My beautiful wife and I joined Sean and his family for the Narnia movie this weekend. Even though I have not (yet) read the book, the movie was positively delightful. Chock full of good wholesome family values.
But what about those Christian values the secularists have been condemning in the news? One opinion said the movie was “evil” for corrupting the minds of children with Christian propaganda. Horrors! Children learning to love their neighbor and to love their creator! Egads!
I’ll tell you what I noticed – if you are a Christian, the movie is stuffed full of symbolism. Aslan as the perfect sacrifice for the son of Adam could not have been more obvious. Christian parents can use this as a talking point about why Jesus died for us, and I may add it to my Sunday school lesson for the 3rd graders this weekend.
What if you’re not a Christian? Unless you’re really, really trying hard to be offended, this movie is just fantasy, a battle between good and evil. Not a word of biblical scripture is uttered. In short, if you don’t want to see the symbolism, it isn’t there. Just enjoy a good, wholesome fantasy movie.
Did you see the movie? What did you think?
Chasing the Wind 
Hey, I still owe you for the tickets.
I’m with you, good story, symbolism is there, if you are familiar with the Gospels. Otherwise, its good vs. evil straight-up. Not a lot of introspection on “gray areas”, or navel gazing, or self blame here. Note to liberals – don’t see it if you believe that we are all “good people” at heart. You simply won’t get it.
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Heh, I was just reading elsewhere a post wondering whether we were all basically good or bad at heart. I asked, “Do you have to teach children to lie, or does that come naturally?” Romans 3:23.
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Haven’t seen the movie yet, but have read the entire Chronicles several times since I was about 12.
I agree with you: the novels (and I’m assuming the movie) are highly allegorical, but if you don’t know the source material, how would you pick up on the allegory? Especially for a child; I didn’t really “get it” until I read the final book, and then went “I KNEW it”…but it was just something that had been in the back of my mind. I didn’t realize it had been “on purpose”, if that makes sense.
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this has nothing to do with this but you brought in lots of succsess with
‘cats for sale” there were 119 comments!!!!!!! i am amazed. but more than half of the comments were VERRRY freaky.
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Jo – To me, what’s odd is that as popular as the book series is, I never heard of it until I was close to 30 years old. And I was a very avid reader, too. It’s like the book was just dropped into my universe suddenly. Poof.
M3 – Too freaky for me. đ
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Went to see thi last night with my girlfriend and the Christian symbolism was very clear to me but not her. Having both read the books and seen the film, the reason that I noticed it and she did not is, I was looking for it. Also thought there was an unhealthy relationship between Mr. Tumnus and Lucy aswell as Edmund and the white witch. Did anyone else pick up on this â
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I certainly didn’t pick up any “unhealthy relationship” clues, though offhand I can’t remember who Mr. Tumnus is. The professor? I think you’re imagining things. đ
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