leader] had a pet cat. The catch is that the cat would try to come up onto the [designated sacred ground] while he was in the middle of his [designated spiritual rituals], so he'd have the cat leashed in another room. Well, the [generic religious leader] died and his underlings continued to leash the cat. The cat died. They bought another cat. Eventually, a series of rules was codified on the proper way to tie up the cat and much was written on the spiritual and symbolic significance of tying up the cat. *shrug* It may seem farfetched, but how many people think that candles in Christian masses are purely a symbolic gesture of light and hope versus a holdover from when masses were held in catacombs? The candles have become a symbol for the people, but their origins were something more practical, relating to a relatively bygone age.

    As to religion's effectiveness, I'm reminded of an old joke about democracy, "Democracy is the worst possible system of government, but it's the best one out there." Religion is a crutch, but look at who's not limping.

    --
    This sig has absolutely no significance and serves only to take up screen space and waste the time of the reader.