Update 2: DK also has an excellent fisking of Polly's article, don't agree with it entirely, but definately like the basic though ans style. (warning:language content)
Polly's column yesterday has kicked up a bit of a storm, especially on the religious angle. Nosemonkey has a nice stream of vituperative bile, most of which I agree on, and Uncle Steve has a nice discussion in the comments. Steve's the guy that did the quotes collection back on July 7th, been following his journal ever since.
I'm an atheist. Committed. Thinking of declaring myself a member of the Universal Church of the Interactive Network given the amount of time I spend online. But I love the Narnia books (well, 4 of them, Nephew, Horse and Boy and Last Battle are, well, bad) and am not really bothered by the fact that a committed Christian living in a mostly more religious time wrote books with religious allegories. Andrew wrote up a nice bit about the sexism a few days back. Polly, as usual, is wrong. Ah well. At some point, in the dim and distant future, she may get something right. Anyone care to place odds?
I'm an atheist. Committed. Thinking of declaring myself a member of the Universal Church of the Interactive Network given the amount of time I spend online. But I love the Narnia books (well, 4 of them, Nephew, Horse and Boy and Last Battle are, well, bad) and am not really bothered by the fact that a committed Christian living in a mostly more religious time wrote books with religious allegories. Andrew wrote up a nice bit about the sexism a few days back. Polly, as usual, is wrong. Ah well. At some point, in the dim and distant future, she may get something right. Anyone care to place odds?
2 comments:
Hi there!
What you say struck a cord with me. I used to describe myself as an antitheist and oppose in strong terms any manifestation of religion and belief, in any context.
I then came to the conclussion that, actually, religion is some kind of residue of our own evolution and the day will come when, having moved on, we are going to regard the religious content in Narnia with indifference.
These days I find myself reacting to religion in one of two ways: at times, just like Polly T did in the piece that you mention (emotionally), and at times in the way you did in your post (more rationally).
Best,
Andres
Oh, agreed, sometimes I react very badly to certain aspects of the religious proselytisers, othertimes it just doesn't annoy at all, it depends how it's done I suspect.
Essentially, most older writers had a religious bent, and when a history student, I got used to reading stuff, especially 'whig' historians, which had basic assumptions that to them were self evident, but to us appear to be small minded jingoism. Ever tried reading Churchill? He's nowhere near the worst.
Post a Comment