Some people....

[ArwenEvenstar]

You know whats really annoying? I wanted to take my aunt to see FOTR, but shes christian and her friends say there's to much magic in FOTR so now she won't go!!

[CardenIAntauraNauco]

Yeah some people are offended by that kind of thing. I am a christian myself and I see nothing wrong with magic as it is portrayed in Lord of the Rings.

Remember when Galadriel was talking to Frodo and said "This I believe is what your kind calls magic although I do not understand clearly what you mean..." It leads me to believe that it is not magic,persay just powers of the race of the person using it. Or powers from above ie."Elbereth Gilthoniel"Something we do even in this world. Prayer is a very christian concept. Tell her the kind of "magic" used in LOTR is the same kind of "Magic" used by the prophets of the old testament...Prayer

[ArwenEvenstar]

it's not her it's her friends advice- who's she going to listen to, me or her friend

[CardenIAntauraNauco]

Thats too bad...oh well
Im sure her friends intentions are good.

[Reverie]

My husband and I love the fantasy genre and RPGs, to most of his family this makes us devil worshippers...some people you just have to write off!! Good luck w/ your aunt.

[andustar]

hah yes. If anyone is interested, here is a link to a site that agrees with Arwen's aunt's friends. Incidentally, I have to say that I think it is complete... let's be polite here... er... nonsense.

Although if you want to enter into the whole debate I warn you I'm not joining in. I'm sure everyone who goes to entmoot agrees with me anyway, and there's no point just going on about how much they are wrong, blah, blah, blah... I completely disagree with them, and that's that.

two links, actually. The first is genuine, the second an obviously a fake, but it's funny and some idiots believed it. (look at the url)

http://www.capalert.com/capreports/lordofrings_fellowship.htm

and

http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/weekly/aa080900a.htm

(go to the second page for the actual e mail)

[samwise of the shire]

Actually if she read LOTR she would find that it has many Christian themes. It's right under your nose when Gandalf sacrafices himself for the Fellowship,comes back as Gandalf the White,and banishes Saruman from the council. That's a total representation of Jesus if I ever saw one in fantasy genre.And theoden Is kind of like a Chrsitain. His wits were clouded over by Saruamns lies and was in deep doo-doo when Gandalf came along and pulled him out of it. And look at Frodo and Sam. Frodo decides to take a terrible burden and leave his home of comfort in the Shire to take this burden to Mordor so that it would'nt endanger his Shire or anyone else and on the way he's wounded many times,betrayed and worst of all he's bearing this Ring that is trying to get back to it's master so that he could overcome the world.
I've got this forum place called Tar-Ost-In-Eruhir. You might wanna do a search on it. It's a forum where I visit ocassionally. Not alot goes on there but it's a place where Chrsitians can discuss the Christian themes in LOTR. It might be a good place to put her questions and have them answered.
Oh BTW tell her that J.R.R Tolkien was a Christian. That might help our cause.;)
Sam

[Michael Martinez]

Tolkien's Christianity was not so overtly imposed upon The Lord of the Rings as that, but he did describe the book as a very Catholic work. He was speaking of the values (personal choice, consequences for actions, faithfulness and servitude, etc.), not of the symbology people perceive in the book.

There are no Christ-figures in LoTR, but Gandalf is an angelic being (as Tolkien put it).

[Lightice]

*sigh*
Damn those fundamentalists are annoying...
I hate their picture of their faith, that seems to have becomed idea of whole christianity: "We are right and you rest are wrong and go to Hell. "
Becouse of that, and many other things, I've left christianity behind. Much more freedom of taught. I'm not a complete atheist, but I don't think, that any religion in this ball of dust is right.
If there is Universal Thruth, I'm sure, that no one could expect what it's like. Thus, having religion is much renouncing reality, but so many people couldn't live in reality, so they've created religions.
OK, enough of this ranting for me. I hope, that no one was offended by it.

[bropous]

Well, old John Roald Ruel and C. S. Lewis [author of the Chronicles of Narnia] were great buddies, and although J.R.R. got sorta annoyed that Lewis seemed to incorporate some of the Lord of the Rings' themes in his books, both remained great friends. The Chronicles of Narnia are loved by a lot of Christians out there, because of its undertones of christianity.

Funny that your aunt took this slant. On Christmas, at my brother's house, his sister-in-law and mine were discussing taking the kids to see the film. His sister-in-law's kids are in a Christian school, and she had heard exactly the opposite through her school, that it was a very positive movie and reinforced Christian ethics. I can hardly disagree.

Not needing to equivocate Gandalf with Jesus, or Sauron with Satan, the simple pure ethics of the film are these: Loyalty; dedication to good; fighting evil; holding true to faith in the face of adversity; self-sacrifice for the good of others; belief in a power greater than the self; belief that things happen for a reason beyond the ken of men, among others.

Heck, I'm an atheist, but I can readily admit that this film reflects some of the BEST aspects of Christianity. I think it teaches good values and is a good influence on children. I just hope some of the more knee-jerk fundamentalists out there will listen to a variety of opinions on the film, then go to see for themselves if this film sanctifies that to which they are opposed. I feel it only reinforces their beliefs.

Good points you are making here, my fellows.

[Ben]

Sorry, those people who avoid it due to the magic are insane. There is no reason to avoid Harry Potter either. And I resent trying to pacify these people by telling them of the "Christian values" of friendship, sacrifice, etc contained in the film. Those are hardly values unique to one religion - they're just positive values.

[bropous]

Agreed, bmilder, those are simply positive, human values. I think having to convince someone to take a chance at enjoying a variety of entertainment by stating it reinforces their beliefs is a tad droll. Someone who shuts off avenues of fun in fear they may hear an idea contrary to their beliefs is a rather limited individual. I do like it, though, when we are able to convince one of that limited mindset to stretch out of their bounds...

Of course, that is simply my humble newly entling-ish opinion....