This blog entry points to 3 other blog entries which starts out as a review of the Narnia movie but moves into a debate on the War on Terror.

I think the argument is interesting in a couple of respects. The debaters are respectful of each other's viewpoints, but also that neither side seems to take the extreme positions. This feels like a debate between two educated moderates.

If you take the time to read the whole thing, I think you'll find yourself agreeing with both to a degree, but also disagreeing with both. Enjoy.

I looked at one reviewer, and when he said TL, TW, and TW wasn't about religion, he is full of crap. His biographical summary of Lewis is garbage.

Narnia is about Christianity. No question. Simply look at the end of Dawn Treader. It's stated explicitly.

(However, he's right in that the movie does look to be bad)

If you want a series about the War on Terror, look at Harry Potter. Frankly, I've been wondering for years why someone doesn't do a study (or write a whiny article) on how today's youth are becoming more hawkish b/c of HP.

DrTorch Wrote:I looked at one reviewer, and when he said TL, TW, and TW wasn't about religion, he is full of crap. His biographical summary of Lewis is garbage.

Narnia is about Christianity. No question. Simply look at the end of Dawn Treader. It's stated explicitly.

(However, he's right in that the movie does look to be bad)

If you want a series about the War on Terror, look at Harry Potter. Frankly, I've been wondering for years why someone doesn't do a study (or write a whiny article) on how today's youth are becoming more hawkish b/c of HP.

Harry Potter is a dark and evil series that teaches kids that wican beliefs are OK and Fun. It is nothing more than an attempt to intrigue kids into wanting to become witches. NOT IN MY HOUSE!

Sorry, that is all for my little diatribe.

DrTorch Wrote:If you want a series about the War on Terror, look at Harry Potter. Frankly, I've been wondering for years why someone doesn't do a study (or write a whiny article) on how today's youth are becoming more hawkish b/c of HP.

Hmm, I just read Harry Potter over the summer for the first time. I especially thought that the newest book really seemed to draw a lot of similarities about the current state of the War on Terror, but I looked at it the opposite way. I thought that Rowling really presented the prosecution of wizards who may have been involved with Voldemort as unjust. She makes it clear that while they do get the bad guys or some, a few good guys end up taking the fall as well. I saw this as a protest against legislation like the patriot act where some argue that innocent people are not given the rights they deserve because they are held as terrorists. Not that she intended that, but that's what I saw.

I can also see the other side, where children might see real life terrorists to be just like the evil wizards in HP, which I don't think is a totally accurate parallel, at least superficially. DT, have you seen studys showing that children are becoming more Hawkish? I haven't heard anything like this, but I would suspect it has more to do with the culture that they are growing up in now where phrases like homeland security is the norm. I grew up in the 80s andthreats from other countries/terrorists seemed very remote or non-existant.

GrayBeard Wrote:Harry Potter is a dark and evil series that teaches kids that wican beliefs are OK and Fun. It is nothing more than an attempt to intrigue kids into wanting to become witches. NOT IN MY HOUSE!

Sorry, that is all for my little diatribe.

Have you read the series? That is a very ignorant statement.

I have read all of the books and Harry Potter is no more that an updated fantasy book that has elements of "The Lord of the Rings Trilogy" and possibly the "Chronicles of Narnia" (I will actually have to read that one more before I can say definitively). She has recycled the classics in a modern world, but she is definitely NOT teaching kids that wican beliefs are OK and fun.

Bourgeois_Rage Wrote:

DrTorch Wrote:If you want a series about the War on Terror, look at Harry Potter. Frankly, I've been wondering for years why someone doesn't do a study (or write a whiny article) on how today's youth are becoming more hawkish b/c of HP.

Hmm, I just read Harry Potter over the summer for the first time. I especially thought that the newest book really seemed to draw a lot of similarities about the current state of the War on Terror, but I looked at it the opposite way.
I can also see the other side, where children might see real life terrorists to be just like the evil wizards in HP, which I don't think is a totally accurate parallel, at least superficially. DT, have you seen studys showing that children are becoming more Hawkish?

I haven't read the latest one, but in the earlier ones Dumbledore is adamant about rallying against Voldemort, while Fudge puts his head in the sand. You could make a case that it's similar to Churchill/Chamberlin, or today's environment.

As for kids becoming more Hawkish, I have seen nothing to that effect. That's why I figured we might see some whiny articles to that effect (pure speculation). Of course you can conduct a study to give you the results you want, so I'm sure such conclusions have been reached by someone.