I went to see The Chronic-What?!-les of Narnia today. Fabulous movie. Aside from wishing I had a ten-year-old British daughter, I got a lot out of it.
I know the Christian types are all over this movie for its Christ-like story, but honestly now that I've seen it, I think that regardless of what C.S. Lewis' intentions were, the connection is a little over-exaggerated. Yes, the lion is like a die-for-your-sins-and resurrection type (who happens to be voiced by Liam "Qui-Gon" Neeson, didn't know that), but with all of the magic and war (which I suppose could be Biblical), I just don't see it.
But I love the beaver, especially when he's wearing armor. :)
It got me thinking about the way I learned about Christianity and the way a lot of other people from college learned about it. I understand being thankful that Christ died for your sins, and the whole miracle of his life in general. But what I eventually took away from it the most was the notion that God loves you and virtually everything around you is a miracle. Having faith in that world is what I dig, and honestly I've since learned that it's the same fundamental value that's found in most religions.
In contrast though, a lot of people learn about Christianity as this morbid, guilt-based lifestyle, which absolutely sucks. Remember that line from Dogma? "Organized religion destroys who we are by inhibiting our actions, by inhibiting our decisions, out of - out of fear of some -- some intangible parent figure who -- who shakes a finger at us from thousands of years ago, and says -- and says: 'Do it, do it and I'll fucking spank you!'" The first time I heard that, I though, wow, that's so true.
But aside from all that, I do realize that the point of the season, the point of most any religion, is that love and peace, looking out for each other, that's what makes life worth living.
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