lionheart

Liam Neeson has evidently angered some Christians for suggesting that the Lion character he portrays in the Narnia movies has a passing resemblance to spiritual leaders from Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. What on earth is so upsetting about that? Some of these Christian fanatics can sometimes be almost as daft as their Muslim counterparts.
http://uk.movies.yahoo.com/06122010/...omments-0.html

flares

He's not really being politically correct though is he. If the Muslim nutcases hear that 'he who shall never be portrayed' is actually a cartoon lion there will be uproar.

Bahtatboy

Ever met an angry Buddhist?

Ethos83

Aslan is supposed to be another form of God. C.S. Lewis was a devout Christian and interwove Christian themes throughout all the Narnia books.

I imagine the nutters are more upset at the comparison to Buddha or Islam. I don't see the comparison to Islam as valid as Big Mo was a warrior.

Boomhauer

C.S. Lewis was a well known proponent of Christianity, and it is widely recognized that the figure of Aslan is allegorical to Jesus. It is wrong to suggest that Islam or Buddhism can also be included when the author did not give any indication of such.

I am Agnostic and this issue isn't one of religious theology to me but rather of respecting the author's work by not reinterpreting what Lewis said.

seven seas

What a waste of effort.

Crappy book- probably will be a crappy film.

Ethos83

So says the dude who probably never read it...

It's well established that you're a bitter Muslim dude in Abu Dhabi, so I will safely disregard your opinion on this one (well, I disregard your opinion on just about anything).

kimilseung

spits tea on keyboard.
Are you really saying that because the creator says something we have to accept it and not have any critical analysis what so ever. All those poor critics you will be putting out of work. A creators point of view is one that should be listened to, but is just one part of a tapestry that may help us give literature meaning.
I make no comment on Lewis or his books here.
What you have said, that we can not have critical analysis of literature beyond what the author states, is so absurd, it can not be what you mean. So what do you mean?

Boomhauer

What I am saying is that anyone can give their own take on the book, but it must be made clear that this take is NOT what the author of the book intended. People shouldn't go away thinking that the author (Lewis) had the same POV as the person re-examining the book .

kimilseung

gotcha now

Norm_uk

Buddhism, especially at it's core as an atheist religion (not the intepretations which are spread and mixed over the world) doesn't lend itself well to religiously fuelled hate and intolerance unlike Christianity and Islam.

That said Buddhists are humans and can be as violent as anyone else depending on their politics, how they were raised and disposition...I just doubt Buddhist teachings contain things like "slay the infidels wherever you find them" or "fight them until all religion is for Allah".

N.

Ethos83

Hmmm....give me religiously fuelled hate and intolerance any day. They produced some damn good architecture.

Just wondering - ever popped into a nice CoE back home?

Norm_uk

Most Churches were built centuries ago and more historical reference points today rather than places of worship. As an atheist I really enjoy most old churches - the effort that went into them was amazing and compared to another intolerant bunch far more original...

..the Dome for example on Mosques comes from the Byzantine Romans they conquered after Byzantine was weakened by war with Persia (they also conquered Persia too...hence we have issues with Iran today).

They did have a few original ideas though. Certain Germans working in the Ottoman Empire around the early 1900s made a lot of notes about the Armenian genocide which helped Hitler immensely when he decided to get cracking against a productive law abiding civillian minority.

Keep the domes though - they are easy visual reference points for bombers...I'll see you in Lincoln Cathedral for a beer )

N.