Originally posted by samIam
anyone else have an excelent source for christian LOTR book or stuff??
I know that CBD( christian book discount I think) www.christianbooks.com (I think) has some stuff ... we order from them like all the time soo .. that is where i got my book
Originally posted by nazgulinthedark
my mom actually thinks im sacreligious because i like the ringwraiths and there "evil"
Okay I haven't posted on this topic and I am sorry if I repost anyone else's veiws or points ( I only scanned alot)!
First of all Tolkien was Catholic, and extremely religious. You can clearly see his beliefs through his words.
And although a few ppl have posted it C.S. Lewis was not Christian he was an atheist. And I think you can also tell that from his works.
this is from a timeline of his life ... kinda funny!
1929
Lewis became a theist: "In the Trinity Term of 1929 I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed...." Albert Lewis died on September 24.
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."
hey guys! Sorry if i'm interupting this lovely discussion...but...I'm a Christian too! I was starting to feel a bit lonely on this forum...reading these slams to christians here and there. And about C.S. Lewis, thats really cool, he wrote all those mere christianity books. Its awesome to hear about ppl who get converted like that! And I know this is a bit off subject, but i just wanted to ask anyways (so please forgive me! 🙂) but, I'm a big fan of HP, as you can obviously tell by my sig....but whats your guys take on it? (this also kinda relates to LotR w/ the magic aspect of things) I don't see anything wrong w/ liking Harry Potter, but I've known some ppl who feel very strongly that its evil to read those books.
Originally posted by iluvorlando
hey guys! Sorry if i'm interupting this lovely discussion...but...I'm a Christian too! I was starting to feel a bit lonely on this forum...reading these slams to christians here and there. And about C.S. Lewis, thats really cool, he wrote all those mere christianity books. Its awesome to hear about ppl who get converted like that! And I know this is a bit off subject, but i just wanted to ask anyways (so please forgive me! 🙂) but, I'm a big fan of HP, as you can obviously tell by my sig....but whats your guys take on it? (this also kinda relates to LotR w/ the magic aspect of things) I don't see anything wrong w/ liking Harry Potter, but I've known some ppl who feel very strongly that its evil to read those books.
Well, I have a friend who is a pretty strong Christian, and she loooooves Harry Potter, but my parents won't let me read the books/see the movies, so I can't say one way or the other.
I'm a Christian too, but I don't like HP that much. I don't know, it's not because it's dark, but it's just because, the story and the characters doesn't hold a candle in my heart. I personally have nothing against HP, I'm also watching the movies because I could honestly say that it's better than other movies, but I can live with watching them just once or even not at all, not like the LOTR movies that if I had to sneak my dad's car, or if I have to walk outside in the rain just to get in the theater and watch it for the 10th time, I'm more than willing to do so. 😄
And I don't think there's that much comparison with HP and LOTR, just the fact that both have wizards, but the magic in HP is too obvious and visual, the magic in LOTR is a presence, not visual. They also have very different plots. The HP storyline is all about wizardry and witchcraft, the storyline in LOTR is all about freedom for Middle-earth and fight against Sauron.
I think the reason why some people are comparing those two franchises is that the movies came out a few months after the other and several people can't help it but to transfer the hype from one movie to the other, thus, some people end up comparing them. But really, I can't see that much to compare with.
To sum this up, HP for me is just OK, I can live with or without it, I have never read the books too and have no plans of doing so. Maybe it's not just my cup of tea, but who knows? 🙂 LOTR however, I've read them for a long time even before the movies came out and they already captivated me, the movies then thankfully added to the impact. And I have plans to read the books and watch the movies over and over for the next several decades. 😄
C.S Lewis & Tolkien were at university together and were both principal member of the Inklings club/group who would show each other early drafts of their writings and introduce each other to there own favorite books, Tolkien showed the group writings from his Middle Earth Mythologys years before he even wrote the Hobbit for his children or Lewis wrote the Chronicles of Narnia which (especially some of the later books) are very Anti Catholic in places which upset Tolkien greatly.
Tolkien as most people know was a devout Catholic and of course this influenced his work (its a story of good vs evil so it is obviously what his ideas of what good and evil are) but he writes in his foreword to the second edition of LOTR:
"as for any meaning or message, it has in the intention of the author none. It is neither allegorical or topical......I cordially dislike allegory in all its manifestations and always have done so since I grew old and wary enough to detect its presence. I much prefer history, true or feigned with its varied applicability to the thought and experience of readers. I think that many confuse 'applicability' with 'allegory'; but the one resides in the freedom of the reader, and the other in the purposed domination of the author"
Im not saying YOU cant find God in The Lord Of The Rings but Tolkien did not deliberately put God in there.
thanx for your input guys! I personally really like the books, the movies aren't near as good...but I have a friend whose dad (who happens to be a pastor) reads them. And I agree that witchcraft and wizardry are wrong....but its not like i'd ever think of practicing them or researching the topic...or anything like that. But yeah, and I didn't mean to try and make it sound like HP and LOTR are so closely related...just trying to make my question sound less off the topic! 🙂